Rolling up a sleeping bag may be the equivalent of hell for an overtired scout. (Or, at least, it is for the leader!) For some reason the strings on a sleeping bag are never quite long enough, or perhaps they break.

Before your campout, have your scouts make their own sleeping bag ties made out of their color paracord of choice. The project may take a meeting or two to complete, but it is one that will give the scouts the feeling of completion, and may save them (and you!) headaches down the road.

DIY Paracord Sleeping Bag Straps

For each set of sleeping bag straps you will need:

• 100 feet of paracord
• Ruler to measure paracord
• Matches or lighter to seal paracord ends
• Scissors
• Paracord lacing needle or splicing tool to weave in ends
• 2 5/8 inch paracord side-release buckles

How to make the paracord sleeping bag straps

1. Cut four 12-feet strips of paracord. Use matches or lighter to seal the ends to prevent fraying.
   Be careful not to melt too much of the paracord, because the bumpiness of the mass at the end can make it challenging to weave the paracord strips through the buckle. In those cases, I could easily take the scissors to the cooled paracord to trim the mass at the end.
2. Take one strip of paracord. Weave both ends of the paracord from front to back on the top slot of the buckle, pulling through the bottom slot to create a lark’s head knot. Repeat with a second strip of paracord to have two lark’s head knots looping through the buckle.
3. You will have a total of four strands of paracord hanging from the buckle. Bring the far left strand under the next strand and then over the third strand.
4. Bring the far right strand over the next strand and then under the third strand.
5. Repeat until you have about 3 inches left of paracord unbraided.
6. Pull the paracrod from the front of the buckle to the back. Use your slicing tool or paracord needle to weave teh cord ends back through the braid. 
7. Repeat with second buckle and remaining two strands of paracord.

This project was adapted from the book Paracord Outdoor Projects: Simple Instructions for Survival Bracelets and Other DIY Projects.

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