Bank Line Projects

The Bank Line Came In

I got my 250' spool of bank line in today from Native Survival.  Earlier in the week, after my failed shopping at Bass Pro and the local fishing store, I checked out West Marine.  They actually had bank line, but it was on like 50' spools for about half of the 250' spool.  Mitch is definitely the way to go with this stuff.

First, let me say I was amazed at how compact the spool is.  It's on a heavy cardboard tube, and about the same size as a fist.  I compared it to a 300' spool of paracord, and the paracord is more than a pound heavier at 1 lb. 4.7 oz.  The bank line is 4.3 oz.  It also takes up about 4x the space of the bank line.

So, what am I going to do with it?  First thing is, I'll pull off about 50 feet and put it in my EDC pouch.  I could have used it the other morning when I was tying my shoes getting ready for work and broke a lace.  Combat boots or tennis shoes, I could have used paracord, but these were dress shoes with tiny lace holes.  Bank line would have been just the ticket.  Actually, I just skipped one set of holes relacing with the broken lace, so I'll replace the laces in both shoes this weekend with the bank line.

Next thing I'll do is prep the remaining spool of line for my 5Cs kit (cutting, cordage, cover, container and combustion).  The heavy cardboard spool is about 3/4 inch in diameter, and about 4.5 inches long.  Tomorrow I'll get a couple of corks that will fit the ends, and fill the inside with some emergency fishing gear.  A couple of hooks, some lead sinkers, a couple of small artificial lures.  If I need to do some emergency fishing, I will separate a length of line into it's three parts to have a thin, but still very strong, fishing line to tie to a stick.  The corks will double as bobbers.  Or, I can use the line as made and do a trot line or some jug lines.

My last immediate project is to do a deadfall trap to try to get rid of my local skunk.  I'll take some pics and let you know how that goes.


Stick It To The Man

This weekend (Fri.-Sun.) in Virginia is the back to school sales tax holiday.  Not only is it good for stuff for kids going to school, but it applies to anyone buying things like paper (not printer paper unfortunately), markers, pencils, and other items that would be good for a prepper to have extras of, plus ANY clothing or footwear that costs less than $100.  Now is a great time for Virginians to pick up some BDUs, wool socks, gloves, stall mucking boots, rain coats, and other clothes that you'd be glad to have during a breakdown.

This is Virginia's weekend, but check your home state.  Many states have sales tax holidays this time of year.  Get items you need, save money, and stick it to the man!