Many of you have heard of the daisy chain, a simple loop through loop design that when pulled simply releases itself back out. These ties are used extensively in the navy as a way to keep long lengths of line from tangling and still be useful at a moments notice or simply whenever pulled. The simplest of these is the single daisy chain where a bight is pulled through a loop and tightened down upon itself and then repeated continuously until the length of line is formed into a chain-like rope which can be instantly released as short or as long as needed simply by pulling the tail end of the line. A double (or better) daisy chain is simply creating multiple bight loops in a circle prior to continuing down the length of the line. This can technically be done as many times as you see fit, but typically one would stop with four because whether the "chain" is made tight or loose, the end product is a square chain (four sided) that not only is very functional at tidying long lengths of line, and still allowing immediate access to as much or little as desired, it also looks nice.
1. Grab a 100' length of paracord and tie an overhand knot in the head of the line.
2. Begin by taking a bight at the head of the line into your left hand just below the overhand knot.
3. Near the bight, create a loop in the tail end of the line
4. Pass the bight in your left hand through the loop only half way
5. Thighten down the loop onto the bight and snug it with enough friction to keep itself together.
6. Repeat 3 more times all as close as possible to each other.
7. After you have four single friction loops holding down the four bights begin passing new bights through the first set of bights which are now forming loops.
8. Work all of the slack out of the chain towards to tail end of the line as tight or loosely as desired. This will be the most tricky on the first layer of the chain, the rest will be much simpler.
9. Continue making bights and passing them through the loops making sure that you continue to follw the same exact sequence (CW or CCW) gradually working any slack through to the tail of the line.
10. Continue this method until within 6" of the end of you line is reached.
11. Pass the tail end of the line (no bight) through all four loops and cinch it down to lock it in and tie an overhand knot in the lines tail.
If done properly you should end up with a 24-26" square rope leader (or much longer if left loose). To unravel the cord just pull the tail end back through the loops to unlock it and pull the desired length of line out, then cut the line length off, pass the tail back through the loops, and tie an overhand knot to the new tail.
1. Grab a 100' length of paracord and tie an overhand knot in the head of the line.
2. Begin by taking a bight at the head of the line into your left hand just below the overhand knot.
3. Near the bight, create a loop in the tail end of the line
4. Pass the bight in your left hand through the loop only half way
5. Thighten down the loop onto the bight and snug it with enough friction to keep itself together.
6. Repeat 3 more times all as close as possible to each other.
7. After you have four single friction loops holding down the four bights begin passing new bights through the first set of bights which are now forming loops.
8. Work all of the slack out of the chain towards to tail end of the line as tight or loosely as desired. This will be the most tricky on the first layer of the chain, the rest will be much simpler.
9. Continue making bights and passing them through the loops making sure that you continue to follw the same exact sequence (CW or CCW) gradually working any slack through to the tail of the line.
10. Continue this method until within 6" of the end of you line is reached.
11. Pass the tail end of the line (no bight) through all four loops and cinch it down to lock it in and tie an overhand knot in the lines tail.
If done properly you should end up with a 24-26" square rope leader (or much longer if left loose). To unravel the cord just pull the tail end back through the loops to unlock it and pull the desired length of line out, then cut the line length off, pass the tail back through the loops, and tie an overhand knot to the new tail.
