Emergency Survival - When Disaster Strikes - page 215

In general, more twists per inch make for stronger and stiffer cordage. For ease of handling,
most hand cordage is spun from two strands of fibers at a time (see fig. 7-41 ) , but you can spin
from three or more, if you wish. You can spin cords into ropes by the identical process, or you
can “plait” (braid) three strands into rope (see fig. 7-42 ). Since hand-twisting makes for the
tightest, cleanest, strongest cordage, it is best for things like bowstring, where performance is
critical. Leg-rolling is faster (see fig. 7-43 ), but not as tight, so primitive cordage that requires a
high volume of spun materials, such as rope and netting, is usually made by leg-rolling.
Figure 7-41. Twisting fibers to make two-ply cordage.
Figure 7-42. Braiding cordage into ropes.