Twist cordage from plant fiber

Step-by-step

1. 1

   Harvest long, flexible fiber — inner bark of dead cedar, willow, or basswood; nettle stems; yucca leaves; or dogbane.

2. 2

   If needed, pound and separate the fibers by rolling between palms until they're soft and uniform.

3. 3

   Bundle the fibers into a strand as thick as bootlace, tie a loop at the middle, and twist one strand away from you between thumb and forefinger.

4. 4

   Simultaneously twist the second strand the same direction, then wrap them around each other in the opposite direction.

5. 5

   Splice in new fiber before old strands run out by adding fresh material into the untwisted end and continuing the twist.

Tip: Test each finished length by pulling hard — cordage that fails now is better than cordage that fails on a shelter ridgepole in the rain.