Paracord Planet

What Paracord Planet does

Paracord Planet is a private, online-only direct-to-consumer e-commerce retailer headquartered in Fargo, North Dakota, founded in 2011. The company sells American-made paracord and a full ecosystem of related crafting supplies, including multiple cord variations (95 to 850 tensile ratings, plus Mil-Spec, Battle Cord, and specialty cords), hardware (buckles, carabiners, cord locks, rings, shackles), crafting tools (fids, jigs, needles, cutting tools), DIY kits, and finished products sold under its P2 Gear sub-brand. It serves a horizontal mix of customer segments, with DIY crafters as the primary persona, alongside outdoor enthusiasts and survivalists, pet owners, and groups and teams ordering bulk matching items.

The underlying technology is a BigCommerce-based e-commerce storefront with a proprietary Create Your Own Cord pattern designer tool, modeled after the company's internal cord design software, that allows customers to configure patterns, colors, and cord types. Distribution is exclusively online, with no physical retail locations, and the company supports the storefront with an extensive owned-media content library — The Paracorner blog, a YouTube channel, printable PDF photo tutorials, and the Paracorner Facebook community group — that functions as both a top-of-funnel acquisition asset and a retention mechanism for repeat purchases of consumable materials.

The business model is straightforward unit-based e-commerce retail: one-time purchases of physical products with no subscription component, priced from under $1 for individual cord locks to over $90 for bulk hardware packs and over $300 for the largest bulk paracord orders. Go-to-market is self-serve product-led growth through the content library, supported by an email newsletter offering 20% off first order. The company is founder-controlled, bootstrapped (no disclosed external funding), and serves a global customer base from US-based inventory, with free standard shipping on orders of $8.99 or more within the contiguous United States.

Name

Paracord Planet

Legal name

Paracord Planet

Website

https://paracordplanet.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Paracord Planet is a Fargo, North Dakota-based e-commerce retailer founded in 2011 that sells American-made paracord, hardware, tools, kits, and crafting supplies through its own BigCommerce storefront to DIY crafters, outdoor enthusiasts, pet owners, and groups worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Crafting Supplies Retail (Paracord & Hardware)

NAICS

Sewing, Needlework, and Piece Goods Retailers (45913)

akta.pro primary industry

DIY Craft Kits & Project Kits Retail (CRALACAH)

Keywords

• Paracord supplies
• Crafting cord retail
• 550 paracord
• Survival gear crafting
• DIY cord kits

Headquarters

HQ city

Fargo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. E-commerce Retail Sales: Direct-to-consumer online sales of paracord, hardware, tools, kits, and craft supplies through their BigCommerce storefront. Products are sold as one-time purchases with no recurring subscription component. Revenue is generated from product sales with standard e-commerce margins.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Paracord Planet is an online direct-to-consumer retailer that manufactures (in-house for select custom colors) and sells paracord and paracord-related crafting supplies through its BigCommerce storefront. Its core catalog centers on 550 paracord (Type III) and includes cord variations (95 to 850 ratings), hardware (buckles, carabiners, beads, cord locks, shackles, hooks), crafting tools (fids, jigs, needles, cutting tools), DIY kits, and finished products under the P2 Gear brand such as bracelets and water bottle slings.

Product overview

Paracord Planet is an e-commerce retailer specializing in paracord and crafting supplies. The company operates a single unified online storefront (built on BigCommerce) offering a comprehensive portfolio of products centered around paracord crafting. The core offering includes 550 Paracord (Type III) as the flagship product, supported by an extensive line of cord variations (95 to 850 ratings, including Mil-Spec, Battle Cord, and specialty cords). The product portfolio spans hardware (buckles, carabiners, shackles, cord locks), crafting tools (fids, jigs, needles, cutting tools), and finished products under the proprietary P2 Gear sub-brand including bracelets, water bottle slings, and survival gear. The company differentiates through exclusive American-made custom colors and operates a Create Your Own Cord tool for personalized designs. Educational resources include video tutorials, photo tutorials, and blog content for the paracord crafting community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 550 Paracord Flagship Type III 550 paracord capable of holding up to 550 lbs of static weight; the most commonly used paracord for bracelets and crafting projects, sold to hobbyists, survivalists, and crafters.
• Cord Variations Complete paracord and rope product line including 275, 325, 425, 650 (Coreless), 750, 850, and 95 Paracord, Battle Cord, Camp Cord, Crafting Rope, Elastic Cord, Micro Cord, Mil-Spec Cord, Nano Cord, Para-Lock Cord, Para-Max, Utility Rope, and Webbing; sold to crafters, outdoor, and survival customers needing varied tensile strengths and specialty cords.
• Hardware Crafting hardware including accessories, ball bearings, beads, plastic and metal buckles, carabiners, charms, cord locks/ends, hooks, rings, shackles, tri-glides, and utility items; sold to DIY makers building paracord projects.
• Crafting Tools Tools for paracord crafting including books, cutting tools, fids, jigs, knotter's tools, needles, organization items, and utility tools; sold to hobbyists from beginner to advanced skill levels.
• Paracord Kits DIY paracord kits including combo kits, kits with jigs, kits with how-to books, and team-specific kits for sports teams (college, MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL); sold to beginners and group/team buyers.
• P2 Gear Proprietary brand line including gear, P2 brand products, and paracord crafts such as bracelets, slings, and accessories.
• Custom Water Bottle Slings Pre-made paracord water bottle slings available in single and two-color options, featuring carabiner clips and cord locks for attaching to backpacks; sold to outdoor users and crafters.
• Custom Cobra Bracelets Pre-made paracord bracelets in single and two-color options featuring the cobra weave pattern, available in multiple sizes with side-release buckles; sold to DIY wearers and gift buyers.
• Custom Fishtail Bracelets Pre-made paracord bracelets featuring the fishtail weave pattern, available in single and two-color options; sold to DIY wearers and gift buyers.
• Cobra Bracelet Kit Beginner-friendly DIY kit including 10 ft of 550 paracord, 3/8" plastic buckle, and info card with link to a tutorial video for making a cobra survival bracelet; sold to first-time makers and gift buyers.
• Craft Supplies Additional crafting materials including craft rope, dye, kids supplies, paint/coloring products (including brands like Tulip fabric paint), and thread; sold to general crafters and DIY makers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15,000+ happy crafters served
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Moab MonkeysminorOthersFeatured artisan community partner who creates custom paracord installations for adventure and recreation venues. Built a 'Jungle Nest' entirely out of paracord from Paracord Planet at the Rainforest Discovery Centre Sandakan in Borneo, and installed space nets in Utah canyons. Facilitated over 200 people in canopy experiences over a two-day period.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BoredParacord: Online-only paracord retailer selling 550 cord, hardware, and kits to the DIY bracelet and crafting community. Directly competes on the same SKUs, price points, and customer segments.
• Paracord.com: Specialty e-commerce retailer focused on paracord, mil-spec cord, and related survival/crafting supplies. Overlaps directly with Paracord Planet's core assortment and target buyer.
• eParacord: Online paracord retailer offering bulk cord, custom bracelets, and accessories. Comparable product catalog and self-serve e-commerce model targeting hobbyist crafters.
• CountyComm: Specialty survival, EDC, and paracord products retailer serving a heavily overlapping preparedness/crafting buyer. Comparable niche positioning and direct-to-consumer e-commerce model.
• Atwood Rope MFG: U.S. manufacturer and direct-to-consumer retailer of paracord and tactical cord products. Closely comparable as a paracord-first brand with a similar customer base of crafters, survivalists, and outdoor users.

Emerging players

• R&W Rope: Manufacturer and seller of paracord, utility rope, and cordage to retail and wholesale customers. Comparable on core cord SKUs but with a stronger wholesale and industrial mix.

Broad incumbents

• Pepperell: Long-established U.S. cord and craft-fibre manufacturer whose paracord lines are sold on Paracord Planet's site as a third-party brand. Comparable at the product level as a cord supplier to the same crafting market.
• Hobby Lobby: National arts, crafts, and hobby retail chain that carries paracord, hardware, and DIY kits. Overlaps with Paracord Planet's DIY crafter segment at a much larger scale.
• JOANN: Major U.S. fabric and craft retailer selling paracord, buckles, and DIY craft supplies. Competes for the same crafting customer, especially in fabric-adjacent and DIY kit categories.

Others

• Etsy (Handmade/Craft marketplace): Online marketplace where independent makers sell custom paracord bracelets, collars, and accessories. Adjacent ecosystem that both competes with P2 Gear finished products and serves as a customer-acquisition channel for paracord crafters.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/paracordplanet
• Facebookfacebook.com/paracordplanet
• Instagraminstagram.com/paracordplanet_official
• Xx.com/paracordplanet

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Paracord Planet