You need to check out my tin!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mo4eOPOPb08

I'd probably use half my leather for a small split pouch and braid 5 strands of floss together for the cords…then I know I would have a good sling.

Processing natural cordage is time consuming, especially when you are hungry!

Mark-Harrop wrote on Aug 20^th, 2014 at 4:11pm:


Creating a sling is also a bit time consuming if you're already in a survival situation.  I would have that piece of leather at least pre-punched (while you have access to better tools.  And preferably cut into shape with measured cordage nearby.  Then all you need to do is tie it together and you're ready to go.  And you can still use it for those other things too even after it's punched.

If I had an overabundance of waterfowl available to hunt, and lots of good rocks, I would make a good sling. I have been reverse twisting cordage and braiding for years with raw materials (inner hickory bark is one of my favorites in the NE U.S.). Honestly, I don't really think it takes that long. If I had access to an agave plant or something similar, I'd definitely give it a try. You actually have a lot of downtime when you are in the woods, at least once you have things set up a bit. I think it'd be worth a try, and I'd make a heavy duty 26" pacific Islander style 5 split pouch sling from Yucca. I'd also have a throwing stick for if I actually wanted to eat. 

I would use yucca when I was below 6,000 feet in elevation, but would switch to dogbane (apocynum spp.) at higher elevations because it is easier to work, softer and stronger than yucca.

Combine Dan and Walters statement and that's where I stand. 

Inner bark is the easiest and fastest. You can make a nice sling from it but it's not as strong as I would like. Yucca is good. We have tons of milkweed around here and I've made cordage from it in the past. Basically, if you know what your doing it's not hard, and if you have your camp set up, and traps, you will have plenty of down time for sling making.