This is a good thread to help me think things through...

Carrying 550 paracord would be a good idea for other reasons. This past winter, I've had two friends get caught in sinkholes in fresh powder. One friend hyperventilated because it was dark inside and she had that feeling of doom on her. The situation could have turned out badly. She's an experienced skier, but like many skiers didn't have survival preparation.

Some 550 paracord and a good buddy would have helped the situation and may have saved her life if the sinkhole was deeper. She could have attached a heavy object to the paracord and thrown one end outside of the sinkhole. The buddy on the outside could have used the paracord to help pull her out.

Here's another personal example. A few years ago, I was riding with some buddies in fresh powder off piste. I got caught on the edge of a sinkhole. It was pulling me in. I really did not know where the hole was going. It took about an hour for me to slowly crawl my way out of that situation. Again, paracord and a good buddy would have helped me out. I would just need my buddy to attach the paracord to a tree. I could do the rest.

I'm convinced that I'll be carrying paracord when I go snowboarding. In yet another example, I could use the paracord to help a buddy get out of sinkhole. Getting stuck in fresh powder happens often. At least once a year, the getting stuck is beyond frustrating and is a scary situation.