I’m guessing this little hack won’t apply to about 90% of you – or at least you’ll think it doesn’t. But if you’re even mildly obsessed with organization like I am, buckle up. This one’s a sleeper.
The story starts about ten years ago on a photoshoot. Another photographer was managing all his cable runs with these little bungees from ThinkTank called Red Whips. Basically, short pieces of shock cord with a cord lock… simple, clever, and stupidly useful. I stole the idea immediately.
But after a while, I noticed two problems. One, Red Whips are just too big. Great for extension cords, but as soon as you step down to something like a USB cable, the bulk becomes a pain in the ass. And two, they only come in red. How the hell is an obsessive organizer supposed to build a system with one color? That’s chaos.
So I set out to make my own. Should’ve been easy… buy some shock cord, buy some cord locks, done. Nope. Lots of shock cord loses elasticity after only a few weeks and plenty of cord locks don’t grip worth a damn right out of the box. It took months to find the right combination.
Here’s the cheat code: 2.5mm shock cord. Not 2mm. Not 3mm. 2.5mm. The best I’ve found comes from Paracord Planet – it stays elastic for years. Then pair it with these specific miniature cord locks from Zpacks. They’re meant for tents, but they’re perfect for doubled-up 2.5mm cord and built to survive harsh environments.
Once I had the right materials, it was game over. I made a handful… then a dozen… then 40. They’re everywhere now – shop, camera bags, travel kits, glove box, around my wrist. I even used one just the other day as a makeshift hair tie for my daughter during a volleyball game.
But mostly, they’re for cable management. I color-code mine: red for USB-C, blue for power, yellow for mics, and so on. The more you use them, the more uses you find. That cable slapping around on your shop lamp? Tie it down. Power cord sliding down your Festool hose sleeve again? Tie it down and get on with your life.
Even if this sounds pointless, make a few and try them. I’d bet money you end up using them more than you ever expected.
