When we think of bungee cords and bungee straps, we often imagine modern, practical tools for securing luggage or thrilling extreme sports, like bungee jumping. However, the history of bungee cords stretches (see what we did there?) far back into ancient times, revealing an intriguing evolution of stretchy materials used for various purposes.
From the ingenious methods employed by our ancestors to the sophisticated materials we use today, the story of bungee cords is a fascinating blend of innovation, adaptation, and adventure.
Follow along as we go through the journey of bungee cords, and how they became to be one of the most useful additions to any household toolkit.
Ancient origins of bungee cords
When we look back at the history of bungee cords, we first have to start at its ancient origins and how different products were used with the same intention as we use bungee cords today.
10,000 years ago
Artefacts from over 10,000 years ago have shown us that the ancestors of today’s First Nations in Siberia used stretchy strips of caribou gut to strap their worldly possessions onto their sledges, as they crossed the land bridge that once connected Asia and North America.
This is closely related to how we, today, use stretchy bungee cords to attach luggage to roof racks.
Around 500 A.D.
Did you know that bungee jumping has been around for quite a while? Whilst not as popular or classed as an ‘extreme sport’ as it is today, men in the Republic of Vanuatu in around 500 A.D. started a tradition of testing their manhood by tying springy vines to their ankles and then jumping out of trees.
This was the first known use of stretchy materials for fun and daring activities, though it also resulted in far more injuries than we see today in modern bungee jumping.
The development of modern elastic materials
We must remember that without the development of modern elastic materials, there would not be bungee cords as we know them. These key developments in the 18th and 19th century mark the true beginnings of the modern bungee cord.
1736
In 1736, a Frenchman named Charles Moore de la Cardamine used sap from the South American rainforest to produce, what we now know as, natural rubber. This was the first of its kind in modern elastic manufacturing – and the humble beginnings of the elasticated core we find in today’s bungee cords.
1843 and 1845
Later, in 1843, the first rubber band was developed when an Englishman named Thomas Hancock sliced up a rubber bottle. Another Englishman, Stephen Perry, then patented the rubber band in 1845 and opened the first rubber band factory in the world. Here, the commercialisation of rubber bands catapults into the world – leading to the later design of the bungee cord.
The first needs and uses of bungee cords
So when did we start realising the use of rubber and elastic cords? Whilst the First Nations people found practical use for stretchy materials 10,000 years ago, it was only in the 20th Century (after the development of the rubber band), that modern civilisation saw its uses once again.
1936
Then, in 1936, English glider pilots found even more use for elastic rubber cords. Like how the rubber bands can stretch and ping back into place, they used this method of thinking with giant elastic cords to essentially launch planes off hillsides – like a catapult. Why not try this yourself, and build your very own catapult with bungee cords – to see how this worked?
It has also been noted by some scholars that the pilots inexplicably coined the word ‘bungee’ as a name for these elastic rubber cords. How they came up with this, we can only imagine.
1940s
In the 1940s, Swedish Bjorn Goran Ericsson took this glider-catapult concept from the English pilots and realised that these elastic rubber cords could be beneficial for everyday use. He braided multiple strands of rubber together, adding hooks to either end, giving birth to the modern bungee cord and the wide variety of uses for bungee cords with hooks.
Some say that he, in fact, named the bungee cord – originally as the ‘Bjorn G’ cord.
Bungee cords in war and space
Now, modern civilisation has started to see the wide benefits of bungee cords, they soon find themselves into the depths of World War Two and the enormity of space.
1945
Elastic cords were used to provide lightweight suspension for the undercarriage of planes in World War Two, along with other various uses throughout the war. Then, when the soldiers returned from war, they brought these cords back with them for everyday use.
Here is when we start to see the beginnings of bungee cords being used like the First Nations people did – as a tool to attach luggage and other miscellaneous items to the roofs of cars.
1960s and 70s
Thanks to their use in war and daily life, American astronauts with NASA then decide to use bungee cords to tie things down in zero gravity. Bungee cords were also used on the harnesses of the crew as they took humankind’s first steps on the moon – keeping the astronauts attached to their helmets.
The rise of bungee jumping
So where did bungee jumping come from? Whilst the men in the Republic of Vanuatu centuries ago started this tradition, it wasn’t popularised until more recently in 1979.
1979
On April Fool’s Day in 1979, members of the Oxford Dangerous Sport Club of Britain took to jumping 245 feet off Clifton Bridge, Bristol, with a large bungee cord attached to their feet. Whilst this act shocked the public, it encouraged others to try too – birthing modern bungee jumping as an ‘extreme sport’.
Modern bungee cords in everyday life
Today, bungee cords are a huge part of everyday life. From baby proofing to classrooms, they can be used for a wide variety of tasks – not just strapping things to a roof rack.
Bungee cords are also used in a wide variety of outdoor activities, found in camping checklists for DIY hammocks, tent pitching and survival hacks, as well as the newly popularised ‘bungee fitness’ trend.
We have a huge range of bungee cord life hacks. Explore our blog for everything you need to know about bungee cords, or contact our helpful team for expert advice on your bungee cord journey.