James
I remember hearing an ex-army friend comment that he would always remove the laces from his boots and replace them with 550 parachute cord. His reason was that he could remove the laces and make survival stuff from the inner strands. If a person is in the military and has a steady source of 500 cord to replace their laces every other month in the field hen this is a good idea… Until they have to do real SERE and they are unable to replace the laces when they wear out.
A survivor has priorities than having seven tiny strings one yard long, they need longevity. Kevlar laces are available to places that supply forest crews and might just out last the boots that they are laced into.
Think about the consequences of “survival” modifications of your gear. To answer those that advocate 550 cord boot lacing: why not buy Kevlar laces and 50 meters of 200 pound test Spectra fishing line hidden somewhere in your boots or pockets? – David in Israel