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20 Survival Uses for Duct Tape

857 views 0 replies 1 participant last post by  GPS1504 
#1 ·
The answer to everything that breaks or ails you very well may be duct tape. Okay, so it is not the solution to 100% of the world's problems, but you must admit it seems to come pretty close. Duct tape has not only a lot of uses in everyday life but also in survival situations. When the going gets tough, the tough had better have duct tape. Here are 20 reasons why:

1. Seal food packages. Opened up a granola bar but only want to eat half now and save half for later? Duct tape it closed to keep it fresh and prevent access by ants and other pests.

2. Catch flies with duct tape and hang it around your campsite or in your tent for a chemical free way to catch flies and keep them out of your food. If necessary, apply a dab of food to the tape to act as bait.

3. If your glasses, be they prescription or for sun protection, were to break, fix them up with duct tape!

4. Use it to detain a bad guy. Just like in the movies, duct tape can be used to subdue someone who has committed a crime against you until the proper authorities arrive.

5. Repair hoses on your vehicle to keep it running. If you have duct tape in the appropriate color, repairing taillights is also possible. Other repairs are possible as well, but the longterm potential may not be that great so use with care.

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6. Mark unfamiliar trails with duct tape so you do not get lost and/or can find the trail again.

7. If you are camping and your tent gets a hole and springs a leak, patch it with duct tape both on the outside and inside for optimum effectiveness. The same thing goes for your sleeping bag-if it forms a hole and starts losing feathers, cover the hole with duct tape.

8. You can also secure your tent closed with duct tape in the event of a zipper failure. This could be difficult depending on the shape of your tent closure, such as those that are crescent shaped.

9. Make a spear with a knife, a large stick, and some duct tape. You can use this to spear some dinner both on land or water, although this will take some skill.

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10. If spear fishing isn't your thing, fix broken fishing poles with duct tape and fish from land instead. Add a stick to your pole to reinforce the broken section and wrap with duct tape.

11. Since you may have gotten wet during your fishing efforts, you'll be glad to know you can string a clothes line with duct tape to hang your clothes out to dry. You can also make a rope of duct tape in much the same manner.

12. Duct tape is great for treating injuries. Tape up a sprained ankle, secure a bandage with duct tape, make butterfly sutures, create a sling for a broken arm, splint a broken leg with sticks, and much more. Duct tape has a plethora of first aid purposes.

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13. If you're thirsty after all of those first aid efforts and your water bottle has cracked and is leaking, tape the leak with duct tape to return your bottle to functional status.

14. Make temporary home repairs after a disaster strikes. This can include patching shingles or siding, taping up broken windows, mending a ripped screen, and more.

15. Fix rain gear with duct tape. If you have leak in your rain coat or hat, seal it up with duct tape.

16. If your pants are falling down, keep them up with a belt made of duct tape.

17. Should you have rips in your clothing that exposes skin to harsh elements or poisonous plants, seal those holes temporarily with duct tape on both the inside and out.

18. If your heels start to blister after a long while spent trekking on foot, place some cushioning on blisters and secure it in place with duct tape.

19. Take a drink with duct tape. With some sticks and creative folding, a drinking cup can be made of duct tape but make sure there are no sticky sides exposed.

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20. Repair or fashion an arrow by using duct tape for arrow fletching.

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Truth be told, there are even more uses that this for duct tape, based on your level of ingenuity. Just ask the guys at MythBusters who managed to take duct tape usage to the extreme. Adam and Jamie showcase duct tape hats, shoes, chicken traps, and even flotation devices on their very own Duct Tape Island. Watch the episode here if you wish and let duct tape amaze and inspire you to create new survival tools of tape!
 
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