25 Survival Uses For Duct Tape

Over the past 70 years of its existence, this staple product of fix-it-your-selfers has been used by virtually every walk of life, for jobs that I’m sure the duct tape developers never imagined. So how can we use it for survival?

he many uses for duct tape in a doomsday prepper situation.

Here are 25 survival uses for duct tape, in no order whatsoever.

1. Repairing a cracked water bottle or a pierced hydration bladder. A little strip of DT is the next best thing to a bandage for an ailing water vessel. Just dry the surface before you try to tape your patch in place, most forms of duct tape don’t stick to wet surfaces.

2. Survival arrow fletching. Tear off a few 5-inch pieces, and a long edge of one piece to the arrow shaft, fold the tape lengthwise, and stick the other long edge of that piece to the arrow. Repeat this process one or two more times; trim the vanes to shape with your knife; and you will have a serviceable arrow fletching.

3. Butterfly bandage strips. Cut two small strips of DT, and add a smaller strip across their centers (sticky side to sticky side) to create a makeshift butterfly suture.

4. Make cordage. Twist one or several lengths of duct tape into a cord or rope.

5. Patch a hole in canoe. I wouldn’t trust my life to this one, but it’s been done more than once.

6. Fashion a belt. When you are starving in the wild, and your pants start falling down, run a piece of DT through your belt loops and stick it to itself in the front. Overlap it about 4 or 5 inches and you’ll still be able to peel the belt apart when nature calls.

7. First aid sling. Fold a length of DT down the middle, so that it is half the original width and no longer exposing a sticky side. Use the strap to make a sling for a busted arm.

8. Leave a note. Write on it with a Sharpie, or use strips to form letters.

9. Handcuff alternative. If someone is acting up during a survival emergency, you can duct tape their hands together around a tree to prevent them from becoming a danger to themselves or others.

10. Mend shoes and clothing. You can skip the sewing class, if you have enough duct tape.

11. Repair your glasses. The tape on your glasses my look a little nerdy, but at least you’ll still be able to see.

12. Attach shelter elements. Just a few trash bags and some duct tape, and you have a survival shelter roof, or a sleeping bag cover, or a wind break, or…

13. Attach survival gear. Tape a spark rod to the side of your knife sheath, and you’ll always have a back-up fire source.

14. Make a hat. If you believe what you see on TV, the “Mythbusters” guys made a pretty nice looking hat out of duct tape on a recent episode.

15. Afix bandages. Place a sterile dressing over your wound, and strap it in place with DT. Hopefully you’re not too hairy where you got injured.

16. Fix your rain gear. Keep the dry stuff dry, and keep the water out, by mending your ripped rain gear with a few strips.

17. Make a drinking cup. Some creative folding and sticking can result in a cup you can drink from.

18. Make a spear. Strap your knife to a pole and you have a trusty spear to fend off beasts, or make one into your dinner.

19. Blister care. Cover the blistered area with a bit of cotton gauze, and tape over the cotton. Make sure that the duct tape fully covers the cotton and doesn’t touch the blister at all.

20. Mark a Trail. Use it to blaze a trail or signal for rescue, especially if your DT is brightly colored or reflective.

21. Make emergency repairs on your Bug Out Vehicle. Leaking hoses and windows that won’t stay up don’t stand a chance against the mending powers of duct tape.

22. Keep the feathers in your sleeping bag. If you have a hole in your down sleeping bag, the feathers will pour out faster than excuses from a politician. Patch the hole with DT.

23. Keep your tent closed. A damaged zipper could leave your tent door flapping in the wind. Stick the door shut, and keep the bugs and critters out.

24. Splint a leg. A broken ankle or leg can be stabilized with ample splint material, padding and duct tape. Pad the crotch of a forked branch with some cloth and duct tape to fashion a quick crutch to go with your splint.

25. Splint a broken tent pole or fishing pole. By taping a stick to the broken area of your tent pole or fishing rod, you might just get one last adventure out of it.

Tell us your best duct tape trick or survival strategy in the comments.

source

 
 

DIY ’100 Hour Candles’

DIY 100 hr candles

I am always on the look-out for homemade counterparts to store bought preparations. These DIY ’100 hour candles’ definitely fit the bill. In less than 5 minutes you have an inexpensive, refillable ’100 hour candle’ that will light up your home in the darkest of times. And for you ladies – these homemade alternatives are far more aesthetically pleasing than the store bought versions. So let’s get started.

Supplies

The supplies you need are pretty straight forward. Liquid paraffin, lantern wicks and 1/2 pint mason jars. I found my lantern wicks and mason jars at Walmart and the liquid paraffin at a local Hobby Lobby. The cost of each candle ends up being approximately $2.70 per candle. Which is about half the cost (at least) of the store bought versions.

Just as a side note, it took me forever to find the liquid paraffin. Make sure when you’re calling around that you ask for liquid paraffin and not the paraffin wax. The paraffin wax is just a wax block that will melt then solidify when it cools. If you can’t seem to locate liquid paraffin you can replace it with mineral oil and coconut oil with a ratio of 2:1.

Step One: Create Opening For Wick

I used some grass-trimming shears but you can use a knife or any other sharp tool to create your opening. Just make it wide enough to fit in the wick SNUGLY.

Step Two: Insert Wick

Instead of just putting the wick in like a candle, we’re going to place it so that it is doubled over. First, pull the wick through the canning top so the end is sticking out on the side that will face inside of the mason jar. Next you’re going to use your knife (or shears for me) to push the second end through as well. This should make the wick fit in pretty tight.

After having both ends through, pull down so that only a tiny amount of the folded piece of wick remains.

Step Three: Pour Paraffin Into Jar

Fill up your 1/2 pint mason jar with the liquid paraffin.

Step Four: Secure the Top

Separate the two ends of the wick so they are at a v-shape when they are put into the jar. This just helps the wick soak up the oil from both sides when it’s getting low. Place the top on the jar and screw the band on around it.

To Prevent Evaporation

The paraffin will evaporate if the wick is left exposed to the air. This is why the store bought versions will have a plastic cap with each candle. To prevent this from happening, simply get an extra canning lid and put it on top in between the wick and the band.

Comparing to the Store Bought Version

The benefits of making your own DIY emergency candles are substantial. First, they are cheaper. The least expensive place I found the store-bought versions were around $5.00. As I mentioned before, the homemade version comes out to about $2.70 each.

Second, they put out more light. As you can see in the picture above, the flame is significantly larger. This could end up being a liability for you. It is obviously more dangerous, but proper candle safety should prevent any injury.

Third, they are refillable. The store bought versions are made for a one-time use only.

Fourth, they are made out of glass. Once again, this is more of a personal preference but my experience with the plastic store bought versions is that they very easily squirt lantern oil from the top if you hold them too tight. The light plastic also makes me nervous that they will tip. The durable and heavy glass of the mason jars eliminates the possibility of squirting flammable material all over your house and it is definitely more stable to prevent tipping.

Read more: {source}