Can you imagine a world without duct tape? Who’d want to, right? Duct tape has countless uses in everyday life, and it’s amazing how many of them translate well to survival situations.
In fact, many duct tape uses are enhanced when considered in the light of dealing with a crisis. It’s a great multi-purpose item to keep handy at home, of course. But I think it’s also safe to say that no bug-out bag is complete without at least one big roll of the stuff.
This article provides 19 ways you can use duct tape for everything from simple tasks to more complex activities to lifesaving efforts in a survival situation. Some of these ideas you have undoubtedly already used, while others you’ve heard or thought about.
For some, you may find yourself saying, “I’ve never considered that.” Regardless how many of these ideas for the usage of duct tape fall into which category, I hope you can learn and/or be reminded of different ways to use this simple, but valuable, item.
First, a little history on duct tape. Johnson & Johnson first developed this versatile item in the 1940s at the request of the U.S. military. Its initial intended purpose was to seal boxes of ammunition in order to keep out moisture. Following that successful debut, duct tape has taken on many forms and functions, and is now found in homes and supply kits, as well as camping, fishing and hunting bags.
Here are 19 uses for duct tape:
Clothing: If you’re in the wilderness and an item of clothing such as sandals, visors, gloves or footwear has worn out, you can layer and form duct tape to fashion a temporary version of one of them.
Blister care: When doing an unusual amount of walking in the wild, you’re probably going to get blisters. Duct tape is perfect for holding a cotton ball or sterile cloth over an infected area to help it heal faster.
Leak fixer: For small leaks in boats or buckets, duct tape could do the job. I wouldn’t count on it to help you cross the Atlantic, but it might assist in reaching the other side of a pond or small lake.
Enemy binder: Temporarily restraining someone trying to assault or rob you in the great outdoors may become necessary, in which case duct tape will hold him fast for a while.
Clothesline: Wet clothes in the wilderness are not just an inconvenience. They can be a death sentence. Use duct tape to form a clothesline where wet clothes can be suspended over a fire to benefit from the wind and rising heat.
Trail marker: Bread crumbs may have worked for Hansel and Gretel, but if you’re trying to find your way out of the woods, leaving patches of duct tape on trees and rocks is more likely to save your life.
Vehicle repair: Duct tape has been known to serve as a great short-term fix-it for a leaky hose, a broken fan belt and rusted-out muffler, or to keep a loose window in place.
Medical use: You’re much more likely to roll an ankle or sprain a wrist on the uneven terrain of the wild than in your neighborhood, so have duct tape available for tightly wrapping a joint or attaching a split to a broken bone. You can also use duct tape to form a sling for an arm injury.
Glass protector: If the wind is strong and a window is weak, use duct tape in a crisscross pattern to hold it in place and lessen the chances of breakage. Even if the window breaks, the tape could keep dangerous shards of glass from falling.
Wound waterproofer: If a wound is already dressed, one of the best ways to keep the gauze or cloth from getting wet is by wrapping the whole thing in duct tape. It could also keep debris and germs from causing an infection.
Frostbite protection: In the severe cold, it doesn’t take long for exposed skin to suffer frostbite. If necessary, use it directly on your face. You’d rather lose a little dead skin and some hairs than get frostbite.
Cordage: Hopefully, you have plenty of cordage with you in the wild. But if not or you run out, duct tape will come to the rescue. Simply twist and weave it into a strong and durable makeshift rope.
Bottle patcher: Water could be your best friend in a bug-out situation, so don’t let a leaky water bottle spell your doom. Duct tape will stop the leaking.
Insulation: Even with boots your feet can get cold in the outdoors, especially when walking through snow. Insulate them, especially in areas where they are ventilated or cracked, to keep your feet warmer.
Pole repair: Wooden poles can break, especially in tough survival situations, so use duct tape to splint a broken or cracked tent pole or fishing pole.
Harness maker: You may find yourself in a situation where you have to climb or rappel in order to avoid an obstacle in your path. Use duct tape to create a safety harness. You could even form a stretcher from duct tape if you need to.
Sleeping bag patch: There are many reasons why you don’t want holes in your sleeping bag, including the elements and bugs such as life-threatening ticks. Duct tape can patch holes in sleeping bags, as well as in the tent providing your shelter.
Snowshoe maker: If you’re entering an area of deeper snow than what you’ve prepared for and you don’t have snowshoes, you can fashion a pair using flexible saplings and some duct tape.
Object finder: If you’ve dropped a valuable item into an unreachable crevasse, attach a wad of duct tape to the end of a stick and use the adhesive to pull it back up.
I listed 19 uses for duct tape, all of which could come in handy someday. But we could probably come up with 100 of them if we really put our minds to it.
–Frank Bates
