(Bugout.news) While it may seem like a relatively innocuous item, dental floss can actually be one of the handiest things you have in your bugout bag. This is huge, especially because, as you know, space is always a premium in your SHTF bag.

A number of items are multi-use, of course, but perhaps not so much as floss. Here are 15 ways to use dental floss to your advantage when you’re in a pinch:

1. Shelter: Use floss with a tarp or other waterproof covering as a way to lash together a lean-to or other quick emergency shelter. If you’ve already got a shelter and want to expand it, you can use dental floss to lash together additional branches.

2. Restraints: No one wants to think that they may, at some point, have to tie somebody up but if your life or safety depends on it, you will, and several strands of dental floss around the wrists will do the trick.

3. Sound the alarm: Use floss to string together empty food and soda cans to make an alarm that jangles when someone walks into it. Because the floss is very thin, it will be hard to detect.

4. Protect your perimeter: Again, because floss is thin it will be hard to see when it is strung between trees around the perimeter of your camp; any intruder will be face-first on the ground before they know what hit them, giving you the edge.

5. Fixing britches: Use dental floss as you would thread to fix ripped pants or other articles of clothing.

6. Rope: If you weave together several strands of floss you can make a rope that is strong enough for a number of tasks.

7. Fashion statement: Spending a few weeks or months living on edge in your bugout location is liable to take a little weight off of you; use some dental floss as a makeshift belt to keep your pants on.

8. Hang ‘em up: Speaking of dental floss and clothing, you can string floss between two trees and use it as a clothesline.

9. Shoes: Strands of dental floss can also replace snapped shoelaces.

10. Snare it: Use floss to make a snare so that you can trap small animals for food.

11. Fishing line: If you don’t have any test line, dental floss can serve as an able replacement so you can fish for dinner.

12. Like a knife: Because it is strong and thin, floss can also be used as a knife of sorts. Just wrap it around your food – say, a piece of meat – and pull it tight. Floss is tough enough it should be able to cut through meats and other foods.

13. Firestarter: Waxed floss, especially, burns well. In a pinch, you could sever off several feet of floss and use it as tinder to help start a fire.

14. Ties: Use floss to tie off virtually anything.

15. For your teeth: Sure – you can even use floss to clean your teeth (and you should because your dental health is vitally important as well).

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• Choosing the most useful first aid supplies

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