In the hands of a skilled prepper, a humble roll of duct tape can have countless potential uses. This waterproof adhesive tape is often the go-to prepping tool for improvised repairs and attachments. Compared to other tapes, duct tape is incredibly useful due to its unrivaled stickiness, non-flammable nature and its ability to adhere without drying. Here are 18 remarkable survival uses for duct tape you might not have thought of before. (h/t to TheSurvivalistBlog.net)

Medical uses for duct tape

Duct tape can really come in handy during medical emergencies. Here are a few ideas:

1. Use it as a substitute for medical adhesive tape. Simply cover your wound in clean gauze and wrap it with duct tape to securely fasten it.
2. Use it to attach a splint. If you need to make an emergency splint, use two sturdy sticks and some duct tape to stabilize a broken leg or sprained ankle.
3. Use it to create an improvised sling. Keep an injured arm in place by securing it with duct tape.
4. Use it to make temporary butterfly bandages. If you don’t have any butterfly bandages on hand, you can still keep small wounds closed by cutting small strips of duct tape and carefully placing them perpendicular to the direction of the wound. (Related: Survival 101: How to suture a wound when out in the wilderness.)
5. Use it to pull out splinters or thorns. You don’t always need tweezers to remove annoying splinters or thorns stuck in your skin. Just put a piece of duct tape directly on the affected area and quickly peel it off.
6. Use it to create a water-resistant bandage cover. Duct tape can help keep water from seeping into bandages by creating a protective layer over the cloth or gauze.
7. Use it to wrap injured ribs. A thick layer of duct tape can provide support for injured ribs until they heal properly.
8. Use it to protect against blisters. Avoid getting painful blisters on your skin by placing a piece of duct tape on areas that are often exposed to friction, such as your heels.
9. Use it to make a DIY eye patch. In a pinch, you can use duct tape to cover an injured eye as long as you’re careful.
10. Use it to provide extra padding for crutches. A pair of sturdy y-shaped branches can make great DIY crutches but duct tape can make them more comfortable to use by providing extra padding that can cushion impact.

DIY projects using duct tape

Sometimes, duct tape is all you need when you have to hold things together or keep them in place. Here are some suggestions on how to get creative using duct tape:

1. Use it to make temporary repairs. There are few things duct tape can’t fix. If something has a hole, duct tape can usually patch it up quite easily. Use duct tape to plug up leaks or repair small holes in various materials.
2. Use it as a substitute for rope or cordage. Long pieces of duct tape can be twisted into a durable rope or survival cordage.
3. Use it to seal openings in windows. Duct tape can be used to seal openings in doors and windows to protect against airborne threats, such as smoke or pathogens.
4. Use it for camouflage. While duct tape itself isn’t going to keep you hidden, you can wrap duct tape around your body with the sticky side out and cover yourself in leaves, moss, dirt and foliage to blend in with your environment.
5. Use it to seal food containers and packaging. Duct tape can be used to seal and reseal opened food packages and plastic bags to help keep your food fresh for longer.
6. Use it as an alternative for arrow fletching. Stick two pieces of duct tape on the end of your arrow and cut them into shape to make a reasonably accurate substitute for arrow fletching.
7. Use it to make a DIY spear. To create a makeshift spear, you can affix a survival knife to the end of a long pole using duct tape.
8. Use it to create improvised restraints. If you ever need to restrain someone when SHTF, you can wrap duct tape around that person’s wrists and ankles.

Learn more survival uses for other everyday objects by visiting Survival.news.

Sources include:

TheSurvivalistBlog.net

AskAPrepper.com