Duct tape or cloth tape, as it is known by in Australia, can be used to cover jars, bags, repair tents and clothing articles. But these are only a few of its survival uses. Let’s take a quick look at each one in particular.

1. Provides insulation

Duct tape can provide insulation properties to your boots. During wintertime, you should apply strings of tape to your boots to enjoy the comfort of keeping your legs even warmer than before. Besides, duct tape is also waterproof.

2. Protects your rubber hoses

It is commonly known that rodents enjoy eating, or at least chewing your robber hoses, which leaves you with no other alternative than to buy a new hose, if the damage is substantial. But when disaster hits the fan, you will not afford going to the store and just purchase a new one. Therefore, to avoid future damage to your hose, which may prove indispensable when it comes down to transferring liquids (such as water, fuel, etc.), cover it in duct tape. This will impede mice from making holes in it.

3. Create a roof

As previously stated, duct tape is waterproof and quite resistant to shocks. You can safely use it to create a roof top, or just patch your roof, in case one of the shingles breaks. You can use duct tape on its own and place the strings lengthwise, to make the transition from one shingle to another, or you can place a few strings of tape on a size appropriate piece of plywood and replace your broken shingle with it.

4. Keep in place a broken window

You must have seen people with their car windows being smashed, but held together by tape. Until you are able to replace the broken window, it is advisable to stick the remains of your former windshield, door window, or house window with duct tape. It will keep the pieces of glass together, which will prevent you from getting hurt in case some of them fall without a moment’s notice.

5. Catch flies

During the summer, we are all irritated by the flies, which tend to multiply each day. However, the situation is much worse if you are living in the countryside, or your bug out house is located somewhere in the wild. In order to get rid of these annoying bugs, stick a few strings of tape to the ceiling of your home, or inside your tent. Flies will stick to it, without any chances of escaping, but you will also have to make sure that you do not get entangled in the strings, given that the space is narrow.

6. Use it as a band aid

Among its many practical uses, band aids can be successfully replaced with duct tape. If you have cut yourself in glass or whilst handling a knife, you can stop the bleeding and protect yourself from septicaemia by wrapping duct tape around the wound.

7. Cover jars and pots

If you have misplaced the lids of your jars and even pots, use strings of duct tape to cover them up. You can even use the tape to seal bags of food. The more you will maintain a good hygiene, the more you will be able to avert diseases, carried by flies or other insects. As I have stated in one of my previous articles, when disaster strikes, medicines will turn from commodities to luxury items.

8. Patch your gloves and tent

When it is below freezing and you discover that your gloves are ripped, then I take it: its’ not the greatest feeling in the world. Use tape to patch them up and avoid losing heat. Do the same if you notice a crack in your tent.

9. Use it as sling

Suffering an arm fracture requires not making efforts and allowing your arm the necessary time to properly heal. You will need around 1 m of tape to create your own sling. Simply put, secure your fractured hand by wrapping it in duct tape until you see fit. Place the rest of it around your neck and then wrap it once more around your hand. Once you’re done, stick the tape together, so that the adhesive part is no longer visible.

10. Use it as a splint

In worst case scenario, if you break your leg, the first thing you have to do is stabilize it, by using a splint. You can easily make one yourself, by putting together two small piece of timber, or any other steady material you can find, place your injured limb in between the two and secure them with tape.

Do you know any other uses for duct tape, apart from the ones described above? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.