Tag: survival

Uses For Pantyhose

1. Stay Warm

When it’s cold, every extra layer makes a difference. Wearing pantyhose will help you stay warm. Note: Men may have to cut some extra space in the crotch area.

2. Prevent Blisters

This is important if you bug out and spend several hours a day walking. You don’t want to get a blister on your foot that could get infected. Just cut the feet off the pantyhose and wear them under your socks, or you could get the footy or knee-high kind.

3. Prevent Bug Bites

Marines have been known to use them to stop tick, ant, and chigger bites. They will also stop jellyfish stings and leeches when you’re wading through water. However, they won’t stop mosquitos.

4. As a Mosquito Net

Although mosquitos can bite through them, they can’t fly through them. Cut several of them lengthwise and stitch them together to make a mosquito net.

5. As a Mask

If you are in an area with lots of dust and ash in the air, put pantyhose over your head like a robber would. This will protect your lungs. It won’t protect against viruses and toxins, but it will stop the dust.

6. For First Aid

There are several options here: use them as a tourniquet, as a way to hold bandages in place, to tie a splint in place, or to make a sling.

7. Filter Water

The first step to purifying water, no matter what method you use, is to filter out the debris and large particles. Stretch it over a container of water and pour the water into another container.

8. Sprout Seeds

First, soak your seeds in two inches of lukewarm water for 24 hours. Then pour the water and seeds into pantyhose, squeeze out as much water as you can, and hang it up to dry. Pour water over the seeds and hang them up to dry again, and do that several times a day. Once the seeds sprout, transplant them.

9. Grow Plants

For potted plants, plug the bottom with pantyhose to keep soil from escaping while the extra water drains out. For climbing plants such as peas and tomatoes, use strips of pantyhose to tie the stalks to a support without damaging them.

10. Protect Your Garden

Put dog or human hair in some pantyhose, then tie them in several places on the fence around your garden. The smell will keep deer and other foragers away. You can also stretch them over squash and melons to keep animals from eating them.

11. Store Small Items

While foraging, you can use them to gather berries, nuts, and herbs. You could also use them to organize or carry small items like nuts and bolts, bathroom supplies, pill bottles, etc.

12. Store Your Food

Foods like garlic, onions, and potatoes spoil faster while lying on a surface. Put them in pantyhose, tie knots between each one, and hang them up. This works better than other types of bags because the holes allow air in so they stay fresh longer. In fact, onions can last as long as six months this way.

13. Dry Your Food

Put peppers, herbs, and other food in them and hang them in the sun to dry out. Another way is to spread them out on a surface in the sun and spread the nylon over them to keep bugs and dirt off.

14. Dry Your Tinder

If your tinder is damp, you don’t want to store it in an ordinary bag or in your pocket. It’s better to put it in pantyhose and hang it up so it can dry out.

15. Catch Bait

You won’t be able to catch large fish with pantyhose, but you may be able to catch some bait fish and things like crawdads and small frogs. To do this, stretch them over a Y-shaped branch to create a makeshift net, then skim the water. They are also a great option for storing bait while you fish.

16. Catch Crabs

Put some bait in the toe and dangle the pantyhose in shallow water. When crabs try to get the bait, they’ll get tangled in the netting. Then you can just lift up the hose and you’ll have a fresh crab.

17. Hunt Small Animals

Put a large rock or several small rocks in the toe and tie it off, then use it as a bola to kill birds and small game.

18. As a Rope

Twist it up really tight and it will make great cordage. You can tie things together, hang things up, or even use it to make cross joints and tie branches together to make a shelter.

19. As a Belt

If you don’t have anything else, you can use it to hold your pants up. After all, many of us are bound to lose weight after the SHTF.

20. Fix Your Vehicle

Pantyhose can also be used as a temporary fan belt. It won’t last long, but it could get your vehicle home or to the nearest garage.

Emergency for Disaster~ Must Haves

Emergency preparedness is more important than ever. You don’t need to live in Tornado Alley to prepare for a disaster or home emergency—they can strike anyone, anywhere. In fact, a survey conducted by Allstate in 2014 found that 92% of Americans have survived a natural disaster of some kind. But despite the frequency of these events, fewer than 10% of Americans have taken basic preparedness steps like practicing an evacuation.

After a disaster strikes, it’s too late to mitigate the damage. Preparing in advance can help you respond to a disaster, keep you and your family safe from harm or hardship, and minimize the damage to your home or belongings. The following ten items are often overlooked in a traditional readiness kit, but they can make a significant difference when you’re responding to a crisis.

Fire Extinguishers

For homeowners, “the most common disasters are actually home fires,” says Greta Gustafson, senior associate of media relations for the American Red Cross. A fire extinguisher can stop a small fire in your home before it turns into a disaster, yet less than half of homes have this essential safety device. Even natural disasters like a flood or earthquake can ignite a house fire, making this item a must-have in any readiness kit.

Solar Lanterns

If 2017’s hurricane season taught us anything, it’s that prolonged power outages can compound the difficulties of a major storm event. Surprisingly, a reliable light source is often overlooked as a survival tool. Solar-powered lanterns offer light even when electricity is scarce. The Luci Light is an inexpensive and lightweight option for any emergency kit. Over 80,000 of these lights have been deployed to hurricane-stricken Puerto Rico, demonstrating the effectiveness of this smart little tool.

Board Games

Keeping morale up during a survival scenario is essential, and nothing lightens a tough situation like a familiar board game. These analog entertainment sources are a great addition to your kit since they can help restore a sense of normalcy and routine during a tough situation. If you’re packing a bug-out bag or vehicle emergency kit, consider a portable version of your favorite game or DIY your own ultralight game board out of felt.

Insurance

If you haven’t updated your insurance in a while, it may be out of date for your assets. A disaster is no time to worry about your insurance policy, so take action now by conducting a home inventory and updating your insurance policy to match the total value of your home and belongings.

Disposable Baby Wipes

A disaster can often mean limited access to clean water. And staying clean in a survival situation provides more than a morale boost for your bunkmates—it can help you avoid a medical crisis like contracting and spreading an illness. Disposable baby wipes offer a fast and simple alternative when clean water is scarce and are a perfect addition to a bug-out bag or toiletries kit. When you need them, you’ll be really glad they weren’t overlooked.

Paper Maps

If you’re forced to seek shelter or evacuate during a disaster, you’ll have no guarantee that your smartphone will work. A simple paper map of your town and the surrounding area is reliable in almost any condition. You can buy a waterproof map or laminate one yourself to ensure remains readable.

4-Way Sillcock Key

A sillcock key, often called a 4-way key, could be a lifesaver in a survival scenario. These simple steel tools open restricted water spigots, a common feature on buildings like rest stops, restaurants, malls, and other large buildings. With a sillcock key, you can turn these spigots on and gain access to reliable fresh water. For all the utility they provide, they take up almost no space in your preparedness kit.

Ziplock Freezer Bags

Ziplock freezer bags are a useful addition to any survival kit. Aside from their traditional role in keeping food fresh, these bags offer a waterproof storage solution for first aid kits, electronic devices, and valuables. They’re also good for carrying or storing water in a pinch, and they can even safely seal away important documents like birth certificates and passports.

Portable Satellite

Information is a vital resource during a disaster scenario. If the electricity goes out, a portable satellite dish affixed to a vehicle or RV can maintain a vital connection to news and weather reports. Unlike cable, a dish won’t fail during a widespread blackout, and it keeps you connected even if you have to evacuate the area.

Duct Tape

Duct tape may be more valuable than currency in an end-of-the-world scenario. Duct tape is useful for hundreds of different repairs, but it’s often overlooked as part of a medical kit. Duct tape makes an excellent surgical tape, hearkening back to its roots in WWII. It’s also useful for preventing blisters when applied to your heel, underneath your socks. Rolling a small length of duct tape around pencils, water bottles, or other round objects keeps a small amount within reach in every part of your kit.

These items can help you prepare for a disaster, but also remember that your greatest survival tool is your brain—practice your evacuation and survival routines with your family. Blue-sky planning is the best way to mitigate the impact of a disaster, so start preparing your emergency kit today.

About the author: Kylie is an East Coast gal currently residing in Salt Lake City, UT for work and play. As a freelance writer, she covers topics on lifestyle, travel, and technology. In her spare time, she enjoys great food and live music in the presence of good company. http://www.kyliefitch.com