Surprising and Practical Uses for Rubber Bands
Believe it or not, rubber bands can be used for a lot of purposes beyond holding things together. While we don’t often think of them as being an essential component of our survival gear, they may come in handy for a number of projects that can make life easier when other resources are not available. Let’s take a look at a few examples, and you will see why you want to have a handful with you wherever you go.
Jar Opener
Anyone who has tried to get a stuck lid on a mason jar from their long-term storage stockpile knows how difficult it can be. Try putting one or two thick rubber bands around the sides of the lid. This will significantly increase the amount of grip you can get and make opening it much easier. You can also use rubber bands to open commercially-canned products in a similar fashion by attaching the rubber band around the edges of the lids as well.
Gripper
Attach a couple of rubber bands to tools, containers and other slippery objects to get a safer and more secure grip. It can work on anything from a bottle of shampoo to a greasy wrench. Using this trick in the workshop or on projects can also help you to conserve rags and protect gloves as you can avoid damaging them while trying to hold on to items. Rubber bands also make it easier to maintain dexterity as you don’t have to contend with the bulk of using other, more traditional alternatives.
Fix Brooms
We all know that basic items that we take for granted can be in short supply during a long-term survival or off-the-grid situation. One of them is the broom. They wear easily, and the fraying bristles can cause the broom to lose its effectiveness over time. One solution is to tie segments of the bristles together with rubber bands. This will reinforce the connections while also helping to keep the broom in its original form. The end result is a longer-lasting broom that can also be more efficient.
Make Candles Stand up Longer
Candles tend to fall or droop as they reach their end, and there’s little to do other than re-mold the wax or discard the stubs. However, you can wrap a rubber band or two around the base, and this simple trick can add a little bit more stability and extend the useful life of the candle.
Replace Tape
For some reason, most survival kit checklists include duct tape but not rubber bands. Rubber bands make a great alternative for tape when used for a million and one different purposes. Use your imagination and see how rubber bands can help you to stretch resources while being able to hold things together just as effectively. Furthermore, rubber bands can be used over and over again, unlike strips of tape that can only be used once or twice at best.
These are just a few ideas that illustrate the wide-range of practical uses that rubber bands can have in a survival situation. It won’t take a lot of imagination to think of many other ways to use them to your advantage as well. Make sure that you have a handful of assorted rubber bands in your survival kits and stockpiles, and you’ll be amazed at how they can make life a lot easier.
