Practical Uses for Dental Floss You Probably Never Considered Before
Dental floss is one of the most beneficial, inexpensive and readily-available items that you can include in your survival kit or bug out bag. Unfortunately, stocking up on dental floss often escapes the mind of many preppers. Take a look at some of the uses that you can get from this awesome material, and you will see why you will never want to bug out with a box on hand.
Sewing
Dental floss is durable and strong, which makes an ideal thread to use for stitching tears in fabric or even wounds if necessary. If you have a needle and some plain, unflavored floss, you can do almost anything that you could with thread.
Security
Floss makes for an excellent trip wire material. It is very difficult to detect, retains tension and doesn’t snap easily. Simply string it along from your alarm or trap and the anchor, and you’re good to go. If you want to take things a step further, find floss that has a color that matches the surrounding scenery for an additional layer of camouflage.
You can also use floss to make an improvised alarm by stringing it to some aluminum cans and stretching it across your perimeter. The jingle of the cans will alert you if someone catches the floss as they are walking toward your location.
Floss can also be used as a form of restraint in an emergency. While it isn’t as good as duct tape or plastic ties, it will get the job done. Just wrap a few strands around the hands or feet, and you can even hog-tie someone if you add a few additional layers. One benefit of using floss is that it digs into the skin easily. This can make someone think twice about trying to wriggle themselves out of the restraints because of the pain and burning they will have to endure.
Shoe Lace
If you break your shoe or boot lace, dental floss is durable enough to provide a suitable alternative. You may need to double or triple up on the strands through the holes, but it doesn’t take a lot to make this a very strong and durable solution.
Cord for Hanging Things
Floss is ideal for hanging items outside of your backpack or bug out bag. Simply take a length of floss, fold it over a couple of times to make it stronger and tie to your bag. Tie the other end to the items you want to attach, and this will allow you to free up interior space by having bulkier items dangling from the side of your bag.
Clothesline
Floss is strong enough to hold clothes, if you fold it over two or three times. Do some experimentation to see how much weight the floss can hold, and keep folding until you get the result you need. Nothing could be easier or more practical.
Fishing Line
Floss is also ideal for fishing, especially if you lose your equipment or need to improvise on the fly. Tie one end to your pole or stick, and add the hook and bait to the other. It’s clearer and smaller than string, and it won’t dissolve in the water as easily as thread. Fish will have a hard time detecting the line in the water as well. Give it a try and you may be surprised with the result.
Cutting Food
Floss can be used to cut through meats, cheeses and even vegetables. Wrap the floss around your hands a couple of times and pull tight. The tension created along with the strength of the floss will be surprisingly effective at slicing through many food items.
Fixing Glasses or Other Hinged Items
Floss can be just as good as tape for fixing glasses that are missing screws. Simply feed the floss through the holes and tighten. You can also apply the same fix to a lot of items that are hinged or screwed together. It may not be the perfect solution, but it will get the job done in the absence of repair kits or replacement parts.
These are just a few examples that indicate why having floss on hand is so important. It doesn’t take a lot of imagination or creativity to come up with a laundry list of other practical applications, so take a few minutes and think about how you can put a supply of floss to good use as well. You will be glad you did later on.
