Packing Tips And Hacks
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Camila Pérez B
Why duct tape?
Incredibly durable and waterproof, having duct tape at hand during a hike — whether it’s a multi-day trip or a quick loop along one of your favorite trails — can save you from many possible uncomfortable scenarios. Feel like there’s an annoying blister slowing you down? Just tear a piece off from your water bottle and tape it over the blister without popping the skin — otherwise it could lead to infection. Want to prep before a hike to make sure you’re not troubled by annoying blisters? Clean and dry your feet before taping up the area to prevent any blisters or sores from forming.
Alternatively, duct tape can also be a great way to fix a broken boot during a hike. Mistakes happen, right? And cracked soles aren’t all that rare when you’ve been using the same pair of boots for years. That said, having some duct tape at hand means you can easily mend your boots — along with other accessories such as gloves and sunglasses — on-the-go so you can continue to enjoy your adventure.
Lastly, this clever duct tape hack can also help when it’s your water bottle itself that has suffered an accident. Nothing is worse than a leaky bottle — especially during long hikes in the sun. To avoid you from dripping your water away, clean and dry your bottle before slapping a piece of duct tape over the crack. Voilá — your bottle is back to being watertight.
Other duct tape uses
Duct tape isn’t just for hiking emergencies. One of the most important camping essentials to have on hand even if you’re not hiking or moving around, duct tape can do pretty much everything you can think of — from first aid to dealing with basic outdoor necessities. Much like hikers can use duct tape to repair broken water bottles, it can also be used to fix holes in a tent, strengthen tent poles, fix up broken or cracked cooking utensils, and even reinforce tent seams during harsh weather conditions.
Additionally, in a pinch, duct tape can even act as a fire starter. Its flammable properties make it useful for kindling when you’re struggling to get a campfire going.
In terms of basic first aid, duct tape is handy for removing splinters if you don’t have access to tweezers, covering up wounds and scrapes, stabilizing ankles or wrists in case of sprains, and even serving as a makeshift splint — along with sticks — in more serious cases or if there are broken bones.
