Few will argue that zip ties are one of the most useful tools out there. From keeping wires nice and tidy to restraining serious bad guys, they’re the tool of choice across the board.
Knowing this it should be no surprise that zip ties are incredibly useful in survival situations. While you’ll probably have less of a need to organize surround sound wires and more need to catch food, they remain one of the most useful items in your arsenal. Make sure to only use black zip ties, as they hold up best against sun damage, which can eat away at plastic and weaken it.
Here are seven of the ways you can use zip ties for survival. Have other uses? Leave them in the comments below.
Snares
Instead of using rope to build a snare, keep a variety of sizes with you to secure the snare to whatever you need to. This way it will stay more secure and go up far easier.
Handcuffs
It’s not something you want to think about, but even when the SHTF there will still be people that want to do you harm. If you need to subdue one of those people, a large pair of zip ties is the perfect thing to use.
Shelter Building and Repair
Possibly one of the most overlooked uses for zip ties is in building a shelter. With a variety of zip ties available you can quickly and easily build a shelter for yourself. A zip tie shelter goes up quickly and will stay as secure as one built with rope, possible even better.
While you need to be careful with how much weight and tension each zip tie is holding, used properly they will keep your shelter in place nicely.
Backpack Repair
When things get bad there won’t be a sporting goods store down the street for you to go to if your backpack breaks. The one you have is really all you’ve got so if a strap or buckle breaks, you need to be able to fix it quickly and securely.
Zip ties are perfect for fixing broken buckles. Since most of these are plastic today, they are prone to snapping and slipping. A smaller zip tie will easily fit in the gap left over with these plastic buckles, something rope cannot do. While you need to slip them open or cut them to get them off, it’s better than dragging your pack behind you thanks to a broken strap.
Close Pant Legs
When surviving in warmer climates bugs are a serious issue you have to deal with. From disease to allergic reactions, bugs are far more than a mere annoyance when in the wild.
Even with bug spray, your best bet to keep bugs off of you is to stay clothed, and zip ties can help with that. You can use a large zip tie to go around your ankles to keep bugs from going up your pant legs and getting at you. This can also stop snakes from trying to get warm by going up your pants when you’re sleeping, too.
Splints
The last two uses in this list are all about medical help. While you don’t want to think about something as terrible as a broken limb after the SHTF, they’re bound to happen so you need to be prepared.
When attaching a splint to a broken limp, zip ties can be used to secure the splinting material safely and securely. From fingers to legs, various sized zip ties will do it all. Just make sure to place some fabric under where the zip ties are going so they don’t dig into the skin.
Tourniquet
Finally, if blood loss is the issue, you can use a large zip tie as a tourniquet. Just place the zip tie where the flow of blood needs cut off from and start tightening. As you can see below, there are even zip ties custom designed for this purpose now.
It’s VERY important that you place a rolled up piece of fabric going the direction of the limb the tourniquet is being applied to, and that you have something to cut the tourniquet zip tie off with, like wire cutters. The fabric serves as a place to cut the zip tie without going against bare skin. Without this, you may hurt the person while just trying to remove the zip tie.
