20 Survival Uses for Rubber Bands
You may have never given it much thought but rubber has been around for a very long time. With all the conclusive evidence, historians agree that the ancient Mayans and Aztecs had several uses for rubber dating back hundreds of years ago. Besides being found inside balls for their notorious sacrificial games, these Latin American natives used the elastic material from a rubber tree to make tools, shoes, medicines, and much more.
So, instead of keeping those rubber bands in your junk drawers and never using them for the standard methods, it’s time to think creatively. A couple of rubber bands could be the difference when faced with an emergency or survival situation!
Survival Uses for Rubber Bands
The modern-day rubber band was invented in 1845 and is still used today to hold and group all sorts of things together. But as it turns out, rubber bands can also serve hundreds of other purposes, especially pertaining to survival. Are you wondering what some of them are? Keep reading to find out about many amazing survival uses for rubber bands. Many outdoor enthusiasts already use rubber bands for a variety of applications. As a survivalist, you need to consider starting to carry rubber bands in your Altoids tin survival kit or pill bottle survival kit ( How to Put Together a Pill Bottle Survival Kit).
1. Money Clip
You’ll need extra cash during an emergency if debit and credit card readers are temporarily unavailable. A rubber band can be used as a money clip to fold and keep your bills secured in your pocket or backpack. Cash Stash: Standby for Emergencies
2. Fire Starter
Once ignited, rubber can make a small fire big rather quickly. This means they’ll be useful as emergency fire starters in situations when you need a fire for warmth or for your cooking purposes. 15 Different Ways to Make Fire Starters
3. Makeshift Tourniquet
Should you or a loved one be dealing with a severe laceration or open wound that happens during an emergency situation, you can take several rubberbands and use them as a makeshift tourniquet to hold you over until you can seek medical attention. First Aid Kits-What You Need To Survive Be sure to read up on the proper use of tourniquets so you don’t permanently damage body tissues in your extremities.
4. Temporary Sling
If you or someone else in your group is dealing with an arm injury and needs a temporary sling you can be prepared. Grab a few thicker rubber bands and loop them together like a bracelet or necklace strong enough to hold the arm in place. This will provide support for slings until the injured person can get proper medical treatment. Cheap Items Valuable During Survival
5. Use for Fishing
If you’re out in the wild and need to catch some fish, then rubber bands can come in handy. You can tie one around a hook, add bait, and dangle it down in the water. Hopefully won’t need to wait for very long for the fish to think it’s a worm or night crawler. Beginners Guide to Fishing: 6 Amazing Tips and Tricks
6. Screw Removal
Dealing with a stripped screw head can be very frustrating. But if you push a rubberband down in the grooves of a screw head, it should give the point of your screwdriver enough resistance so that you can remove the screw.
7. Extra grip
Sometimes you just need that little extra grip when you’re using a particular hand tool. So the next time you’re struggling, try wrapping a few rubber bands around the handle of the tool you’re using and be amazed at how much easier grasping the tool becomes.
Rubber bands can also act as a shield or insulator if you are trying to grasp something like a hot coffee cup, a hot pot, a panhandle, or a bowl of soup.
8. Jar Opener
When you’re needing extra traction to open something like a glass pickle jar, rubber bands will give you the opening power that you need to get lids off. 14 Clever Uses for Mason Jars
9. Hold Paracord
When you don’t want your paracord unraveling inside of your backpack, one or two rubber bands will do the trick! Rubber bands are a smart survival tool that a lot of people don’t think about! 13 Survival Uses for Paracord
10. Labeling Batteries
Instead of standing there scratching your head wondering which batteries are charged and which ones are not. Use a rubber band to keep them organized so that you can tell the difference and you can label the rubber band using pens or markers to tell the difference. Survival activities include being able to think ahead with items like batteries and rubber bands! How To Store Your Batteries
11. Slingshot
Whether it’s for self-defense or for hunting small game, a slingshot made with a rubber band could be a valuable tool that you couldn’t go without. You can use the “Y” of a tree branch or a piece of metal to form the slingshot.
12. Accessory Strap
Needing more light to help you with a difficult job? Take a few rubberbands and attach a flashlight to your forearm to assist you with completing the task.
13. Doorknob Blocker
Have you ever needed a door to stay unlatched but it kept closing on you? To solve this problem, simply take a rubber band and wrap it around one door knob tightly and then stretch it around to the opposite doorknob. Make sure the rubber band covers the latch. This is a hack that’s especially useful when you have children you don’t want to get locked in a room or you need to have it stay unlatched when bringing in the groceries.
14. Container Closer
When a container no longer stays sealed like you want it to, a rubber band will help keep it closed up the way it was intended. Take the rubber band and wrap it around the threads of the container if it has a screw-on lid. If it’s a smaller plastic container, wrap the container from end to end or side to side with a rubber band that will stretch properly. It won’t be airtight but should stay closed as needed. DIY PVC Frozen Ice Containers For Emergencies
15. Keep Bugs Out of Your Clothing
If you’re spending a lot of time outdoors, you may want to consider adding rubber bands around your shirt sleeves at wrist level and pant leg as low as you can get on the bottom of your legs to keep insects from getting to your skin. This could include mosquitos and ticks.
16. Gear Holder
Needing something to keep your survival gear attached to your bug-out bag or organized inside the bag? Rubber bands can help items like your flashlight, water bottles, and multi-tool stay secure.
17. Ponytail Holder
When you’re busy doing something and need your hair up and out of your face, a rubber band can be used as a ponytail holder when you can’t find a regular hair fastener.
18. Organizer
Whether you’re trying to keep a bunch of pencils organized or a group of straw filters or survival tools together, use a rubber band to perform a task that they were originally designed to do. How to Stay Organized + Free Calendar
You can use rubber bands to hold all sorts of things together. That could include camp utensils like knives, forks, and spoons. They’re handy to hold tent stakes and poles, wrap up tarps, and keep cable ties from scattering all throughout your pack or duffel bag.
19. Eyeglasses Strap
For those of you that only need reading glasses or sunglasses every now and then but don’t want to lose them, you could always use a big rubber band to keep them around your neck. Or if one side gets broken, you can use it to hold the glasses in place by wrapping it around the back of your head.
20. MakeshifEraser
Is the eraser on the end of your pencil all used up? Depending on the lead in the pencil, a really strong rubber band that’s attached to the end of your pencil MAY work just as well whenever you’re in a pinch.
What kind of rubber bands work best for survival?
Normal rubber bands and small rubber bands work okay in a pinch, but the survival situations really call for heavy-duty rubber bands! You have other survival items like duct tape, paracord, space blankets, and office supplies, so why not store extra rubber bands in the everyday items you already have in your storage?! Survival situations are becoming more frequent, so it’s super important that you are prepared!
Final Word
There you have it folks! Survival uses for rubber bands that can make all the difference during an emergency situation. These elastic bands can be quite useful in your everyday life as well. So don’t be afraid to stock up on a huge stash of them for your survival kit! Can you think of any other uses for rubber bands, whether it’s just around the house or that can actually be used during an emergency? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below! May God Bless this world, Linda
Copyright Images: Rubber Bands In Colors AdobeStock_225033713 By Duangjit, Rubber Band Ball AdobeStock_144674265 By Tierney
My daughter works at a grocery store and we’re always asking her to get some of the produce bands. They’re an odd size but they work for so many things. They’re thick enough to write on, too. I have found, however, that the storebought “office” bubberands (as the gkids call them), do dry out and snap after a period of time. They definitely don’t last forever!
HI Robbie, oh I will have to check out those grocery store rubber bands. I’m with you it sure seems like the rubber bands I buy these days dry out and snap sooner than years before. Linda
important to preppers are “Ranger bands” – you use tire inner tubes cut to the appropriate width for the job – small jobs bicycle inner tubes work great where regular commercial rubber bands will fail – larger jobs you can cut up a car or even a truck inner tube for jumbos ….
Hi Illini, oh my gosh, I never thought about these! I know I learn something new every single day! Love this tip! Linda