10 Multi-Purpose Survival Items and 10 Uses for Each

If you’ve been reading about prepping and survival for some time, you’ve probably run at some point into those articles that show N uses for a certain item, right?

The fact of the matter is, there’re a lot of these multi-purpose items, making them perfect for your stockpile. Plus, there’s a secret usage for all of them that I’m gonna share with you at the end of this article.

Baking Soda

What would all our preparations be without baking soda? There are far more than 10 uses to it, but here you go:

toothpaste (mix with a little water to obtain one of the best toothpaste you’ll ever use)
deodorant (just scrub it under your armpits)
use it to put out a fire
boosts bleach (add it to your bleach to improve its effectiveness)
soap (1 part baking soda and 3 parts of water and you’ve got yourself homemade soap)
removes grease and oil stains
works as an antacid for heartburn
helps against sunburns
cleans almost everything (the floor, your car, furniture etc.)
effective against fungus (just pat some powder on the affected area)

Duct Tape

Use it to:

make a rope
make a bandage
temporary fix your glasses
retrieve your keys from the sewer
make an S.O.S. sign on your tent by placing three X-es made of duct tape)
reseal food packages
tape a broken window
cover holes in your clothes
temporarily fix a leaky pipe
make a spear by securing a knife to a pole

By the way, you can find a lot more uses for duct tape here.

Paracord

Use Paracord:

to tie additional things to your bug-out bag (such as an extra pair of hiking boots)
as replacement for your shoelaces
make a snare
to make an arm sling
to tie someone up (to a tree or just his hands)
as dental floss (you need to pull out the internal threads)
as a tourniquet
secure boat to a tree
secure a tent or a tarp
as a clothes line, to dry wet clothes

Bandana

Bandanas have plenty uses as well. For example:

as a diaper (I probably wouldn’t use it for anything else afterwards, though)
as a tourniquet (just like Paracord)
use it for a dish rag
dip it in lemon juice and wear it as a mask to protect from tear gas
as a part of a DIY water filter
fold it into a hat to protect from the sun
use it to sling a rope over a tall branch
as a coffee filter
send smoke signals
as an arm sling (also like the Paracord)

Tin Cans

Ok, now we’re getting into the good stuff. You can repurpose tin cans:

to make cutting tools
to make signaling mirrors
as cooking pots
to build a rocket stove!
as trash bags
as shower head
to hold spoons, knives, forks etc.
to hold candles
as arrow heads
for digging (sand etc.)

Lip Balm

Surprisingly, lip balm has plenty of uses and makes a nice addition to your bug-out bag. Here are 10 of them:

to prevent blisters
helps heal small cuts (such as those left by razors)
to make candles
to prevent rust from settling in (on your axes, saws, carbon steel knives etc.)
as fishing bait

as a plug to prevent leaks
use it to hold lint
helps lubricate your bow drill
helps reduce glare (just rub it under your eyes)

Bleach

Use bleach:

to purify water
to disinfect cooking utensils, containers
to prolong shelf life of your water stockpile
in standing water to prevent insects from laying eggs
to destroy molds
to destroy airborne viruses
to disinfect toilet bowls
to build a solar bottle bulb (using a plastic water bottle)
to clean contaminated fruits and veggies
to remove stains on porcelain

Wood Ash

You’d be surprised of the many uses of ash. Here are just a few:

to raise the pH of the soil
as insect repellent
for your chickens (they love to take baths in ash, killing lice and mites)
as an ingredient for soap
to remove bad smells
to brush your teeth
to clean furniture, glass doors
to protect plants from snails
to prevent plants from frosting in the winter
to preserve fruits and veggies inside a hole in the ground

Honey

Use honey:

to relieve a sore throat
as an energy booster
to remove parasites
as lip balm
to help wounds recover faster
as hair conditioner
to moisturize your skin
as hair conditioner
helps preserve fruit
to remove splinters

Ziploc Bags

You’re gonna love all the things you can use zipper bags:

as gloves
to stash anything in your BOB that needs to be waterproof (tinder, medicine, spare batteries etc.)
collect water from tree leaves (just secure it over a branch and you’ve got yourself drinking water)
to make blocks of ice
to save a phone that’s was accidentally dropped in water (place it in a Ziploc bag along with rice, which will absorb the moisture)
as funnels
as pillows (fill with leaves, socks, a small towel or anything else that’s soft)
as flotation devices (fill all of them with air and place them in your bug-out bag to keep you floating when crossing a river)
to cover wounds (as long as you secure them with duct tape)
to insulate your feet from water, cold, snow etc. (Put your feet inside and then put on your shoes or boots. You may need to use duct tape to secure them.)
to make a simple balance scale (could be useful for bartering purposes)

Plastic Bottles

Use plastic bottles to:

build a solar bottle bulb
build traps (for mice, mosquitos etc.)
make funnels
make water filters
store food, such as grains
make bowls (by cutting the bottoms)
build a canoe
to build the propeller of a DIY wind turbine
make cordage
make emergency spoons

Ok, those were it. No more and no less than 100 uses for some of the most common survival items. Speaking of which, they may be easy to get right now but what about post-SHTF? Stockpile them now and you’ll have very good leverage when bartering.

Want Even More Uses?

We have lots of articles written over the years with various items and all the ways you can use them in:

… and a ton more (only now have I realized how many of these I published over the years!)

Dan F. Sullivan

My dad was military. My grandfather was a cop. They served their country well. But I don’t like taking orders. I’m taking matters into my own hands so I’m not just preparing, I’m going to a friggin’ war to provide you the best of the best survival and preparedness content out there.

You won't be able to get these critical items post-collapse.

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