If there’s one thing you’ve likely learned pretty quickly as a prepper it’s the importance of having the right materials and supplies with you when SHTF and things go wrong. No matter what else is in your bug out bag or bug in stockpile, consider adding several tubes of super glue.
While most preppers will argue about what should be included in your bug out bag, many see the value in having super glue for survival situations. It’s lightweight and doesn’t take up much space and yet it can be used in a wide variety of situations.
#1. Patch a Tent
Shelter can be crucial in a crisis situation and staying warm and dry is key to keeping yourself and your loved ones alive.
One thing that can be detrimental in a survival situation is a leaky tent when you depend on it to provide shelter for your family. If this happens, you can use superglue to patch the leak and keep your family and belongings dry.
#2. Close a Wound
Superglue can be used sparingly to close a wound. It’s especially effective with shallow wounds because it can also keep dirt out. Always clean the affected area, then pinch the cut shut and apply super glue externally to seal it and keep it closed.
Super glue has been known to cause irritation and damage to the skin. Do not use more glue than necessary. Use super glue as a last resort for medical treatment. When possible use medical grade glue such as dermaflex or Surgi-Lock instead. Do not attempt to use super glue internally or to fill deep wounds.
Avoid using superglue in the following areas:
- Wounds with jagged edges
- Facial wounds
- Deep cuts that are bleeding
- Wounds that are dirty
- Puncture wounds
- Wounds that could be infected
- Animal bites
#3. Pull Out a Splinter
If you get a splinter during a survival situation, it can really put you in a foul mood and hamper your ability to get other tasks done you need to do to survive.
Apply a thin layer of super glue to the location where the splinter went in. Let the super glue dry completely and then pull it off. The splinter should come right out.
#4. Make Weapons
Super glue is handy to have with you in a survival situation because you can use it to either repair a broken weapon or make one from materials you can scavenge. You could even use it to glue a sharpened rock to a handmade spear until you can properly lash it with cordage. The possibilities here are endless.
#5. Boot / Shoe Repair
One of the most important skills in a SHTF situation will be the ability to stay mobile and keep moving. To do that you must make sure that your feet are well protected. Long bug out trips over rough terrain can really do a number on even the sturdiest of footwear. You aren’t going to get very far on a bug out bag trip if the sole of your boot or shoe is flapping loose.
For boots and shoes that need the sole or other loose areas repaired, super glue can be the difference between having your feet exposed or having them protected. You can also use it to protect the ends of your shoelaces from fraying.
#6. Repair Fishing Gear or Tools
One way to be able to feed yourself and your group members in a survival situation is by fishing or using other tools to hunt for prey or raise livestock. Use super glue to repair these vital tools in a survival situation.
#7. Patch Water Bottles
The ability to carry water can be the deciding factor between life and death. With stores closed or looted clean, you’ll have to reuse containers day after day. Use super glue to repair any leaks or holes in the water bottles or containers so you can keep using them.
#8. Repair Fletching
When you use arrows over and over again to hunt, it’s not surprising to find the fletching is wearing off even before a SHTF event.
Since the fletching is a big part of what helps give your arrow its accuracy, missing fletching can negatively affect your ability to hunt prey successfully. But have no fear, you can use super glue to repair fletching as long as you include it in your bug out or bug in supplies.
#9. Stop Fraying Rope
No matter what the survival situation, frayed rope can be unreliable. In a survival situation you need to be able to depend on your rope to hold. Use superglue on the ends of your rope or other cordage to keep it from fraying and unraveling when you need it most.
#10. Fill Cracks
Every so often in a survival situation, you may have a crack or larger gap that needs to be filled. This tip doesn’t work for wounds but for any other cracks you need to fill, you can actually combine super glue with baking soda.
The super glue ingredients cause a reaction in the baking soda which causes it to harden and swell. Use this chemical reaction to fill cracks between wooden boards, patch a hole in a boat, fix a split board, and many other things.
#11. Backpack Repair
Superglue can come in handy to fix a broken strap or broken clasp on your backpack or bug out bag too. And you just never know when something can tear or snap from repeated use and let your gear spill out while you’re walking.
Keeping gear safe and secure during a bug out trip or SHTF situation is important to survival. Keep super glue on hand so that you make a quick fix and get back on your way.
Well?
Do you have a favorite survival use for super glue that we neglected to include? Have you used superglue for an unexpected fix out of sheer desperation?
Did your ingenuity with superglue have a good outcome that might be helpful for your fellow preppers? Share it with us in the comments below.
Born and raised in NE Ohio, with early memories that include grandpa teaching her to bait a hook and watching her mom, aunts, and grandmothers garden, sew, and can food, Megan is a true farm girl at heart.
For Megan, the 2003 blackout, the events of 911, and the increasing frequency of natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina, spurred a desire to be more prepared. Soon to be living off-grid, this mother of four and grandmother of ten is learning everything she can about preparedness, survival, and homesteading.
Great suggestions all. I would add a roll of duct-tape to my BOB (Gorilla tape is best) for it has many uses also.