Duct Tape. Wrap a bunch around a Sharpie and have that stuff with you. That stuff'll save your life one day, man.

quote:

Originally posted by Piecar:
Duct Tape. Wrap a bunch around a Sharpie and have that stuff with you. That stuff'll save your life one day, man.

Can somebody please give me the low down on duct tape. I've traveled loads, but never brought duct tape or had an instance where i thought i could have used some. is it a camping thing?... because my travels do keep me to towns and cities.

T4L

quote:

Can somebody please give me the low down on duct tape.

For camping and locations where a mosquito net is provided but you have found holes - dt can be used if you have a leaky tent or fixing net holes.
Maybe your pack has been ripped, wrap some dt about it.

When you're in a city, you might even be able to plait some together to form a rope to escape a burning building before heat melts the tape!, or maybe wrap it about your hands, forearms with sticky side out and try being spiderman.

If you've been cut and don't have bandages or whatever, dt would keep bits of a tee shirt or whatever in place.

Maybe a flood came and washed you onto a desertedisland, barren but for a woman and bamboo - duct tape the mouth or ears if need be and then dt lengths of babmboo together for a raft.

Hang a length overboard and see what fish get stuck on for Sushi.

Be a bit difficult to use it in leiu of tp so still do not forget that.

I'm like you and always leave home without it, but it'sfun thinking of the uses.

Learn the local names of your destination. I've heard of too many people who were waiting for the Florence stop to appear, not realizing it's called FIRENZE.

Know that you'll stand out but do the best you can to keep from rocking the boat or getting robbed (i.e., don't wear a string bikini in an area where women are completely covered, and don't wear expensive jewelry).

It's been said a thousand and one times: only bring with you what you can afford to lose.

Practical: keep at least two copies of your itinerary in two different places, and leave one at home. (A copy in your email would be a bonus as well.) Also leave copies of impt stuff at home (passport, billing info) with someone who could help you should get in trouble.

Good one Cherie. Early in my travel days, I got fooled by a local name. I know better now. "Okay, I see Praha there, but where the hell is Prague?"

The duct tape thing is much like Joe's Leatherman thing. It depends on how your brain works, I guess. Both things I find tons of uses for, because I tend towards a Mr. Fixit type of thinking. Leatherman opens a window that is nailed shut. Duct tape holds it open to get a breeze. Duct tape holds a part of a broken stove in place. Leatherman screws it into place. I use my Leatherman EVERYDAY. I don't use duct tape everyday. But when something comes up, I sure am glad I have duct tape.

Excerpts from my personal uses of duct tape in town:

Mend a sandal
Patch a slash in my back pack
Block a draft through a cracked window
Substitute for an ace bandage (not recommended for hairy body parts)
Secure an antenna
Patch a leaky faucet
Mend the binding of a paper back book
Secure valuables in a hiding place

Actually, I'm such a duct tape geek that I keep two kinds: the good old silver stand by and clear (yes there is clear duct tape. I got very excited the first time I encountered it.)

La

Duct tape, tissues, wet wipes etc are all fine but all of them will only be of so much zero or little value if you just gotta go, and very quick !!!
Coming from a wanna be healthy thread, I even learnt that Mr will give you an answer even if you use a o between the two r of diarrhea

Now just in case a bus driver of a bus without a toilet does not understand it either way, I would have the local lingo version of "quick quick!,toilet needed, no poopa in pants" near the top of my words card.

And no doubt, practicing that (nearest to pained) look could well come in handy.

One thing I would mention because it has coused either me or someone that I was with trouble many times is taboo gestures. What is considered harmless or of no meaning in one culture can be considered obscene in another culture. There is no unversal usage of hand gestures even the ol' number "1" when you are irked with someone. There are even books and companies that put out an entire array of poducts to aid travellers.

There are two things that I do
1) I have a fanny pack with expired credit cards, local currency, a copy of my passport etc so that if I am robbed I have something to give them and perhpas will keep them from searching and finding my secret cache.

2) Just as I leave, I send myself an e-mail with my itinerary and any important documents which I then save when I pick up my mail the first time.