17 Overlooked Everyday Items With Real Survival Uses

Summary

Practical Prepping Podcast

Episode 562: 17 Overlooked Everyday Items With Real Survival Uses

Hosts: Mark & Krista Lawley
Date: July 13, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Mark and Krista Lawley shine a spotlight on 17 common household items that most people overlook—yet these items offer unexpected value in survival and emergency situations. Steering clear of doomsday prepper stereotypes, the hosts keep the focus practical: how knowledge and resourcefulness can turn ordinary objects into versatile tools for prepping. The tone is warm, conversational, and rooted in lived experience, offering both tried-and-true tips and a dash of humor.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Aluminum Foil ([01:48])

• Uses:
  • Fire heat reflector to direct warmth (place behind a fire or in shelter)
  • Emergency cooking surface, food wrapping, or makeshift pan
  • Windscreen or sunshade when paired with cardboard
  • Improv bowls or trays
  • Temporary plumbing repairs (using JB Weld with foil as a patch)
• Anecdote:
  • Mark shared how his late-night aluminum foil plumbing patch "was still holding when we replaced that plumbing with PVC years later." ([02:34])
• Humor:
  • Mark jokes, “And one final use… make hats for paranoid people.” ([03:06])

2. Baking Sheet ([03:14])

• Uses:
  • Ground plane for magnetic radio antennas (especially for amateur/ham radios)
  • Cooking surface over coals or grill
  • Drying rack for herbs, seeds, or gear
• Field Tip:
  • Mark: “I used a magnetic antenna inside a drop ceiling at the office. RF doesn't care whether it’s right side up or upside down…” ([03:30])

3. Baking Soda ([04:44])

• Uses:
  • Fire suppression for grease fires
  • Odor control (refrigerators, coolers, shoes)
  • Tooth-cleaning substitute
  • Insect bite relief (as paste)
• Personal Experience:
  • Krista: "Wet your brush, dab in the baking soda... clean your mouth.” ([05:27])

4. Bandanas ([05:46])

• Uses:
  • Dust mask, face covering, sweat rag
  • Arm sling or improvised bandage
  • Water pre-filter (“strains out the chunky stuff” – Mark, [06:21])
  • Cooling neck wrap (when soaked)
  • Hot pot holder
• Everyday Utility:
  • Mark: “Few times I’ve pulled my bandana out to cover someplace that I caused my body to start leaking blood...” ([06:38])

5. Clothespins ([06:56])

• Uses:
  • Secure tarps without tearing fabric
  • Hang clothing or gear to dry
  • Seal snack bags
  • Secure maps/papers in wind
  • Trail markers with reflective tape
• Leave No Trace:
  • Mark: Mark trails in and out, “remove the clothespins as you go so you’ve left nothing but footprints.” ([07:33])

6. Coffee Filters ([07:45])

• Uses:
  • Pre-filter water
  • Strain grease (e.g., for bacon fat reuse)
  • Emergency toilet paper ("Better than nothing,” says Krista, [08:28])
  • Strain sediment from fuel
• Personal Share:
  • Krista uses coffee filters when storing bacon fat for later use ([08:14])

7. Dental Floss ([09:16])

• Uses:
  • Emergency sewing thread
  • Fishing line for small survival kits
  • Light cordage or trip lines for alerts
  • Emergency suturing (not recommended if you can avoid it)
• Practicality:
  • Mark: “Many of us may not want to be trying do-it-yourself suturing… as long as there are other options.” ([10:30])
• Product Reference:
  • Krista mentions Closex emergency laceration closures as a no-stitch wound-closure alternative ([10:59])

8. Prescription Pill Bottles ([11:21])

• Uses:
  • Waterproof storage for matches, first aid, small fishing kits, sewing needles, cash, or tinder (cotton balls, fatwood, etc.)
• Personal Tip:
  • Mark used to keep one in the truck for quarters, “but… I haven't seen a parking meter that didn’t take a credit card.” ([12:13])

9. Five-Gallon Bucket ([12:47])

• Uses:
  • Water or food storage (with Mylar liner for food)
  • Emergency toilet (using trash liners)
  • Portable tool kit
  • Firewood or general carrier
  • Rainwater catchment
• Anecdote:
  • Mark: “I’ve got one in the garage for plumbing… another for general tools that I can take to one of the kids or grandkids.” ([13:48])

10. Old Belt ([14:18])

• Uses:
  • Gear strap/tie down, makeshift tourniquet
  • Bind firewood or poles
  • Replace broken pack strap
  • Leather strop for sharpening blades
  • Tool/rifle sling
• Real-Life Save:
  • Mark shares: “Had a police friend in the ‘70s save a guy’s life with a belt as a tourniquet in a motorcycle accident.” ([14:33])

11. Petroleum Jelly ([15:19])

• Uses:
  • Fire starter (soaked into cotton balls)
  • Skin protection, chafing barrier
  • Rust prevention on tools
  • Lip balm substitute
  • Prevents battery terminal corrosion ("Talking car batteries here," Mark, [15:56])

12. Plastic Milk Crates ([16:17])

• Uses:
  • Organization for closets, pantries, vehicles
  • Raised platform for gear
  • Makeshift tables (even for ham radio in the woods)
  • Cheap/free from some stores

13. Plastic Sheeting ([17:49])

• Uses:
  • Emergency shelter, ground cloth, window insulation, rain catchment, wind block, DIY poncho
• Anecdote:
  • Mark: “[My] dad would get plastic sheeting and staple it on the outside of the window, keep the wind from coming through…” ([18:19])

14. Safety Pins ([19:26])

• Uses:
  • Repair torn clothing/gear
  • Secure bandages or make slings
  • Replace zipper pulls
  • Remove splinters
  • Keep gloves/socks together
  • Improv fishhook (with dental floss)
• Tip:
  • Krista: “Tie it to a safety pin that’s open and that can become a fish hook.” ([20:14])

15. Super Glue ([20:28])

• Uses:
  • Seal minor cuts (“It was intended for wound closure and is used in the medical field,” Mark, [20:45])
  • Patch small fabric/gear tears
  • Fuse fraying paracord
  • Stiffen cord ends for threading

16. Zip Ties ([21:45])

• Uses:
  • Secure tarps
  • Bundle cords, attach gear
  • Temporary restraints (“We used to carry them just in case we had more people than handcuffs…” Mark, [22:28])
  • Fasten fencing, garden plant supports
  • Hang tools/gear from rafters

17. Zip-Top Freezer Bags ([23:20])

• Uses:
  • Waterproof storage (documents, electronics, first aid supplies)
  • Organizing small gear
  • Carrying water in a pinch
  • Keeping ammunition/matches dry
  • Storing extra batteries and cables in EDC bag
• Advantage:
  • Krista: “Since they're transparent, you can see instantly… You don't have to hunt for it.” ([24:37])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Most people see clutter, but preppers see capability.” – Mark ([00:30])
• “The more you know, the less you have to carry.” (Podcast motto)
• On aluminum foil:
  • “It made a great late-night repair, but it was still holding when we replaced that plumbing with PVC years later.” – Mark ([02:34])
• On multi-use prepping:
  • Krista: “That’s the purpose of this whole episode, is the unknown ways you could repurpose the common things you find in your home.” ([10:04])
• Wry humor:
  • Mark: “One final use for aluminum foil is that it can be used to make hats for paranoid people.” ([03:06])
• On practicality:
  • Mark: “No bunkers. No zombies. No alien invasions. Just practical prepping.” ([00:54])
• On bandanas:
  • “A few times I’ve pulled my bandana out to cover someplace that I caused my body to start leaking blood…” – Mark ([06:38])
• On not leaving a trace:
  • “You’ve left nothing but footprints in the forest.” – Mark ([07:33])
• On medical improvisation:
  • “Many of us may not want to be trying do-it-yourself suturing… as long as there are other options.” – Mark ([10:30])
• On car emergency:
  • “Had a police friend…save a guy’s life with a belt in a motorcycle accident. The guy lost the leg, but Dennis was literally able to save his life.” – Mark ([14:33])

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Important Timestamps

• [01:48] – Start of 17 Surprising Items List: Aluminum Foil
• [03:14] – Baking Sheet
• [04:44] – Baking Soda
• [05:46] – Bandanas
• [06:56] – Clothespins
• [07:45] – Coffee Filters
• [09:16] – Dental Floss
• [11:21] – Prescription Bottles
• [12:47] – Five-Gallon Bucket
• [14:18] – Old Belt
• [15:19] – Petroleum Jelly
• [16:17] – Plastic Milk Crates
• [17:49] – Plastic Sheeting
• [19:26] – Safety Pins
• [20:28] – Super Glue
• [21:45] – Zip Ties
• [23:20] – Zip-Top Freezer Bags

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Conclusion

Mark and Krista's episode is an enthusiastic, experienced reminder that prepping is as much about mindset and creativity as stockpiling equipment. Their simple, actionable advice proves that your next great prep might already be hiding in plain sight. Whether you’re a prepping veteran or new to the mindset, their list of 17 household items is sure to spark new ideas for your emergency kit.

“Stuff happens. Stay prepared.” – Krista ([25:08])

Transcript

[A]

Walk through your house with me for a minute. That baking sheet in your oven is not just for cookies. It's a radio antenna, ground plane, a cooking source over coals, and a drying rack for seeds. That petroleum jelly in the medicine cabinet, fire starter, skin protection, rust prevention, that five gallon bucket in the garage, sanitation system, water hauler, food storage, even rain catchment. Most people see clutter, but preppers see capability. And today we're going to learn how to spot it. We're talking about 17 overlooked everyday items with survival uses.

[B]

Welcome to Practical prepping. Today is July 13, 2026, and this is episode 562. This is the prepping podcast with no bunkers, no zombies, and no alien invasions. Just practical prepping where we teach everyday people how to prepare for life's emergencies, disasters and crises. And we're here to help you get prepared. I'm Krista.

[A]

And I'm Mark. And if you'd like the expanded notes for this episode, go to practicalprepping.info 562. Also, if you know someone who might enjoy this podcast, would you share it with them? PracticalPrepping.info and click on Podcast. Now let's get into 17 overlooked everyday items with survival uses. Okay, the first one on our list is aluminum foil.

[B]

A good product.

[A]

It can be used as a fire heat reflector, placed behind a fire to direct the warmth toward you or into a shelter.

[B]

Pretty smart.

[A]

It can be used as an emergency cooking surface or for wrapping food in coals or forming a makeshift pan.

[B]

Yeah, that's very popular around the campsite.

[A]

And it can be used as a windscreen sunshade when taped to cardboard to reflect heat. It also can be made into an improvised container, folded into a bowl, a cup, or a tray.

[B]

True.

[A]

Now here's an interesting use for it that I did this personally and this was on a weekend night and we developed a leak in the J trap under the kitchen sink.

[B]

Oh.

[A]

So what I did was took some JB weld and took a piece of tinfoil and I put that aluminum foil and that JB weld over that hole and pushed it up in there and smoothed it out to where the JB weld was outside of the tinfoil. And do you know, it made a great late night repair, but it was still holding when we replaced that plumbing with PVC years later.

[B]

Very cool.

[A]

And one final use for aluminum foil is that it can be used to make hats for paranoid people.

[B]

Okay. Oh, good one, good one. You know, number two on the list would be a baking Sheet, also known as a cooking sheet. This can be used as a ground plane for magnetic antennas, and it really will improve the performance of your radio. And I think we're talking about amateur

[A]

radio, amateur ham radio, gmrs, whatever, that you can have an external antenna, and a lot of folks will use a magnetic antenna, but you really need some type of ground plane for that. If you put it on that cookie sheet or put it on the center of a metal trash can lid, it will greatly improve the performance of that. Now, one thing I did in an office one time was I used a magnetic antenna just inside the window where. And it had a drop ceiling. So you had those metal channels. So where two of those channels crossed. I put that magnetic antenna upside down because RF doesn't care whether it's right side up, upside down.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And so it transmitted. And I was able to hit the repeater from that particular office, and it worked very, very well for me.

[B]

Sounds good. You can use that baking sheet as a cooking surface over your campfire or your grill. That flat surface could also be used to spread out some herbs or seeds or even small gear for anything that needs to be dried out or kind of collected. A lot of these baking sheets have kind of a shallow lip around them, and so they can hold small, little metal pieces.

[A]

Number three on our list is baking soda.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Now, I've known this for years, and we used to keep it in the kitchen. Mother did, my grandmother did. And it's fire suppression for small grease fires.

[B]

It's safer than spraying water or splashing water on a grease fire.

[A]

Water's worst thing. You can do probably with that, but you can dump that soda on it, and it will tend to suppress that fire. We always had it in the refrigerator for odor control. You can put it in coolers. You can even put it in shoes for odor control. And I can remember as a kid, too, we used it like toothpaste when we didn't have toothpaste.

[B]

Yeah. You wet your brush, and then you dab it into the baking soda and clean your mouth.

[A]

And you might have to do that a couple of times throughout your mouth, but you can use it for teeth cleaning. And it will also relieve insect bites when it's mixed with water and turned into a paste.

[B]

I've actually done that. And it does work.

[A]

It does work.

[B]

Number four on the list is good old bandanas. You know, we know them as a dust mask or a face covering, but it could also become your sweat rag, and that will reduce a lot of dehydration. It can become an improvised sling for an arm support. If it's a big enough bandana that can hold an arm and tie around the neck, you could also use it, We've mentioned this many times as a pre filter for water. If you're outsourcing water in the wild, like from a creek or a river or lake, you may be pulling up a lot of particulate matter. Pour that through your bandana into a container, and as Mark says, it strains out the chunky stuff.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

You could use it as a neck wrap. If you'll soak it in water and then wrap your neck with it, that's very good for cooling on an extremely hot, hot day. A bandana can be an improvised bandage or a wound wrap if needed, and it can become your potholder for handling hot cookware.

[A]

There's been a few times I pull my bandana out to cover someplace that I had caused my body to start leaking blood, where I'd cut myself or stab myself. So they do make very, very handy bandages to have there. Number five is clothespins.

[B]

Oh, okay.

[A]

You know, we don't see these as often in houses today as we used to.

[B]

That's true.

[A]

But they can be used to secure tarps to lines without the fabric tearing.

[B]

True.

[A]

They can be used to hang wet clothing or gear to dry. They can clamp snack bags or food storage closed.

[B]

Sure.

[A]

Secure maps or papers in windy conditions. You can clip gloves together to prevent their loss.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Now you can also use them for trail markers, Especially with reflective tape.

[B]

See, that's kind of smart right there.

[A]

And you're not leaving something in the woods. You can mark a trail going in, and you can follow your trail coming back out and remove the clothespins as you go. So you've left nothing but footprints in the forest.

[B]

Very clever. Next on the list, number six, those paper coffee filters that can also pre filter dirty water before you purify it. And it can also be used as a grease strainer. I do this when I do my bacon in the oven. I collect all that bacon grease. It almost has little chunky bits in it. And I pour it through a coffee filter that is sitting inside a sieve. So it passes through the filter and then the sieve, and then it's clean as I collect that bacon fat for use later.

[A]

And she does reuse it.

[B]

I do.

[A]

She does.

[B]

Great for reusing. It can become an emergency piece of toilet paper. Never really thought about that till I saw the list. Said, you know, that's kind of smart.

[A]

Going to be the softest stuff but it will work.

[B]

It's one of those better than nothing details.

[A]

Better than nothing.

[B]

You can also strain sediment from fuel in small engines by using that with a coffee filter. Just pour it through and catch it clean in another container. Speaking of coffee filters, today's cup of coffee comes from our buddy Tony. Tony is a very longtime supporter of this show. And Tony, we can't tell you how much we appreciate your continued support. Hey, friends, you too can Support us at practicalprepping.info support. If you go there, you're going to find ways that you can buy us a few cups of coffee. Or you might even want to join up with a coffee membership. It's only $5 a month, but that really does help us offset some of the expenses of the show. So please help us out. Consider doing [e-mail] support.

[A]

And now we move to number seven, which is dental floss.

[B]

Oh, smart.

[A]

You can use it as an emergency sewing thread for clothing or gear repair.

[B]

You know, it is pretty strong.

[A]

All you need is a needle to go with it.

[B]

There you go.

[A]

You can use it for fishing line for small survival fishing setups. If you'll carry a couple of hooks and a couple of sinkers in something, you can use dental floss. And you can always use a stick for a handle.

[B]

Absolutely.

[A]

Number of ways that you can do that. But it does make a good light duty cordage.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

You can also use it as a trip line for simple alert systems.

[B]

Oh, clever.

[A]

Okay, here's one that a lot of folks would not really think about this, but you could use it for emergency suturing.

[B]

Well, that's the purpose of this whole episode, is the unknown ways you could repurpose the common things you find in your home. So if you actually had a suture kit, you could actually string it with dental floss.

[A]

If you didn't have a suture kit, you could string a needle with the dental floss. Preferably a curved needle. Makes it so much easier, but it can be done in an emergency with a straight needle.

[B]

It's hard to think about, but true.

[A]

Yep. Now many of us may not want to be trying do it yourself suturing, or at least not as long as there are other options available.

[B]

I understand.

[A]

Then again, you may not want to go to the ER for just a couple of stitches. We found some wound closures that will close up those wounds and it's a good item to have on hand in a grid down situation. Okay, that's Closex emergency laceration closures. And this closes Wounds without stitches.

[B]

I've seen those.

[A]

It's a surgical grade skin device and it's available for wounds up to one inch or three and a half inches. And we'll put the link in the episode notes, but you can find [e-mail] featured and you'll find a lot of other prepping items there as well.

[B]

Now, number eight on the list would be empty pill prescription bottles. These have a vast number of uses and they come in an amazing amount of sizes too. His metformin bottles are quite large and then other prescription bottles are really small.

[A]

Yeah. And the metformin is what we use for our fatwood in our get home baskets.

[B]

Yes. Because you can snap that little watertight lid on there and you're good. It can become a waterproof storage container for matches. And you could actually even create a mini first aid container out of that if you've got a few little essentials in there. You could make a very small fishing kit. You can put some lines, some hooks and some sinkers down inside a prescription bottle. You could store sewing needles and thread. Could even hold some spare cash. You can roll it up really tight or drop in some coins, I'd say preferably, you know, dimes and quarters, something.

[A]

Yeah, I used to keep one in the truck for parking meters, but I haven't seen a paid parking meter that didn't take a credit card.

[B]

Right.

[A]

I don't know that you can put a coin in one anymore.

[B]

Welcome to the 21st century. You can also keep tinder as what Mark has just mentioned that we do keep little pits of cut tinder in a large prescription bottle. And that's our tender, our fatwood and that. We keep that in our bags, in our get home bags and our bug out bags.

[A]

And you can also put petroleum jelly and cotton balls in there.

[B]

Sure, whatever is a good fire starter for you. You could use a medicine bottle for that.

[A]

Number nine is a five gallon bucket. Now these things are precious to a lot of people, preppers and farmers and homesteaders. You just couldn't do what we do without a five gallon bucket. One is good for water hauling and storage.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Preppers use it for food storage. You can buy food grade buckets or you can line it with Mylar or you can put Mylar packages in there and seal it up. You can also make an emergency toilet by using a liner in it. Putting a trash bag in there. You can make that emergency toilet. You can make a tool kit or gear container. My dad did this for years when he Started to come to the house to do something. He'd put a five gallon bucket of tools over in the back of the truck. And I've kind of continued that myself.

[B]

Yeah, it's kind of. It's really in some ways easier to carry and maneuver on that. Instead of a big, long rectangular toolbox, Just take the necessaries, load them up in a good old bucket and carry that.

[A]

Exactly. I've got one out in the garage that's for plumbing. I've got another one that's for general tools that I can pick up and take to one of the kids or grandkids. You can use it as a firewood carrier. It's good for carrying a lot of things. We used to collect pine cones out of the yard in five gallon buckets. Sure. So you can use it as some type of a carrier. And of course, you can use it as a rainwater catchment container by simply putting it out in the rain.

[B]

Number 10 on the list, an old belt. Now this could become an improvised gear strap, Maybe even a tie down for the car. You could use an old belt as a tourniquet in some cases if it's. If it can be tightened down far enough. You can actually do that.

[A]

Had a police friend who back in the 70s, saved a guy's life with a belt in a motorcycle accident. The guy lost the leg, but Dennis was literally able to save his life by making a tourniquet out of his belt.

[B]

Amazing. You can use it to tie firewood together or strap some poles together. You can use a belt to replace a broken pack strap in some cases. And you could even use it as a leather strop for sharpening blades. That's what they used to do back in the day.

[A]

Yeah. Even make a temporary rifle or tool sling out of it.

[B]

Absolutely.

[A]

A lot of things that you can do with those old belts. So don't throw them out, Especially if they're leather. Number 11 petroleum jelly.

[B]

Oh, yes.

[A]

We mentioned this a minute ago. You can make a fire starter when you mix it with cotton balls. And be sure to really permeate that cotton. The first time we ever made some, we did not put enough petroleum jelly in there.

[B]

It needs to be nice and gushy.

[A]

It needs to be soaked and soaked throughout.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

It'll protect your skin from chafing. It's a moisture barrier for minor cuts and scrapes.

[B]

That's true.

[A]

You can use it to prevent rust on small metal tools. It's also a good lip balm substitute. Right. And you can protect battery terminals from corrosion.

[B]

See I didn't think about that. That makes a lot of good sense.

[A]

And I'm talking car batteries here. I'm talking any type of terminal there. I guess you could use it on AA and AAA batteries. Put some on the back end and still make contact with the metal and help protect that from leakage from those batteries.

[B]

Pretty clever. Number 12 on the list is plastic milk crates. Now we're not talking milk bottles. We're talking about the square, rectangular, open grid style milk crate. I use them in my closet. I actually store clothing. I put the milk crate up on its side so the open edge is facing me and I can stack clothes in there. So you can organize all kinds of storage with a plastic milk crate. A lot of people use them in their pantries if they have a separate pantry room. I see a lot of milk crates stacked in there and some of them carry packets for gravy and whatnot and so on. You could use it as a vehicle trunk organizer. A lot of times it's nice to have those crates in the back of the trunk because your grocery bags may be kind of flimsy and this helps them stay up.

[A]

Well, I'm also. I have one for our car that will hold a quart of oil. I could put gasoline if I wanted to in there, but I use it for jumper cables and things that I want to be able to put into the car and take out of the car. Rather easily. Fit very well in that plastic milk crate.

[B]

You could also use it as a raised platform to keep gear off of wet ground. For example, we have used plastic milk crates as a ham radio table when we're out in the woods.

[A]

Yep. Working a horse ride.

[B]

Yeah, exactly. You could stack one on, two on each other, whatever. And it's a good transport container for just whatever you need that needs to be hauled from here to there. Plastic built crates. Fairly inexpensive. And a lot of times you can pick them up free from a lot of stores that are willing to donate them to you.

[A]

Number 13 is plastic sheeting. Okay. You can make an emergency shelter with this stuff.

[B]

Shrink him.

[A]

You can use it as a ground cloth to block moisture.

[B]

Good. If you're going to be sleeping bags outside.

[A]

Exactly. Put it under that sleeping bag and you don't get moisture from the ground. You can use it as a rain catchment surface.

[B]

I've seen that done.

[A]

Spread it out and tilt it down toward a container for that water to run into. You can use it as a wind block around a camp or a work area.

[B]

Oh, sure you can.

[A]

I used it One time when it was cold and the wind was blowing, made a wind block to get the temperature up on our smoker because the wind kept causing that to diminish the temperature in there. You can use it as window insulation. I grew up with this every year in the house that I grew up in as a small child up until I was about 12 years old, 11 years old, somewhere in that neighborhood. Every winter as we were coming up, dad would get plastic sheeting and he would staple it on the outside of the window, keep the wind from coming through, because, honestly, you could feel the wind blow through. I'm sure now we still have that house, but we don't have that wind problem anymore.

[B]

We've.

[A]

We've added insulation, we've added siding outside, We've redone the windows, replaced those. But as a kid, you could feel that wind blow through those. You can also use it as an improvised poncho.

[B]

Oh, sure.

[A]

Just cut you off a big section of it, cut a hole in the middle for your head, and you've got a poncho.

[B]

Number 14 on the list. Safety pins. Oh, there's just dozens of things you can do with safety pins. Obviously, you can repair torn clothing or even repair gear that a safety pin could pull together. They can be used to secure bandages like gauze bandaging, wrapping in place. You can even replace a broken zipper pull with a safety pin. Makes a lot of sense. You can fasten together some makeshift slings or wraps for any kind of injury or emergency. A safety pin could be useful in removing a splinter if it's a large enough splinter that can be seen. A safety pin.

[A]

I've done that.

[B]

The sharp point can be done. You can pin your gloves or socks together, and so that way you're not going to lose them one place or another.

[A]

You either lose them both or you have them.

[B]

Exactly. And one that I thought of, that I've actually seen done is you can take some of that line out of your pill bottle and you can tie it to a safety pin that's open, and that can become a fish hook. It can actually hold a piece of bait or whatever you.

[A]

Especially the smaller ones, where you can put some small pieces of bait and catch small pan fish and things like that. Number 15, super glue.

[B]

Oh, okay.

[A]

Now you can use this to seal minor cuts in an emergency.

[B]

I think that's probably what part of it was.

[A]

I think it was intended for wound closure, and they do use it in the medical field as a wound closure. Now it's marketed as something other than super Glue, and it's three times the price, but it's the same thing. But in an emergency, you can seal these minor cuts with superglue. You can patch small tears in clothing or in a tent or something like that. You can use that as a patch. You can lock fraying paracord ends to prevent further unraveling.

[B]

Oh, that makes a lot of sense.

[A]

I tend to burn the end of

[B]

mine, so melt together.

[A]

Right. But that makes a knot. It seems like on the outside. If I wanted to be able to thread that through something, then super glue would be the better way to go. Because it doesn't make it wider. Yeah. And you can stiffen the end of cordage as I was talking about, to make threading it through things easier.

[B]

Makes a lot of sense. Number 16 on our list, zip ties. You know, these things come in dozens of sizes and they are fast, strong. They're a lightweight, fastening item. They're really kind of brilliant when you really study them. You can secure tarps or the shelter components with a zip tie. You can bundle cords and zip tie around it, or you can pull rope together and put it in a zip tie for bundling. You can also attach gear to your pack or to a frame of some kind with a zip tie. In some cases, depending on the situation, you may have to use them to have a handcuff style restraint. If you got somebody that's a little out of control, I've seen law enforcement use these.

[A]

We used to carry them just in case we had more people than we had handcuffs that we could use those if we needed to.

[B]

You can fasten fencing elements together. You can use zip ties for garden supports. We've done that with our tomato cages and we've loose zip ties so the plant can move and grow and etc.

[A]

But it holds it in place.

[B]

It's weatherproof. We can secure vehicle hoses together. We can bundle up wiring and zip tie it. You can even hang items from rafters or those paracord lines over your head. If you want to loop a zip tie through there. And there you go.

[A]

Yeah. In the garage, it's good. In those overhead rafters you can have some nails and in certain, like the end of a piece of equipment or something, you can have that zip tie through there and you just stick it up there and hook it on that nail and it kind of makes right

[B]

up there like a loop of some kind.

[A]

Number 17 zip top freezer bags.

[B]

Who'd have thunk?

[A]

Who'd have thunk? This is great waterproof storage. Sure, you can use it for documents and maps, especially the 1 gallon size 8 and a half by 11 will go in there very well. And you can keep that protected. You can protect electronics from moisture. You can use it to store first aid supplies. You can organize small gear or hardware. You can carry water in a pinch.

[B]

Oh, that's very clever.

[A]

You can keep ammunition or matches dry. Sure enough, now I use them in my EDC bag to carry extra batteries. I have one with extra batteries with double A and AAA batteries in there. And I have another that has charging cords in there, right, With a head for being able to plug it in. And I also carry the USB power bank. So sometimes I have to get in, get extra batteries, sometimes I need to get a cord. But it's great for storing those charger cables and those charger heads inside my EDC bag.

[B]

And since they're transparent, you can see instantly.

[A]

You don't have to hunt for it. When you see it, you know what you've got right there, right?

[B]

So there you have it, the 17 ordinary household items that are often overlooked in prepping. So the question is, friends, did you learn from the podcast today? Did you get some new ideas for your prepping? In other words, do you receive value from the Practical Prepping podcast? And if so, would you help us by giving back a little? Pop on over to that practicalprepping.info support page and you'll find several ways that you can support the show.

[A]

And we do appreciate you being here today. We appreciate your time each week. And again, if you know someone that would enjoy this podcast, please share that with them. And as Christa always says, stuff happens, stay prepared and we'll see you next time. It.