When you’re venturing out into the wilderness, you want to make sure you carry the necessities for a worst case scenario but at the same time, you want to pack as light as possible. That’s why survivalists love items that can serve multiple uses. You know, things such as a tarp, a multitool, a metal can, and so on. But what about a tampon? “A tampon!?” Yes, the humble feminine hygiene product. They’re light-weight, compact, and wrapped in waterproof plastic.[googlead] As it turns outy, tampons can be used in a plethora of different ways to keep you alive should you ever find yourself lost or stranded in the wilderness. Hopefully this never happens, but it’s some great knowledge that you can keep in your back pocket. I know it sounds absurd but when you see these applications, you’ll realize the MacGyver-level of genius brought to you by survival expert Creek Stewart. Here we go…
The tampon… feminine hygiene product? Or super survival tool?
Tool 1: Bandages
The cotton in the tampons are sterile and ultra absorbent. Use it with some tape and you’ve got yourself a great bandage. Heck, many military medics carry tampons in their medical kit to bandage bullet wounds!
Tool 2: Water Filter
Make a crude water filter by squeezing the tampon into the neck of a water bottle. It won’t filter out chemicals or heavy metals, but it will filter out particles and sediment.
Creek puts dirty water into the top half of the bottle and filters it through the tampon into the other half of the bottle below.
Tool 3: Fire Starter
Remember how the packaging is waterproof? It keeps the cotton, a great fire starter, nice and dry.
Tool 4: Straw Filter
When you desperately need water, the tampon applicator can act is a straw…
By putting a piece of cotton in the applicator, it can filter out sediment and particles.
Tool 5: Candle Wick
If you need a candle, the tampon string makes for a perfect wick! In the photo above, Creek made a candle using a shell, animal fat, and a tampon string.
Tool 6: Animal Trap
There are several different traps that you can make when you’re desperate for food, and some of them need a string. That’s where the tampon’s string comes in handy.
Tool 7: Blow Dart
Yeah, seriously… if you need fletching for a blow dart, you can use the tampon’s cotton.
THE MIGHTY TAMPON!
I know i’ll never look at one the same way again… make sure you share these brilliant ideas with your friends! You never know when a tampon might save the day.
Source: Willow Haven Outdoor
