Duct Tape--Strongest Force in the Universe

There was a time when I never, ever left the house without my MacGyver kit...duct tape, waxed twine, and my Swiss Army knife. There isn't much in life that can't be fixed with one of them. I would rather leave behind my underwear.

Now I also carry a extra heavy-duty contractor's trash bag and my mini-survival kit that fits in an empty Altoids tin (fishing hook, needle, thread, mirror, compass, matches, lint...) and a bottle of water. And heck, the spare underwear and socks, too. Why not?

I'm a strong believer in preparedness. Someone once asked me if I ever needed my emergency provisions. And the answer is no--not all of them at one time. But yes, I've used various items over time. And that's the point. There's no reason I have to have a major emergency to use my kit. If it helps me get through life easier, then that's the purpose of carrying the stuff.

Now that I have medical issues, I added a couple more things to cover those possibilities. Better to have what I need when I need it even if I carry it for months untouched. That's my philosophy.

Long before MacGyver came along, I had an emergency bag because I had four kids. When you cart a bunch of children around with you, you're naturally prepared. I had bandaids, first aid cream, wipes, water, spare clothing, and all sorts of other things including snacks and games. That's what makes life survivable when you have kids.

One thing I've always carried is duct tape. There's very little you can't fix with duct tape. It used to only come in that silvery alien ship color. Now you can buy it in every color in the rainbow and some that God in his wisdom didn't create--like fluorescent orange.

It tears easily so you don't have to have scissors, but once plastered on an item, it'll stick through drought, flood, blizzard and four kids. I've repaired everything from bicycles to fake leather to two pairs of glasses. I once slapped a strip on a cracked plastic drinking cup and used it for the rest of my vacation. Attaching bright orange tape to your luggage makes it surprisingly easy to locate in a jumbled pile of suitcases.

My co-workers used to laugh at me until they needed to borrow my duct tape. Then I was the smartest woman in the world. And you know, I noticed that they started carrying their own rolls of tape in a variety of colors. If we needed to, we could have repaired almost anything required in whatever color needed to match.

The last time we moved, we taped the lids on all my storage totes with duct tape. And I'm happy to report none of them popped open, though we did lose a couple of cardboard boxes. Just goes to show you, plastic and tape go farther than cardboard.

Next time you look in your bag or emergency kit, check it out. If you don't have duct tape get some. Remember, it's the strongest force in the universe.

anny

MacGyver and Crazy Blog Serial Episode 23

"Oh please…when you meet me you will be amazed what I carry in my handbag…I could go in after a disaster and single handedly build shelter and operate on people." - Amarinda Jones

The above statement was in made in the midst of a brisk e-mail discussion about whether Emmeline (as a woman) would be better prepared than MacGyver in an emergency situation. I argued that the average woman everyday carries more in her handbag than good old Mac ever thought about hauling around. He was pretty limited to duct tape and a Swiss army knife. Well, I could go one better there...

I'll see his Swiss army knife and duct tape, and raise an additional small Swiss army knife, a six-in-one folding tool, a small spool of wire, a small first aid kit, and a cell phone. And that's just the stuff in one side pocket. It all starts when you reach puberty and have to start packing feminine products along with the pens, pencils, hairbrush, and make-up. Long before the Boy Scouts, females had the motto "Be Prepared."

Then if you have children, you add disposable wipes, diapers, training pants and extra outfit, baby food. As they get older, you toss in crayons and paper, a picture book, and snacks... By the time they're teenagers, you could open up a daycare facility with what you carry in your purse. And you may as well keep the stuff in there as the grandchildren show up.

I once knew a woman who carried a complete set of underwear for herself on the premise that she might some day have to spend the night away from home. With a perfectly serious face she informed me that she could manage to wear her outer clothing a second day in an emergency, but not underwear. One wonders what she would do in the case of a true emergency such as a plane crash or hurricane.

In any case, in Episode Twenty Three, we find out whether or not Emmeline can uphold the reputation of women everywhere. If you missed out on yesterday's episode twenty two, please hop over to Amarinda's page at http://www.amarindajones.blogspot.com/ and of course, after our usual day of rest on Sunday Kelly will have the response on Monday at http://www.kkirch.blogspot.com/


“Well, then, there’s no problem. I always carry a bugle in my backpack,” Emmeline said briskly. “I even took lessons just in case I ever had occasion to need it. Anything else?”

“An umbrella might come in handy,” Rinalda conceded uneasily.

“Of course,” Emmeline concurred affably. She gestured for the little group to walk ahead of her down the trail. “One should always carry an umbrella. You never know when it might rain—even in Australia.”

“You don’t have to sound so smug about it,” Rinalda grumbled. “How was I to know that you would be so well prepared?”

Rafe and Shade snorted in derision and Shade jeered, “Your elders sure don’t know Emmeline very well, do they? She has all seven seasons of MacGyver memorized. Even if she lost her stupid peeler, she could probably whip up something as a substitute. Her last name isn’t MacGyver for fun.”

“MacGyver?” Rinalda’s voice faltered as she felt herself growing faint with shock. “Not MacGyver. The elders said nothing about MacGyver! No wonder we haven’t been able to defeat her.”

“Well, now you know,” Rafe pointed out loftily. “Why do you think we’re still with her? We would be dead by now if it wasn’t for her. So, there!” He tugged on her arm and walked toward the abyss. “What’s next, Miss Virgin Assassin?”

Rinalda crumpled to her knees on the rocky trail in despair. “How am I supposed to know? You were all supposed to be dead before we reached the abyss.”

Anny