PREPPER USES FOR TRASH BAGS
Whether they’re referred to as trash bags, garbage bags, or bin liners, they have a ton of uses in addition to just containing your rubbish. When buying trash bags for the following purposes, always look for the heavy-duty variety, sometimes called “contractor grade” bags. These are going to be both larger and more robust than the bags you likely use in your kitchen and bathroom garbage cans. Because of this, they are also going to be a little more expensive. But you don’t necessarily need to buy a ton of them, either. One or two boxes will likely suffice for even a moderately lengthy crisis. You’ll want a few trash bags in your primary survival kit as well as at home.
TOILET LINER. If the sewage lines are blocked or you just plain don’t have water for flushing, empty the toilet bowl as completely as possible, then line it with a trash bag. Replace the bag after just a few “deposits,” as you don’t want to risk the bag becoming too heavy to lift.
RAINWATER COLLECTION. If you have a bucket or barrel that might be questionable in terms of suitability for collecting rainwater, line it with a trash bag first. Do the same with a hole dug in the ground, a route that will gain you far more water than the vaunted Solar Still (page 11). You’ll still want to run the water through a good filter or boil it before consumption.
RAIN PONCHO. If you’ve ever been caught in rainstorm at an outdoor event like a county or state fair, you’ve no doubt seen many people scrounging for empty trash bags. Tear a hole for your head and one for each arm and you’re in business.
SHELTER ROOF. When building an expedient shelter, a trash bag works rather well as a waterproof, or at least water-resistant, roof. What many do is use brush or sticks as a supporting structure, lay down the bag, then weigh it down with more brush. Sort of a trash bag sandwich.
GROUND COVER. Sitting on the trash bag instead of the damp ground will keep you from getting a wet butt. At the end of the day, you could fill the bag with leaves and pine boughs for a passable mattress. It might not be as comfortable as your bed at home, but the insulation will help you stay warmer through the night.
PACK LINER. Many a hiker or camper has found the usefulness of lining their pack with a trash bag before putting in all of their gear. Most packs aren’t waterproof, so adding this layer of protection helps to keep your stuff dry, even in a pounding rain.
WATERPROOFING A BANDAGE. Keeping a wound covered and dry will help prevent infection. If you’re facing particularly damp conditions, you can cut or tear a section of the trash bag and bind it over the bandaged wound to keep it dry.
WINDOW COVERING. You may have very good reason to cover your windows at home such that light from your candles or lanterns cannot be seen outside. Use duct tape to secure the trash bag to the inside window frame. Be sure to check your work by going outside at night to see if any light escapes.
FOOD COLLECTION. When foraging for wild edibles, you’ll obviously need some sort of container. At home, you probably have plastic bags galore. Out in the wild, maybe not so much.
FINAL THOUGHTS
One thing I’m really hoping is that after reading through this book and trying some of the projects, you come up with a few of your own ideas. Fair warning, though: Not only can this stuff be fun, it can be downright addicting. In fact, you run the risk of becoming so enamored with repurposing and recycling that family members may think you’ve become a hoarder. That, my friend, is on you, not me. Don’t blame me if you find yourself loathe to throw anything away because you think you might have a use for it later. Remember, everything in moderation. Sure, the wire ties found in most toy packaging can be incredibly useful, but you probably don’t need 35 shoeboxes full of them.
Then again, who knows what the future might bring. Could be those 35 boxes of wire ties will be all that stands between you and utter anarchy.
Nah, that’s just silly. Wire ties can’t prevent chaos from ruling the streets. Now, duct tape on the other hand….
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This one took a lot of work, much more than I recall from my previous books. As always, I must first thank my beautiful, patient, and extremely supportive wife, Tammy. Darlin’, there’s no way I could do all of this without your help.
To my boys, thank you for your help as well. Whether it was taking a few photos for me or just staying out of my hair when I needed to work, I really appreciate it.
To my amigo Chris Golden, having you in my corner means the world to me. Thanks for always watching out for me and keeping me from doing something I’d later regret.
To Bob and Joanne Hrodey, thank you for being so incredibly supportive.
To John McCann, you were a mentor of mine before you even knew I existed. Boy, that sounds kind of creepy, doesn’t it? Thanks for watching my back, supporting me, and being a good friend.
To my brothers and sisters in the Bushcraft/Hike/Outdoor trading group, you folks have integrity and loyalty beyond measure. I’m both honored and humbled to be part of the group. Thank you for everything. Special shout outs to Chris Gustafson, Blake Watson, Brad Johnson, Jeff Russell, Hawk Costlow, Eric Messner, David Sabet, and Jeff Turner. You guys all do a great job keeping the group focused and on track. Keep up the good work!
Finally, to my readers. I cannot possibly thank you enough for allowing me to spend some time in your heads. It is because of you that I get to do fun stuff like write books for a living. I promise I will do everything I can to help you along your preparedness journey.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jim Cobb is the author of several books focused on disaster readiness, such as Prepper’s Long-Term Survival Guide, Countdown to Preparedness, Prepper’s Financial Guide, and the #1 Amazon bestselling Prepper’s Home Defense. He has been a student of survivalism and prepping for about thirty years. He is the owner of SurvivalWeekly.com, a rather popular disaster readiness resource.
Jim and his family reside in the upper Midwest and he is currently working on several more books.