An usually ignored however mandatory survival merchandise is the emergency rain poncho.
Whereas it’s primarily used to maintain you dry when it pours, these cheap and light-weight ponchos can be utilized in many totally different emergency conditions.
Learn on and uncover 20 distinctive methods to make use of your emergency rain poncho as survival gear.
1. Waterproof Shelter
Among the best makes use of for an emergency rain poncho is to create a water-resistant shelter. Much like protecting your physique dry, you’ll be able to manufacture a shelter utilizing a plastic poncho, rope, and stakes to guard your gear.
2. Carrying Bag
In emergencies, you sometimes have little time. You could run and take solely what you’ll be able to carry. Nevertheless, you’ll be able to carry extra when you use your emergency rain poncho as a carrying bag.
Merely place the objects you could carry within the heart of the poncho, then pull up the edges to kind a makeshift carrying bag.
3. Water Assortment
Water is important for survival, and in some emergencies, it might not be straightforward to search out. (And even tougher to retailer.)
To not fear! You need to use a rain poncho to acquire rainwater. Dig a gap and place your poncho inside, lining the opening. You should definitely tie off the neck and arm holes.
Because it rains, the rainwater will acquire in your impromptu poncho rain catcher. Equally, you should utilize a poncho to seize and carry water from different pure our bodies of water again to your hideout or campsite.
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4. Wind Safety
If you end up caught outside in windy circumstances, a rain poncho can work to guard you in opposition to the weather. By blocking the wind, you’ll be able to higher regulate your physique’s temperature.
[Related Read: When Power Fails: How to Stay Warm Without Electricity]
5. Floor Tarp
Nobody needs to sleep on chilly, moist floor. If in case you have an emergency rain poncho in your go-bag, you should utilize it as a floor tarp. It’ll preserve you dry if you could sit or sleep outside.
6. Chilly Compress
In the event you or somebody suffers an damage, use your rain poncho to make a chilly compress.
Much like placing ice or chilly water in a resealable plastic bag, you’ll be able to put chilly water or snow in a portion of the poncho and wrap the sides. Place the compress on the aching physique half for fast reduction.
7. Wound Wrap
You need to use items of a rain poncho to wrap up a wound! Costume the wound utilizing your first aid supplies, then safe the dressing in place utilizing the poncho.
Not solely will this create extra safety, however it is going to additionally preserve the wound from getting moist or soiled. That is essential to stopping an infection.
8. Path Marker
If in case you have a brightly coloured emergency rain poncho, you should utilize it to make path markers. Rip off strips which can be lengthy sufficient to tie round tree branches.
These path markers will assist you discover your manner when you get misplaced, or assist others to search out you.
9. Gear Safety
Along with utilizing a rain poncho to maintain your self dry, you can too use a rain poncho to maintain the remainder of your gear dry.
For instance, ponchos are designed to be worn over backpacks. This retains you and your backpack dry.
Moreover, you’ll be able to place your poncho over any gear positioned outdoors your shelter whenever you’re not utilizing it.
10. Rope or Twine
You by no means know whenever you may want a rope. If in case you have a rain poncho, you may make one!
To make the plastic poncho stronger and sturdier, rip it into strips and braid the strips collectively.
11. Rubbish Bag
We must always all try to go away no hint, even in emergencies.
In a pinch, throw your poncho on the bottom and toss all of your rubbish within the heart of it. Collect the edges, tie it up, and also you’ve acquired a rubbish bag.
12. Solar Safety
So long as your rain poncho is just not fully see-through, you should utilize it as solar safety. Whereas it gained’t present as a lot solar safety as true UPF gear, it is going to create sufficient shade to chill off and preserve painful burns at bay.
13. SOS Sign
Use a colored emergency rain poncho to sign for assist. You need to use it to create a sign flag in a number of totally different conditions.
14. Recreation Processing
If it’s a must to hunt or fish for meals within the wild, you should utilize your rain poncho as a clear floor for processing sport.
If in case you have saved your poncho clear, merely unfold it on the bottom to create a makeshift processing “desk.”
15. Photo voltaic Bathe
Use the water you’ve collected in your poncho as a photo voltaic bathe.
First, acquire water together with your rain poncho utilizing the strategies listed above. Then, utilizing the surplus materials, hold your poncho from a tree department. Permit it to remain within the solar for a couple of hours.
Whenever you’re able to bathe, puncture the poncho from the underside a number of instances to take pleasure in a heat outside bathe!
16. Hanging Meals Basket
It’s essential to maintain meals away from hungry predators.
In the event you don’t have baskets or rope to hold meals excessive, you should utilize your rain poncho in its place to maintain your meals off the bottom.
17. Waterproof Sneakers
It’s crucial to maintain your ft dry when mountaineering. However it’s possible you’ll encounter water alongside the path, particularly in mountainous areas.
You need to use your poncho to cowl your sneakers and socks to preserve your ft heat and dry.
18. First Assist Sling
Use a rain poncho as a sling when you or somebody in your group has an arm damage.
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19. Dragging Heavy Objects
Whereas a rain poncho might not be robust sufficient to carry heavy objects, you should utilize it to drag objects.
If you could transfer bigger branches, comparable to for constructing shelter, lay them on the poncho and pull them to your base.
20. Curtains
In the event you want a curtain to create a boundary or add an additional layer of safety in opposition to bugs from entering into your shelter, make the most of a rain poncho. Hold it over a rope!
Probably the most important emergency preparedness expertise is discovering versatile makes use of for single objects. You should definitely bookmark this weblog put up for future reference!