I want to see how long of a list we can come up with for emergency wilderness survival uses for the bags described below.

I just ordered two that measure 38" x 65" are colored orange and are 4 mil thick. See the link.
Orange Bags Link Click Here and scroll most of the way down the page
Once you find the bag and click on it you will see a picture of a guy inside the bag.
This is Peter Kummerfeldt. He told me yesterday that he is 6 foot 5 inches. I'm surprised he can fit that well in a 65 inch bag. Looks like a good quality bag, and at 4 mil thick it should be quite strong and not rip easily from sitting on the ground.

Here is the short list I came up with:

1. Signal Flag
2. Ground Sheet for shelter
3. To sit on to prevent conduction
4. Shelter uses
5. Emergency Poncho (for the other guy since I bring my rain gear)

What other uses can you think of?

Thanks.

- Water-collection
- Septic-container (for urban-survival)

If it is a clear bag, you could use it as a solar still to collect water in saltwater enviroments.

Dave

You could always put garbage in it...

A small piece could seal a sucking chest wound.

You could melt and collect snow on it.

Scare animals away if it was a bright color

"...Signal Flag..."

Or, cut into strips, ground panel to attract aircraft...

vapor barrier for sleeping bag or boots
backpack liner to keep contents dry
bear bag (to hoist food up into a tree)
life preserver/floatation (filled with air and tied in a knot at the end)

These are really good ideas. Thanks.
They will be available for future forum searches too.

I've used the orange Glad "yard waste" bags for many of the purposes suggested.

Every pocket kit has one, because a waterproof layer is one of the hardest things to come by in the bush.

I've cut two of them open to make a temporary groundsheet for my tent (keeps the crud and moisture off, so it's easier to pack up in the morning).

I keep several in my car kits. I always thought I could improvise a big orange "road flare" -- inflate bag, put a LED flashlight inside, and tether to the spare tire -- to keep people from smashing into me on the highway.

If no metal container and need for water sterilization, can dig a hole and line it with bag, fill with water, then put hot rock in (careful not to let it melt bag) to boil the water.

You can cut it into strips to make cordage.
On mountaineering trips we use trash bags to collect and store snow for water.
Slit the end and tape two together and make a tube tent.
They are great backpack liners to keep your gear dry.
Solar still....

do they make clear trash bags??

Poor mans sleeping bag

sack to carry foraged items

Plug the opening to a winter survival shelter

"do they make clear trash bags??"

Yes, just google 'clear trash bags'.

sue

Put one inside the other, and in the space between the 2, fill with crumpled newspaper, leaves, whatever, for an emergency sleeping bag.

Emergency float (think a poncho raft, only simplier)
Fish gathering (fish like shady spots, make one for them)


And Jeff, you mentioned sitting on it- it will keep you dry, but unless you stuff it with insulating materials, it won't slow conduction enough to mater.

Fill it with cattail fuzz for a pillow or insulation.

Sodak, I read that about the newspapers in Cody Lundin's new book. It sounded like he meant the paper to be wadded into balls, but wouldn't it work better if you had newspapers, to crumple them well, then semi-flatten them out again and layer them. Wouldn't that trap more heat than wads?

Sue

When I was spelunking we would often get wet. Florida caves are vertically challenged and tend to have flooded passages and sumps. Water temperature is about 68F. That probably doesn't scare any of you Yankees but at 68F and wet you can still suffer hypothermia.

Solution is to use a garbage bag with a hole cut for the head over the person sitting. Between their legs, careful with the fire, you place a candle, alcohol lamp or carbide light.

The heat of the small flame is trapped by the bag and the person warms up rapidly.

IMO the bags for any survival or emergency use should be 2mil, or better, cross-linked contractor bags.

These bags have loads of uses:
- Emergency rain or chemical protective poncho.

- Last resort clothes for when all the rest of your clothes are wet or contaminated. A lot more comfortable than standing naked in the cold wind. Also for modesty. If such things seem important.

- A good way to convert your pack and boots into a float for river crossings. Getting them across dry and you across safely.

- Slit up the middle they make a workable pack cover.

- A short-term bivy bag. maybe one for the legs and another, with a hole for the face, for the top. It won't breath so ventilate and modify as needed to prevent getting sweated up. I used one just for the legs and it added at least ten degree to the sleeping bag. When my legs got too warm or damp I just flapped the opening a bit. Got me through a very cold night.

- Stuff the foot end of your sleeping bag into one to keep it dry when the rain is blowing under your tarp.

- put a smooth rock or acorn in the bottom corners so you can tie on some light line and another set at the top and you can make a workable light-duty pack. The tougher the bag the more you can carry.

- I suppose it would make a makeshift body bag. Probably better than nothing.

lots of other uses. Limited only my their availability and your imagination. Good quality garbage bags, duct tape and a hank of light line can get you out of a lot of spots.

I have used them once while hunting to make waterproof leggings to cross a shallow river during winter. Just pull them over your boots and tape them as high as possible to your legs with duct tape. They may spring a small leak where you step down on sharp rocks and stuff but if you walk fast only a little water gets in. The thicker the bag the better they work for this. This worked out so well for me that I always carry two spares just for this purpose anywhere that I may need to cross shallow water while afield.

I wonder if the stretchy garbage bags would be better than a "regular" bag? I have only used one once, but it seemed to be very tought, I crammed a lot of stuff into it, and instead of the corner of a box or something ripping a hole, the bag just kept on stretching...

A trick is to put an old pair of socks over the bags. The cloth keeps sharp rocks and twigs at bay so your less likely to get a leak and provide much better footing on mossy rocks. Poly or acrylic socks can be wrung out and snapped pretty dry.

The bags as boots can also help in the case of chemical spills or other contamination. In that case any socks worn outside the bags might be considered expendable.

Wadding the paper works better becuase it creates more depth to the layer, and thus more air space.

Oh, and Susan, have you tried to fill even a small garbage bag with cattail fuzz? It's gonna take a lot of them, and the performance will be like the cheap "down" that is half regular feathers- compress it and you've got nothing. Not to mention it is a bit more flammable than anything you probably want to be sitting on.

IronRaven, actually my fingers were typing slower than my brain was running. I meant to say fill it with cattail down, dried leaves and grass, dried moss, etc.

Sue

Ahh. Yes, cheap filler. *grins*

I was having this image of someone making a blanket out of a garbage bag after having waded through about five acres of cattail marsh and discovering it was only half full.

I picked up my climbing/caving helmet the other day and was sprised to find it still had a large trachbag stuffed above the suppension, LOL. Yes caves are cold and wet. I use to do both dry and wet caving in Florida and Missouri.
cheers