I notice in several of Doug Ritter's PSK's that he mentions plastic wire ties -- in one kit, both regular and heavy duty. None of the commercial kits do so.<br><br> Now, I know how to use them to tie wires together, but I'm a little mystified at other uses that other people have thought of and I haven't. I suppose you could use it as a lanyard or key chain substitute to hold things together that you don't want to lose in the wilds -- knife, Photon, etc. Might be handy for binding a splint.<br><br>But what other thoughts have others had to make it worth including in a small PSK?

they proabably wouldn't be good for splinting- too hard and too narrow, they'll dig into any swelling and/or cut off circulation, both of which are bad. They would also need to be cut off rather than untied/unstrapped, which is yet another bad thing on a splint.

If we are taliking about plastic zip ties, I think they are probably most useful for lashing purposes, such as for constructing a shelter of some sort, or a bed support to get one up of the ground, or any other number of uses that you may use cord for. They are much faster than cord in these applications, and one doesn't need knot tying skills. I'm sure one could come up with numorous uses for them, you just have to decide if they are worth it from a weight/space vs. usefulness perspective, which is of course different for each individual.<br><br>Regards,<br><br>Greg

They are excellent for stopping pin hole leaks in radiator hoses. I was a communication technician for the oil field, and would travel in very remote areas. My service van started getting hot one summer afternoon. My hose was shooting a stream of hot liquid. Now mind you these were the large ty raps but I stopped the leak with only one. I then drove over fifty miles to the next town and the hose was still sealed. To me, this is a don't leave home without it item.<br><br>Regards <br>Bruce<br><br><br><br>

I keep several in my BOB for lashing things together. They work good for back up ALICE clips too (but make sure you grind down that sharp edge after you cut them. -I use finger nail clipers) <br>ALSO if you have 3 of the standard size one's they make great hand cuffs. One on each wrist and one to ty them together. You will rub your wrist raw before breaking out of those.