By Gail Marsh
My uncle always said, “You can fix just about anything with duct tape.” I can’t believe it took nine years for him to lose his medical license.
Its history is amazing!
There are lots of funny jokes about duct tape; however, duct tape is really pretty amazing! Did you know that duct tape was invented by a woman? Vesta Stoudt, mom of two World War II soldiers, worked packing boxes of ammunition for the war effort. When inspecting the ammo packages, Vesta noticed a flaw. Paper tape was used to seal the boxes. Then the boxes were dipped into wax to make the complete package watertight. Opening these boxes could be problematic. It just took too long, especially when soldiers were under fire. Vesta thought a waterproof tape could seal the boxes better and still allow the boxes to be opened quickly.
Vesta’s supervisors did not share her enthusiasm for this new product, so she wrote a letter directly to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In her letter, Vesta described the problem and detailed her solution. She even included diagrams! The rest, as they say, is history! The armed forces used Vesta’s cloth-backed, waterproof tape to fix everything from Jeep fenders to combat boots.
It’s come a long way…
Today there are duct tape festivals, fan clubs, and a wide variety of decorated duct tape available. Vesta would be amazed! You might be amazed, too, at the list of ways campers and RVers use duct tape today. Read on to see for yourself!
Try these uses for duct tape
• Fix a broken vacuum cleaner hose with duct tape. I’ve done it and it works!
• Repair a tent tear with duct tape. It’s waterproof! Duct tape can also temporarily hold a broken tent pole together. Ditto as a temporary fix to a small rip in an RV awning.
• Got a splinter? Duct tape can help extract it. Just gently apply tape to the splinter, then slowly remove it. The splinter should come right out.
• Friends we know use duct tape to secure a credit card to the bottom of a closet shelf. Though out of sight, it’s always handy for emergencies. Best of all, thieves most likely won’t find it!
• Hang a long piece of duct tape like you would hang fly-catcher paper. It will catch those pesky flies just as well.
• You can also temporarily fix a hole in a screen with duct tape.
• Save the RV floors. Apply duct tape to the bottom of your dining chairs and the chair feet won’t scratch your floors.
• Got sticky residue on your RV from the dealer’s price sticker? Duct tape may help remove the stickiness. Tear a new piece of tape. Apply it to the sticky spot and remove the tape. If any stickiness remains, dab the spots with more duct tape. (Hint: Try this on a less visible place first to see if the tape will in any way harm your RV’s finish.)
• Use duct tape to help you get up every speck of dirt when you sweep. Simply apply a length of duct tape to the dustpan edge and to the floor. When you sweep, the dirt will not slide underneath the dustpan.
• Love pickles but can’t open the new jar? Duct tape to the rescue! Wrap a piece of duct tape part way around the jar lid. Pull the loose end of the tape and the lid should come off.
• Twist a long length of duct tape to form a “clothesline.” Then tie the ends to different tree branches and give your RV clothes dryer a break.
• You can tape a flashlight or camp lantern to a tree or other solid fixture for a quick and easy camp light.
• Hiking? Duct tape the bottom of your jeans/pants to keep out ticks and other creepy-crawly insects.
• Keep rope from fraying. Simply wind some duct tape over the loose ends.
• In a pinch, you can use duct tape to fix a broken fishing pole.
• We’ve even used duct tape to secure a twisted ankle until we got back to our RV and could replace the tape with an Ace bandage.
Does the list of uses for duct tape ever end? Nope! Feel free to add your own unique uses for this unique tape in the comments below.
Find duct tape on Amazon here.
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RVDT2716
‘Murphy’s Law’, “If it doesn’t move but should – WD-40. If it moves but shouldn’t – Duct Tape”.
Gorilla tape is duct tape on steroids. I used it to secure the micro wave that had broken the mounting hangers in our trailer.
Not quite a year ago when we were on our annual migration south, the bottom faux diamond plate siding on the front of the camper pulled loose. Luckily I had TWO rolls of duct tape! It took every bit of it to hold the panel in place until I could get to the nearest town and buy two more rolls which got us to our destination a couple days later.
Duct tape is fine for repairs, but it leaves a sticky residue when removed. Try gaffer tape, same holding power, colors, and even various widths, and doesn’t leave a mess when removed.
Plus, duct tape does not weather well, especially if exposed to sunlight for an extended period. Dries up and peels and then the adhesive is almost impossible to remove.
It’s good for temporary repairs.
I worked on an old farm tractor cab that had those fabric doors with plastic windows like on older convertible rear windows where the duct tape had weathered and left that dry adhesive. After many tries, I found that white gas (Coleman Fuel) took the old adhesive off without ruining the plastic windows.
Thank you for listing uses I have never considered, Gail! Have a great week and safe travels!
Duct vs Duck is an old confusion. You got close to the truth. The fabric used was cotton duck, a type of canvas.
Duck tape is horrible on heating and cooling ducts!
Duct tape for plumbing repair.