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Thread: Tampons? For Survival? Check it out!

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    Default Tampons? For Survival? Check it out!

    Do me a favor for the next five minutes. Try to forget everything you know about tampons. I know, it’s hard. But pretend that this is the first time you have ever seen or heard of the item below, and it is a new survival product on the market: the Tactical Adventure Medical Preparedness Outdoors Necessity (T.A.M.P.O.N.).
    tampon-on-rock.jpg

    All kidding aside, a tampon really does have a ton of uses to a survivor. One could even argue for including a couple in your survival kit. Ultimately, I’ll let you be the judge.

    Before I get into the details of this post, a brief history of the tampon might surprise you.

    The tampon is actually regulated in the US by the Food & Drug Administration as a Class II Medical Device. The word “tampon” is a derivative of the French word tapon which means “a little plug or stopper.” My research indicates that tampons were used as early as the 19th century as battle dressings to plug bullet holes. There are even accounts of tampons being used as wound plugs in modern warfare. A friend of mine told me that it’s not uncommon for Army Medics to carry tampons in their med kits. They are also the perfect product for a bloody nose. There seem to be mixed accounts of whether the tampon was used as a feminine product before or after its use on the battlefield.

    Regardless of intended use, the common tampon has many practical survival uses. I’ve highlighted a few survival uses below
    TAMPON Survival Use #1: Medical Bandage

    Tampons are sterile, come very well-packaged in their own waterproof sleeves, and are designed to be ultra-absorbent — making them the perfect first aid bandage. They can be opened and then taped or tied over a wound as an improvised dressing. And, as I’ve already mentioned, they can be used to plug a bullet hole until more sophisticated medical attention can be administered. Accounts of this use date back to World War I. Many items in modern society were first developed as a facet of military research — tampons may very well be one of these products

    TAMPON Survival Use #2: Crude Water Filter

    Another excellent tampon survival use is as a crude water filter. While it will not filter out biological, chemical, or heavy metal threats, it can certainly be used to filter out sediments and floating particulates. This would be considered a 1st Phase Filter, which can drastically increase the life and efficacy of your main water filter. You can also use a filter like this before boiling to filter out larger particulates. In this example, I’ve pushed a tampon into the neck of an empty water bottle. I poked a small hole in the cap and then poured in dirty water to filter through the tampon and into the container below.

    The water dripped out nearly crystal clear.

    TAMPON Survival Use #3: Fire Tinder

    Nearly everyone knows that cotton makes excellent fire tinder. When the dry cotton fibers of a tampon are pulled apart and hit with a spark or flame, they will burst into a nice steady fire. If you’ve done the right amount of fire prep work, you can easily split 1 tampon into 3 or 4 fire-starting tinder bundles. Add in some chapstick or petroleum jelly, and you’ve got an even better fire-starting tinder.

    TAMPON Survival Use #4: Crude Survival Straw Filter

    Yes, I have a tampon in my mouth — don’t laugh! As a last ditch water filter, you can make an improvised Survival Straw from the plastic housing and cotton from a tampon. As you can see in the photos below, just tear off a bit of the cotton and stuff it into the plastic housing. I find it better to leave a little bit sticking out to make the housing pieces wedge tightly together.

    Again, this filter will not PURIFY your water by removing biological, chemical, or heavy metal threats, but it will filter out sediments and particulates. This would be a last ditch effort if no methods of water purification were available.

    TAMPON Survival Use #5: Wick for Improvised Candle

    In the photo above I used the string on a tampon as a wick in an improvised candle which I made from rendered animal fat and a fresh water mussel shell I found down by the creek at Willow Haven. After the string soaked up some of the fat, this candle burned solid for 20 minutes while I took the photos and still had plenty of wick left. Pine sap would have also worked as a fuel.

    TAMPON Survival Use #6: Cordage

    The string attached to a tampon is a cotton twisted cord typically made up of several 4-6″ pieces of twine. Though it’s not much, it is usable cordage. This amount of cordage could easily be used to make a Paiute Deadfall Trap.

    I’m sure there are also numerous other uses for small amounts of quality cordage. For example, I also use this cordage in the next Survival Use below…

    TAMPON Survival Use #7: Blow Dart Fletching

    The blow gun certainly has its place in survival history. From Native Americans to tribes in New Guinea, the Blow Gun and primitive darts have put food on the table for thousands of years. They are silent and deadly hunting tools, especially for small game. Oftentimes, especially here in the US, natural cotton was used as blow dart fletching. Thus, the cotton from a tampon is a perfect candidate to make cotton-fletched blow darts. I used the string on the tampon to lash it into place on this bamboo skewer.

    Watch out birds and lizards — you may get shot by a tampon-fletched blow dart!

    TAMPON Survival Use #8: Blow Tube for Coal Burning Containers

    Yes, I have a tampon in my mouth — again. This time, though, I’m blowing instead of sucking. Wow…this section is off to a really weird start. In a survival scenario, a simple container can make the difference between life and death. A water-tight container can be used to carry water, boil water, and cook meals. Natural water-tight containers aren’t easy to make or find. A very practical and useful improvised container can be made by using hot coals to burn out a cavity in a log or stump. A blow-tube (in this case the plastic tampon applicator) can be used to intensify the hot coals to burn the cavity.

    Using the tampon applicator blow-tube, it took me about 30 minutes to coal burn a cavity large enough to hold 2 cups of water. If necessary, I could then boil and purify this water by adding in several red hot stones that had been heated in a fire.

    TAMPON Survival Use #9: Waterproof Match & Fire Tinder Case

    In wet and damp conditions, keeping fire-starting tools such as matches and tinder dry can be a challenge. The waterproof tampon package/sleeve makes an excellent improvised “dry-sack” for any items that are moisture sensitive. Just fold over the top 2-3 times and tie it off with the tampon string and you’ve got a great waterproof match case.

    TAMPON Survival Use #10: Survival Fishing Bobber

    Fishing with hook and bobber is an incredibly effective method — especially when using live bait such as grubs and worms. A thorn hook, some natural braided line, and a tampon bobber make the perfect combination for a survival fishing rig. Watch out Blue-Gill!

    Make the bobber with the tampon package/sleeve by folding over and tying off the top to create a little bubble that will float your bait. If the package isn’t water-tight, just put some of the cotton inside and it will float just fine. Then, simply tie it to your fishing line.
    Conclusion

    I am a huge fan of multi-functional products that can serve double or even triple survival duty. For the size, weight, and cost, a tampon has an impressive list of survival functions. If nothing else, this post is another lesson in the importance of looking at everyday products through the eyes of a survivalist. Creativity and innovation are critical.

    So what did you decide? Are you manly enough to include a tampon or two in your survival kit?

    Remember, it’s not IF but WHEN.......
    --GiLLiGaNN--


  2. #2
    One step at a time intothenew's Avatar
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    Remember, credit your sources.


    Linky
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    When I was first married I reveled in going into the store to pick up feminine stuff. Would take the price off to force a price check. Then when everyone is looking at you proclaim, "That's right I'm pickin' up feminine stuff FOR MY WIFE. I'm manly and can do that. Aaar, AAar, Aaar, Aaaar."
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    Alaska, The Madness! 1stimestar's Avatar
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    Actually they are not sterile. They are clean, but not sterile.
    Why do I live in Alaska? Because I can.

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    Quote Originally Posted by intothenew View Post
    Remember, credit your sources.


    Linky
    Thank you.....
    Cut and paste is a wonderful thing.....

    Last time I bought some was for the female lab when she came into season....Oh wait those were Kotex pads,,,, extra large, w/wings.....young girl helped me pick them out.....
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    The French word was tampion.

    I don't think the cordage is cotton. It's non-absorbent.

    There are always a few in the glove box of the car, along with a couple of the pads. Former girlfriend convinced me they were good for medical emergencies and handy to have around other times "just in case."

    You guys are brave buying those things. If they get put on the grocery list here, they have to include the cover off the box. Gawd forbid you bring the wrong thing home. Yikes! Not a good time to be pissing someone off.

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    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by LowKey View Post
    ................You guys are brave buying those things. If they get put on the grocery list here, they have to include the cover off the box. Gawd forbid you bring the wrong thing home. Yikes! Not a good time to be pissing someone off.
    That is a wise statement, and sounds like experience......
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    Self preservation. Another form of survival.

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    Um, don't pads have an adhesive edge? Like a huge bandaid? I swore those were what were stuck to the goal posts back in HS during soccer practice...

    Anyways. I think you would be better suited buying gauze or cotton en mass. Whatever a tampon can do, so can the other products. That and gauze is sterile. Granted if the SHTF and I was scavenging somewhere I wouldn't ignore them. It would depend on the situation.

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    Ive noticed a few folks think I was trying to say I wrote this.... I didnt. Merely forgot to post my sources. I apologize. Hope this helps you sleep better. lol

    http://artofmanliness.com/2012/06/05/survival-tampon/
    --GiLLiGaNN--

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    On a cross-country motorcycle trip one of the guys had a minor accident and his gas tank started leaking.Sure glad we had tampons with us.

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    In that situation it's called a fuse.
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    Are there other feminine products that have such diversity such as the tampon (ie eye makeup, perfume, etc. etc). Would like to know, I am trying to put together a bug out bag related just for women now

    thanks!
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    My advice...ask the woman. Generics for guys is one thing. Generics for women....not so much.
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    Now, maybe I'm having one of Dolly moments, but isn't the whole point of being prepared to have the right equipment so you don't have to resort to putting your faith and possibly life in a piece of cotton wool with some string? Just sayin'
    Recession; A period when you go without something your Grandparents never heard of.

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    Well, I think if you are putting a BOB together for women then feminine needs have to be considered and accommodated. Since this is an area of comfort it's probably best if he have input from the woman involved rather than just grabbing something off the shelf and throwing it in a bag. Life would be bad enough in a bug out situation without having a woman upset at you for not seeking her input on something so personal. And reminding you over and over and over and.........
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    Well, maybe I am a Dolly, then. I thought feminine comfort was automatically a part of any BOB put together with a lady in the family, along with all the other stuff so you don't have to steal the Mrs' feminine products to use as a dart fletch/ cordage/ fire tinder/ water filter and the rest because that put you in a survival situation you may not survive. Hey ho.
    Last edited by Winnie; 06-27-2012 at 11:29 AM.
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    Most guys aren't that attentive, or so it would seem.....
    If there is any doubt.....ask!
    ....
    "Honey, hand me a tampon I bleeding to death.....!"

    "Should have thought of that before this....too bad, oh well....,what did you do with the truck keys?"

    Besides women have always had all that stuff in their "purse".....that large bag that goes everywhere with them.....that they can live out of for weeks....it's the guys that "need" to have a BOB.......and actually think about it.

    The Ladies seem to have had this situation, any situation covered since birth......called being a MOM.
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    Yeah, I think it's part of human DNA or something. Back in the day Grog was probably hunting Saber Toothed Tigers when he turned to the Mrs. and said,

    "Cragug! (or some similar curse word) Where spear?!"

    To which Mrs. Grog rummaged around in her bear skin purse and pulled one out.
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    Thumbs up Great little things!!

    I have included tampons in my survival kits for years! (The kind without the dispenser.) They really are great little things, plus when it's "that time" & she has none, your a HERO at the best time lol. I have also kept small maxi pads as gauze & tinder. A side note, 550 cord works great as boot laces. 👍
    Last edited by Antix; 07-02-2012 at 06:08 AM. Reason: Left something out

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