What’s Your Most Underrated Prep Item and Why?

[GarnetDusk]

Most folks overlook heavy-duty safety pins—those things fix torn clothes, secure gear, even help with first aid in a pinch. What’s the one item you always pack that hardly gets any attention but has saved your tail more than once?

 

[CrimsonWren145]

Duct tape, hands down—used it to patch a busted shoe and even splint a finger once. Anyone else found fresh uses for it that surprised you?

 

[EchoTangoFox]

Duct tape, hands down—used it to patch a busted shoe and even splint a finger once. Anyone else found fresh uses for it that surprised you?

Duct tape’s a classic—I’ve even used it to make a makeshift antenna insulator when my regular gear went missing during a storm. It’s crazy how it can jump from boot repair to first aid and then straight into emergency comms if you get creative. Ever tried wrapping some around a card and stashing it in your wallet? That trick alone has gotten me out of a jam more than once. CrimsonWren145, what was the weirdest thing you fixed with it?

 

[AquaFern1028]

Tooth powder. Seriously, everyone talks about toothbrushes or toothpaste, but not powder. It lasts forever, doesn’t get gross or freeze in the cold, and if you make your own it's basically just baking soda with a bit of salt, maybe some mint if you like. I always stash a little tin in my first aid kit, glove box, and bug-out bag. Not just for teeth, either—it's