Duct Tape

The uses for duct tape are almost endless.  

Duct tape is often mentioned in these articles and many other places, with uses ranging from securing bandages to repairing tents and awnings, even as a temporary repair for ruptured radiator hose.  People often refer to it as duck tape, thinking they're being funny.  In reality, it actually was called duck tape before it was called duct tape.  One reason may be that it was originally made from strips of canvas duck material.   There is even a brand of duct tape named Duck Tape.  For you Star Wars fans, it has been said that duct tape is like The Force:  it has a light side and dark side and it holds the world together.

                                                     

During World War II, duck tape, strips of canvas duck with rubber adhesive, were used to seal ammunition cans and clever GIs soon found may other uses for it.  It is generally believed the name 'duck tape' was coined by Army users.

The transition from "duck" to "duct" likely took place after World War II when a company started making a high-temperature version of duck tape specifically for use on heating ducts and dubbed it "duct tape".  I have tried using duct tape on old ducts and usually had trouble getting it to stick. It probably works well on new construction but old ducts are usually pretty dusty and while the tape sticks to the dust very well, the dusty tape doesn't stick well to the ducts.  I find it kind of ironic that duct tape sticks to just about everything but ducts.

Most duct tape is gray or silvery in color but there are other colors available.   Popular colors include black, white, red, blue, green, and camouflage.   On occasion I have seen orange and yellow too.   I recently found some in my wife's favorite color, purple. I'm not sure what if anything we'll ever do with purple duct tape but I just had to get her some.

The hero on the TV show MacGuyver frequently used duct tape in his innovative inventions to help him in his role as a kind of secret agent and making duct tape a highly recognized household term, giving it a reputation for being able to fix most anything.  My dad, a professional auto mechanic, was fond of saying "If it can't be fixed with a hammer, it can't be fixed."   Duct tape enjoys a similar reputation.  My family acknowledges my wife as an expert in duct tape, bungie cords, and Goop glue.

Mythbusters has tested and verified a number of duct tape stories, including making a working cannon out of duct tape, sealing a leaking boat, and repairing a damaged airplane.  Not too long ago an Alaskan bush pilot repaired extensive damage to his airplane out in the bush and was able to fly it back to civilization.  He had another pilot drop some plastic sheets and 3 cases of duct tape.  Check it out at  Best Duct Tape Story Ever.

The uses for duct tape in camping and RVing are endless.   Typical applications include using it repair awnings, canopies, and tents and as a bandage to secure a dressing on wounds or to secure splints on broken bones.  I've seen it used to temporarily patch holes in rubber boots and to bind up leaking radiator and heater hoses.  You can tape up broken windows and secure siding that has come loose on your RV or tape up a cracked fender or side cover on your OHV until you can get somewhere to make permanent repairs.   Mythbusters even used it to repair a leaky boat!   Personally I haven't had much success sticking duct tape to wet surfaces but apparently it can be done with enough persistence.  For better adhesion on wet surfaces try something like Eternabond tape.  It isn't cheap but it does stick to wet surfaces, making it a good option for sealing actives leaks on RV roofs, tents, and awnings.

Duct tape is also good to have in your C.E.R.T. or emergency preparedness kit. In addition to traditional first aid and repair tasks it can be used for marking structures to indicate the search status or even to restrain unruly patients or other personnel who are interfering with emergency operations.

Isn't that just ducky?