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Duck tape, or duct tape, whatever you want to call it, is like The Force. It has a dark side and a light side and it holds the universe together. Its universal, er, stickability, makes it the ultimate fix-all and a must-have not just for backpacks, but for every tool box, repair kit and if I had my way, lunch box.

If you are planning a trip into the Great Outdoors, pack a couple of rolls and you'll be able to cope with many of those unfortunate accidents that occur along the way. In no particular order, consider duck tape for...

#1 Repairs to the tent or ground sheet when you pitched your camp rather too close to the overhanging tree or on a rocky patch.
#2 Preventing blisters by covering over those awkward sticky out bits you didn't know your boots had.
#3 Labeling items in your pack, particularly the water bottle which your buddy has had his eye on since you left the campsite.
#4 Taping over the mouths of hiker buddies who won't stop bitching about how long it's been since they last had a drink.
#5 Making temporary drinking vessels when you find a suitable stream. (It's probably best to remove the tape from hiking buddy's mouths at this point)
#6 Taping up the bottoms of pants to prevent various creepies and crawlies from finding out that you shop for underwear at K-Mart.
#7 Making a stout handle for walking sticks that you discover along the way.
#8 Making a sun/rain hat to cope with the England (New or Old, the same advice holds) weather.
#9 Fixing together tent poles when, strangely enough, some vital component has been left on the kitchen table.
#10 Covering over blisters formed when you weren't careful enough in your application of step 2
#11 Holding together some weird collection of sticks that your son insists will help keep your eating utensils free from contamination.
#12 Removing lint from jackets and the like when you want to impress hikers of opposite (or the same) gender.
#13 Taping off private areas in your campsite if you need to answer a call of nature or investigate a murder scene.
#14 Fixing "Help, I am lost" signs to trees when appropriate.

There are probably a hundred and one other uses - see if you can complete the list by packing duck tape into your back pack today.

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