Uses for Condoms

I saw a couple interesting survival tactics with condoms, such as creating fire; however I would like to compile as large a thread as possible of uses of condoms.

Because you never know when you'll need it.

Just curious. How do you make fire with a condom?

Here you go, its quite simple actually. But i just never thought of it.
Don't use the ribbed kind though, prolly wouldn't work. Haha.

Any other uses for condoms?




Edit: fixed video embed.

[edit on 5-6-2007 by UM_Gazz]

If you put them in really hot water you can stretch them over phoneboxes.

I have no idea how this could be useful, but it can be done!

Originally posted by Griff
Just curious. How do you make fire with a condom?

Fill it with water and use it the same way you refract light with a magnifying glass. Theres a video kicking around here somewhere






Edit: Removed duplicate video embed.

[edit on 5-6-2007 by UM_Gazz]

Phoneboxes! Thats at least a foot by a foot!! I'll have to try that, I guess you can shield yourself from rain or something if you crawl up inside.

Another use is that if you have a gun and you don't want moisture to fowl the gun, you can place a condom over the muzzle to assure no water can get in.

Foot travelers in Amazonic South America wear condoms when wading through water to prevent a small catfish known as candirú from swimming into the urethra. The fish is attracted to the scent of blood and urine.

Mod Edit: Removed sexually explicit link.

[edit on 5-6-2007 by UM_Gazz]

Soldiers have been known to put condoms over the front barrels of there guns to prevent water and dirt from getting INTO the barrel but they can fire quickly out of they had too...

Kinda serves the same purpose for what they are intended to do then eh???

Whole new meaning to "This is my rifle, this is my gun"

Well, thank you for a potential use of condoms; however, this thread is based a little more around the topic of survival tactics with condoms.

I think we should try to keep it that topic.

The #1 use of condoms in a survival situation is water storage. If you use non-lubricated condoms, they make very good, highly compact when not in use, water jugs.

Also something that does not usually get thought of except for its intended purpose in a survival situation is tampons. These are great for tinder, and plugging round wounds (i.e. from firearms).

Best survival use IMO would be as a sterile dressing.

Very good for a forearm injury, snip the end off and stretch over arm / leg. Good for burns if clingfilm is not avaiable.

Another use could be saving leftovers from a meal - if you dont know where the next ones comming from. Or you want to hang it in a tree to keep away from critters.

Bear in mind dont use condoms frivesly - you don't want to of used your last one only to be rescued by a Horney but safe sex minded drop dead 19 year old sweedish supermodel - cheah right.

What an odd thread this is. Coupled with the fact that I'm known locally as the "Condom King of Wichita" I probably shouldn't be responding to this thread !

[edit on 5-6-2007 by Jazzerman]

Mod Edit: Removed inappropriate commentary.

[edit on 5-6-2007 by UM_Gazz]

With the exception of Jazzerman's semi-disturbing comment, great ideas. I had forgotten all about using one as a makeshift tournacate (sp).

But before you go out and pick up a party pack of Trojan Ribbed, lets also discuss the best type to use in these appliciations. My only real advice I can give with this is non-lubricated.

Please keep the discussion clean.

Condoms used as a survival item only.

Originally posted by DropInABucket
With the exception of Jazzerman's semi-disturbing comment, great ideas.

If only you knew. On the "non-disturbing" side of using condoms...

You can use them as surgical gloves if you are out somewhere and someone gets injured and you need to reach into their throat (CPR) or might come in contact with their blood at any point. Condoms can effectively work for this purpose through the process of Osmosis, and keep out any infectious blood or fluids while you try and help the person with their injury. Also, it wouldn't matter if they were lubricated or not, they could be glow in the dark, Tri-colored, or anything and still work as surgical gloves.

[edit on 5-6-2007 by Jazzerman]

Well, my first thought is that there are some practical concerns for using condoms for anything in survival situations.

First, condoms have a shelf-life. It's not like you can stockpile them for 5 years. They crack, dry up, etc. and lose their elasticity.

Second, why would you have a zillion condoms lying around? Most people don't stockpile them for survival. I know that my husband and I don't keep any around (he's had a vasectomy and I had my tubes tied).

There's probably a few other reasons, I just can't think of them at the moment.

I wouldn't necessarily use a condom for water storage, if the water were to be drank afterwards. Condoms contain chemicals which may be toxic if consumed, and mixed with the water.

You could always use a condom to store items that shouldn't get wet, such as matches, tinder, or a flare.

i would use it for anything that needed to be stored watertight... well at least water resistant. fill them with matches, a lighter, medication, ball up a fresh pair of socks and stuff that in, use them as rubber gloves for handling something that could be contaminated. i'd say drinking out of them would be ok (we're talking about survival here, do what you gotta do) so long as they did not contain spermicidal lubricants.

i like the idea, but realistically you could get a whole box of medical gloves for less than the cost of 3 condoms.

If used to transport water, put them inside a sock. Otherwise, more than about one liter will rip it apart. Inside a long sock you can carry several liters.
Regarding safety, I'm sure they're OK. Think about it, If its safe for, er... oral activities, its safe for drinking from. Read the packaging.

They can cover hands, arms and feet to retain moisture in case of severe burns.

They can seal a wound puncturing a lung to make it airtight. (you can´t use a lung unless it is airtight.)

I always carry a couple in my first aid kit.

g

I agree, none of the chemicals would be toxic, its kind of reserved for that purpose. And its not that you would have a zillion condoms, its just that if, for instance, you were on a ship or got in a car crash of a rural road, and a box of condoms were at your disposle, what uses could they have. Its odd I know but some of the suggestions could be helpful sometime in life.