Bungee cords have been around for a long time. Back during World War I, uses for bungee cords included adding extra suspension to aircraft and helping paratroopers land safely.

Today, most people keep a few bungee cords in their garage to help secure items to their car. It’s possible you may have some in your home right now, and it may be a good idea to keep a couple set aside in your survival kit.

Here are just some of the uses for bungee cords in a survival situation:

Easy Uses For Bungee Cords In A Survival Situation 

1 – Use a Bungee Cord to Build a Shelter

If a storm kicks up and you need to stay dry, having some bungee cords on hand can make building a shelter much faster and easier.

You can use the cords to help support any poles keeping your tent upright. This can be a real life-saver in a windy environment that would normally knock over any improvised shelter.

Another handy tip is to stretch a bungee cord between two trees and then drape a tarp over it. If you don’t have a tarp available, you can gather branches to lay on one side to create a lean-to.

2 – The Bungee Belt

It may seem frivolous, but you can easily use a bungee cord as a makeshift belt in an emergency.

While most people won’t be concerned about fashion during a crisis, a bungee cord belt can help you safely carry around weapons like knives and guns. Using a bungee cord as a belt to hold these items will still let you access them quickly without forcing you to tuck them directly into the waistband of your pants.

3 – Hold a Door Closed in an Emergency

By hooking a bungee cord to your door and anchoring the other end, you can create an effective barrier to keep someone out. In a bug-in situation, this can function as a door chain of sorts by allowing occupants to open the door slightly without providing full access to anyone outside.

A simple bungee cord may not be able to keep an intruder out for long, but it can provide you a few extra moments needed to procure a weapon of your own for self-defense.

Keeping the bungee cord in place also means that anyone intending to break in will have to make more noise getting pass the door. This extra bit of security can prevent an intruder from catching occupants unaware.

4 – Replace a Broken Strap

A bag or backpack filled with survival supplies can quickly become a burden if one of its straps breaks. Attaching a bungee cord to replace the old strap allows you to carry the bag on your shoulders and keep your hands free.

5 – Make a Headlamp

Having a hands-free light available is incredibly useful if you’re forced to travel at night or take shelter inside a dark cave. You can easily affix a small light to your forehead by using a bungee cord to keep it in place.

Note: If you’re looking for a portable and versatile light, our Pocket Light Solar Lantern can help illuminate your campsite and work as a SOS signal.

6 – Improvised Weapon

With the right piece of wood and a bungee cord, you can put together a functional slingshot for hunting small game.

Slingshots are a reliable, low maintenance weapon that can come in handy during a survival situation. Once you’ve assembled your bungee cord slingshot, you’ll have no trouble finding rocks or pebbles to use as ammunition.

Best of all, because ammunition is so abundant, you can even spend time practicing and improving your aim without having to worry about running out of ammo.

7 – Use for Exercise

A bungee cord can make for a great exercise tool if you find yourself out in the wilderness and lacking a gym.

In addition to keeping up your strength, exercise can reduce stress and help improve your mood. If SHTF, even something as basic as regular exercise can help you maintain your mental focus.

8 – Fishing Line

Bungee cords can also be used as fishing line to help you catch food out in the wild. With a little bit of bait, a thin bungee cord can help you reel in some dinner. Minus the reel.

For more fishing hacks, check out our recent blog post featuring “22 Redneck Fishing Tips“.

Although a bungee cord can serve as a fishing tool in a pinch, it’s not our first choice even in an emergency. Even a thin cord can still be cumbersome and not nearly as effective as actual fishing line.

Something like the Paracord Grenade Survival Kit works better for both catching and cooking fish. A single Kit includes 14 pieces of compact fishing gear, all wrapped up in 9 feet of 550 paracord.

Plus, the Paracord Grenade Survival Kit is compact and portable enough to be included in your everyday carry while still providing a plethora of survival tools.

Click here or on the image below to get yours.

Our Most Compact And Versatile Survival Tool