After buying masking tape (that sticky stuff that you can also rip easily with your hands) in Mexico for packaging boxes home, I have discovered many uses for the cheap, fibrous binding beyond art and craft use, mostly in the first-aid department.
BANDAID: In Mexico I slashed my toe open on a locker door in the hostel room I was staying at. It hurt and projectiled blood everywhere on the already dirty floor... I have no bandaids, but fear not.
#1- THE MASKING TAPE BANDAID: Step 1: Grab some toilet paper, a square is too much, but a little bit folded makes a good padding/blood sucker upperer. Step 2: The thinnest masking tape is ideal, just wrap that sucker around once, twice for good measure and the great thing is its sticky as fuck and lasts even though showering/beachtime etc.
#2 THE STRAIN/SPRAIN STRAP: For some reason after a big day hiking in San Fran, my right ankle just decided to hurt like fuck (large strain, small sprain feeling, I was drunk when it started, so who knows) Step 1: Tape sometimes hurts on bare skin, so I suggest a cut-open sock for the ankle region (tube sock is best, cut out the toe) and maybe a glove for the wrist region, I dunno. Step 2: If something hurts to move, but is still a little functional (ie you can still walk and you cant see a bone looking at you), then its likely a strain or sprain, and if youre travelling from place to place it's probably hard and useless to see a doctor if theyre probably going to tell you to rest, ice, strap that bitch. Here's the easiest way to strap: The aim of the game is to stop that sucker from moving too much. With the sock in place, pull a length of tape, and start from the bottom of the foot and wrap up and cross over the ankle region. Do a few, this pretty much restricts the pointy flexy motion that its used to. Mix up the crossy over with circles around the ankle to fix in place and maybe a few straight under the foots and up for good measure. This will secure the sucker without any bias rolling your anke in or outwards.
Really professional I know, but until it leaks something weird and smelly or screams at you, its usuallya waste of your time and insurance to be told what you already know. I strapped my ankle for 3 days, whilst still walking around and seeing the sights of LA and San Fran and my ankle is getting better.
Other uses of masking tape so far includes holding down the bottle cap of waters with the useless "sports cap" function which probably bursts in bags and all other poppy open bottles of your bathroom products.
Stay tuned for more exciting and practical uses of masking tape en route...
