A condom is a multipurpose device- and it could be one of the most useful items in your survival kit.

You already know about the primary purpose – but here are some more:

Put anything that you want to protect from dust or water (like a cell phone)  in it and tie a make a knot in it

Put the condom in a sock or a hat to serve as water container. Fill it up -  it can easily hold two or more liters..

The lubricant on the condom helps to moisturise for dry lips or abrasions.

Pull it over the your gun barrel to keep rain, dust, mud etc. out of it.

A condom that is pulled over a finger with an incised wound looks stupid, but keeps both flesh and wound clean during skinning process..

When nature’s gentle call becomes a demand in an unexpected place - like in a small plane -  it is a handy urine holder that you can safely make a knot in and keep it  to discard it later

It is also very handy in a vehicle. Wind it tight around a leaking or burst pipe  or use as electrical insulation if there is no insulation tape available. Its elasticity can be used as vibration inhibitor, tiedown or a spring.

Dr Wallace Vosloo is an Engineer and Scientist by profession. His family has lived in Africa since 1696 and he has a deep love for the continent. He is a practical outdoorsman and loves traditional hunting, axe and knife throwing, longbow shooting, black powder rifle- and cannon shooting, salt and fresh water fly fishing and tracking. The art of survival is Wallace’s main field of interest and his passion is to transfer these old forgotten skills to young hunters.

You can even make a fire with a condom. Put half a cup of water in condom and press water into a tight in a ball until the wall becomes thin and transparent. Use the tight stretched wall as a magnifying glass to start the fire.

Yes, and then they say in the bad old border war days the guys put brandy or whiskey in a knotted condom hidden in water bottle. Just a puncture with a sharp bayonet, give it a good shake and the war seemed not so bad.

Well, there you have it: a couple of good reasons to explain to your wife why you carry a condom in your bag.