Traveler’s Tool Chest: nylon stockings

I have a drawer full of pantyhose I haven’t worn for years. As it turns out, there are uses for pantyhose and nylon stockings whether you’re male or female. Some are useful for traveling.

We’ve already covered duct tape and dental floss. Here’s what you can do with pantyhose. The first few tips I read in April’s issue of Outside Magazine. In most cases, you’ll cut the pantyhose to fit the use. I’ve culled from other sources plus thought some up on my own.

The possibilities for stretchy nylon are astounding. Who knew?

  • Use pantyhose to tie down items to a car rack, similar to how you would use a bungee cord or a rope.
  • If you hurt your arm, use a stocking as a sling.
  • You can also use a stocking as a tourniquet
  • Use pantyhose to carry items. Potatoes, for example.
  • Put a bar of soap in a nylon stocking to hang when camping. The stocking will keep soap from falling on the ground and getting dirty.
  • If the hood of your car won’t stay down, tie it down with pantyhose. (I was in a car once when the hood flew up. It smashed the windshield.)
  • A belt, either to keep your pants up, or
  • as a fan belt for your car in a pinch.
  • For tighter packing. After you roll your clothes, stretch the cut off legs of pantyhose over an item to create a tighter fit.
  • Tie items onto your backpack
  • Use a strip of stocking as a headband or hair tie if you’re feeling hot and bothered by hair getting in your eyes or on your neck.

Because nylons take up little space and weigh next to nothing, tucking a pair in your suitcase isn’t a bad idea. If the mood suits you, you can wear them on your head like the fellow in the photo at the Sasquatch Music Festival a couple years ago. Or not.

There are other uses for pantyhose that don’t have to do with traveling, but seem like handy hints to know. Here’s more. Gardening is a big one.