Zipties, a MUST HAVE in the pack

[Buster]

As an industrial electrician, I have found a hundred applications for zipties/cable ties/zapstraps etc. As a hunter, I have found thousands of uses. From broken shoe laces, to strapping horns on your pack, they are an essential in my pack.

These are T and B brand, 14 inch long black zip ties. Once you secure and tighten them, they hold securely with no slip. Any excess tail can be trimmed off by using another tie, sliding it down on the tail and twisting it off flush. (I recommend avoiding using your knife because they are quite tough, nail clippers work well too.) The clear types do not tend to be as strong or weather resistant, and when the temperatures dip, the clear ones seem to become more brittle. Here is a couple pictures that show how I secured my no name $50 pack to my bikini frame.

The uses are endless, check them out.

 

[Aron Snyder]

I agree 100%!

I keep a few different sizes in my pack all the time.

 

[crazy_davey]

Fully agreed! Good zip ties are worth their weight in gold, the cheap ones are a waste of time...

Great tip!

 

[Stid2677]

Zip ties, a couple safety pins, a good needle and dental floss, duct tape, tyvex tape, small piece of stainless steel wire and UV Aqua Seal. All are part of my bush repair kit. The UV Aqua seal dries in seconds with exposed to the sun and is awesome for repairing ember holes in pads or shelters, Tyvex tape will as well.

Great tip thanks for sharing!!

 

[Clarktar]

I could agree more. I have zip ties everywhere. A handful of various sizes in the truck, in the Alaskan, in the raft, in every drawer in the house, toolbox etc. The only place I did not have them was in my backpacking kit! Duh! Thanks for the tip.

 

[IrishnId]

Always have zippy's on hand. I've made ground blinds with them, secure my tag to animals, horns to packs etc.

 

[Mtnboy]

Yep! I carry them everywhere!

One thing I do sometimes is find a spot on my pack where I can barely loop and tighten them, just one or two clicks, then you can cut them right by where they are attached and still have about 95% of the zip ty to work with. I hope that description made sense, if not maybe later I can learn to post pics and explain it better.

I like doing it that way because I always know that no matter what I have zip-Ty's with all my packs, they are a don't leave the house without item in my opinion.

 

[dreamingbig]

Agreed. Always have them with.

 

[boom]

100% they are the single best thing to attach a game tag to antlers. i've never understood tape. i had a game warden ask to see the tag. untaping it seems like a near impossibility. ziptie, it is an easy deal to take off and reattach. i zip it to the thickest portion of the antler to start off with. if i need to take it off for any reason, i can resuse the ziptie, but on a more slender portion of the antler if need be.

i want an animal where i need to double up the zips

 

[Clarktar]

Zip ties are great for Tags, unless your quarry ends up having 4 inch, skinny spikes like mine. Zip tie would eventually just slide off. Stuck the tag in my pocket, threw the little bugger over my shoulder and started hiking.

The Zip tie did work last year when I harvested a forked horn.

 

[Buster]

Yep! I carry them everywhere!

One thing I do sometimes is find a spot on my pack where I can barely loop and tighten them, just one or two clicks, then you can cut them right by where they are attached and still have about 95% of the zip ty to work with. I hope that description made sense, if not maybe later I can learn to post pics and explain it better.

I like doing it that way because I always know that no matter what I have zip-Ty's with all my packs, they are a don't leave the house without item in my opinion.

Interesting strategy. I guess it does get them out of your pack. No good place on my rig to do the same without losing a good portion of it.

Mine get bundled tight, like in the opening post picture, and then are stored in the same bag that holds my 50 feet of 3/8 rope (also a must in sheep/goat country), duct tape, electrical tape and saw. Just what works for me.

Here's the rope in action, and later I had to double up the zip ties to secure him to the frame
(I know Boom, sheep are cheating).

 

[orionthehunter1]

I always carry a few different sizes never know when you might need one.

 

[fillthefreezer]

(I know Boom, sheep are cheating).

i thik youre the first person to say sheep are cheating...

 

[Buster]

i thik youre the first person to say sheep are cheating...

Just making the playing field level for the poor guys that don't live where you can get OTC sheep tags, lol.

 

[bigeasygator]

They're definitely a must have. Used one to fix a broken rifle sling on my last hunt (the chicago screw backed out and I was able to put the sling back together with a zip tie through the hole where the screw was supposed to be). Maybe it's obvious to everyone, but if you find one is too small for a certain application, you can string two (or more) together as long as you have a few in the same size. They're indispensible to me.

 

[Stid2677]

Interesting strategy. I guess it does get them out of your pack. No good place on my rig to do the same without losing a good portion of it.

Mine get bundled tight, like in the opening post picture, and then are stored in the same bag that holds my 50 feet of 3/8 rope (also a must in sheep/goat country), duct tape, electrical tape and saw. Just what works for me.

Here's the rope in action, and later I had to double up the zip ties to secure him to the frame
(I know Boom, sheep are cheating).

Ever try synthetic winch rope/cable?? Very light when compared to traditional rope.

Awesome Sheep,, Very envious!!

Ice axe with a wrist strap works to hold game from rolling down a hill as well.

 

[Buster]

Ever try synthetic winch rope/cable?? Very light when compared to traditional rope.

Awesome Sheep,, Very envious!!

Ice axe with a wrist strap works to hold game from rolling down a hill as well.

Can you elaborate on the size, type of cable you use? I think I know what you are talking about, but not sure. Maybe a picture too?

The rope I carry is stuff that a climber gave to me. Not sure what it is, he just said that if I ever had to repel with it, it was rated. (Not that I ever hope or plan to get into that situation)

 

[Stid2677]

Now I have never repelled with it, but have used to to lower packs, winch moose, winch boat and as a line to hang meat from. Very strong, but it is slicker than mountaineering rope. I would NEVER recommend putting human life in harms way with anything other than that recommended to do so. But I found this to be a very handy item to have that is a lighter choice. Also has very little stretch.

I don't think I have any closeups of it and I'm away from were it is stored.

Click on the photo and you can see we winched that moose up onto the bank with it.



Similar to this.

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[Mckinnon]

Have you guys ever thought of using climbing utility cord instead of 3/8 rope? Great stuff, and is a good medium between full on rope and paracord...

 

[Mckinnon]

Oh, also zipties are also 100% always in my pack.