Post-Apocalypse Training 101 – Duct Tape Escape

We hate to admit it, but we live in a pretty messed up world. Although we always hope and pray for the best, it’s just dumb to not be prepared for the worst. The “worst” could be that you are kidnapped, mugged, your home is invaded, or perhaps a huge natural disaster or economic collapse. Whatever it is, 90% of preparedness comes down to knowledge. So through this series I’ll be sharing some knowledge I’ve learned from emergency-preparedness and survival courses.

So here’s today’s situation: you’ve just been kidnapped, and the kidnappers order you to stick your hands out so they can duct-tape them together. Try to imagine what you would do in the situation before reading on.

Figure it out? Well, here’s the correct answer, and how to get out of duct-tape bindings in less than 1 second.

When your captors are going to duct-tape you, put your elbows together so there is no room between your forearms, and the bottoms of your wrists are pressed together (check out the picture). You want them to duct-tape you REALLY tight. This sounds counter intuitive, right? You’d think you want to keep your wrists loose so that you can try to slip out. WRONG.

How do you rip duct-tape? You grab a small portion and tear at an angle. You don’t try tearing it by twisting a long portion. Same principle. Once you are bound nice and tight, raise your hands high above your head, then swing your arms down hard, bringing your elbows to your sides. This will make the tape tear, and poof! You’re free! Check out the video to see it in action!

And I swear it hardly hurts at all.

So remember: put your wrists and elbows together for a tight wrap, put your arms over your head, throw them down bringing your elbows to your side. I suggest trying it out with a friend. It’s pretty fun, and feels very empowering to bust out of duct-tape like a boss!

Be sure to share this with your friends! You’d hate to be the reason they don’t know this information when they need it, right?

Plus, here’s 3 things you need to do today to be prepared for anything!

~TJ