How to Survive on an Island Using Only Duct Tape

You’re flying over the Pacific Ocean when suddenly, a storm hits the plane, causing it to shake. The aircraft begins to descend, and you lose control. You quickly put on a parachute, eject yourself from the plane, and land on an island.

It’s a good thing you were the only one on the plane transporting some goods overseas. Luckily enough, the storm hasn’t damaged your parachute. You unstrap yourself and head to the closest shelter under some palm trees. You’re waiting for the storm to be over.

The Next day. The sun is shining, and the waves seem nice and friendly. You wake up and look around — nothing but a large stretch of water encircling you from all directions. Not a boat, human, or another living being is around. You scout the island, trying to find anything. You don’t even know what you’re looking for.

On one side of the small island, you see some scrap metal and remnants of the plane washed ashore. You rush over there and try to see if there’s anything useful. Too bad everything is destroyed; however, one sealed box has made it. You open it and see dozens of duct tape rolls piled on top of each other.

After going through the island, you head back to your camp, dragging the box of duct tape. You try to figure out what to do. Soon, you get a light bulb moment. There are some places on the island that are hard to access, and since your shoes have been damaged, you fashion out some sandals. To do it, you grab some branches and try to use duct tape to make a new pair of shoes.

After many failed attempts, you almost give up. But then, you attach some duct tape to pieces of tree bark that are roughly the size of your foot. Those are going to be the soles of your new shoes. The duct tape is smooth and won’t hurt your feet. After adding several branches, you wrap the duct tape around your feet, and voilà! You have duct tape sandals. Now you can venture into the rocky parts of the island without damaging your feet.

As you walk along the island, you start feeling the heat. You wrap your shirt around your head, but it’s not enough to protect you. You use some duct tape to create a hat with the help of leaves. Then you place it on your head. You’re now safe to go. After a while, you bring back some stuff you found around the island. By this time, you’ve started to feel that your tummy is rumbling.

Next at a rocky reef, you spot some large yummy crabs and fish, but you can’t catch them with your bare hands. You grab a long branch, take some palm tree leaves, and tie everything together to make a net. You then use the duct tape to reinforce it and head to the reef. You’re wearing your makeshift sandals and the hat to protect your head and carrying the net to catch some fish. So far, you’ve only used 2 rolls of duct tape. After a while, you manage to catch some fish and crabs and take them back to the camp.

You make a fire and start grilling your catch. You’re sitting on a log, but such a seat isn’t too comfortable. You take some duct tape and make a mat for yourself. Once the food is ready, you feast on it. Now, another problem — water. There is no fresh water around, but a storm is coming. Meanwhile, you take some coconuts and eat dessert while drinking coconut milk to freshen up.

You prepare a small hut by gathering branches and leaves and duct-taping them together so that water can’t seep into your new home. At the same time, you create a funnel out of duct tape to collect rainwater. After getting into the funnel, the water is collected in a makeshift pond — also made out of duct tape.

At this point, you’ve used almost half of the duct tape rolls. The storm starts brewing, and you stay inside your hut, where you have your new floor mat. You’re bored, so you create a chair and table out of duct tape to make the hut a little comfier.

It starts raining, and you notice that some water has gathered in the reservoir you built. You immediately drink it using a coconut shell as a glass. Your hut manages to withstand the storm, and you catch some Zs on your comfy mat. The next day, you check the duct tape supply and see that you are now halfway to finishing your last roll of tape.

You’ve made a secured and solid hut and have a steady food supply from the reef. You’ve already spent 5 days on the island, so now it’s time to find a way out. You’ve tried your best to seek help but nothing. Not a plane or ship in sight. You’re desperate to get out, and you’re lucky! You spot a cargo ship very far in the distance. You need to act quickly.

After reviewing your box of duct tape, you decide to create a raft to sail away. You gather enough food and water for the journey and get to work. You start by collecting large logs for a base and setting them side by side. You have some rope made from tree bark and leaves to tie the logs together. It’s big enough to fit you. You then get another set of logs and place them on top of the base and repeat the same process to create a second layer. This way, you minimize the risk of sinking.

In the end, you duct tape all weak spots to reinforce your raft. You use some branches to create oars for rowing with paddles made out of duct tape. You see that you’ve used around 75% of your supply, including the tape you used to construct the hut and furniture. It’s not as strong as fresh duct tape, but it still does the job.

After the base and oars are finished, you create a small hut to shelter your food and supplies and protect them from waves. Also, you make a mast out of wood and use a piece of cloth as a sail. You put the raft on the water and begin rowing. So far, so good.

You open the sail and take a break from rowing. You turn around and look at the island that has been your home for the past 5 days. You’re going on a dangerous journey, risking it all, but if you remain on the island for too long, then you definitely won’t make it. It’s been an hour already, and the island is barely visible.

But the ship is getting closer. You still have 1 more roll of duct tape to use in emergency situations. The waters are calm, and you see dolphins swimming around. You snack on some fish and drink some water before noticing that the waves have gotten larger. You prepare your sail and duck for cover. It’s a good thing your raft is sturdy. Large waves crash against it, knocking off some of your food and water. But the raft is still in one piece.

As time passes, the sun begins to set and there is still no sign of life. You use the rest of the duct tape to repair the raft. Even though you lost some food during the storm, you have your net to catch more fish. You start a small and safe bonfire in a coconut shell, cook the fish, and start eating.

You turn around and spot a ship coming your way. You immediately grab a branch, light it, and start waving it for the ship to see you. It looks like it will miss you, but then someone on the ship notices you. They drop down an emergency boat to pick you up and rescue you. It’s safe to say that duct tape has truly saved your life!