Drive On Rag

This will be a short tutorial for an easy but useful piece of gear.

the Military Special Forces use these often.

The "Drive On Rag"

For you medically trained readers think of it as a triangle bandage. In fact you can use a triangle bandage if you like.

A Drive On Rage is a triangular shaped piece of cotton or cheese cloth type material. To make this you take a 40 inch piece of cloth and cut it diagonally across forming two triangles. If you use cheese cloth the 36 or 40 inch square piece is suitable with out cutting it on the diagonal, I just fold it diagonally. I just made a new one out of cheesecloth cost me a whole 79 cents. It will wear out and get frayed when it just won't work any longer just toss it away.

Uses:

Bandana
Sweetband
Hand towel
Insect head net
Washcloth
Face Mask
Just a plain old rag
Head Cover
Bandage
Arm Sling
Head/Neck Camo cover
Water filter(to get rid of large debris, not microbes)
Anything Else
When cheesecloth is dry it can serve as tinder and will light using flint and steel, or ferrocerium rod.

simple, useful effective and inexpensive.

Last edited by tfisher on Wed May 23, 2007 6:22 pm; edited 1 time in total

	tfisher wrote:
	simple, useful effective and inexpensive.

And doesn't take up hardley any room. Now thats my kind of gear! Cool

Thanks

_________________
Where the Eagles fly, and the Caribou lie is where I want to be, the Wolf waits there for me.....
-Les Stroud

Thats a great piece of information there T. I have been wondering what to add to my first aid and I forgot about the triangle banana. The drive on rag is a great idea since its cheap and useful. Like you said they are cheap so if they get used up just toss it away. For 79 cents you cant go wrong!

Good stuff. Cool

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"There dosen't look like there's much shelter over in those mountains, but that's the only choice I got right now, this is gonna be a long week" - Les Stroud Arctic

Good info tfisher Cool

thanks.

_________________
A Knifeless Man is a Lifeless Man
Canadian To The Core
Carry Less by Knowing More
Knowledge Weighs Nothing

Good info. Definitely putting this in my kit.

_________________
"Asinus sæculæ maximus."

I have 3 triangulars in my first aid kit, very usefull pieces of equipment.

Got a 3 sq. yard piece of tight-weave cheesecloth today at the store...

... I'm a little concerned about the edges quickly unraveling, which they are... I'm used to this with gauze sometimes, but have never tried using cheesecloth for a bandana/etc., other than as a bandage. I'm sure this is normal, but just a little concerned about long-term use? Strictly a short-use item, I guess?

_________________
"Asinus sæculæ maximus."

They do get frayed pretty quick thats when I know to toss it away.
Another option is a triangle bandage sold in first aid kits and suppliers.
It is harder to use the triangle bandage for bug screen because it is tighter weave but it lasts longer.

You can also make your own out of cotton cloth and sew the edges to keep them from fraying.

if you want to improve the life of them you could burn the edges down. you could also seal it in a plastic bag and force the air out by folding it or if you have one of those machines that suck the air out of plastic bags then seal them.. the name leaves me at the moment but i think you will understand what i mean. anyway, those should keep them from fraying. 3 of mine are sealed in plastic packages with no air (how i got them) and the 4th is in a seal'd plastic package that is full of air.

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Never explain. Your friends don't need it and your enemies won't believe you anyway.

When you are in a department store, check out the bedding area. If you can catch flat sheets on sale, and they are 100% cotton, sewing up one of these into a drive-on rag will make one that will last a long time. The more you wash it, the softer it will get. I'd go ahead and use roughly 1/2 cup clorox added a full load of water to this or these pieces' wash just to sanitize them. When I wash towels, I normally use one full cup and while it is hard on the towels, they still last between 5 to 10 years.

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Chacun a son gout.