The McGyver bag

by Patrick Kerin

There are 100 reasons I can think of to carry my ‘McGyver’ bag afield with me, but mostly I carry it for the reasons I don’t think of. Normally it lives under the driver’s seat of my car alongside my first-aid kit, but it’s small and light enough to throw into the bum bag of my webbing harness when I go hunting. There, with my poncho and a snack, it becomes an integral part of my field kit.

Now, I hereby readily admit that I couldn’t make a cement mixer fly or turn the micro mag-lite into a deadly laser with the contents of my bag like the TV character could (wouldn’t that be great though?). However, I like knowing that when I venture into the field, I am carrying a few items that just might turn the odds in my favour if things turn nasty.

The contents tend to vary over time, with some things being used more often than others. The plastic ‘zip-ties’ are particularly versatile and together with some Gaffa tape will fix almost anything that can fall apart.

The combination insect repellent/sunscreen often saves the day when I’m at the gun club, but for hunting I prefer to use the mozzie net because it carries no odour and it serves to camouflage my face too.

Dental floss makes bulletproof repairs when used to stitch things together and a film canister makes a great sewing kit container.

One sure way to be a hero and save a damsel in distress is to produce a roll of toilet paper wrapped in a plastic bag - a product most highly regarded by the fairer sex. I tend to find it’s more often useful as a fire starter or general hand wiper.

Plastic bags have dozens of uses and a selection of sizes covers most situations.

I don’t think there is anything in my McGyver bag that hasn’t been used at some point. Actually, I suspect that’s how the McGyver bag came to be. Bits and pieces just got tossed into it after proving their worth in some ‘desperate’ situation. All together, they now form an important part of my outdoor gear and my tread is just a little surer for knowing they are there with me.