Plastic trash bags have a bunch of great outdoor uses. The heavy-duty style bags are the best. Every hunter and fisherman should carry a few bags for emergencies.

Plastic trash bags are light weight and waterproof. Most are made from polyethylene and are black in color. Sure, they work well for lawn wastes, and garbage but they also are amazing I the outdoors.

One day while guiding some Texas women down the Madison River, a HUGE thunderstorm came up. The wind was blowing, and the Wizard of Oz music was playing. My feminine crew was worried and did not bring any raingear. I anchored the boat near some huge cedar trees and had the Texas women abandon ship. In my gear box were several black trash bags. I gave each girl a bag and said put them on. I had cut a head hole at the bottom and on the bags went. The rain poured, and the wind blew but my Texas girls were warm and dry!

Their husbands were wet in another guide boat. My dry and comfortable Texas women both had a trout on as we drifted by their water-soaked husbands.

Every hunter should pack a few bags for an emergency. In a pinch, trash bags can make a decent survival sleeping bag. The black color absorbs heat and the plastic retains body warmth. You will be dry and survive most harsh conditions. Black also absorbs heat from sunlight and will warm water for a bath, shower, or dishes.

Bags can also be cut as a tarp or tent. Duct tape can secure staked corners and combine sections of plastic.

I have seen fishermen with leaky boots wear a trash bag, inside their waders, to keep their feet warm and dry. You can also move fish, game, or gear in them. Normally I prefer breathable cotton meat sacks, but plastic will work short term.

White trash bags, hanging on a fence posts can attract antelope into gun or bow range. You can also make scarecrow like facsimiles to discourage elk or deer from going in a certain direction and instead come your way.

Carry a few BIG sacks with you!

Montana Grant

For more Montana Grant, bag him at www.montanagrantfishing.com.