Let me start this article with a real jaw-dropper: coat hangers aren’t used solely for hanging clothes. Mind-blowing, isn’t it? Truth is that I really wanted to write this piece for quite a while now but somehow left it hanging there. Anyway, as you’re probably used to by now, every item, no matter how worthless it is, can really save your skin in a shit hits the fan situation and coat hangers are not different. And no, I won’t go into the medical uses of coat hangers because that’s just plain wrong, not to mention illegal. So, if you’re a prepper ready to read all about the survival uses of coat hangers, glad you stopped by. If you’re someone researching the kind of info I’ve just mentioned, try your luck elsewhere. Here we go!
1. Keyring
Don’t have any place to put your key collection? No worries – you can always fashion yourself a keyring from an old wire coat hanger. Use a pair of pliers or your survival tools to bend the hanger into the desired shape, hang your keys, and that’s it. Enjoy your DIY keyring!
2. Making scrumptious hot dogs
Why BBQ some dogs on the rack when you can make them over a campfire? Just straighten out a coat hanger, stick those weenies in there, and cook them over the flame. FYI, you can do the same with marshmallows or any other camping food.
3. TV antenna
Can’t get the game on that portable TV? You only need a wire coat hanger to this sorted out. Straighten out the hanger and coil it around the set’s antenna. It may be tricky to find the right position, but with a little bit of patience (and some beer) you’ll get the TV up and running in no time. By the way, you can use the same trick to boost your Wi-Fi signal. So, if you don’t have enough bars in your, ahem, throne room, here’s what to do: grab a metal bowl from the kitchen and wrap it in tin foil. Take a wire coat hanger and shape it like an antenna. Place it inside the bowl. Duct tape the shit out of it if the improv antenna refuses to stay into place. Put the tin-covered bowl on the router and enjoy.
4. Unlock your car’s door
You’ve probably seen this trick many times in movies – guy uses a bent wire coat hanger to raise the knob on the car’s door. Truth be told, it works like a charm, especially if you’re an idiot like myself who somehow manages to lock himself out at least two times a week. It’s really easy – it the window is slightly lowered; grab the thinnest wire hanger you can find around the house and straighten it out. At one end, make a small loop. It should be shaped like a hook or a lasso. Get that thing through the crack, hook the knob, raise it, and that’s about it.
5. Sewing
Albeit a strange notion, but wire coat hangers can be used for sewing. Wouldn’t try a needle fashioned from a coat hanger to sew my clothes; still it gets the job done for stuff like patching tarps; the kind of jobs that don’t need finesse. Anyway, to get yourself a spare needle, just use a pair of pliers to cut a piece of straightened wire hanger.
6. Pegs for your tent
Tent pegs broke on the last camping trip? Don’t cry over useless pegs. At least not when you have some perfectly good old tent peg lying around the house. Use a pair of pliers to bend them into shape and have fun hammering them into the ground on your next trip. The major advantage of using bent wire coat hangers as tent pegs is that their flexibility allows you to further shape them, if necessary.
7. Pipe unclogging
Having problems with the pipes? Well, you know, there comes a time in a man’s life when…Can’t help you with that one, but I can show you how to unclog your drains and pipes using a coat hanger. Using a pair of pliers, straighten a wire hanger. Shape one end to resemble a small hook. Insert the hanger pipe unclogger into the drain and let it do its magic; simple, effective, and very cheap. Why need plumbing tools with so many coat hangers lying around the house?
8. Meat hooks
No, I’m not about to go full Texas Chainsaw Massacre on this one. Just talking about regular meat like pork, beef, chicken, or fish. If you like cured and sundried meat, you can fashion meat hooks from old coat hangers. Just be sure to craft your hooks from sturdier coat hangers. Otherwise, you’ll end up with zilch meat.
9. Improv stakes
Calm yourself, because you’re not going vampire-hunting; was merely referring to those stakes you need to secure stuff to the ground like shelters. Just follow the instructions for tent pegs. It’s basically the same thing, more or less.
10. Belt hanger
Well, by any other names, a hanger’s still a hanger. And what better way to use a hanger than to hang stuff. Take pistol and ammo belts, for example. They’re great to have, but odiously hard to get organized. Not anymore; just grab a couple of hangers and get your shooting gear organized. Don’t forget to secure your ammo and guns cabinet when you’re done. Safety first, shooty-shooty later.
11. Bottle carrier
Every man’s wet dream is to be able to carry all the groceries in one go. Water bottles are especially bothersome because you can’t seem to be able to take them in one go. But, with a little bit of magic and a wire coat hanger shaper to find the bottle’s plastic ring, you can safely carry them inside the house without exerting yourself.
Wrap-up
That’s about it on how to repurpose wire coat hangers. Do you know of any more uses? Drop a comment and let me know. I’ll be more than happy to update the list.
