When I’ve heard the mention of burlap sacks in the past, I instinctively thought of those plant hangers my mom used to make and put out on her patio filled with luscious green foliage, or that itchy stuff we had to sit on to have our fall pictures taken on a bale of straw, but beyond that? Nothing. That is, until I came upon burlap while researching another topic.   As I read about burlap; also called hessian or jute (derived from the jute plant), and its strong fibers, I thought, this would be an awesome material for ... preppers. 

If you have ever gone to a feed store, or big bulk store, more likely than not, you have seen these rugged, food grade bags loaded up with all kinds of things. So I began to explore the possibilities for preppers. 

Burlap sacks have a lot of prepper potential.  Like say, for a make-shift gear bag or back pack? Remember these puppies are strong so they would be excellent for carry heavy or bulky things in.  The material is resistant to moisture, so even after being wet, and exposed to extreme pressures, it will still remain strong. 

How about as sand bags?  Even these have multiple purposes.  You can use one as a shooting rest; or pile them up and build a bulwark for protection; or use as weighs to block doors or entrances, from floods – water or people.

You could also make blinds for hunting, the fabric has a loose weave so you can see out of it but nothing can see you.  Be creative and paint a camo leave pattern to make is even more effective.  Put a bag over your head to make a make-shift mosquito net, the open weave allows you to see and breath but keeps those pesky critters off you.

Inside the house, burlap can be used for window panels.  Again because of the loose weave, it lets sunlight filter in and those prying eyes out.  As an added bonus; as was done back in the day, the window panels can be moistened so when the breeze hits them through an open window, the water in the burlap will evaporate, drawing the heat out of the air passing through them creating a cooling effect in the house.

What I also found intriguing was burlaps pantry uses.  These bags are excellent for storing things.  You can keep all your grains, nuts, onions and potatoes, and the like, in them and then hang the sacks to keep them off the floor and to allow air flow.  And, you can even store your dry tree limbs and tenders in them.

Outside, beekeepers love to burn burlap in their smokers to relax the bees.  And it can also be used as one of the best tenders to make a camp fire.

Burlap can even be used to make curtains for your nesting boxes to provide more privacy for the brooders (we girls do like our privacy ya know).  The curtains make it dark which chickens love, giving them a safe hiding spot and creating a nice warm home.

In the garden, burlap sacks can be used to pick veggies; which can get a little heavy at times (trust me on this one), because they are durable and well ventilated.  You can cover plants, like evergreens, to give a little frost protection and avoid damage from the weight of heavy snow.  And if something heavy needs moving?  Just put whatever it is that needs to be move on the burlap sack and move it where you want it!  

For the greenie in you, make a soaker bag, like a giant tea bag, for brewing compost tea.  Or place a piece of burlap over the drainage holes in your planters before adding the soil so the dirt doesn’t fall out. 

As you can see there are just a ton of uses for burlap sack! Anyone up for a sack race?  

Just sayin’.

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