You can never have too many zip ties
I have a cloudy recollection from years ago when a visitor at my house needed something repaired. The memory is so vague that I don't remember the repair or why they needed it done while visiting me. But I remember that I had the fix: a zip tie. After quickly darting to my shop and proudly returning with my collection, they remarked, "Of course, you have a box of zip ties."
Why was the emphasis on "you?" I wondered. Whatever the case, and foggy memory notwithstanding, I do have a box of zip ties. And it's a rather comprehensive one at that.
Oh, yeah - what's a zip tie? I'm sure most of you know, but these narrow plastic fasteners have a unique one-way head you can feed the tail through, creating a loop. The flexible nylon strip has small ridges or teeth that engage with a "pawl" in the head that ratchets forward as you pull it through. These super-handy fasteners are sometimes called "cable ties," or occasionally "hose ties" or "tie wraps."
I remember wasting several of my dad's while a kid because it was so satisfying simply tightening them down. Zzziiiiip! Unlike velcro or tape, once you loop a zip tie together, there's no going back; that ratchet mechanism is one way. They have to be cut off and discarded.
Zip ties are ideal for organizing and managing wires and cables but have many other applications. I keep several in my vehicles and some in my mountain bike repair kit. I even take them hiking and have used them to repair busted shoes, broken pack buckles, and torn tent grommets. Whatever the application, a zip tie will often work so long as you have one the correct size.
That's why I have a whole box of them.
My kit includes tiny ones, long ones, skinny ones, and heavy-duty ones. I prefer the UV-resistant kind (because black always looks cooler), but I also have some white ones and a small gathering of multi-colored ones. I also have those little square tabs with 3M tape used to create zip tie mounts.
I frequently reach for my zip ties while wiring lighting or running cables and hoses. I also use them in more detailed work, like managing intricate connections inside the control boxes I build for conservation research. It's incredible how much more professional a job looks with just a few zip ties strategically attached, taming an otherwise jumble of wires or cords.
Zip ties really tie almost anything together. Indeed, with so many uses, having a whole box of them doesn't seem odd. Not to me, anyway.
So why did they emphasize "you?"
Until next time.
JRC
I was just introduced to re-usable zip ties at Trailfest this year! Clever little lever at the head to let the tail out...