Thursday, February 5, 2009

Duct Tape

Interesting article in the paper today about the upcoming Iron Dog snowmachine race from Big Lake to Nome and then to Fairbanks. Seems that the racers have taken to duct taping their faces to protect them from the extreme cold temperatures they often encounter. Apparently the stuff works quite well.

Bet you didn't know duct tape was invented in the 1940's to waterproof artillery boxes during WWII. Since then it has been used for any number of things...patching up airplanes that have been chewed up by grizzlies; emergency sled repair for the Iditarod; the list goes on. FYI one thing it doesn't do well is work on air conditioning ducts!

One thing is certain. Alaskans love the stuff. The two Wal Marts in Anchorage sell 10 times as many rolls annually as other lower 48 stores. In 2003, the Wal Mart in Wasilla sold 8600 rolls of the stuff, a record for sure. There is even a fancy duct tape ball in the Anchorage Marriot each year.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Do they apply the tape directly on their skin!?