I recently encountered a smart little product called RediTape, which is basically a super thin, pocket-sized roll of man’s most versatile tool: duct tape. Here’s how to make a homemade version that’s cheaper and more customizable to fit your preferences.
Portable duct tape isn’t a new idea—we’ve covered ways to put it on a key chain and in your wallet—but the concept still has room for some adaptation. RediTape’s design is clever because its length allows for more tape to fit within a much slimmer profile. It’s small enough to go in your pocket, your car’s glove box, a day pack, a bug-out bag, and even a runner’s belt (which is great for blister prevention.) That said, there’s plenty of reasons why you might want to make your own version of it:
It’s cheaper: A roll of RediTape is around $3.50 and comes with 5 yards of tape. You can buy a 15 yard roll for the same price and make three of your own portable duct tape rolls.
More control: You can decide how much or how little you actually want to put on your portable duct tape roll. Make it as thin or thick as you’d like.
Choice of brand: Not all duct tape is made equal. If you have a preferred brand of duct tape, you can stick with that.
Also, RediTape only has six colors, but other brands like Duck have 20.
And making your own pocket roll is super easy. Here’s how:
Cut a thin piece of cardboard or an index card into a 4.5" by 2" rectangle.
Wrap the cardboard with some duct tape to create a base layer.
Start a new layer of duct tape and wrap it around the cardboard end-over-end until you have your desired amount.
That’s it! Now you have a pocket duct tape roll for a fraction of the cost. It only takes a couple minutes to make, you can make as many as you need, and you can re-use your cardboard piece and refill your pocket roll whenever it runs out.