Bungie cords- recent use by women & girls?

[shootingstar]

Incredible as it may sound, but I never used a bungie cord or even knew how to use one until in my early 30's. I'm writing up something about cycling and shopping.

Reasons are as follows:

*My father was never mechanically inclined and just never got into using this.

*In fact I'm pretty certain he and mother didn't know about bungie cords --that's an invention they never used in 1930's-1950's in rural China. They used string, rope or fashioned out of clean cloth strips, knotted together for strapping. (My mother has actually done this several times when packing stuff up...)

*I never went camping until after I returned to cycling, my early 30's. A likely time to use it.

*As a family, we seldom transported other loads besides groceries..and we never went out of town.

*I never "played" with bungie cords as an older child. They never existed at home. (1960's - 1970's)


Am I missing something about bungie cord use bypassing me until later in life? Is a bungie cord early in life use, a boy thing? I learned the myriad ways of using bungie cords by watching dearie strap down stuff on the bike..

[Brandi]

I try to use other things other then bungie cords if I can. I have a friend who was an eye surgeon and he said #1 eye accidents were caused by bungie cords hands down. I always remember him telling me that. So be careful they bite!

[Pax]

I grew up motorcycling so bungie are an integral part of my life. I currently own and use about 30 of them in varying shapes and sizes.

[OakLeaf]

I guess I didn't use them often until my first bici tour in my early 20s, but they're not limited to two-wheeler use - they're much sturdier than string for holding down car hoods and trunks when the latch is busted, or when you're carrying a load that sticks out of your trunk/hatch. They can secure that load too (think boards, etc) or substitute for a cargo net inside a trunk or hatch, depending on the load. Plus they're re-usable, unlike string which you pretty much have to cut to get it off a car after it's been bounced around tightening the knot.

I don't know why there would be any difference between the sexes!

[Blueberry]

Is a bungie cord early in life use, a boy thing?

Nope - it's a tool thing. If you didn't hammer/nail/screw/drill/etc. then you probably didn't use bungies either. I don't know why this would be turned into a gender thing??

FWIW I rarely use them. Have had them break too often.

[OakLeaf]

I have a feeling it's just like any other load-securing device, you get what you pay for. I've never had one break (touch wood), but I don't use the cheapest ones to secure heavier loads.

[jlnc]

My dad always used them around the house and on the boat, so I knew what they were and how to use them.
However, as Brandi said, be carefuL! While in college, I was loading my car up at the end of the year, and one of the bungees I had strapped on a trunk came undone and hit me in the face. Barely missed my eye, and left a nice hook mark shaped welt on my face (that was cute). It HURT very badly.
I hadn't really used them since then, until last year. Had to get one to secure my garbage can lid in preparation for a hurricane.

[shootingstar]

While in college, I was loading my car up at the end of the year, and one of the bungees I had strapped on a trunk came undone and hit me in the face. Barely missed my eye, and left a nice hook mark shaped welt on my face (that was cute). It HURT very badly.

Wow. Scary.

[GLC1968]

I've used bungie cords most of my life and I'm definitely a girl. In fact, my first use of a 'bungie' type device was using my elastic hair bands strung together to secure a broken lap desk when I was at camp...so it was definitely something a boy would have been unlikely to do!

I will say that I never used a tie-down strap until we started farming (mesh straps with ratcheting mechanism to tighten them). Now we use them ALL the time!

[lph]

I will say that I never used a tie-down strap until we started farming (mesh straps with ratcheting mechanism to tighten them). Now we use them ALL the time!

Yup, I was going to say that bungie cords I never noticed using or not using, but those ratcheting straps I never used until I did fieldwork as a student with a snowscooter, and had to stow a lot of gear securely. I love them for securing heavy stuff, but they can be a real PITA to open when they're frozen.

Bungies, meh. Handy sometimes, but I've had them fly off and engage in my wheel too, not fun. I prefer something not that elastic.

[OakLeaf]

You definitely get what you pay for with the ratcheting straps, and it's mostly my experience with those (plus just observing the different quality of bungie cords out there) that leads me to think it's the same with bungies.

DH always says it's Ancra or nothing. Not that we've had to truck a moto in a very long time (again, touching wood...).

[PamNY]

I use them, and try to not use cheap ones, especially on the bike. I recently bought a new one for the bike because the old one looked a bit frayed.

A friend got a very bad eye injury from a bungee cord, and I've seen a lot of failed bungees on the bike paths. I really should switch to a strap with a ratcheting thingie for strapping stuff on my bike rack.

There's really no mystery about bungee cords -- I don't recall using them growing up (1950s-1960s) and suspect they were not widely available then.