Agave needle and thread

A Decent emergency needle and thread can be made from the Agave plant using the sharp needle like point of the leaf and its adjoining fibers.

It is a known fact that the Apache used these instant needles and thread to sew clothing and moccasins. With this system you have an option of either collecting them as needed on the trail or keep in a small supply in your pack for emergency uses.

I have personally used the agave needle and thread to make emergency repairs on my back pack and sew the hood back on my sweat shirt in the field.

You can adjust the size of the needle by simply shaving it to the size you need.

To harvest the needle and fibers you need to cut around the needle and do a bit of twisting and pull hard on the needle then the adjoining fibers will pull away from the plant. I have used my teeth to grip the needle and pull it free but you have to be careful doing this because it is easy to get a poke in the eye.

Also, some people are allergic to the Agave plant, if exposed to the juice of the plant you can develop poison ivy type blisters on your skin and suffer from extreme itching – I know, I am allergic to this plant and suffered the consequences of getting the juice on my skin while processing the fibers for cordage.

I also have bad hangovers from drinking tequila and I believe it is due to my being allergic to this plant.Agave hearts (the sprouting stalk) were baked and eaten by native peoples all over the North American deserts.

Agave is most commonly used to distill tequila. In Mexico there are huge farms which grow the plant and process it into my favorite drink. I believe there is something like 500 different brands of tequila on the market.There is a bar in Mexico City which features all the tequila found in the world – A cool place.If you live in Agave country head out and give this trick a try, it is a good thing to know in an emergency.

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