I know that this totally sounds weird. I found an article about panty hose at another survival site and the article made a lot of sense. Use this high-strength, elastic item for a variety of survival purposes including first aid, added warmth, parasite protection, filtering, etc. Also, one day I was talking with a customer who served in Afghanistan who was purchasing items for his emergency kit. He said that when he was deployed he always carried panty hose in his kit. There are dozens of alternate uses for panty hose due to their strength, elasticity, and light weight.

First Aid

• Tourniquet: The long length, elasticity, and strength can be used to make a tourniquet.
• Bandaging: You can treat a wound with sterile gauze or bandages and you can cut a tube from the panty hose and slide it over the dressing to secure it. This can be more effective than using medical or electrical tape and it is very strong and flexible.
• Securing: Use cut panty hose tubes to secure hot or cold packs.
• Parasite Protection: Wearing the panty hose over your legs or arms helps protect you from parasites such as fleas, ticks, leaches, and jellyfish.

Food and Water

• Net: Secure the hose loosely over a Y-shaped branch to create a net that can be for fishing or other purposes. Nets or pens can be improvised to hold bait fish.
• Filter: Use the fine mesh material to pre-filter water and remove debris before passing through your portable water filter.
• Container: Use them as a container for foraged food.
• Slingshot: Attach the legs to each side of a strong Y-shaped branch with the crotch of the hose behind the branch. The strength and elasticity of the hose can create an effective slingshot.

Warmth & Clothing

• Warmth: Wear them under your base layer for added warmth.
• Blisters: Cut them off and wear them like socks under your normal socks to add warmth and reduce friction between your shoe and foot. Reduced friction can help reduce blisters.
• Headband: A cut band can be used as a hair/head band.
• Belt: Use it to create an emergency belt.

Miscellaneous

• Containers: Use them to create a pouch or to carry things such as foraged food.
• Binding: Use them like twine to fasten or bind things. Uses include building a shelter, tiedowns, straps, etc.

Conclusion

This unlikely item should be in your emergency kit due to its versatility, size, and weight. You may never need them but in a survival situation they can be a good item to have.