Best Super Glue for First Aid and Survival
In moments of crisis, when accidents occur or emergencies arise, having a reliable adhesive at hand can be the difference between temporary discomfort and swift recovery. Enter the world of super glue, where the power to bond most materials and mend in challenging situations becomes an invaluable asset for both first aid and survival.
There are plenty of brands of super glue to pick from. This is where we come in. We’ve researched the best super glue for survival, put them to the test, and now the results are in: the overall best, a first aid option, and an upgrade option. If you need to bond some materials, one of our picks will keep it together.
Contents (Jump to a Section)
The Best Super Glue
Gorilla Super Glue Gel
Fast Setting, Versatile, and Strong
Ridiculously versatile glue that works in any survival kit, junk drawer, or workshop.
*Price at time of publishing; check for price changes or sales.
There are many types of Gorilla tapes and glues that have been developed since the original Gorilla glue hit the shelves. They quickly became well-known for their excellent adhesiveness and durability in a wide range of applications. This gel version of their super glue happens to be the most versatile option of them all.
We prefer the smaller crimp packages to divvy up between use areas, so these small lightweight applicators fit in pretty much any survival kit.
Here is how the gel version measures up:
- 4-pack of crimp tubes
- Max dry time: 45 seconds
- Bonds plastic, wood, metal, ceramic, rubber, leather, paper, and more
- 0.11-ounce tubes (each)
With great versatility and strength at an affordable price- it’s easy to see why the Gorilla Super Glue Gel is the best.
First Aid Super Glue
3M Vetbond
Strong, Visible, and Easy-to-Use
This ‘animal version’ of Dermabond dries insanely fast and holds like stitches or sutures.
*Price at time of publishing; check for price changes or sales.
Stitches and sutures can take time and skill to apply, but 3M’s solution can make it easy. Patch up your pups (or cats, horses, etc) with Vetbond easily since it is a runny liquid glue with easily visible blue dye. It dries quickly so those squirmy pets can get back to moving around.
We obviously can’t recommend this for people as it is designed for veterinarian use, but it applies the same as the Dermabond you’ll encounter in the ER.
Here is how Vetbond measures up:
- 3-pack of applicators
- Max dry time: 10 seconds
- Bonds tissue, skin, and more
- 0.1-ounce bottles (each)
If you are looking for emergency first aid super glue for pets, the 3M Vetbond Tissue Adhesive is what you need.
Upgrade Super Glue
Gluemasters Professional Grade
Thick, Undiluted, and Effective
Get the ultimate super glue that will stick virtually anything together in any situation.
*Price at time of publishing; check for price changes or sales.
Gluemasters is well known by hobbyists and others relying on glue to hold together their projects, but their super glue is next-level. Their industrial strength Cyanoacrylate Resin has the strongest bond on the market, and they know it.
It is easy to apply with its thick viscosity and can bond even the smoothest of surfaces.
Here are the full specs:
- Max dry time: 60 seconds
- Bonds plastic, wood, metal, ceramic, rubber, leather, paper, glass, plastic, and more
- 2-ounce tube
If you are looking for the best super glue for any surface, get Gluemasters Professional Grade Thick Viscosity.
Everything We Recommend
Ridiculously versatile glue that works in any survival kit, junk drawer, or workshop.
Where to Buy
*at time of reviewing
This ‘animal version’ of Dermabond dries insanely fast and holds like stitches or sutures.
Where to Buy
*at time of reviewing
Gluemasters Professional Grade
Get the ultimate super glue that will stick virtually anything together in any situation.
Where to Buy
*at time of reviewing
The Glue We Compared
Our research narrowed the field down to several brands and types of glue that we compared: Gorilla, 3M, Gluemasters, Dermabond, Krazy Glue, Loctite, Scotch, Starbond, and more.
You can see our full list of review criteria below in the What to Look For section, with an explanation for each.
We considered a wide range of glue ranging from first aid applications to general use- and many in between. Many of the super glues have trade-offs, like bond durability for drying time, to consider.
We’re always looking for new and better gear, so if you have a super glue that you swear by, let us know in the comments. We review most of our tested gear annually so we can try to get it in the next roundup round and see if it will beat out our top picks.
What to Look For
The best super glue has several important features to look for:
- Value
- Adhesiveness
- Dry Time
- Packaging
- Bond Durability
When you get the right blend of these, you can find a glue that you can rely on to hold anything together. Below, we break down what each of these features means for the super glues that truly set themselves apart.
Value: Cost vs. Benefit
The amount of money you spend on something like an adhesive shouldn’t blow out your entire budget. There is a wide range of price points when it comes to super glues mostly related to their strength and approved application.
You never want to spend too much money on one thing when it comes to gear for your kits. It’s better to diversify your gear and budget to make sure you are covered for a wide range of scenarios.
Adhesiveness
Above all, your super glue of choice has to hold stuff together. The bond the glue creates is what measures its effectiveness. When you are relying on glue in a survival situation or first aid emergency you need the bond to hold.
Dry Time
Some super glues have extremely strong bonds but do not create them as quickly- they need pressure and time to solidify.
Packaging
We’re big fans of small packaging sold in multiples. Super glue can be a pain to maintain since it can dry out or glue the cap down preventing you from opening it again. Sure, you can get to it if you really need to but it’s not worth the hassle when there are more important things to worry about.
Single-use packaging really shines in emergencies and survival situations because of that. One less thing to worry about and your super glue is ready to fire and forget- none of the pesky cleanup or storage to worry about.
Bond Durability
Bond strength isn’t the only thing to consider when it comes to adhesives. You’ll also need to be able to rely on the glue to not be brittle. Rockwell hardness tests show us that strength isn’t just about the strength of the bond- it’s also about how durable the bond is from external forces too. Water, UV exposure, and shear forces can all degrade weak or brittle bonds quickly.
How to Use Super Glue for Survival
Cyanoacrylate adhesive can be a valuable tool in survival situations due to its strong bonding properties and quick drying time. Here are some of the more common uses of super glue when it comes to survival:
- First Aid: Super glue can be used as a temporary adhesive to close small cuts and wounds in emergency situations. It can help seal the wound and prevent further contamination until proper medical treatment is available.
- Gear Repair: If essential equipment such as backpacks, shoes, or tents get damaged during a survival situation, super glue can provide a quick fix. It can bond various materials, including fabric, plastic, and metal, allowing you to repair gear and extend its usability.
- Shelter Building: When constructing a makeshift shelter in the wilderness, super glue can be used to reinforce joints and connections. It can help secure branches, sticks, or other materials together, making your shelter more stable and durable.
- Tool Repair: Survival tools, such as knives, axes, or multi-tools, may undergo wear and tear or suffer from broken handles. Super glue can temporarily mend broken parts, allowing you to continue using the tool until you can find a more permanent solution.
- Fire Starting: Super glue is highly flammable, and a small amount can be used as an accelerant to start a fire. However, extreme caution should be exercised when using super glue in this manner, as it can produce toxic fumes when burned.
- Crafting and Improvisation: In a survival situation, you may need to create improvised tools or weapons. Super glue can be used to bond materials together when crafting fishing gear, constructing traps, or making repairs to other makeshift items.
While super glue can be helpful in certain survival scenarios, it should not replace appropriate survival tools or first aid equipment and best serves as a supplemental or last-resort tool.
Cam and Coby of Casual Preppers Podcast (regularly at the top of our prepper podcasts list) demonstrate a first aid application:
Who Needs Super Glue?
Super glue has a wide range of uses, so it’s no surprise to see it in a wide range of kits. We don’t consider it essential for any particular loadout, but its lightweight, low profile, and low cost make it an easy addition to almost all of them.
We suggest you add super glue to these kits:
You can also consider smaller tubes for:
If you end up with extra super glue, it always works great out in the shop or in your junk drawer.
How We Review Products: We research thoroughly before selecting the best products to review. We have vast prepping and survival experience and bring in outside experts when needed. Hours on end are spent testing gear in stressful conditions and using specialized testing gear to verify claims. We assign performance criteria and impartially rate each tested item. Learn more about how we test.
Sources and References
All of our experience and the testing we do to determine the best super glue are useless without listing our research sources and references. We leaned on these for the book knowledge that we paired with our hands-on testing and practical survival experience:
Akelma, H., et al. (2017). Accidental Full Thickness Burns by Super Glue. Annals of Medical and Health Sciences Research. Issue 7. Pages 70-71. (Source)
Auerbach, P. (2009). Medicine for the Outdoors. Elsevier. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Source)
Krishna, K., et al. (2018). Surgical glue- a promising technology for wound healing. International Journal of Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology. Volume 1. Issue 1. Pages 9-11. (Source)
The Final Word
There are few tools as versatile as super glue. Duct tape, WD-40, and zip ties might be up there- but super glue has even more applications than most of those. It also comes in tiny packages as we demonstrated above, making it easy to toss into any survival kit.
Here are a few other guides and reviews our subscribers have found helpful:
- Best Duct Tape for Emergencies and Survival
- Best Survival Zip Ties for Emergencies and Prepping
- Bug Out Bag List | 44 Essentials
We presented quite a lot of information, but as always: if you have any questions let us know and we would be happy to help. Our research and testing found the Gorilla Super Glue Gel to be the best option given its value, adhesiveness, dry time, packaging, and bond durability.
Keep exploring, stay prepared, and be safe.
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