I suddenly remembered this old but good tip from one of my old friends who was in the Rhodesian light Infantry. He and his colleagues often used elastic bands to fasten things to kit, or fasten things together or simply to make them quieter. But inevitabley in the hot climate of Southern Africa the elastic bands soon rotted or snapped so they needed a better more durable but still cheap improvised alternative ( Rhodesia was still under embargo).
So they found that by cutting BICYCLE tyre INNER TUBES into 1 inch wide sections they had themselves a very heavy duty elasticated band that did not rot and was far stronger than elastic bands.
So they found that by cutting BICYCLE tyre INNER TUBES into 1 inch wide sections they had themselves a very heavy duty elasticated band that did not rot and was far stronger than elastic bands.