Oh man, that steaming pot roast feeling is the worst! Totally been there myself. Wrapping too early is a surefire way to ruin the bark, like your buddy said. I tried the no-wrap method on my last one and it took forever, but the crust was unreal, totally worth the wait. Just make sure you've got enough fuel and maybe a good book to read!

Ugh, I just read free library books now. @thomasm15 has a point though.

My cousin's a farrier and he said the same thing about baling twine, it's a real farm hack but not safe for actual repairs. He saw a horse get tangled bad because the twine gave way and snapped back. @the_stella is totally right about the stretch causing worse issues. Vet wrap is cheap and made to hold under pressure without tightening down like a tourniquet. It's just not worth the risk trying to make do with the wrong stuff. Keeping the right supplies on hand is a basic part of being responsible.