5 Bizarre But Useful Survival Hacks Everyone Should Try

bow drill cord

Here we are going to scrutinize a few hacks that will come in handy while camping, hunting and, if the occasion should call for it, a SHTF scenario. These hacks just may save the day!

* Mark Your Path With Charcoal

charcoal
Trying to leave a breadcrumb trail in the forest, or signal which way a search party should go? Grab a few burnt sticks from your fire and use them to draw arrows and write messages on trees, rocks, logs and any other handy surfaces. This low-tech version of a Sharpie will leave marks that last for weeks, but it will eventually weather away—so it’s not graffiti!
* Make a Bootlace Bow Drill

bow drill cord
Need a cord to build a friction fire set? Look no further than your trusty boot laces. Remove the lace from one boot, fold it in half and twist it until it resembles a rope. Tie this onto the bow for your fire drill, and go to town. You can also “pre-game” before your outdoor adventures by swapping out your regular laces with 550 cord. It’s much stronger than ordinary bootlace cord. Just melt the ends with a lighter after you cut them to keep the cord from unraveling.
* Breathe Through a Brassier

brassier
Dangerous dust in the air? Urban disasters can launch all kinds of nasty particulate matter into the air you breathe. And every bra-bearing woman is wearing the answer. Remove your bra and cut it in half between the cups. Pierce a hole in the side of the cup where it was cut in half and thread the straps from that side through the opening. Fit the cup over your face tightly and tie off the strap. It turns out that each bra cup is a surprisingly good respirator mask, and most women are walking around with one for themselves and one as a spare
* Build a Wax and Cardboard Stove

tuna can stove
This simple gizmo is made from any cast off flat can (like a tuna can). You’ll also need some thin strips of cardboard, cut as wide as the can is tall (any length will work). And finally, you’ll require some candle wax, new or old. To make the stove, coil up your cardboard strips inside the can until it is full of cardboard. Melt your wax over a medium heat, preferably in a disposable container like another tin can. Pour the melted wax into the cardboard stove until the cardboard is almost covered. Light it right away or let it cool to save for later.
* Make a Super Match

super.match_
Wet weather can be a challenge for even the best fire maker. So why not stack the deck in your favor by building a “super match”? Cut a small square of cardboard and dip it in melted wax. Let it drain so that the open slots inside the cardboard stay empty. Once the wax has hardened, insert several matches into the cardboard slots. Carry this “super match” with a separately packaged striker strip, or use strike-anywhere matches.

And there are more! Just go on over to Outdoor Life and you’ll find additional humorous and bizarre but very practical hacks!

We’re not saying the usual way of getting what you need from these hacks is obsolete but it is always nice to know there are different ways to an end, should you need it/them.


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