ALTERNATIVE USES FOR EVERYTHING ELSE

5/30/20

This last general category is a catch=all for anything else I had on my list. Remember to keep you mind open and always be thinking of alternative uses. You just never know when you may need a tool you don’t have.

Everything Else

Plastic Wrap

Plastic kitchen wrap is great for protecting burnt skin. Thoroughly clean the skin and apply any burn cream you may have, then loosely wrap in plastic wrap. The wrap should only cling to itself, leaving your wound protected from infection. This needs to be changed often and your burn will need cleaned frequently, but it can be a huge help. Gathered together and twisted it makes a very strong material that has dozens of uses…I just haven’t thought of them yet!

Phone Book

In the case that someone comes across live power wires and touches them, their muscles tense, making it impossible for them to let go of the wire. If you try to grab them, you’ll be shocked, too. A phone book is thick enough that it can be used to push the person out of the way. Also, you can stand on a decently thick phone book to un-ground yourself so you can use a wooden stuck to move the wire.

Credit Card

This works for any hard-plastic card, including drivers’ licenses and even medical cards. If you’re stung by a bee you can scrape towards the tip of the stinger to pull it out. As a flutter valve for a sucking chest wound. Used whole they can help inflate a deflated lung caused by a sucking chest wound. Put over the hole and tape on three sides only. The card acts as a flutter valve, preventing air from entering the wound but allowing air outside of the lung, but inside the chest cavity to escape as the lung inflates. Cut into strips they ate excellent finger splints.

Bandana

An absorbent, usually long bandana is used as protection from the sun but in a survival scenario, a bandana can have many other uses: a sling, sweat band, as a breathing aid in smoky, dusty and cold conditions; as a makeshift tourniquet or sling; potholder; as towel; as an eye patch; as a trail marker and as a pouch. A water debris filter. Soak in water and use as a neckband to keep cool or use dry as a neckband to keep the chill out. A bandage, towel or washcloth. An improvised weapon…filled with stones and tied up (see also tips for survival manual).

Bra

A bra can serve as an exceptional form of protective mouth cover if you are exposed to smoke, or some other noxious fumes. The shape of a bra cup should perfectly contour to your face. Obviously, it will not work as well as a fully functioning gas mask but it will work well enough that you should be able to get to a safe area. You can even use the straps of the bra to fix it to your face in case you need a free hand.

Camera Film

Most people do not shoot on film anymore. At this point most people take their pictures with their cell phone or digital camera. However, for those who still have that old, undeveloped disposable camera in the back of their closet or still shoots on film you will be amazed to find that film is an incredible sort of fire starter. Film burns relatively quickly, but that can be a huge asset when you are dealing with a material that is normally coiled up. You can spread film throughout your kindling and get a strong frame going.

Coffee Can

If you are out in the wilderness but are not a fan of the idea of using leaves after you finish “doing your business”, then you are going to have to carry around toilet paper. The problem lies in keeping your toilet paper dry. If you have a coffee can (preferably plastic) then you can keep it dry by nearly cutting a slit down the side of the can and then inserting the toilet paper through the top. This leaves you with a container for your toilet that will keep it dry but has an opening that allows you to readily pull toilet paper from.

Coffee Filters

Coffee filters seemingly have one job: filter coffee grounds out of your freshly brewed coffee. Coffee filters aren’t as likely to crumple or dissolve in water as typical paper because they have better ‘wet strength. Additionally, the fluted sides and cupcake shape allow substances to flow through the filter freely and prevent grains from flowing over the sides. If you pair the previously mentioned panty hose up with a coffee filter then you have a water filtrating system on your hands that should work wonders. If you do not have the panty hose on hand then you can at least use the coffee filters to good effect. Other uses for Coffee Filters include: Straining liquid from a broken bottle, a disposable serving dish, heating up leftovers in the microwave, as a protective covering over a bowl or a plate, preventing soil from draining out of flowerpots, as a paper towel, and as a cleaning towel, and tinder.

Coins

Coins can be used as scrapers as in c leaning an animal hide. They make excellent pestles for grinding grain and minerals. Even being used as a screwdriver is not out of the question.

Compact mirror

A mirror is an excellent way to signal rescuers or airplanes more than 100 miles away! Position the mirror so it reflects sunlight and flash would-be rescuers. A mirror can also be used to build fire in the right conditions.

Concrete

If you are near a slab of concrete then it may come as a shock to you that it is potentially one of your most valuable tools. If you grind the top of a can against concrete and apply enough pressure the concrete will actually shave off the top.

Condoms/Balloon

You can use a condom to store drinking water in. It can hold 1 - 1.5 liters of water so if you can find drinkable water, a condom is a great vessel to carry it. Other survival uses of condoms are: as a floatation device, slingshot, latex glove, tourniquet and hair tie. Condoms are good for keeping things dry though, they act as mini dry-packs. Matches, tinder and spare batteries all fit very nicely with room to knot the ensuring the contents stay totally dry until you need them.

Duct Tape

At this point it is accepted as a universal fact that anything, short of the iceberg sized hole in the Titanic, can be fixed with duct tape. Whether you need to repair a broken piece of gear or create a makeshift item, duct tape will easily see you through it. You can even create slings and braces out of the stuff if you know what you are doing. (See the Duct Tape in Appendix One.)

Eye glasses

If you wear glasses, then you can use those to build a fire and/or send out a distress signal. The glasses reflect sunlight so you can flash passersby or rescue personnel. If the lens of your glasses is made of glass not plastic, you can use it to start a fire. Gather some tinder and hold your glass a foot from the tinder. Angle it so that the sun concentrates on a small spot. Hold the position until the tinder starts smoldering. Blow on the tinder gently to ignite it. Add kindling to strengthen the fire. You can also dismantle your glasses and use the wiring as a fish hook or as a small tool.

Panty hose or nylons

Panty hose offers a wide number of different possibilities but one of its best uses is as a form of filter. You can double, or even triple, the layers of material to give you a filter that can sift out a fair number of unwanted materials. In an emergency situation. These can be used as a rope to tie items together and as they are also elastic, they can be used as a giant rubber band. It also forms a great mosquito net, which is really handy if you are having to bug out outside. You can also use panty hose for a makeshift fish net when you are fishing. They are good to use as a sling and can be used to tie splints in place. You can make a pretty good sling shot with them.

Socks

Socks fit into all categories not only do they keep your feet warm and comfortable but in a survival situation, socks can be used to strain water. Socks are not effective at removing microorganisms of course so after removing particles, boil the water to be safe. Other uses of socks in a survival scenario are: as gloves, potholder, pouch, sling or bandage, ear muffs, heat pack, weapon (if filled with rock) and as a pillow when stuffed.

Soda/Tin can

If you have a soda can with you, you can use it to signal for help. The bottom part of the soda can reflects the sun well so you can signal rescuers. Other uses for this everyday item include: as a drinking receptacle, as a pot for boiling water, the tab can be fashioned into a fishhook. An aluminum can, can also be fashioned into a camping stove or a miniature smoke signal. (see our tips manual) Of course you can also use cans for storage.

Soda Tabs

Everybody knows somebody who is saving up soda tabs. They have jar after jar of the things and there are times that you catch yourself giggling about it being a waste of time to collect every single tab. However, in a survival situation the joke would be entirely on you because they would have a nearly endless supply of fishing hooks. If you take a pair of pliers, wire cutters, or even something as simple as a multi-tool you can cut out a piece of metal and it will be perfectly in the shape of a fishhook allowing you to be able to catch yourself some dinner if you don’t have any fishing hooks of your own.

Tap Light

Tap lights are not known for being extraordinary light sources. They can light the immediate area pretty well, but that is the extent of it. However, if you pair it up with some duct tape and a gallon jug of water then you can boost the area that the light covers. Simply tape the light to the jug with the light facing towards the bottle. The reflection of the light will turn the bottle into a gallon jug lantern.

The Most Valuable Item – Your Brain

While all of these items can be incredibly useful in a survival situation it needs to be said that there is no substitute for proper preparation. These items are not meant to be the, be all end all of survival, they are simply a means to be helpful to survive in an emergency situation. Having a proper emergency kit on hand and at the ready is a vital way to ensure your survival in an emergency situation. You need to remember that the most valuable item you carry on you at all times is your mind. A sharp mind is worth more than any pro-grade survival gear you can buy.

Activated Charcoal

Activated charcoal is simply the charcoal resulting from a wood fire. It’s not as effective as charcoal produced from exceptionally high temperatures such as in a wood fired kiln, but it’s still valuable to have around. Activated charcoal can bind heavy metals and toxins that may be present in water. Adding a couple of crushed lumps to water and leaving it for 15 minutes before you drink it will reduce the amount of toxins in the water. It doesn’t remove bacteria or viruses so boiling or other filtration methods are still needed. It can be used as camo paint when crushed and mixed with water and removes odors when crushed and mixed with the offending material. It can be crushed up and eaten in cases of chemical poisoning and although no substitute for medical assistance if help isn’t available you have nothing to lose in trying to bind the toxins with charcoal. the charcoal can be digested by the body without incident but it should not be used by anyone with intestinal blockage/constipation unless their life depends on it.

Upholstery needles

These are often curved and make wound stitching much easier. See here for an article on suturing wounds.

Mylar blankets

Before going into the huge number of uses for Mylar blankets let’s look at their primary use. Most people have a Mylar blanket in their kit, the question is, do you know how to use it? That sounds like a stupid question, but bear with me. Using a space blanket when you are really cold is not the best idea. It will take an age to warm you up and could even make you colder in certain circumstances. The reason these blankets are shiny is to reflect heat, and if you are already very cold there is no heat to reflect and any ambient heat will be reflected away from you because of the shiny surface. The optimum time to get out the Mylar blanket and wrap yourself in it is when you start to feel a little chilled but before you get truly cold. That way the body heat you have left will be trapped between you and the blanket and will prevent further cooling. These emergency blankets are notoriously flimsy and will flap around in the slightest breeze. For optimum warming, take off your jacket, wrap the Mylar poncho style around you, including over your head and then put on your jacket and hood or hat. If you get too hot, undo your jacket zip to let some of the heat out or uncover your head for a few minutes. Remember the Mylar does not possess breathability properties so beware of moisture building up from sweat. The optimum is to be warm and dry not warm and wet, or even damp. Mylar is waterproof so if you have a jacket zip failure wrapping the blanket around you will keep the rain out, again if it’s at all windy put it under your jacket. (see mylar supplemental in Appendix One below)

Newspaper

Newspaper, by design, is a very absorbent product, because it has to absorb ink. But that also means it is equipped to absorb all sorts of moisture, including moisture and the resulting odors found in shoes and vegetable drawers," says Chris Morrissey, vice president of marketing for Sun Chemical, in Northlake, Illinois, the world’s largest printing-ink manufacturer. (see newspaper supplemental in Appendix One below)

Dryer Sheets

Static builds up when fabrics rub together and exchange electrons,” says Behnam Pourdeyhimi, director of the Nonwovens Cooperative Research Center at North Carolina State University, in Raleigh. “Dryer sheets contain positively charged ingredients that are released by heat and movement, such as the tumbling motion of the dryer. These ingredients bond loosely to any negatively charged fabric surface, such as a piece of clothing with static cling, neutralizing the charge and acting as a lubricant.” (see dryer sheet supplemental in Appendix One below)

Velcro

Velcro, whose name is a combination of the French words velour and crochet, was developed in the early 1940s, after Swiss inventor George de Mestral returned home from a walk with his dog and noticed that pesky cockleburs had stuck to his pants and his dog’s coat. Examining the burrs under a microscope, de Mestral found the basis for a unique two-sided fastener―one side with stiff hooks (like the burrs) and the other with soft loops (like the fabric of his pants). (see Velcro supplemental in Appendix One below)

Ziploc Bags

In 1963 a unique bag with a plastic zipper seal was introduced at a packaging trade show. Now, it has become a kitchen staple. These can also be used as a flutter valve in a pinch. Stick on three sides only to allow air in the chest cavity to escape and to prevent more air from entering. Excellent for covering burns as the bag doesn’t stick to the defect. Good for carrying snow to melt for water later. (see Ziplock Bag supplemental in Appendix One below)

Shoelaces

There are several uses for shoelaces. Use as cordage where length is not an issue such as holding a splint in place. They can be used as a small snare and even as an emergency tourniquet.

Empty soda or water bottle

Another item that has many uses. With the top and bottom cut off and a cut up the side you get a sheet of plastic that can be re-rolled and used as a funnel of many sizes depending on how tight you roll it. Unfurling the same sheet of plastic and placing it around a wounded arm will hold the dressing in place very effectively. Applying it to a broken arm will provide some measure of support if taped in place. Strips but off the sheet will take a flame even when wet and it’s therefore useful as a fire-starter when every other form of tinder is sodden. Soda bottles make excellent mini solar stills. Now I don’t know how thick the plastic is in the U.S., but here there is little chance of rolling the plastic to make a lip inside the bottle, it’s just too stiff for that. A different approach is needed. Cut the top off a couple of inches below the shoulder of the bottle. Make three slits from the cut edge towards the top, this allows the plastic to overlap when you put it back together. Gather whatever it is that you intend to evaporate, plant material chopped up small, manure, urine, muddy water, it can be anything as long as its wet. Put it in some kind of container. This can be anything from the lid off a deodorant can to a ‘bowl’ made of tinfoil, as long as it’s smaller than the diameter of the bottle it matters not. Place it in the bottom of the bottle and then fix the top section back on, the slits you made will make this simple. Then sit back and wait. As the sun heats up the air inside the bottle the material dries out, evaporation will run down the sides of the bottle into the base. This water is pure and ready to drink. Washed and dried they are excellent for storing dried supplies such as rice and they are brilliant as slug traps to save your precious veggies. To make the trap cut the bottle just below the shoulder. Take the top off and invert so that the upside-down top is now inside the bottom of the bottle. Slugs love the smell of fermenting yeast so either mix a little yeast with warm water and sugar and pour it into the trap or pour in a couple of inches of beer. Leave half an inch sticking out of the ground to stop good bugs falling in. This can be adapted to a wasp trap and fly trap by altering the contents of the bottle. For flying insects, replace the top and make a hole in it so it’s far more difficult for the flies/wasps to escape.

Petroleum jelly

An old favorite. Used with cotton wool balls or leaves, you get decent fire starters. It prevents chafing and is good for waterproofing boots. Used on manual and garden tools it prevents rusting.

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