No one ever said that survivalists aren’t creative. These situations lead to a lot of imaginative solutions. You’d be surprised at what you can come up with when you need to. After all, as they say, “necessity is the mother of invention!” Here are ten interesting survival tricks and tools that will come in handy should you need them. Many of them seem a little off the wall, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t work. It just means that they’re rather unusual! Are you ready to see what they are? Read on.
1) Use Ice to Start a Fire
If you find yourself out in the cold, with nothing to help you start a fire besides some sticks and tree branches, you can use a piece of ice. Just hold the ice up above the kindling as if it were a lens, and harness some light from the sun. It works kind of like a magnifying glass.
2) Obtain Drinking Water from The Ground
Since the ground contains moisture, you just need to harness is. Dig a small hole, cover it with a tarp, anchor it with rocks. Place a pebble in the center to form a depression. When the sun hits the tarp, the ground will warm up and water will evaporate. The moisture will condense on the tarp.
Related Article: 3 Unique Ways to Purify Water During Survival
3) Tampons Make Great Fishing Bobbers
You can turn a tampon wrapper into a fishing bobber for your makeshift fishing gear. Remove the tampon from the wrapper and twist it so that some air is left on the inside. Attach the air-filled wrapper to your fishing line and then drop it in the water. It should float just fine.
Related Article: 7 Odd Ways a Tampon can be Used for Survival
4) Turn Your Radio into a Metal Detector
Set your radio for a station without a channel. Sweep it over the ground and pay attention to the noises that you hear. You’ll notice a difference when you’re over something metal.
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5) You Can Catch Small Fish with Your Spit
Yes, this one sounds rather unusual. It works though! All that you need to do is take off your shirt or use an extra one (if you have one on hand.) Turn the shirt into a net to catch the fish. Hold it in your hands and then spit into the water. The fish will think that your spit is food and swim right towards you, allowing you to capture them in your shirt.
6) Use a Dakota Fire Hole For a Smokeless Flame
This involves digging two holes in the ground right next to each other and then connecting them. Light a fire in one of them. The smoke will go through the other.
7) Bubble Wrap Can Keep You Warm
If you’re stuck out in the cold without blankets, cover your body with bubble wrap. It creates some useful insulation.
8) Condoms Are Useful
A simple condom can be turned into a slingshot, used to hold water, and can keep your fire starting materials dry.
9) You Can Use Your Watch as a Compass
If it’s the time of year that falls into Daylight Savings Time and you’re located in the Northern Hemisphere, then your watch can become a compass. You need an analog (non-digital watch for this trick.) Point the top center of your watch (the 12) at the sun. This is north. You can figure out the other directions from there.
Related Article: Homemade Compass
10) Place Plastic Wrap over a Chest Wound
Seal the hole in your lung or chest with a piece of plastic wrap. Secure it with medical tape to keep oxygen in.