Finding other uses for everyday items...?

[Dave Farrant]

I recently gave a friend a Bone wire used when amputating limbs in Hospital Theatres to see if he could use it as a wood saw. I was surprised to find out it was almost exactly what the SAS use as part if their Kit for just this job.

We may have all seen the Biro used to save someones life on ER (Sticking in their throat to help them breath). But what items have you used to help you in a situation when that elusive tool was just that (elusive or out of your price range).

 

[MartiniDave]

Paper clips! A million and one uses.

Dave

 

[Andrew Middleton]

Half a clothes peg as a finger splint and masking tape to hold it in place. Very useful after an inattentive moment with my axe resulted in a very deep cut.

 

[Stuart]

Condoms have loads of uses

though not as usful as may people think for carrying water

its easy to fill them from a tap where there is good water pressure
but you try filling them from a slow moving river or a lake

to demonstrate my point fill up your sink with water, now try to fill the condom from the water in the sink (not the tap)

the only water source that will easily fill a condom is a waterfall

there is a method for filling a condom from still water but it is extreamly laborous and you still only get about a pint

 

[Gary]

Make sure you use unspermized/lubricated condoms for this (probably wont hurt you if you dont but not a nice thought) - and dont try to use puritabs with condoms the chorine does nasty things gents!

Camera film cannisters have a million and one uses.

Tampons - tinder, first aid, plug bullet wounds or nose bleeds, eel traps etc.

 

[bigjackbrass]

You have to love the outdoors life. Here we all are, rushing off to buy condoms and tampons. This morning I bought some nappy pins, the very large sort of safety pin, which are another 101 uses item. Frankly they ought to open a bushcraft department in Boots.

 

[alick]

I find what the guys across the pond call "ziplock" bags very handy. They help to keep tinder, books, loo paper and many other things dry in jacket pockets and the lid of my pack. Some of the better (freezer proof) ones are laminated and make a very robust emergency water carrier.

 

[Tony]

If anyone ahs a source for ziplocks over here it would be nice to know. I know we can get sealable bags but ziplocks are probably the best. I think that Costco sometimes sells them. Any other sources?

 

[Gary]

Tony Sainsbury sell em in three sizes.

Or do you mean the bags with the little plastic zip type thing? They arent so good or waterproof mind.

 

[Rob]

Wait until Christmas is out of the way, and i will donate a couple of sets to some of our soggier members to play with and review.

They come in A6, A5 and A4. Not ziplock - but watertight and come with a neck cord.

 

[othello]

I'd laugh if someone came on here for the first time and saw that the tough outdoor people of the world are running out to buy tampons, condoms and plastic bags with zippy bits at the top

 

[Mikey P]

Ziplock bags rock! You can get them from Wilkinsons - I use them whenever I'm deployed: everything is wrapped and waterproofed just in case and I also carry spares as they are extremely useful. There seem to be 3 types: the thicker plastic ones mentioned above for carrying papers and stuff in (a bit inflexible I found for other things as they tend to pop open if you fold them across the ziplock); the ones which are like a plastic bag with 2 sticky strips along the insides at the top (these are a pain to seal properly); and last - and best in my opinion - the placcy bags for sandwiches and for putting in the freezer whch you squeeze together at the top to seal. They're cheap and effective - ideal.

You always know if there's war on as these are sold out everywhere, along with wetwipes (which I believe many people now refer to officially as 'warrior wipes' - uh?). diocalm/immodium, and everything desert-coloured in the army surplus shops.

 

[Roving Rich]

Stuart (Kellam) has a source for (everything!!!!!) issue zip lock bags seemingly indetructable drop em from aircraft run over em with a tank...
Anyway the nice use he pointed out for the teeny zip lock bag, was to half fill it with water and use as a fishing float - Nice one Stu.
A couple of poaching tricks i've heard of : Using marbles instead of shot in catapults, easy and cheap to come by and no worries if you loose em. Along the same lines Bic biros being used as crossbow bolts. They llok quite innocent when the game keeper finds them.
Cheers
Rich

 

[Stew]

Along the same lines Bic biros being used as crossbow bolts. They look quite innocent when the game keeper finds them.
Cheers
Rich

Although I'm sure it must make him wonder a bit.

"What? Another biro? Who the hell comes walking through here - a walking pencil case?"

:twisted:

 

[theknight]

Condoms have loads of uses

though not as usful as may people think for carrying water

its easy to fill them from a tap where there is good water pressure
but you try filling them from a slow moving river or a lake

to demonstrate my point fill up your sink with water, now try to fill the condom from the water in the sink (not the tap)

the only water source that will easily fill a condom is a waterfall

there is a method for filling a condom from still water but it is extreamly laborous and you still only get about a pint

How does Stuart get to know so much about condoms?........

 

[Gary]

He's got a rubber fetish!

 

[Roving Rich]

He must have moved on from his Titanium and aircraft grade aluminium fetish then?
Rich

 

[Stuart]

apart from my rubber fetish (though i have seached many years I have yet to find the fabled titanium condom) I do have a good explanation for my vast condom knowledge

I used to design survival kits for various armies and air forces (no I was not responsible for the crap British army one)

As part of my job I had to fill condoms (with water ) till they exploded etc

My findings eventually were that condoms are actually pretty useless for carrying water in (for the reason i explained earlier in this thread)

but we found many medical uses for them so they were included as emergency medical equipment

As it happens i do have a source for very good military issue zip lock bags :-D

The very best (and most expensive) are Aloksak bags www.watchfuleyedesigns.com

cheaper but also quite good are gerber seal'n'go bags
www.gerber.com/prodcat?catid=434

you have to be a bit sad to get this technical about your zip lock bags though (unless your paid to)

 

[Stew]

but we found many medical uses for them so they were included as emergency medical equipment

Go on tell us some of them.

 

[Andy]

you can
*cover burns with them
*use them as a small turnica (spelling?)
*keep bit of your first aid kit dry in them
*use them to cover a gun shot wound to a lung (i've heard of this been done

and on a non medical note you can keep your torch dry in one or use it to insulate the handle