That was my first thought as well; bin the fabric abrading pieces of aluminium and tie some knots. But some people did not get the brain-part that does applied 3-dimentional geometry and topology under field conditions, so I did not want to come across as judgemental.
Ever since the Summer of Ashley[1] these things have come more or less natural to me., but I know I'm not normal.
[1] I somehow managed to borrow the schools copy over the summer holidays, and started from page one, only skipping the insane sinnets and a few of the decorative marlinspike ones.