What's your favourite trick, cheat or adaptation?

[John Fenna]

I made an elder one a while back but unfortunately it snapped in my bag. This one is carried in my tinder pouch which lives in my trouser cargo pocket so it gets quite a few bumps and bends. A bit of broken arrow shaft serves the purpose much better.

Aye - Elder ones are abit fragile....
As ever - practicallity wins

 

[DaveBromley]

I learned loads from this thread when i first started, so thought i'd ressurect it.

My tip is if in need of firewood and there is only green wood about, have a look for an Ash tree as this will burn almost as well completely green as it does dry, this can then be used to dry out some other damp wood etc.

Also its always well worth having a fire reflector you'll get the same heat but use half the wood!

Thanks

Dave

 

[Goatboy]

you can use an ash ring around your food area ie cool box or bag to stop ants, spiders, rats and any small mamals getting to your food and in the tropics to stop snakes getting in your camp. just go around your whole camp big time with a bigger ring. because they don't like getting ash on their feet, especially snakes don't like anything sticking to their skins, you never see a dog or a cat very close to a fire place. try putting some ash on dog or cats paws. and see. they hate you for life. cheers the interceptor boy.g sticking to their skins, you never see a dog or a cat very close to a fire place. try putting some ash on dog or cats paws. and see. they hate you for life. cheers the interceptor boy.

Guess you're right.

 

[mayobushcraft]

As I smoke and use a Zippo lighter. I carry a can of Zippo lighter fluid. It is made of naptha a low grade petrol. Is great for cleaning and removing stickey stuff like tape residue. It is also use in dry cleaning clothing as it wont remove most colors from clothing. I have used it many times to get caulk out of carpets.

Not to mention it works great as a damp tinder fire lighter for those time when you cant be botherd.

Colman fuel is also naptha by the way.

James

 

[DaveBromley]

Thanks for the heads up pal, thats a nice little bit of knowledge there.

Dave

 

[tsitenha]

I carry honey to smear over open wounds, to act as an anti bacterial. Only draw back bears love honey.

 

[Bladeophile]

Perhaps done before, but take two really cheepo shoe laces - kinda slippy nylon feel and stretchy, utterly useless for bowdrill with only one. But try twisting two of them together and you have a guaranteed non-slip bowdrill cord if stretched tight enough, which seems to wear very well.
As you know - vertical grooves on the spindle help reduce slip further. Result. You won't be popping those heart tablets after lighting your fire.

 

[Neanderthal]

A carton of Goat's milk will last days longer than Cow's milk.


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[mountainm]

A carton of Goat's milk will last days longer than Cow's milk.


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...because no one wants to drink any

 

[Realbark]

With Trangias when using the frying pan raise the burner nearer the pan by standing on a side cut tin lid over the burner hole (fray bentos suet lid is ideal). If you heat your pot stuff up first then use the potlifter to move the burner (after snuffing it of course!), then relight - frying time is reduced a lot.

 

[Gray]

Elastic bands around my match container, same principle as inner tube but more accessible and easier to use in desired amounts.

 

[Goatboy]

Elastic bands around my match container, same principle as inner tube but more accessible and easier to use in desired amounts.

Bloody good idea.

 

[Wayland]

And easier to use as rubber bands too...

 

[Gray]

Another one is instead of carrying a firesteel with flint, i carry a 3inch piece of file. I use the flat non serrated edge with the flint and the file part with a magnesium block for magnesium fillings. Ever tried scraping bits off a magnesium block with a knife, its a nightmare. Using a file takes a couple of mins for nice fine shavings which take a spark dead easy because of there size.

 

[Gray]

Heres a sat stove trick. I love the sat stove because its so versatile. Once you've boiled a billy full of water for group brews, keep it hot by filling the upside down windshield of the sat with coals from the fire and plonk the billy on the top. Because of the lack of air getting in, the coals smoulder for hours keeping the billy on the simmer, freeing up the fire for cooking etc. you can leave the windshield the right way up but more air gets in and the coals fade faster.

 

[Gray]

One more, for water aquisition ...tie a clean T shirt around each ankle and go for an early morning walk through the grass and just keep wringing out the T shirts into a container. A litre an hour we collected on an exercise in the Brecons years ago.

 

[Bladeophile]

Never never clean your tea mug!! That way if you suddenly without warning find yourself in a survival situation cos you forgot the tea bags - just add boiling water an your good to go.

 

[Wayland]

Just stumbled on this while looking for something else.

I had forgotten how many useful ideas there were in it.

 

[Adze]

Definitely bears a re-read every so often.

 

[Dave-the-rave]

Some times I just watch Heroes of Telemark. That way I don't get wet and dirty.