Tips, Tricks, share your McGuyver secrets here...
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B@rt
Flashaholic
Consider them gone as well...
PhotonWrangler
Flashaholic
I've just run across this neat little trick and it looks like it belongs in this thread.
Look into your cup of coffee for a weather forecast.
Look into your cup of coffee for a weather forecast.
buds224
Enlightened
Found this one in an Urawaza book. Remove a splinter by letting a layer of paper/wood glue dry over it. It will hold onto the splinter as you peel it off.
No more fumbling with tweezers.
No more fumbling with tweezers.
deckofficer
Newly Enlightened
This one could save your bacon. Your mountain climbing and the weather turned on you to the point you need to be rescued. You pull out your cell phone and discover it has turned off due to low battery voltage. You turn it on, but it turns off again to protect the battery. Place the phone in your armpit against your skin and hold it in place by lowering your arm against your ribs and cook the phone in your pit for 10 minutes. You will now be able to use it.
NonSenCe
Flashlight Enthusiast
pine sap.. i use butter. saved a picknic with a girl once as she got some on her hair. saved the day and hair with some butter i took for the sandwiches we were eating there on picnic.. 
rub it on and it will slowly dissolve the sap.
vinegar is great stuff too.. removed odors if left in open container from your moldy old car boat or even room. it softens the gluestickerresidue and cleans other stains too. leaves streakfree windows too when mixed with water..
also when washing windows you could use newspaper as the drying towel.. its streak free too.
broken waterhose: duct tape ofcourse! or, if you want to use something else and cool: self amalgamating tape, great stuff! just learning to use it myself.. rubbertape that you strech when applying it over the hose and in few moments the individual tape strands will turn into solid rubber like section..
rub it on and it will slowly dissolve the sap. vinegar is great stuff too.. removed odors if left in open container from your moldy old car boat or even room. it softens the gluestickerresidue and cleans other stains too. leaves streakfree windows too when mixed with water..
also when washing windows you could use newspaper as the drying towel.. its streak free too.
broken waterhose: duct tape ofcourse! or, if you want to use something else and cool: self amalgamating tape, great stuff! just learning to use it myself.. rubbertape that you strech when applying it over the hose and in few moments the individual tape strands will turn into solid rubber like section..
bshanahan14rulz
Flashlight Enthusiast
clear-a-snails holds glow powder quite nicely.
vinegar is the go-to for those white salt buildups when a battery explodes in your light. I was amazed at how quickly some plain jane cooking white vinegar cleared out that mag tube.
The coffee tip was neat, I am going to test it soon
Also, good to know about butter and pine sap. I remember climbing this evergreen in my yard as a kid. Best climbing tree in my yard, except for the tissue-paper layered bark and the sap that never unsticks...
Also, I just recently invested in a pair of Helping Hands. How have I lived without these?!?!?
vinegar is the go-to for those white salt buildups when a battery explodes in your light. I was amazed at how quickly some plain jane cooking white vinegar cleared out that mag tube.
The coffee tip was neat, I am going to test it soon
Also, good to know about butter and pine sap. I remember climbing this evergreen in my yard as a kid. Best climbing tree in my yard, except for the tissue-paper layered bark and the sap that never unsticks...
Also, I just recently invested in a pair of Helping Hands. How have I lived without these?!?!?
PhotonWrangler
Flashaholic
Speaking of white vinegar and coffee, you don't need to use an expensive cleaner to clean out the gunk in your coffeemaker. Just run a cycle using white vinegar. The hot vinegar works surprisingly well in dissolving old coffee stains and other crud from the machine and the carafe. One word of warning though - the whole house will smell like a pickle factory while you're doing this!
greenlight
Flashlight Enthusiast
Always glue the bottom flaps of moving boxes, especially for heavy items. The glue gives the boxes torsional rigidity, and is much less expensive than a lot of rolls of tape.
buds224
Enlightened
Having recently moved, I have to agree that this would have been very useful. All my computer boxes (glued flaps) survived the trip from San Diego to Japan without a hint of damage. Now I know why their products are boxed that way.
NonSenCe
Flashlight Enthusiast
the glued flaps.. sounds smart.. i hop e next time i need to move or move someone i remember this ttrick in advance.. (so the glue settles before boxing) --althou, we mostly use plastic boxes in our moves. either rented from moving company or our own and loaners.--
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measure each rubber hose and hard line diameters in your car, (brakes, fuel and other liquids) put atleast two of each needed size hose clamps in the car, cut small sections of pressure capable rubber hose (on each that fits over each of the hard lines) couple inches long section is plenty.. and when you get broken brakeline or fuel line, cut it all the way, slide the hose between and tighten with hoseclamps. -fixed for going home even for distance.. and the rubber hoses if they get a pucture (ductape and amalgamating tape and some kinds of glue might work to fix these.. esp the bigger hoses like radiator hose.) but on all smaller hoses, fuel line or brake hose what ever, its too hard to get a solid seal. instead.. measure the inner size of them hoses in your car, when you know the diameter you can cut small length of (2inches) copper or aluminum or even steel pipe of each needed size.. with hose clamps you can once again, cut the broken hose from punctured section allt he way thru, slide a tube inside it.. and tighten the hoseclamps for leak free fix. -gets you home and back.. sometimes it is too good of a fix so one forgets it needs changing, but change it anyways as soon as possible.)
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2stroke oil and kerosene makes a decent home diy rust penetrating and lubing mix.
so does atf and/or powersteeringfluid and acetone
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and if your lady goes thru bottles and bottles of nail polish remover liquid.. buy acetone and fill them up with that. its basically the same stuff.. but price of acetone bottle is lot less than what equal amount of nailpolishremover will cost.
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need strong rubberband.. make "ranger bands".. bicycle innertube, cut small pieces of tube out of it.
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work under a car.. nuts and bolts and wrenches lost all the time under you or something like that? dismantle a small old speaker out of its magnet.. tack the magnet on the bottom of the car.. put them loose parts on the magnet while you work. easy to find them all. (remember to REMOVE THE MAGNET when you are done! hahahah)
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measure each rubber hose and hard line diameters in your car, (brakes, fuel and other liquids) put atleast two of each needed size hose clamps in the car, cut small sections of pressure capable rubber hose (on each that fits over each of the hard lines) couple inches long section is plenty.. and when you get broken brakeline or fuel line, cut it all the way, slide the hose between and tighten with hoseclamps. -fixed for going home even for distance.. and the rubber hoses if they get a pucture (ductape and amalgamating tape and some kinds of glue might work to fix these.. esp the bigger hoses like radiator hose.) but on all smaller hoses, fuel line or brake hose what ever, its too hard to get a solid seal. instead.. measure the inner size of them hoses in your car, when you know the diameter you can cut small length of (2inches) copper or aluminum or even steel pipe of each needed size.. with hose clamps you can once again, cut the broken hose from punctured section allt he way thru, slide a tube inside it.. and tighten the hoseclamps for leak free fix. -gets you home and back.. sometimes it is too good of a fix so one forgets it needs changing, but change it anyways as soon as possible.)
-----
2stroke oil and kerosene makes a decent home diy rust penetrating and lubing mix.
so does atf and/or powersteeringfluid and acetone
-----
and if your lady goes thru bottles and bottles of nail polish remover liquid.. buy acetone and fill them up with that. its basically the same stuff.. but price of acetone bottle is lot less than what equal amount of nailpolishremover will cost.
---
need strong rubberband.. make "ranger bands".. bicycle innertube, cut small pieces of tube out of it.
---
work under a car.. nuts and bolts and wrenches lost all the time under you or something like that? dismantle a small old speaker out of its magnet.. tack the magnet on the bottom of the car.. put them loose parts on the magnet while you work. easy to find them all. (remember to REMOVE THE MAGNET when you are done! hahahah)
gadget_lover
Flashaholic
CAR:
Your car key is actually more complex than you think. On many models the tip works the trunk and the middle works the doors. Ask your locksmith to duplicate your key so that it opens only the trunk, but not the doors or ignition. Then you can hide it in a magnetic key holder outside the car and hide a normal key in the trunk.
Flashlight: You usually have room for a slip of paper around the battery in your expensive light. This is a good place to put the "reward if lost" message. The battery will eventually need to be replaced.
I McGyver things all the time, yet I can't think of a single one now.
Daniel
Your car key is actually more complex than you think. On many models the tip works the trunk and the middle works the doors. Ask your locksmith to duplicate your key so that it opens only the trunk, but not the doors or ignition. Then you can hide it in a magnetic key holder outside the car and hide a normal key in the trunk.
Flashlight: You usually have room for a slip of paper around the battery in your expensive light. This is a good place to put the "reward if lost" message. The battery will eventually need to be replaced.
I McGyver things all the time, yet I can't think of a single one now.
Daniel
I carry 2 car keys: one with my house keys and the other one with a L0D. Haven't been locked out of my car or left in the dark ever since. If you drop your keys at night, just make sure it's the house keys, not the one with the powered off flashlight.
Emergency car kit essentials: duct / electric tape, sandpaper, pair of pliers, flat screwdriver and swiss army knife. This stuff has gotten me out of more problems than I wish to admit. The swiss army knife was needed at work to open my can of soup a few times.
I started using a filtering power bar connected to my computer's UPS to plug my chargers and small electronics after I recently lost the AC/DC adaptor for my Tenergy universal charger due to a suspected brownout.
Microfiver window washing cloths from the car care aisle are the best way to clean glasses, flashlight lenses, windows - anything transparent. No more rubbing for a half hour to get that nasty nose/finger oil off.
No generator and you like camping? get a power pack: it'll charge your batteries, camera, Ipod and all accesories when camping and you can still run small things during a power outage - especially the cell phone charger. Mine can also boost my car if needed.
Also, get a portable stove. You can use it to cook during power outages too (but be careful - some fuels are not meant to be used indoors: read the warnings)
Here's a smell free solution: 50% Ice 50% water and ad a lot of sugar. Swirl it for a minute or two then let stand for a while. Rinse and you're good to go.
Also print the morse code on that paper. What is momentary good for if you can't use it to save your life?
Nice revival. I like the glued flaps idea too.
Emergency car kit essentials: duct / electric tape, sandpaper, pair of pliers, flat screwdriver and swiss army knife. This stuff has gotten me out of more problems than I wish to admit. The swiss army knife was needed at work to open my can of soup a few times.
I started using a filtering power bar connected to my computer's UPS to plug my chargers and small electronics after I recently lost the AC/DC adaptor for my Tenergy universal charger due to a suspected brownout.
Microfiver window washing cloths from the car care aisle are the best way to clean glasses, flashlight lenses, windows - anything transparent. No more rubbing for a half hour to get that nasty nose/finger oil off.
No generator and you like camping? get a power pack: it'll charge your batteries, camera, Ipod and all accesories when camping and you can still run small things during a power outage - especially the cell phone charger. Mine can also boost my car if needed.
Also, get a portable stove. You can use it to cook during power outages too (but be careful - some fuels are not meant to be used indoors: read the warnings)
Here's a smell free solution: 50% Ice 50% water and ad a lot of sugar. Swirl it for a minute or two then let stand for a while. Rinse and you're good to go.
Also print the morse code on that paper. What is momentary good for if you can't use it to save your life?
Nice revival. I like the glued flaps idea too.
or if your shoes are wet.
Hooked on Fenix
Flashlight Enthusiast
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2007
- Messages
- 3,133
If one of the clevis pins breaks on an external frame backpack, it can be temporarily replaced with a large safety pin.
A paste made from baking soda and water will take away the pain of a bug bite.
You can tell the temperature outside in F by counting cricket chirps for 13 seconds and adding 40.
You can tell the approximate time to sunset by covering the sun with your hand (with thumb tucked) and counting how many handwidths it is to the horizon. Each of the four fingers is about 15 minutes. This method is pretty accurate to about 15 minutes. If you know the time of sunset, you can tell what time of day it is. The accuracy will vary some depending on the size of your fingers, but it works well for me.
A paste made from baking soda and water will take away the pain of a bug bite.
You can tell the temperature outside in F by counting cricket chirps for 13 seconds and adding 40.
You can tell the approximate time to sunset by covering the sun with your hand (with thumb tucked) and counting how many handwidths it is to the horizon. Each of the four fingers is about 15 minutes. This method is pretty accurate to about 15 minutes. If you know the time of sunset, you can tell what time of day it is. The accuracy will vary some depending on the size of your fingers, but it works well for me.
JackBlades
Enlightened
I can't believe it's been almost TEN YEARS since I posted that! Now they sell it freely in California!
How many of you are still active here?
NonSenCe
Flashlight Enthusiast
no need for pipe but one can make a whistle out of soda can.. "very annoying one too" according to my friends, after the frist "cool" remarks wore off as i kept playing with it for 15 minutes too long. (my excuse: i was drunk and i was bored.. so i made a hobbyproject to show them how to make something cool while sitting there emptying more "whistle building material" cans.. i dont know whom distracted me long enough for someone to make my whistle disappear..but no worry. i had few empty cans to make more of them.. they didnt allow me. wonder why.)
http://americanbushman.blogspot.com/2009/04/soda-can-whistle.html
http://americanbushman.blogspot.com/2009/04/soda-can-whistle.html
Hooked on Fenix
Flashlight Enthusiast
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2007
- Messages
- 3,133
Winter tips that will save your life:
If your only boots freeze solid on a winter backpacking trip, you can defrost them by laying a backpacker's towel in each shoe (to absorb the melted water) and put a 1 liter lexan bottle full of boiling hot water in each boot (keep the water in the bottles). Wait half an hour and you should be able to use them again. Dry them out as much as possible so the water doesn't refreeze.
If you find that your sleeping bag isn't as warm as you thought and you risk freezing, boil water and put it in a 1 liter lexan bottle and place it in your sleeping bag with you (again, keeping it in the bottle, and don't let it leak). It will stay warm for about 3 hours. At least that's my experience for in the 20s with a cheap Walmart "0 degree" mummy bag.
Both of these tricks were tested by me in the high Sierra Nevadas during November and they saved my butt. My boots froze solid after attempting to get through a boulder field covered with 4+ feet of snow while I was wearing snowshoes. Lesson learned: It's impossible to get through a snow covered boulder/moraine field. I took off the snow shoes and headed strait up the side of the mountain where there was more sun exposure and less snow and went boulder hopping into camp. Solo backpacking in the snow requires the ability to improvise and not freak out when things don't work out as planned. For most people, it's best not to do it to begin with.
If your only boots freeze solid on a winter backpacking trip, you can defrost them by laying a backpacker's towel in each shoe (to absorb the melted water) and put a 1 liter lexan bottle full of boiling hot water in each boot (keep the water in the bottles). Wait half an hour and you should be able to use them again. Dry them out as much as possible so the water doesn't refreeze.
If you find that your sleeping bag isn't as warm as you thought and you risk freezing, boil water and put it in a 1 liter lexan bottle and place it in your sleeping bag with you (again, keeping it in the bottle, and don't let it leak). It will stay warm for about 3 hours. At least that's my experience for in the 20s with a cheap Walmart "0 degree" mummy bag.
Both of these tricks were tested by me in the high Sierra Nevadas during November and they saved my butt. My boots froze solid after attempting to get through a boulder field covered with 4+ feet of snow while I was wearing snowshoes. Lesson learned: It's impossible to get through a snow covered boulder/moraine field. I took off the snow shoes and headed strait up the side of the mountain where there was more sun exposure and less snow and went boulder hopping into camp. Solo backpacking in the snow requires the ability to improvise and not freak out when things don't work out as planned. For most people, it's best not to do it to begin with.
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