The cotton fiber strands run parallel while having compressed “ribs” that create a convenient square shape with a straight edge. Having a straight edge is desirable for a controlled flame.

I modified the can’s lid and bent the edges down to create a small “table” inside the can to press against the wick to hold it in place.

Something else that I found helpful is how to lite the wick. Once a wick is dipped in oil it can be difficult to lite. If the edge can be squeezed to shed excess oil, wood ash or charcoal carbon can be applied as a catalyst to recieve the ignition flame more quickly.

Once lit, I enjoyed the flame for a couple of hours before needing to adjust the wick.

Although plastic bottles or even plastic bags can be modified as a funnel, perhaps the only resource available might be a beer bottle, not something that can be fashioned with a scissors or a knife.

Years ago I wrote an article entitled
“Popping Off Bottle Bottoms By Hand” that includes a link to a video demonstrating the process.

While preparing a bottle to illustrate the photo for this article I had difficulty at first popping out the bottle’s bottom so I reviewed my own instruction video that resulted in success.

Practicing this technique now will prepare you in the event a bottle is your only resource for a funnel in an emergency situation.

At one point he dispatched a thief and hoped to use his shoes but alas they were too small.
His bare feet led to major pain and injury during this ordeal.

This shoe scene took place on an unfinished floor of the Nakatomi Plaza Building that had a power saw available. He could have cut out the top of the toe area on the shoes that would in effect have converted them into sandles, allowing room for his toes and would have been a game changer in his fight against his foes.

In emergency situations where shoes are lost or left behind and alternate shoes can be found that are too small, this modification can be achieved by using a knife, hatchet, or saw.

The photo illustrates how I was able to put my 10 and a half shoe size foot into a modified 8 size shoe. I used a utility knife. It works.

Footwear like this can make a huge difference in comfort and safety in an emergency situation.

This could be a staple in your kitchen that could serve dual purposes, culinary and optical. In fact, when emptied it could be refilled with water or any other clear liquid to renew it’s optical properties.

While my experiment was done in late October it still performed well at the sun’s latitude. I had to catch a trangent opening in the clouds to create an ember.

There are better tools to create fire but this just adds one more way to create a fire in an emergency. Next time that you go shopping you might pick one of these up to experiment with and see if you can create a coal. Keep in mind that a dark material works best as tinder and heats up quicker.

Instead of using epoxy to patch my cup I recalled a previous post of mine “Melted Drinking Straws Make Emergency Adhesive” and wanted to expand on that approach. My cup was made of black plastic that spurred the thought that I had a black ziptie among my gear. I would try to lite it and drip along the hole’s edge performing a “build up” as I circled inward to close the hole. It was a success! I used my knife to smooth the surface once it cooled for a more esthetic repair.

In the world of survival and preparedness it’s good to know a variety of approaches to emergency situations and hopefully this hack will be another tool in your collection of solutions when needed.

This constriction process has other applications as well. A tubeless tire that has lost air will typically withdraw from the wheel rims thus losing the seal and preventing inflation. By placing cordage around the circumference of the tire and affixing a cross piece, the tourniquet can be tightened around the tire causing the sidewalls to expand outward to contact the wheel rim thus enabling the tire to be inflated.

Another application can be used to tighten a chain link fence during installation. When a hand operated winch is not available, a chain can be used as a tourniquet that surrounds the fence post and stretcher bar. A crowbar is used as a cross piece for winding that will tighten the fencing into position for installation.

These are a few examples of tourniquet applications. I would be interested in learning of other applications in the comments below.

I inquired about what motivated her to use one and her response was that it was inexpensive to make, easily repairable, and somewhat a renewable resource.

This made a lot of sense. Duct tape is such an amazing resource, and any prepper generally keeps some in their provisions.

She demonstrated how to adhere 5 layers together to form the outside and 4 layers to attach on the inside, allowing the outside edges to fold over inward to create a sealed edge.

Duct tape is so versatile that additional pockets or flaps can easily be added. Her wallet is quite durable and easily repaired.

This wallet is just a sample that illustrates the many crafts that can be fashioned i.e. cups, straps, cordage, etc.. Please leave comments on your crafts and other ways that you have used duct tape.

I learned that it helps to have a wedge behind the blade to prevent blade pinching and also having sharpened teeth that can make a significant difference.

Although it takes a lot of effort, it works and doesn’t require batteries or fuel to operate. In fact, I keep a short bow saw in my car to clear debris that blocks the road occasionally after a storm.

I guess that I have found bow saws to be an asset on numerous occasions including when camping to gather and manage firewood and also to make impromptu shelters.

I discuss various reflective signaling methods in a previous article “Back-To-Back CD Signal Mirror Method” that can be applied to this new reflective method. Although the glass surface of a cell phone is reflective, it can play a different role in signaling by means of providing a flat surface for a silverized Mylar snack wrapper.

My father used to turn snack bar wrappers inside-out and hung them on a fruit tree to ward off pillaging birds. That memory inspired me to try the same method using my cell phone as a base to hold a silverized snack wrapper as a cover. When held over one eye while using an extended hand as an aiming sight, the sun’s light can be directed to your target to gain attention to persons in the distance in an emergency.

This is a fun project to practice with friends or aimed at a distant reflective surface like a car’s license plate, signal lights, or road signs.

In the past, when I would go to a restaurant with my wife I would look for a candle for a little atmosphere at the table. If there wasn’t one I would take one of the complimentary bread buns and poke a hole into it with my table knife. I would put in a pad of butter and then twist up a piece of paper napkin to use as a wick and poke that into the butter. I would light it with my EDC lighter and Voilà! I had a candle!

With this experience as my inspiration I took a butter stick out of the fridge, set it on end in a small bowl, and let it warm up to room temperature. I cut a piece of paper towel and lightly buttered it on one side and rolled it up, flattening it with each round to create a wide vs. round wick. I used a spoon handle to poke down the center of the butter stick then I turned up the wick at the bottom end a little so that I could poke it down into the hole.

Once it was lit, it burned brightly at first and the butter began to melt. I had to attend to it by trimming the wick occasionally with some scissors along with the surrounding wrapping paper as it would burn off around the edge from time to time. It burned that way for over an hour. The butter would continue to leak into the bowl and gather at the bottom. When the cube burned down to a quarter inch in height and the wick began to have trouble staying upright I changed my strategy from candle mode to slush lamp! (See “Slush Lamp Basics“)
 

I decided to use a different wick for this approach and added a small strip of cotton from some scrap jeans and placed it inside the remaining square paper wrapper. Then I cut out a piece of scrap aluminum from a pet food cup and placed it on top. This effectively supported the new wick in addition to isolating the cotton wick from the melted butter. The new flame burned for 4 more hours!

In the end, the candle provided a quick usable flame but required constant maintenance. It also provided clarified butter at it’s base that worked wonderfully as fuel for a slush lamp. The slush lamp was virtually maintenance free. Depending on the emergency a person would have to decide on whether to use the butter as a fuel for light and warmth, or for using butter as a food, but then again, this was just a proof-of-concept project that was fun to do!