My first experience was the need to raise a drooping deck that was cantilevered off of a dock. It had dipped into the water but should have been positioned nine inches above it. I had considered using temporary pylons to use in conjunction with jacks but the pond floor was muddy and unstable. Another approach could have been to attach a come-along winch to the dock’s pylon and attaching to the end of the deck, but that would only draw the deck closer to the dock but not lift it up. Then I remembered gin pole trucks.

Gin pole trucks function like portable cranes using poles in conjunction with winches to lift loads up for repair or onto their flat bed for transport. Of course they could be used a number of ways but they use the angle and height of lift to accomplish their task. That gave me the solution to my problem. I placed a 2×4 stud midway between the deck’s outer edge and the dock’s pylon. When I applied the come-alone winch it lifted the deck up to the needed height whereupon I could refasten the original suspending timbers.

More recently I was tasked to remove a couch that had been lifted into a dumpster. It not only was too large to fit but it also was not allowed by the waste management company. It was too heavy to just pull it up and out by myself. I needed a mechanical advantage. I remembered my dock experience and wondered what I could use for a gin pole. I decided that an extension ladder might do the trick. Instead of using a winch I decided to use my vehicle to pull on the lines that I would attach to the couch and ladder.

I anchored the bottom of the ladder by tying it to the dumpster base then proceeded to attach a second line to the couch, ladder, and my vehicle. As I backed up the vehicle the ladder rose up, pulling the couch up and out. Had it been a heavier load it would have been advisable to use guy-lines off to the sides as well as a higher extension of the ladder. As it turned out I was able to maneuver the couch and ladder off of the dumpster’s edge as they slid down off to the side in a controlled fashion.

In both cases a higher angle of force was needed to lift each load and that may be just the ticket for you on your next project or in an emergency situation. Be sure to exercise safety precautions and use side guy-lines for stability with heavy loads.

I had an opportunity this week to move some large steel garbage bins using a single six foot two-by-four stud. By placing about six inches of one end underneath the bin I could leverage it off the ground and shift it toward my destination and by repeating the process reached the final position. It reminded me of a great saying… “give me a long enough lever and I can lift the world”.

I remember being amazed that my elderly father was able to move his dismounted camper across his driveway by himself using a number of pipes as a series of rollers. He levered up the front end of the camper and placed a pipe underneath… rolled it a foot or so and kept adding pipes in parallel until they supported the full length of the load. As he would advance the camper and leave behind a pipe he would take it to the front to repeat the process and thus rolled it all the way to his destination.

These are only two examples of simple machines but it illustrates common difficult tasks that perhaps one person could accomplish using them. The beauty of simple machines is that they can be improvised using materials at hand. Click HERE to see the application of simple machines. I would encourage you to familiarize yourself with them because they may be just the thing that you’ll need for a weekend project or perhaps for an emergency that could save your life.

Hose Clamp & Sleeve Patch

When I arrived I took a quick look around the outside for the city water meter box but didn’t see it so I knocked on the door and my son let me in. The inlet line to the water heater had split before the turn-off valve so fortunately it was cold water that was spraying under pressure. Because it was spraying near the power cable and was leaking through the downstairs ceiling filling the light fixtures, my son had turned off the power at the electrical panel. I used my phone initially as a light source to evaluate the situation. I could not find a main shut-off valve in the apartment either so we decided to call 911 for assistance. After leaving circumstances, location, and contact info I returned to the task of controlling the leak.

I had a hose clamp in my tool box, but I also needed a seal to cover the split. I usually carry a plastic Fresnel lens in my wallet (for solar firecraft) and it comes in a vinyl sleeve. I wrapped the sleeve around the pipe below the split then placed the hose clamp over it. I used my son’s multi-tool screwdriver blade to tighten it down almost all the way, then slid the two over the split and finished tightening it to seal the leak. That ended the immediate crisis.

Valve Turns Off When Bar Is 90°

About a half hour later the city water employee showed up and we determined which valve belonged to my son’s apartment. After my son and I determined which areas inside the apartment were not affected by the leaking water we turned on the unaffected circuits so that we could see to clean up and run fans for drying.

The events of this morning caused me to think about preparation for dealing with utility emergencies as they relate to the home environment. There are generally three areas to prepare for: water, electricity, and in some cases natural gas or propane. By code each utility should have shut-offs or disconnects so it is important to know where they are located and how to operate them. We found that the breaker box wasn’t labeled exactly correct, so it will be tested later and labeled more thoroughly. It would be wise to acquire appropriate tools dedicated to these potential needs and stored in a bin that is easily reached and not next to a point of potential hazard. Possible tools might include a crescent wrench, vise grips, channel lock pliers, screw drivers (both flat-blade and Philips), hose clamps, duct tape, electrical tape, and any specialty tools for utility turn-off. I can’t help but wonder if this article might be speaking to someone who will need to be prepared for the near future, so check out your situation now!

I had a metal strip that came from a door sweep. I removed the rubber blade from it and cut it to the same width as the shovel then drilled holes to match the shovel’s existing rivet holes. As road conditions were “iffy” and my wallet was thin, I didn’t want to spend the effort or expense to purchase a rivet gun and rivets so I decided to make my own. It would be a bifurcated rivet, a design implementing a split shaft.

I happened to have roofing nails that have a very wide head yet thin enough to allow close contact between the shovel and walkway. Standard washers were too large for fastening at the end of the rivet so I used a machine nut instead that would fit snug.

The first step was to cut the nail to the proper length. I used a vice-grip pliers to hold the nail while I used a hacksaw to cut about two thirds of the way through the shank, then I bent the end back and forth until it broke off. When it broke, it left a tiny lip on the tip that worked in my favor for the next step.

I rotated the vice-grips ninety degrees to hold the nail cut end upward. I used the hacksaw to cut down the nail shank about one quarter inch. The tiny lip helped to hold the hacksaw blade in position to get a good start.

The next step was to insert the nail from the bottom of the shovel up through the metal strip and shovel blade. I could place the nut on the end of the nail and tap it down with a hammer. By spanning the jaws of the vice-grip I could place it on top of the nut surface but missing the nail core so that I could tap the nut down tight onto the shovel blade.

The final step was to separate the two halves of the compressed split end so that the nut was secured into place. I used a flat blade screw driver with a hammer to accomplish that. The process was repeated for each rivet.

I was able to finish the shoveling task with my repaired shovel and I’m happy to say that the rivets are still holding solid. You might find other applications for this type of rivet. It might be the right solution in a future emergency situation.

A couple of months ago I published an article “Survival Wrist Band – Fisherman’s Version” that used brass barrel snap swivels. As I examined the wrist band it dawned on me these would make great attachments for my “every day carry” (EDC) set. What was needed was a way to attach the brass barrel snap swivels to each item so I took a trip to the sports department in a “Big Box” store and found small split rings that are used to connect hooks and accessories to various lures.

The split rings are quite stiff and a bit of a challenge to install, but the reward is that each item is now coupled with a brass barrel snap swivel enabling it to be detachable and basically tangle free. The brass barrel snap swivels also allow each tool to be attached to other items like zippers, luggage, hand bags or camping gear. Where could you attach yours?

You can make your own cache by removing the cap of the lip balm and elevating the wax out completely. The cylinder of wax will have a plastic cup at the end and you can gently remove it. Then, fold your currency in half lengthwise. A hair pin can be slipped over the bill’s midpoint and rotated like a spindle to create a small tube which in turn can be placed into the empty lip balm container. When the cap is replaced, no one will see the contents or suspect your lip balm of being a cache of currency. For an even more hidden appearance you can cut off the wax just above it’s plastic cup and replace it in the tube over the currency so that it appears completely normal when the cap is removed.

In regards to the wax, in a hot environment it might melt and moisten the contents that are hidden, but it doesn’t invalidate the currency. It can also be used in a number of other ways such as for it’s original purpose, or to float an improvised needle compass, to enhance kindling for making a fire, or for any number of other things.

So consider taking that extra step of monetary backup. It takes very little space and could just save the day in an emergency.

Any broken piece of glass has a sharp edge, but having an unbroken bottle neck to use as a handle is a real asset. Goggles and gloves are highly recommended for this process. Use extreme caution when performing this procedure and when using the resulting tool.

So, the point of this blog is to encourage you to “think outside the box” and be open to other fields and areas of interest that might be holding alternate resources for expedient solutions in emergency situations. Who knows, a new product may be discovered for us survival enthusiasts to adopt.