Macgyver-type tips and tricks

What are some of the things you have figured out?

If you plug your car charger into your cell phone, but not your car it works like an antenna.

I keep an old battery cable and speaker wire in my truck, the battery cable can arc a starter with a bad solenoid and the speaker wire is just plain handy, it works as a tie down even!

I can modify a pen into at least 6 different things. Can you guess what?

The best security system for my truck is to remove the center wire from my distributer (only for long absences)

sport tape is better than any medical tape.

what say you?

Neat! Thanks for the tip.

Thanks Mac.

You'd be better off popping the cap and removing the rotor. A pro would see why it won't start and just use a spark plug wire to replace it. So it runs on 7 cylinders instead of 8, still beats walking. PM me if you want to know why I say remove the rotor, it's easy to start a points ignition system without using a key or causing any damage. I won't post that info openly on the internet.

That one is not a universal thing. It generally only works if your phone is designed to work with an external antenna to begin with and the routing for the external antenna is through the same connector that you use for power. Depending on the type of power cord used (straight or coiled, paired or coax...), the cords impedance level, how it is terminated and where it plugs into the phone relative to the actual antenna you may or more likely may not see any change in performance. In an emergency it might be worth a shot but it is not something I would depend on.

-Eric

Is there an easy way to tell if this one's phone is designed this way?

-Blast

My phone 3 years ago had an antenna that plugged into the bottom where the power cord also plugged in. I bought a double sort of plug so I could do both functions in the vehicle.

My new Sanyo phone has a short pull-up antenna but to insert the external antenna you need to unscrew the short antenna and screw in an adapter into that port. Not a quick connection and I only do it when I am in poor reception areas.

I do keep track of the sites in remote areas that for some strange reason have good reception. Often I may drive 20 kms to get to the spot we call "Telephone Rock" only to find other people there doing the same thing.

Mike

That is one of the reasons I am coming to visit your neck of the woods. If you happen to notice the bad spots, make a note (GPS?), and maybe I can help.

Don't go out of the way to do it though, I might be unable to change anything..

when i learned about the possible boost of the charger i tried it out. it worked for me, i gained a bar. did not know that it would not work for everyone. i know that some cell phone antennas are just for show, they are not connected to anything, but i was told (wrongly) that the coil of copper would act as an antenna, much the same as copper wire can be used as an fm antenna.

Jim

I don't have any Macguyver-isms to do with hiking, but I do know a lot about field-expedient vehicle repairs, since I own a Jeep and offroad it a lot.

Lost brake fluid reservoir cap? Ziplock bag and electrical tape will allow it to keep pressure.

Starter problems? Jump across terminals on starter with a screwdriver or pair of pliers.

Broken brake line on one corner? Roll the line on itself a few times and pinch it off with vice grips to keep all the brake fluid from leaking out.

Tire came off the bead? Spray carb cleaner inside tire and light with a match (EXERCISE CAUTION IF DOING THIS) then re-inflate tire.

Wheel broken off at the studs? Build a skid out of a log and some rope or ratchet straps.

Snapped axle shaft allowing axle to fall out? Ratchet-strap a tree to frame and back bumper to keep it in, de-bark tree and smear grease or oil on it where it will be rubbing against the tire to cut down on friction.

Need an improvised bucket? Open ammo can. Improvised jackstand? Closed ammo can. (those son-of-a-guns are TOUGH)

Need to get a tire OFF the bead to repair it? Place tire underneath vehicle, place your jack on the tire right next to the bead, and jack up to the frame or bumper. This will push down on the tire and break it off the bead.

Bent tierod? Pull it off, bend it back as straight as you can get it by whacking it on a tree or big rock, and sleeve it with a jack handle or length of pipe, then re-install it.

I'd have to think a little, but I've got more. I've had to do a lot of crazy stuff to limp broken vehicles out of the woods. I carry more tools than a Snap-On truck, and a bag full of ratchet straps and bungees, zipties, duct tape, electrical tape, you name it.

No universal way to tell if we are talking about having the power cord substitute for an antenna. Best bet is go somewhere with moderate signal strength and try it. Remember the signal bars on most phones aren't very accurate or reliable so you could not see an improvement or see more bars due to unrelated changes.

Most phones have a separate plug for the antenna or they have a way for you to attach the external antenna to the built in one. If you have a mini-usb connector for power there is no antenna connection at this point. That doesn't mean the trick won't work, just that it depends on a lot of other circumstances being just right. If you have a custom connection for your phone there may be an antenna connection.

With out the connection point what is basically happening is the dangling power cord is acting as a reflector or wave guide and providing a bit of a passive boost. This will be very geometry dependent. I would expect straight cords should work better than coiled ones but haven't sat down to work it out. My last real work with RF fields was a long, long time ago.

As I said - I wouldn't bet on it but it is at least worth a try if nothing else is working.

- Eric

wear long socks. the tops can be used for and to hold a dressing on a wound, the pill from the cotton can be used for tinder, you can put a weight in the toe for a weapon, can use to tie something (they're pretty tough) rip into strips and braid for cordage (sucks but better than nothing) can use your extra pair to pack things and cut down on rattles, sweat band, put under watch to absorb sweat/irritation, cut off the top for emergency t.p. use for a potholder/heat-shield (looks silly but its better than burning your arm on a hot exhaust) trail markers, bound tightly a wick or tinderbox (will smolder and stink all day).

Just figured this one out today - Coban works as well or better than clamps when you run out of hands. A couple of wraps around the things you want to stay still and unwraps easily with no glue residue or pressure dents when you are done.

- Eric

I forgot to take water to the street fair today (I did remember my sun hat). So I paid the $1 for a bottle, used the water on the outside to scrub the top with my hand and sleeve, then poked a hole in the cap with my multitool.

Ta daa! Instant sport cap.

If you have a BlackBerry you can use the "alt; n-m-l-l" key sequence to change the reception strength meter into an actual db readout. Of course it will still be a very inexact science.

Just make sure your background color isn't too dark or you won't be able to see the black numbers against it. (You hold alt down while pressing n, m, l, l.)

Do not carry a camo lighter! found this out today, had to hunt for 10 minutes to find the dang thing. Grass (that needs mowed) + camo
= frustrated.

Lose a lighter in the grass?
Run a lawnmower over it and you will find it soon enough!

Haywire is nice stuff to have around. It can let you fix broken things enough to get you home and even makes an effective hose clamp.
Candles are wax and wax is a fairly good lubricant for things that slide, like zippers.

Bicycle inner tubes are stretchy and strong enough for lashing a lot of things together.

Epoxy or polyester resin makes good patches on boats. Even if you only have rags to soak in it instead of glass mat. Cloth is not as strong as glass fibre but it might be enough to get you home.

Three 12 volt car batteries connected together with booster cables give enough volts and amps for a small welding job.

A carpenter's claw hammer is an astoundingly versatile tool.
It wil drive nails and pull nails. It will also cut wire, peen rivets, break glass and crack nuts.

Two words. duct tape. what can't it do?

i have found a travois to be very handy. mostly for hauling brush to the burn pile, but i have made one to haul one of my buddy out of the woods. he said it was bumpy but beat walking. (he twisted his ankle trying to kick his christmas tree down, on christmas eve)

know your knots and how to braid. impress your friends and your lady friends! plus it could save your life.

mud works as a thermal/sun shield, and a burn salve.

when in doubt, bring tp.

redneck winch. rope or chain tied to a rim at one end, a tree on the other. rim turns, winding up chain. it has to be fiddled with but its better than nothing.

you can use thick hemp rope as a temporary snow chains. wind the rope around the tire through the rim. it does not last long but will get you out of a bad patch.

We do that too.
Camping the last few days I drove to that spot often to check in... to bad it doesn't get data only voice. Still nice to check messages and stay in touch for emergencies!

If you have a decent length of chain or rope you can pull almost anything. Tie the rope to an anchor point and to the object you want to move. Make it as tight as you can.
Then go to the middle and pull the middle of the rope sideways.
The mechanical advantage is astounding. You might only move the object a few inches each time but you can move a very large weight like this.
Chain or cable is actually better than rope for this because it stretches less.

Any metal will break if you can bend or twist it enough times. A good thing if you need to cut a wire and have no tools handy.

If you need to lash something down really tight and have enough cord for multiple wraps you can tighten each wrap in turn a few times each time you tighten a wrap you are adding tension and can get a lashing extremely tight.
Nylon stretches when you do this and the compression can be to high if you are not careful. Be careful not to crush what you are tightening the wraps on.

Use a hot wire or nail to melt holes in plastic. It leaves a raised edge around the hole and the plastic is less likely to split.
This also works for poking holes for buckles in nylon webbing.

A plastic bag with a small hole in the corner works as a water syringe, and also for squeezing out a bead of anything from caulking to cake icing.
When used with sterile water or normal saline solution it is good for flushing out wounds.

A piece of cardboard with slits cut in it to see through works as sun glasses or snow goggles to prevent snow blindness. You can get snow blindness on the water too. Heavy bristle board will work also.
If you have lost you prescription glasses you can sharpen your vision by looking through a narrow slit or a pin hole.
This can be made like the snow goggles mentioned above or can be made by holding your fingers close together and looking through the space between them.

If you keep a cheap quartz watch set to Greenwich or Universal Coordinated Time you can get a decent idea of your longitude just by observing apparent noon.

The Belt of Orion rises almost exactly due east and sets almost exactly due west.

Improvised use of newspaper thread:

http://forums.equipped.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=180575&page=1

rubber band, 101 uses and counting. that could be a thread by itself.

erasers, they can be easily shaped, not very concuctive, can take some heat, and are cheap. (the hard drive of my laptop is held securely in place with a strategic use of a tactical eraser.

empty soda bottle missing the cap and bottom works nicely as a funnel.

i know of a few improvised explosives. most are great distractions, but i don't think i should post that openly.

peanut butter. lubricant, bait, tasty, covers pretty much any smell on your breath.

Bar soap / Ivory? rubbed into gas tank leak as sealer.

Foil, even chewing gum foil wrapper, wrapped around blown fuse, re-insert fuse to complete circuit temporarily.

Stuck jar lid: if not going to recycle, pierce lid with church key [or anything else] to release vacuum for eay opening.

Tie a rope loop around two objects, put stick in loop about mid-way between the objects, and twist the stick perpendicular to the rope to bring two ends closer together - or if one end is fixed, drags unfixed object closer to fixed object, that is, pulls or lifts it.

No bait? Wrap a bit of shiny or colored wire, or thread the colored insulation slipped off a wire, onto your hook to attract fish.

We used to make gear bags out of old BDU bottoms. Cut the leg off, turn it inside out, sew the cut part shut, turn it right side out, and instant bag w/drawstring. Good little ditty bags.
When I used to shoot competetively, I used to use an old sock filled with sand as an elevation mechanism. In my prone shooting position, my offhand supports the rifle under the buttstock. By placing the butt of the rifle on the sock, I would then squeeze the sock to lower my scope, or relax it to raise it. I picked this neat little idea from a book somewhere, so it isnt mine-but I adapted it .

The vacum can be released by inserting something on the side of the lid and lifting. The handle of a spoon usually works. No need to destroy the lid.

Weirdest Macgyver tricks was probably to use an outdoors storage box (huge plastic box used for stuff like hammock pillows) for a crib. Empty box, take of the lid, wash it and persuade my mother (at her cabin, using her box!) that my daughter would be perfectly fine sleeping in the "crib".

The bottom drawer of dressers have long been used as baby cribs, esp useful for babies traveling to the homes of people who don't have babies. Pulled out but not removed, they don't sit right on a cold floor.

I've seen that trick where the drawer was pulled out but sitting on pillows on the floor.

The rounded end of the church key also works very well.

A stripped screw hole in wood can be repaired by sticking a wooden match or toothpick into the hole and broken off. Then insert the screw as usual.

Super glue can be used as stitches, either on cloth or your skin. (Disclaimer I am talking about minor cuts, not gaping wounds)

I won't go into the woods without a military type poncho. Preferably the nylon one, as it saves weight.

Uses -

Ground cloth
Tarp
Sleeping bag
Stretcher
Water hauler
Raft
Sunshade
Pillow
Pack

Alton Brown says he has one uni-function item in his kitchen, the fire extinguisher. I like to see how many functions I can get out of the stuff I carry.

There are no uni-taskers. I have been told that suitably rigged fire extinguishers can act as mortars to propel projectiles, baited fishing hooks, etc., several hundred yards. The empty would make a good weight, earth or snow tamper, improvised hammer, core to coil or bend stuff around, and that is just a start.

Even Alton could form some dough on the thing, or maybe use it as a big rolling pin, to prepare some Good Eats.

Chapstick as firestarter - read it,tried it,loved it! Wiped some on dryer lint,paper towel,cloth,cotton ball and burned each one side by side to an untreated sample and was quite impressed. Easy to carry,clean to use,can be used as originally intended and looks very innocent.

Chapstick / petroleum jelly is a decent improvised lubricant, fuel, sealant, particulate abrasive carrier, dye / ink / paint solvent, and waterproofing agent.

Carry a little notebook. Write questions, comments, to do's, sketch a pic, or the location of a pic in your phone on the right hand page. The left page is for answers, info, what have you. Example: Right page:Is this mushroom poisonous? Additional Storage 08-27-09_103759 On the left: yes. Extremely so. do not touch and a sketch including the color, size, and early form.

Personally I'd save the fire extinguisher for fighting fires. Multi tasking is great but when you break or disable something that's meant to be used as an emergency tool, you're kinda screwed.

Obviously if I had to roll some dough in a life or death situation, I'd reassess...

There's a point beyond which multi tasking becomes problematic.