Burning nail holes is usually just for blood blisters. Heat up a paperclip til it's hot, and it 'melts' through. You can also drill through with a needle.

Alcohol pads dry up quick, like 6 months or so. Plan accordingly.

Field expedient syringe: poke a very small hole in the corner of a plastic bag, fill with water, squeeze. I suppose you could just spray it out of your mouth too, despite how dirty that water would become.