8

CAMPING

Having paid for a campsite in the Australian outback during a torrential rainstorm, I insisted on pitching our tent on the prescribed raised wooden platform—while Debbie sat in the car. Despite my dogged determination, fierce winds kept blowing the tent away, thwarting my repeated efforts to stake it down. Sopping wet, I reluctantly heeded Debbie’s pleas and conceded defeat. Now where would we stay? At Debbie’s suggestion, we set up our tent in the campsite restroom.

How to Make a Barbecue Grill from a Coffee Can and a Rake

WHAT YOU NEED

Tin snips
Clean, empty coffee can
Small rocks or gravel
Aluminum foil
Charcoal
Butane lighter or matches
Steel leaf rake

WHAT TO DO

1. Using tin snips, carefully cut 12 vertical slats (like around the face of a clock) from the top of the can down to 1 inch from the bottom of the can.

2. Fold back the slats to create the wings of a fan in a bowl-like shape.

3. Place small rocks or gravel in the empty base of the can (to weight it down and prevent the stove from toppling over).

4. Cover the bowl with a sheet of aluminum foil.

5. Place the coffee can on a flat surface, and fill the aluminum bowl with charcoal.

6. After igniting the charcoal, place the rake over the mouth of the bowl to create the grill.

HOW IT WORKS

The tines of the steel leaf rake form the grill, and the coffee can forms the frame of a barbecue pan, created by the aluminum foil, to hold the charcoal.

ALL FIRED UP

In the 17th century, Spanish explorers in Hispaniola discovered that the native Arawak tribe slow-cooked meat on a frame of sticks over a fire, calling it barbacòa. The Spanish adopted the method.
In 1897, Ellsworth B. A. Zwoyer of Pennsylvania patented a design for charcoal briquettes.
In 1952, George Stephen, a welder at Weber Brothers Metal Works in Chicago, cut a metal buoy in half to make a dome-shaped grill, using the top half as a lid, and added some air vents and legs, giving birth to the iconic Weber grill.

How to Keep a Bar of Soap Clean with Panty Hose

WHAT YOU NEED

Scissors
Pair of clean, used panty hose
Bar of soap

WHAT TO DO

1. Using a pair of scissors, carefully cut off one leg from a clean, used pair of panty hose.

2. Drop a bar of soap in the panty hose leg.

3. Tie a knot to secure the bar of soap in the foot.

4. Tie the other end of the leg to an outdoor water spigot or tree branch.

HOW IT WORKS

The panty hose keeps the bar of soap clean and accessible.

CLEAN AS A WHISTLE

Prior to the introduction of modern hygiene in the 19^th century, the human body was often infected with parasites that transmitted typhus, bubonic plague, and many other illnesses.
Body odor is caused not by perspiration itself but by bacteria on the skin’s surface breaking down the perspiration. Left uncleansed, the skin becomes a breeding ground for germs.
According to the Mayo Clinic, washing your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water for at least 15 seconds (or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer) helps you avoid getting and spreading the flu.

EVERY TRICK IN THE BOOK

Panty Hose to the Rescue

You can also use panty hose for these purposes:

Back Scrubber. Cut off the leg of a pair of used panty hose, stick a bar of soap inside at the knee, tie a knot around both ends, and use the panty hose to wash your back.
Cactus Spine Remover. To remove thin, hairlike cactus spines from the skin, put on a pair of rubber gloves, and brush the affected area with a balled-up pair of clean, used panty hose in the opposite direction that the cactus spine went into the skin. The panty hose removes the needles, which adhere to the nylon hose. Discard the panty hose and gloves.
Cheese Strainer. Boil a pair of clean, used panty hose in water, let it cool, and use it to strain cheese before pressing.
Fishing Lures. Cut strips of used panty hose to make fishing lures.
Lint Catcher. Cut off the foot of an old pair of panty hose and attach it to the end of the washer hose to catch all lint as it comes out, preventing the drain and pipes from clogging.
Nail Polish Remover. Ball up a pair of used, clean panty hose, add a drop of nail polish remover, and scrub your nails. The polish comes off with ease.
Onion Storage. Cut off the legs from a used, clean pair of panty hose, insert one onion down to the bottom, tie a knot after it, and repeat until you either run out of onions or panty hose leg. Then hang up the panty hose leg.
Pot Scrubber. Place a used pair of panty hose in a webbed onion bag from the grocery store to make an excellent pot scrubber.
Shoe Shine Cloth. Cut the legs from a pair of clean, used panty hose to put a lustrous shine on shoes.
Tomato Plant Supports. Cut 1-inch strips of panty hose and use them as ties to support plants and vegetables on stakes. The strips are like firm elastic that stretches as the plant grows.

How to Lubricate Zippers on a Sleeping Bag and Tent with Lip Balm

WHAT YOU NEED

Lip balm
Soft cloth or paper towel (optional)

WHAT TO DO

1. Rub lip balm along the teeth of the zipper on the sleeping bag or tent (or trousers, jackets, and backpacks), over the entire length of the zipper. Do not rub the lip balm on the fabric, just the metal or plastic zipper parts. If the zipper is stuck, rub the lip balm on the teeth above and below the stuck slide.

2. Jiggle the slide until it moves freely over the waxed teeth. Slowly move the slide back and forth along the teeth, zipping and unzipping several times. This action helps work the wax through the teeth.

3. Brush off any excess wax with your fingers, a soft cloth, or a paper towel.

HOW IT WORKS

The wax in the lip balm lubricates the teeth, helping the zipper zip smoothly.

ADD SOME ZIP

Other lubricants you can rub along the teeth of a stubborn zipper to make it glide with greater ease include petroleum jelly, vegetable shortening, a dry bar of soap, a candle, a sheet of waxed paper, an unwrapped crayon, and the graphite of a dull pencil.
To prevent a zipper from unzipping of its own accord, spray the teeth with hair spray or spray starch to give them greater traction.

How to Make a Camping Sink with a Bleach Bottle

WHAT YOU NEED

Ice pick
Clean, empty bleach bottle
Golf tee
Length of string or yarn, 2 feet long
Water
Rope (optional)
Indelible markers (optional)
Plastic bucket (optional)

WHAT TO DO

1. Use the ice pick to poke a small hole near the bottom of the bleach bottle on the side opposite the handle.

2. Plug the hole with the pointed end of the golf tee.

3. Use a piece of string or yarn to tie the tee to the handle.

4. You can also slip a bar of soap in a panty hose leg and tie it to the handle, if desired (see page 190).

5. Fill the bottle with water, replace the cap, and set it on the edge of a picnic table, upright log, or rock. Or tie a piece of rope around the handle and hang the jug from a post or tree branch.

6. Use the indelible markers to decorate the bottle with lips around the hole, and eyes, nose, ears, and hair above to turn the jug into a spitting face.

7. If desired, place a bucket under the spout to catch the water to avoid creating a mud hole.

8. To wash your hands, loosen the cap and unplug the golf tee.

9. When you’re finished, replace the tee in the hole and tighten the cap.

HOW IT WORKS

The string prevents the tee from getting lost. When the cap is loosened and the tee is removed, air pressure pushes down and up through both openings, so the air pressure is balanced. Gravity makes the water fall from the jug through the smaller hole. When the cap is tightened, the air pressure can only push from the bottom. The air pressure is stronger than earth’s gravity, so it keeps the water in the jug.

EVERY TRICK IN THE BOOK

Hitting the Bottle

Here are a few more things you can do with a bleach bottle:

Drill Holster. To make a hip holster for carrying a drill, cut off the bottom of an empty, clean, uncapped bleach bottle in a diagonal opposite the handle, and then string your belt through the handle.
Dumbbells. Fill two clean, empty bleach bottles with water, sand, or gravel, seal the caps shut, and use the handles to lift the weights.
Funnel. Use a pair of sharp scissors to cut off the bottom of a bleach bottle to create a funnel with a convenient handle.
Scooper. Use a pair of sharp scissors to cut diagonally across the middle of an empty, clean bleach bottle, and use the half with the handle to scoop up pet food, fertilizer, rock salt, sugar, or snow, or to clean up after your pet.
Tool Caddy. Use a utility knife to cut a hole in the side opposite the handle of a clean, empty bleach bottle to carry tools.
Watering Can. Use an ice pick or awl to punch holes in the cap, fill the clean, empty bottle with water, and replace the cap. Holding the handle, use the water-filled jug as a watering can.
Weights. Clean, empty bleach bottles filled with water, sand, or gravel and capped shut can be used to hold down a tarp or tent.

How to Make a Portable Shower with a Condom

WHAT YOU NEED

Condom
Scissors
Pair of clean, used panty hose
Safety pin, needle, or pin

WHAT TO DO

1. Unwrap the condom, unravel it, and fill it with water, like a water balloon.

2. Tie a knot in the open end of the condom.

3. Using the scissors, snip off one leg from the pair of panty hose.

4. Slip the water-filled condom inside the panty hose leg, with the reservoir tip facing the toe.

5. Toss the free end of the panty hose leg over a tall, solid tree branch, and hoist the water-filled condom approximately 6 feet off the ground.

6. Tie the free end of the panty hose leg to the trunk of the tree or a low branch to secure the water-filled condom in place.

7. Gather your soap and towel, and remove your clothes (or put on a bathing suit).

8. Pinch the reservoir tip of the condom and, using the safety pin, needle, or pin, puncture a few small holes in the tip.

9. Stand under the stream of water to take your shower.

HOW IT WORKS

The latex rubber used to make the condom is sufficiently durable and elastic to hold water. The nylon stocking prevents the weight of the water from bursting the condom, and the contraction of the condom’s surface forces the water from the holes to create a strong spray.

CONDOM CONUNDRUMS

Drug smuggling mules have been known to swallow condoms filled with heroin or cocaine to evade detection by customs officials. They take medications to inhibit bowel movements during the journey, and use laxatives at their destination to pass the balloons through their bodies. If stomach acids or other incidents rupture a balloon inside the body, the consequence is quick death.
In July 2014, an Englishman from Birmingham who had swallowed 61 latex condoms of cocaine before boarding a Virgin Atlantic flight from Antigua to London sparked an emergency landing when one of the packs burst in his stomach. Colmin Smith, 48, informed a flight attendant about what he had done and then lost consciousness. The plane landed in Bermuda, where doctors removed 8.4 ounces of cocaine from Smith’s stomach.
On February 6, 2011, police arrested Luisa Gill, 21, at Boston’s Logan Airport with 50 latex condoms of cocaine stored in her stomach. Gill, a resident of New Jersey, swallowed nearly a pound of cocaine—with an estimated street value of $50,000—before boarding a JetBlue flight from the Dominican Republic.

EVERY TRICK IN THE BOOK

More Clever Uses for Condoms

Cell Phone Protector. To improvise a waterproof case for your cell phone, slip the device inside an unlubricated condom.
Ice Pack. Fill a condom with water, like a water balloon, tie a knot in the open end, and place it in the freezer to create an emergency ice pack.
Match Container. A condom doubles as a waterproof container for matches.
Slingshot. Construct a slingshot from a Y-shaped tree branch and a condom.
Stress Ball. Fill a condom with sand or flour, and tie a knot in the open end.
Tourniquet. Tying a condom around a bleeding appendage works as a tourniquet.
Water Carrier. Place the condom inside a sock, fill the condom with water, and tie a knot in the open end of the condom. The sock provides stability and protection.

How to Waterproof a Backpack with a Trash Bag

WHAT YOU NEED

2 heavy-duty plastic trash bags (the size of your backpack)
Scissors or pocketknife

WHAT TO DO

1. Line the inside of the backpack with a plastic trash bag.

2. Pack your clothes and gear inside the trash bag.

3. Zip up the backpack.

4. Place the second trash bag over the backpack.

5. Use the scissors or pocketknife to carefully cut small slits in the bag for the straps.

6. Pull the straps through the slits.

7. Pull the drawstring tightly shut at the bottom of the backpack.

HOW IT WORKS

Most backpacks are not waterproof. Even those made from waterproof fabrics generally have porous seams. Heavy-duty plastic trash bags are tough, durable, and waterproof—protecting your clothes and gear from rain and wet surfaces.

HIGH AND DRY

Double bagging (lining one bag inside the other) doubles the effectiveness of the bags, since plastic trash bags can get punctured easily.
Experienced hikers often prefer using trash compactor bags, which are smaller, narrower, and thicker than commercial trash bags.
Plastic trash bags make poor waterproofing for your gear on canoeing or rafting trips. Plastic bags easily get puncture holes, which let water—from splashes, capsizing, or the puddle on the bottom of a wet canoe, kayak, or raft—seep inside. Instead, use a waterproof dry sack with a roll-top closure.

How to Repair a Tent or Backpack with Dental Floss

WHAT YOU NEED

Scissors or sharp pocketknife
Waxed dental floss
Needle (with large enough opening for dental floss)
Isopropyl alcohol pads or baby wipes
Seam sealer

WHAT TO DO

Punctures

1. To repair a hole poked through the tent fabric, use scissors or a sharp pocketknife to carefully cut away the damaged area and leave enough of the tent fabric to create tabs that you can fold back to create a hemmed frame.

2. Use scissors or a sharp pocketknife to cut a small patch of the same material.

3. Fold back each side of the patch to prevent the fabric from fraying, and using a needle threaded with waxed dental floss, sew the patch to the outside surface of the damaged area.

4. Clean the patch, seams, and surrounding area with isopropyl alcohol pads or baby wipes.

5. Seal the seams of the patch with seam sealer to avoid leakage.

Tears

1. To patch a rip in the fabric or a tear in a seam line, lay a wide piece of fabric or ribbon over the split.

2. Fold back each side of the patch to prevent the fabric from fraying, and using a needle threaded with dental floss, sew the fabric or ribbon onto the adjacent fabric to disperse the tension away from the seam.

HOW IT WORKS

Waxed dental floss is far more durable than thread.

EVERY TRICK IN THE BOOK

Why Floss Is Boss

Some great uses for dental floss when traveling:

Repair Eyeglasses. If the screw from the hinge of your eyeglasses is lost, tie a piece of dental floss through the screw holes for a temporary repair until you can get the glasses fixed properly.

Repair an Umbrella. If one of the fabric tacks breaks free from one of the ribs of an umbrella, sew it back together using dental floss as a durable thread.

Sew Buttons on Coats. Use dental floss as a strong, durable substitute for thread to sew on buttons on coats and children’s clothes.

Cut Clean Slices of Cake. Hold a strand of dental floss as if you were going to floss your teeth, and cut through the cake.

Cut Cheese into Clean Slices. Hold a strand of dental floss as if you were going to floss your teeth, and cut through the cheese.

Lift Cookies from a Cookie Sheet with Ease. Slide a strand of dental floss between fresh baked cookies and the cookie sheet.

Cut Cookie or Bun Roll Dough into Neat Slices. Slide a strand of dental floss under the roll, cross the two ends over the top of the roll, and pull.

Truss Poultry. Use durable dental floss to tie the legs together and sew up the cavity. Dental floss is more durable than thread and won’t tear the skin.

Slice Cheesecake. To cut a cheesecake into neat, clean slices, use the technique embraced by fancy restaurants everywhere. Cut a strand of dental floss a few inches longer than the diameter of the cake. Hold the ends of the strand in each hand, making the floss taut, and press the string down to cut the cake in half. Slide the floss out from under the bottom of the cake, and repeat the process, cutting the cake into clean slices.

Dry Mushrooms. Wash the mushrooms quickly, cut them in half lengthwise, and using a large needle and dental floss, string them together, leaving an inch between each mushroom half, and hang them outdoors for two days or until they are completely dry. Store the mushrooms in an airtight container on the pantry shelf. Rehydrate dried mushrooms by soaking them in water, chicken stock, or beef stock for 1 hour.

Remove a Wart from a Horse’s Hide. Tie off the wart tightly with a piece of dental floss. The dental floss will strangulate the wart, causing it to fall off after roughly a week, typically without leaving a scar.

String a Beaded Necklace or Bracelet. Cut a piece of dental floss the length you desire for a necklace or bracelet, tie one end loosely, but securely, to one bead (to prevent the other beads from falling off the string), then thread the other end of the floss through the beads. The sturdiness of the waxed floss enables you to thread the beads without using a needle. After threading all the beads, remove the stopper bead, and tie the two ends together.

Suture a Wound. In an emergency situation, you can use a sterile needle and unwaxed dental floss to stitch a wound temporarily until you reach a hospital.

How to Wash Your Clothes with a Salad Spinner

WHAT YOU NEED

Salad spinner
Water
Laundry detergent (or shampoo)

WHAT TO DO

1. Place the salad spinner in the sink and remove the lid.

2. Begin filling the bowl (with the basket inserted) with whatever temperature water you prefer.

3. While filling the bowl with water, add a squirt of laundry detergent.

4. Place a few garments in the salad spinner, submerging them in the soapy water, and knead them with your fingers for a minute.

5. Let the garments soak undisturbed for 5 minutes.

6. Lift the basket of clothes from the bowl, and pour the soapy water from the bowl down the drain.

7. Replace the basket of clothes in the empty bowl, and fill the bowl with fresh water, while kneading the garments.

8. Let the garments soak for 2 minutes.

9. Repeat steps 6 through 8 for a second rinse, or until the water is no longer soapy.

10. Lift the basket of clothes from the bowl, and dump the water down the drain.

11. Place the basket of clothes in the bowl, place the lid on the salad spinner, and pull the cord or turn the handle five times.

12. Stop the salad spinner, remove the cover, take out the basket of clothes, and pour out the water.

13. Repeat steps 11 and 12 several times, until you’re satisfied that no more water remains in the garments.

14. Hang up the garments to drip dry.

HOW IT WORKS

The salad spinner uses centrifugal force to extract the rinse water from the clothes—far more effectively than wringing the water from the clothes by hand.

GOING FOR A SPIN

Operating the salad spinner in the sink prevents the device from flying off a countertop or spraying water everywhere.

EVERY TRICK IN THE BOOK

Spin Doctors

A salad spinner can be used for much more than drying lettuce leaves:

Clean Broccoli or Cauliflower. Cut up broccoli and cauliflower, soak the pieces in the spinner, and then spin them dry.
Clean Leeks. Cut the leeks in half. Place the basket in the bowl, fill the basket with the leeks, add water, and let them soak. Lift out the basket to drain the water. Repeat if necessary, and then spin the leeks dry.
Remove Seeds from Canned Tomatoes. Empty a can of whole tomatoes into the spinner, break them apart with your fingers, and spin them gently to let centrifugal force remove the seeds.
Rinse and Drain Beans. Place canned beans in the basket, rinse them with water, and then spin them gently to remove the excess water.
Spin Excess Water from Pasta. When making pasta salad or casseroles, use the salad spinner to spin the excess water out of the pasta, so your pasta salad isn’t water.
Wash Berries. Place the basket in the bowl, fill the basket with berries, add water, and let it sit for 3 minutes. Lift out the basket to drain the water without bruising the berries.
Wring Out a Swimsuit. Place the swimsuit in the spinner, spin the excess water out of the garment, and then hang it up to dry.

How to Keep Toilet Paper Dry with a CD Spindle

CARRIER

WHAT YOU NEED

Clean, empty 100-CD spindle with lid
Roll of toilet paper
Masking tape

WHAT TO DO

1. Remove the cover from the CD spindle.

2. Place the roll of toilet paper over the spindle.

3. Replace the lid and twist it shut.

4. When traveling, use a piece of masking tape to secure the lid to the bottom of the base.

5. To use, simply remove the tape, twist open the lid, and lift.

DISPENSER

WHAT YOU NEED

Utility knife
Clean, empty 100-CD spindle with lid
Roll of toilet paper

WHAT TO DO

1. sing a utility knife, carefully cut out the inner circle of plastic from the top of the plastic lid.

2. Remove the cardboard tube from the center of the roll of toilet paper.

3. Feed the inner end of the toilet paper into the plastic lid and through the hole in the top.

4. Place the role of toilet paper over the spindle.

5. Replace the lid and twist it shut.

6. To use, pull the free end of the toilet paper.

HOW IT WORKS

With the carrier, the masking tape keeps the CD spindle securely shut while traveling in a vehicle. When you set up camp, the plastic lid and base keep the toilet paper protected and dry. With a few additional modifications, the spindle can also serve as a toilet paper dispenser.

DON’T FOLD, SPINDLE, OR MUTILATE

A roll of toilet paper fits into a clean, empty coffee can, giving new meaning to the slogan “Good to the last drop.”
To store multiple rolls of toilet paper, make a post by adhering a clean plunger to the floor (simply press down the giant suction cup firmly), and then place several rolls over the stick.

EVERY TRICK IN THE BOOK

Rekindle That Spindle

Bagel Sandwich Container. Insert the spindle through the hole in the center of your bagel sandwich, seal the lid shut, and carry it in your lunchbox.
Cell Phone Stand. Use the base alone as the perfect stand by leaning your cell phone against the spindle.
Coin Box. Use a utility knife to cut the inner circle from the plastic lid, and drop coins inside.
Cord Storage. Wrap your cords around the spindle and replace the lid.
Hamster Wheel. Use an ice pick to punch holes in the sides and top of the plastic lid, place a hamster or mouse inside the lid, carefully insert the spindle, and twist it shut. Secure the halves in place with a strip of masking tape, and then place the case on the floor on its side.
Tape Storage Container. Drop rolls of masking tape, duct tape, and electrical tape over the spindle and replace the lid.
Pencil Holder. Turn the lid upside down and store your pens and pencils inside.
Ribbon Organizer. Place your spools of ribbon over the spindle and cover them with the lid.
Yarn Holder. Punch a hole in the top of the lid, place a spool of yarn over the spindle, run the free end of the yard through the hole, and secure the lid in place.

How to Make a Coffee Bag from Coffee Filters and Dental Floss

WHAT YOU NEED

Coffee filter
Fresh coffee grounds
Dental floss
Scissors

WHAT TO DO

1. Place a coffee filter on a flat working surface.

2. Spoon two or three teaspoons of fresh coffee grounds into the center of the coffee filter.

3. Gather the outer edges of the coffee filter to create a sachet.

4. Tie a loop of dental floss around the edge of the sachet and tie a secure knot or two.

5. Using scissors, trim the coffee filter beyond 1 inch of the tie.

6. Store the individual coffee bags in a ziplock bag.

7. To make a fresh cup of coffee, place a bag in a coffee cup, holding the floss outside the cup.

8. Fill the cup with boiling water.

9. Let it brew for several minutes, using the floss to dunk the coffee bag up and down.

10. Raise the floss to remove the coffee bag from the cup.

HOW IT WORKS

Pouring water heated to 200° Fahrenheit over ground coffee beans extracts the oil from the beans. The coffee filter contains the loose grounds and eliminates sediment.

YOUR CUP RUNNETH OVER

Instead of using dental floss, you can also secure the coffee filter with a twist tie, and then dunk the bag in a cupful of boiling water with a spoon.
To make Turkish coffee, boil 1 to 2 tablespoons of ground coffee in a pot, pour the solution into a coffee mug, and let the grounds settle to the bottom of the cup, and drink, stopping before you get to the mud at the bottom of the cup.
To flavor coffee with cinnamon or vanilla, add a pinch of ground cinnamon or a few drops of vanilla extract to the coffee grounds before brewing.
To improve the flavor of coffee, fill the coffee filter with the proper amount of ground coffee, add a pinch of salt to the coffee grounds, and brew as usual. The salt enhances the flavor.
To remove the bitter taste from a cup of overheated coffee, add a pinch of salt to the cup of coffee and stir well.
If you’re all out of sugar or wish to try a more delectable sweetener for your coffee, use honey.
You can flush coffee residue from a coffee grinder and simultaneously sharpen the blades by simply running one cup of rice through the grinder.

How to Hide Valuables in a Bar of Soap

WHAT YOU NEED

Sharp knife or pocketknife
Bar of soap
Plastic wrap
Water

WHAT TO DO

1. Using a sharp knife or pocketknife, carefully carve a cavity in a bar of soap.

2. Wrap the valuable item in a piece of plastic wrap, and insert the object inside the hollow.

3. Pack the hole with chunks and shavings of soap and press firmly to seal the hole.

4. Wet your fingertips with water and rub the veneer to smooth the appearance of the soap.

HOW IT WORKS

A knife easily carves soap, creating a secret compartment. The best place to hide a valuable item is in a common, everyday object that does not seem to provide any possibility as a hiding place.

How to Start a Charcoal Fire with an Egg Carton

WHAT YOU NEED

Cardboard egg carton (not Styrofoam)
12 charcoal briquettes
Butane lighter or matches

WHAT TO DO

1. Open the egg carton.

2. Place one charcoal briquette in each of the 12 compartments made for the eggs.

3. Close the egg carton lid.

4. Using the butane lighter or matches, ignite the cardboard egg carton.

5. Once the briquettes ignite, add more wood to the fire or more briquettes to the barbecue.

HOW IT WORKS

The cardboard egg carton burns long and strong enough to ignite the charcoal briquettes.

I AM THE EGG MAN

Gardeners use egg cartons to start seedlings indoors in early spring, before planting the seedlings outdoors.
Dirty or cracked eggs may transfer salmonella to their carton, where the bacteria can survive for weeks. Do not use cardboard cartons from untreated eggs for craft projects, storage, packing material, or other household uses where they will be handled regularly or come into contact with food. Repurposing cartons from eggs that have been treated to safeguard against salmonella contamination does not pose any risk of salmonellosis.
In 2014, the Israeli Ministry of Health warned against the use of used egg cartons in kindergartens, day care centers, educational institutions, rehabilitation centers, and other institutions due to the risk of the presence of salmonella on the cartons.

How to Make Fire Starters with an Egg Carton and Dryer Lint

WHAT YOU NEED

Cardboard egg carton (not Styrofoam)
Dryer lint
Candle
Butane lighter or matches

WHAT TO DO

1. Open the egg carton.

2. Place dryer lint in each of the 12 compartments made for the eggs.

3. Light the candle and carefully drip hot wax over each compartment

4. Close the lid of the egg carton to transport the fire starters to your campsite.

5. To start the campfire, open the carton, tear off one of the compartments, and use it as kindling for your fire.

HOW IT WORKS

The paraffin-saturated lint burns long and strong enough to start a campfire.

LINT HINTS

Lint is the short, fine fibers that separate from the surface of cloth during washing.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that lint buildup in the dryer or in the exhaust duct can cause fires. Lint can block the flow of air, cause overheating, and result in a fire in some dryers.

To help prevent fires, consumers who use dryers should:
- Clean behind the dryer, where lint can build up.

How to Avoid Hypothermia with a Space Blanket

WHAT YOU NEED

Hat
Scarf (or cloth)
Towel
Dry clothes
Space blanket
Blanket
Aluminum foil (optional)

WHAT TO DO

1. If a person’s body temperature drops below 95° Fahrenheit, cover the person’s head with a hat and wrap the neck with a scarf to slow the loss of heat from the head.

2. If possible, move the victim inside a warm, dry shelter.

3. Remove any wet clothes from the person and pat the skin dry with a towel.

4. If the victim is conscious, dress the individual in dry clothes.

5. Wrap the clothed body in a space blanket with the shiny side facing the body. For better effectiveness, wrap the body in a regular blanket and then wrap the space blanket around the blanket.

6. If you wish to have the victim lie down, place a layer of aluminum foil under a blanket or sleeping bag, and have the victim lie on top of that. This helps reflect body heat to keep the victim warmer.

7. If possible position the person to sit or lay by a warm fireplace or heater.

HOW IT WORKS

Excessive body heat loss leads to hypothermia, but wrapping the body in a space blanket reflects body heat back to the body and stops both evaporative and convective heat loss.

When a person perspires in cold weather, the perspiration evaporates, making the body colder. The space blanket helps slow the process of evaporative heat loss by increasing the humidity of the air next to the skin. In convective heat loss, cold wind takes the warmth away from the body. Wearing a layer of space blanket as insulation reduces convective heat loss by providing insulation.

COLD COMFORT

Hypothermia occurs when the body temperature drops to below 95° Fahrenheit.
When the body temperature drops, the body begins to shiver to produce body heat. If the body gets colder, the shivering ceases.
Hypothermia can lead to loss of consciousness. If the victim is left untreated, breathing slows, the heart stops pumping blood, and death results.
Falling through the ice of a frozen lake or river, taking a plunge into cold water, or getting soaking wet in a rainstorm could cause hypothermia.
To thwart hypothermia, have the victim drink warm water sweetened with sugar, which quickly gives the body a source of energy to help warm the core. Aerobic activity—such as running in place or doing jumping jacks—also helps generate warmth.

How to Make a Spoon from a Soda Bottle

WHAT YOU NEED

Indelible marker
Clean, empty 2-liter plastic soda bottle
Scissors or utility knife

WHAT TO DO

1. Use the indelible marker to draw a pattern for the spoon on the outside of the plastic soda bottle. Draw an oblong oval around one nub on the bottom of the bottle (to create the bowl of the spoon), and from the top portion of the oval, draw a vertical rectangle (to create the handle of the spoon).

2. With the scissors or utility knife, carefully cut out the shape from the bottle.

3. Fold the handle of the spoon in half lengthwise.

4. Repeat the three steps above to make up to five spoons from one 2-liter bottle.

HOW IT WORKS

The nub of the bottle forms the bowl of the spoon, and folding the handle in half lengthwise increases the strength of the utensil.

WASTE NOT, WANT NOT

Rather than discarding the top half of the plastic bottle, save it for use as a funnel.

How to Store Spices in Tic Tac Boxes

WHAT YOU NEED

Clean, empty Tic Tac boxes
Spices
Indelible marker
Ziplock freezer bag

WHAT TO DO

1. Fill each Tic Tac box with a different spice.

2. Using an indelible marker, write the name of each spice on the clear plastic near the top of the box, using the white cap as the background. (Or use a label maker.)

3. Store the miniature spice boxes in a ziplock freezer bag.

4. To use, flip open the cap and sprinkle however much spice you desire.

HOW IT WORKS

Tic Tac containers hold a small amount of spice, and their snap-tight lids keep the spices sealed inside.

LOOKING HIGH AND LOW

You can also use Tic Tac boxes to hold:

Beads
Bobby pins
Buttons
DS game cartridges
Fishing tackle
Matches
Paper clips
Seeds
Sewing kits
Toothpicks
Vitamins or pills

How to Open a Tin Can with a Concrete Block

WHAT YOU NEED

Work gloves
Safety goggles
Sealed tin can
Concrete block, sidewalk, or concrete slab

WHAT TO DO

1. Wearing work gloves and safety goggles, hold the sealed can upside down and rub the top in circles flat against the concrete until you grind down the rim.

2. Holding the can upright, gently squeeze the sides until the lid pops upward.

HOW IT WORKS

The top rim of the can is a crimp holding the top edge of the cylinder together with the lid. The friction created by rubbing the top edge of the tin can flat against the concrete erodes the crimp, loosening the lid.

OPENING A CAN OF WORMS

In 1810, British merchant Peter Durand invented the metal can so he could supply rations to the Royal Navy. Unfortunately, Durand failed to invent a device to open the cans.

During the War of 1812, British soldiers used pocketknives or bayonets to tear open canned rations—sometimes resorting to gunfire. The war popularized the metal can in England, despite the lack of an efficient can opener.

Americans, while familiar with the metal can, had little use for it—until 1861 when soldiers fighting the Civil War needed preserved rations, necessitating canned foods.

In 1858, Ezra J. Warner of Waterbury, Connecticut, invented and patented the first can opener—a fierce-looking device with a large curved blade like a sickle that the user stabbed into the can and then worked around the rim.

In 1870, American inventor William W. Lyman developed a can opener with a cutting wheel that rolls around the rim of the can. In 1925, the Star Can Opener Company of San Francisco added a serrated “feed wheel” to Lyman’s can opener so the can rotated against the wheel—the design used to this very day.

On an arctic expedition in 1824, British explorer Sir William Parry carried a can of veal printed with the instructions, “Cut round on the top with a chisel and hammer.”

Some warfare historians claim that the bayonet was originally designed by a blacksmith in the French city of Bayonne as a can opener.

How to Prevent Campfire Soot on Pots and Pans with Soap

WHAT YOU NEED

Pots and pans
Bar of soap

WHAT TO DO

1. Before cooking over an open campfire, rub the bottoms of your pots and pans with a dry bar of soap to create a thin, waxy coating.

2. Leaving the soap in place on the pots and pans, use them for cooking.

3. After cooking, allow the pots and pans to cool to the touch, and then wash them with a scrubber.

HOW IT WORKS

The thin coat of soap enables you to wash black soot from the bottoms of the pots and pans effortlessly.

DIRTY WORK

Aluminum Foil. A crumpled-up piece of aluminum foil makes an excellent pot scrubber to clean pots and pans used over a campfire grill.
Dishwashing Liquid. If you don’t have a bar of soap to rub on the bottoms of the pots and pans, coat the bottoms with a thin layer of dishwashing liquid. The black soot that forms on the bottom of the pots and pans wipes right off.
Shaving Cream. No bar of soap? No dishwashing liquid? In a pinch, coat the bottoms of the pots and pans with shaving cream. Let the shaving cream dry before placing the cookware over the fire.

How to Uncork a Wine Bottle with a Shoe or Sneaker

WHAT YOU NEED

Shoe or sneaker
Solid wall or floor

WHAT TO DO

1. Remove the cap seal from the wine bottle.

2. Loosen the laces of the shoe or sneaker.

3. Insert the base of the wine bottle upright into the shoe or sneaker.

4. Holding both the wine bottle and the shoe or sneaker, bang the heel of the footwear against the wall or floor.

5. Repeat until the cork comes loose, then remove the cork by hand.

HOW IT WORKS

As Sir Isaac Newton’s third law of motion states, for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction. Banging the bottom of the wine bottle against the wall forces the cork to move in the opposite direction, slowly prying itself from the neck of the bottle. The heel of the shoe or sneaker provides sufficient padding to prevent the glass bottle from breaking from the impact of the wall.

WINE AND DINE

To chill wine more quickly than by putting the bottle on ice, pour the wine into a 1-gallon ziplock freezer bag and swirl around in a sink filled with ice water.
There is no correlation between the price of a bottle of wine and its taste. Enjoy whatever wine appeals to you. Oftentimes, an inexpensive bottle of wine will taste better than an expensive bottle of wine.
Wine connoisseurs tend to recommend dry white wines with fish, seafood, poultry, and light meats; pink rosé with all types of food; and robust red wines with red meat and game. However, you should drink whichever wine tastes best to you.

EVERY TRICK IN THE BOOK

Put a Cork in It

More ways to pop a cork from a wine bottle without a corkscrew:

Basketball Pump. Insert the needle into the center of the cork and push down so the end of the needle penetrates the cork. Pump the air inside the bottle to increase the air pressure, popping the cork.
Book. Instead of using a shoe or sneaker as illustrated on the previous page, use a book as the padding.
House Key. Insert the key on a 45-degree angle all the way into the cork. Using the key, twist the cork clockwise while pushing upward, pulling out the cork.
Scissors. Carefully insert the pointed blade of a pair of sharp scissors into the cork. Open the shear blade perpendicular to the pointed blade, and then carefully turn the handle of the shear blade clockwise while pushing the bottle downward, pulling out the cork.
Screw, Screwdriver, and Hammer. Using a screwdriver, insert a screw into the center of the cork, leaving ½ inch of the screw exposed. Use the claw on the hammer to pull the screw (and the attached cork) from the bottle.
Screw Hook and Ballpoint Pen. Insert a screw hook in the center of the cork, and then use a ballpoint pen as a T-bar to lift out the cork.

How to Solar Cook a Hot Dog with a Pringles Can

WHAT YOU NEED

Hammer
Nail
Clean, empty Pringles potato chip can
Indelible marker
Ruler
Utility knife or scissors
Wooden skewer, 14 inches long
Hot dog
Clear packaging tape

WHAT TO DO

1. Using the hammer and nail, punch a small hole in the center of the metal bottom of a clean, empty Pringles can.

2. Remove the plastic lid from the can and use the hammer and nail to punch a hole in the center of the lid.

3. Using the indelible marker and ruler, draw a straight line along the length of the Pringles can.

4. Measure 1¼ inches from the bottom edge of the can along the length of the line, and draw a 3-inch line perpendicular to the length and bisected by the existing line.

5. Repeat step 2 measuring from the top edge of the can.

6. Using a utility knife or scissors, carefully cut the Pringles can as shown.

7. Fold back the two flaps.

8. Skewer the hot dog with the wooden skewer so that the hot dog is centered, slide the skewer into the can, and insert the end of the skewer into the hole in the metal end.

9. Place the plastic lid back onto the can, fitting the free end of the skewer through the hole so that the hot dog is suspended on the skewer inside the can and completely visible through the rectangular opening.

10. Cover the rectangular opening in the can with one or two strips of clear packaging tape to create a transparent window.

11. Place the solar cooker in direct sunlight, positioning the flaps to reflect the maximum amount of light onto the hot dog. Note that the angle at which the light hits the surface is equal to the angle at which it’s reflected, the same way a flashlight beam is reflected off a mirror.

12. Let the solar cooker sit in the sun for 30 to 45 minutes.

13. Remove the hot dog from the can and skewer, and eat it.

HOW IT WORKS

The metallic flaps and interior of the can reflect, direct, and concentrate the radiant energy from the sun onto the hot dog. A portion of the concentrated radiant energy absorbed by the hot dog is converted into thermal energy (heat). The radiant energy passes through the window created by the clear packaging tape, but the window helps contain the thermal energy, cooking the hot dog faster than an open can.

EVERY TRICK IN THE BOOK

Jingle with Pringles

Some clever uses for a clean, empty Pringles can when traveling:

Store plastic bags. Fill an empty Pringles can with the plastic shopping bags from stores, turning the can into a portable plastic bag dispenser.
Store yarn or string. Run the yarn or string through a hole punched in the plastic lid of a Pringles can.
Pack paper cups, plasticware, and napkins for a picnic. Five-ounce paper cups fit perfectly inside an empty Pringles can, as do paper napkins and plasticware.
Store pencils, pens, colored pencils, or crayons. Use an empty Pringles can decorated with Con-Tact paper.
Store spaghetti. A clean, empty Pringles can is just the right height to serve as an excellent airtight storage container for uncooked spaghetti. Cover with Con-Tact paper and label.
Store bread crumbs, flour, sugar, pasta, or biscuits. Cover empty Pringles cans with Con-Tact paper and label.
Improvise a sick bag. If you get motion sick, contain your mess in an empty Pringles can, replace the lid, and store until you can discard the can properly.
Pack jars of baby food for a trip. An empty Pringles can hold three jars of Gerber baby food, protected by the paper padding.