23
votes
Are there any natural materials that can be used as a magnifying lens (or to craft one)?
It's possible to do it with ice that has been shaped into a convex lens. The ice needs to be clear and fairly large like 5 inches across. Obviously this won't work in the summer, and the cold ...
- 69.4k
18
votes
Duct tape as adhesive bandage
Yes you can. Just be aware that Duct tape is very sticky in comparison to regular medical tape, so when you go to peel it off, it puts a lot more stress on the healing wound and is likely to re-open ...
- 11.3k
11
votes
Accepted
Can you start a wood fire with a Spark Bunsen Burner/Laboratory Lighter?
The technical answer is simply: yes. But that answer would be deceiving, so...
Can it be done?
Yes. It throws out some decent sparks. The device works by scraping a tiny piece of flint over steel. ...
- 3,574
10
votes
Accepted
Start a fire with key fob battery?
With just the right equipment in a laboratory setting, you can use the energy in a key fob battery to cause a spark. You can then use that to start a fire under the right conditions.
However, that's ...
- 21.5k
9
votes
Are there any natural materials that can be used as a magnifying lens (or to craft one)?
(Taking into account that we do have an "ice" answer already)
The one magnifying lens that is fast and easy to get and that does have an optical quality that actually helps vision as a magnifying ...
- 4,328
8
votes
Is it safe to use denatured alcohol as an antiseptic?
I'm a physician. High proof alcohol – be it ethanol or rubbing – causes osmotic bursting of cells – like distilled water – and hurts like Hell. It is only suitable for surfaces,...
- 97
8
votes
Is there a way to light a fire in the wild using rocks?
Yes you will need a special kind of rock. The spark is a tiny bit of burning iron struck off the source of iron by a really hard rock. So if you are only using rocks then you will need 1 iron rich ...
8
votes
Accepted
How to protect sunglasses without a case?
A clean sock will protect them from scratches with no need for fasteners and it takes a fair bit of pressure or impact to actually damage glasses (bending them slightly is another matter). Once ...
- 27k
8
votes
Duct tape as adhesive bandage
Given your comment that you want to replace an adhesive bandage, rather than medical tape:
Yes, you can use duct tape + CLEAN cloth for this, but you can do a few things to make it more pleasant.
Cut ...
- 1,297
7
votes
How to measure the temperature without a thermometer?
Yes, you can build a basic thermometer using just water, or any liquid. You first need to mostly seal it in a container (like a glass bottle) and use a straw or thin clear tube immersed in it to allow ...
- 71
7
votes
Hot water system as a heater for car camping?
In the outdoors, the way to deal with cold is not to heat the environment, but to insulate yourself. You say "snow line", so it appears you aren't asking about anything particularly cold.
Just get a ...
- 21.5k
6
votes
Are there any natural materials that can be used as a magnifying lens (or to craft one)?
As has been mentioned in other answers, for vision, a pinhole device, similar to what is used for pinhole cameras, is your best bet. Short of water (which you have already ruled out), that's about ...
6
votes
Are there any natural materials that can be used as a magnifying lens (or to craft one)?
A clear mineral crystal can be worked to a lens shape with enough time and effort. Quartz, sapphire and ruby are likely candidates. Ruby lenses were common on wand style barcode reader pens.
Even ...
- 61
6
votes
How to protect sunglasses without a case?
For the scenario, no backpack, no nothing, just a short hike and you find your treasure shining in the sun.
Find a piece of grass that won't break easily and can be bended without breaking in ...
- 161
5
votes
How to protect sunglasses without a case?
Any sturdy box big enough to hold them would work, also when the box is a lot bigger.
You can fill the empty space with something soft, like a piece of clothing you happen to have handy.
The smaller (...
- 4,740
4
votes
Start a fire with nail clippers?
Nail Clipper file is very likely made of stainless steel, which cannot produce spark. Same analogy in stainless knife vs. carbon steel knife. Even it is high carbon steel under the chrome, you have to ...
- 429
4
votes
What are some alternative ways of fishing - i.e. catching fish?
Trotlining is popular in the southern U.S. for catfish. It’s reminiscent of more commercial techniques and is a passive means of catching fish, where one sets out temporary rigs of rope along a ...
- 41
4
votes
Start a fire with key fob battery?
A bit more than a comment on Olin's answer:
I've done an experiment, and no, you can't.
I took:
a brand new CR2025
some steel wool to make it easier; this is a nice firelighting filament with ...
- 27k
4
votes
Are there any natural materials that can be used as a magnifying lens (or to craft one)?
It's also possible to start a fire using a plastic bag filled with water.
If by any chance you stumble open some waste of people that left it behind, or you happen te have kept that one sandwich bag ...
- 49
4
votes
How to improvise a pair of tweezers in the wild?
I've used bamboo tweezers before. They're normally made by gluing two flat pieces of bamboo togther with a wedge in between, but with skill and suitable thread you could lash the blades together with ...
- 27k
3
votes
Are there any natural materials that can be used as a magnifying lens (or to craft one)?
I have been wondering about the same problem - (I want to know if Neolithic astronomers 7,000+ years ago had the ability to magnify images of comets to give them a vague/reasonable idea of their ...
- 31
3
votes
Are there any natural materials that can be used as a magnifying lens (or to craft one)?
If you can recover a source of glass, you should be able to melt it using a charcoal fire with bellows to force air and increase the temperature. You'd need a mould, for which clay would be good. This ...
- 27k
3
votes
How to make DIY ice axe protectors?
I use an empty prescription medication plastic bottle form CVS or Wallgreens. If it's a little bit loose, I can secure it with a duct tape.
- 31
3
votes
Hot water system as a heater for car camping?
gas heaters are obviously unwise inside a sleeping space (due to exhaust)
There are a lot of different types of gas heaters, many of which would be unsafe to use inside a sleeping space. An indoor ...
- 10.7k
3
votes
Accepted
How big a tarp for one person?
Your bare minimum option (in terms of weight, size and cost) would be plastic sheeting, eg a heavy-duty garbage bag or emergency survival blanket (the kind that's a plastic sheet with a shiny metallic ...
- 4,364
3
votes
How big a tarp for one person?
A few more thoughts:
The necessary size of tarp for rain + wind depends a lot on how much water you'd be willing to get onto/into your sleeping bag. E.g. I tend to be more picky when I'm out with my ...
- 4,328
3
votes
Improvised shoes in coniferous forest (winter conditions)
Leather, skin or fur are really the best “raw” natural materials for shoes.
You might be able to weave something out of twigs and grass or (if you have the tools) make clogs out of a solid piece of ...
- 696
2
votes
Start a fire with nail clippers?
Yes if one of these tiny replaceable flints from a gas welding torch lighter lives on the chain of your nail clipper as well.
The flints are so small this is reasonable. Apologies couldn’t find a ...
- 3,476
2
votes
Hot water system as a heater for car camping?
It’s decently common to use a nalgene water bottle inside of a sleeping bag to help stay warm during the night.
Before you go to bed you fill the water bottle with water warmed over a stove and ...
- 69.4k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible