SMOKE ALARM PERIMETER GUARD

Bedding down at night can give even the bravest outdoorsman a vulnerable feeling. Setting a perimeter alarm around camp is one way to outsmart an intruder, either man or beast. You can hack a smoke alarm and clothespin to make a startling perimeter alarm.

Remove the buzzer (including wires), battery, and battery tray (including wires) from a smoke alarm. The buzzer and battery tray should each have a black and red wire. Extend the red wire of both the alarm and battery tray with some additional scrap wire and wrap the other end of one wire around the top pincher of the clothespin and the other wire around the bottom pincher. When the pincher closes the wires should touch. Now, connect the black wires from the alarm to the battery tray. When the battery is attached and the clothespin is closed, the alarm should sound. It should stop when the clothespin is open. To set, place a piece of cardboard or wood scrap in the clothespin and attach to a tripwire. When this sliver of material is pulled out, the wires will connect and the alarm will sound.

55-GALLON BATTLE SHIELD

With luck, you’ll never be involved in a situation when you need to navigate through a dangerous city or riot. However, if it happens, you may consider packing a shield made from either the front or back half of an empty plastic 55-gallon drum. Once the drum is sawed in half, you can drill holes to attach rope handles for maneuvering and stabilizing. A 55-gallon drum shield can deflect arrows, rocks, slingshots, debris, and even small-arms fire. It may provide the protection necessary to move through hostile streets. These shields can also be used as urban camouflage to temporarily hide from threats. A lighter but less durable version of this shield can be made from standard 5-gallon buckets.

CARDBOARD BODY ARMOR

Cardboard is a resource available in almost every urban survival environment. Cardboard sandwiched to a thickness of 1"–2" will reduce the effects of violent attacks, flying debris, and even small-arms fire. A template of the neck and chest can quickly be made to protect your vitals and then tied into place with available rope. Wear this under an overcoat for discretion. Other areas to protect include the back, groin, and thighs. Cut or tie smaller, more manageable pieces to these areas as well or wear them under clothing and hold by compression with tight-fitting clothing.

THE SPORT OF SELF-DEFENSE

Almost every piece of sporting equipment that I can think of, from hockey sticks and baseball bats to facemasks and football pads, can be used in self-defense. A trip to your nearest sports store can outfit you for the worst scenarios. I’ve often called sports equipment “the poor man’s riot gear.” A fresh coat of earth-tone or black spray paint can convert a hodgepodge of bright sports colors into a camouflaged outfit ready for the wilderness or streets. In my tests I’ve seen football pads stop arrows, thrown bricks, slingshot projectiles, and small-arms fire. Add a 5-pound weight tied to a length of rope in one hand and a climber’s ice axe in the other and no person in his right mind would come charging in your direction.

FROM PLUMB BOB TO ROPE DART

Handymen or women will recognize what a plumb bob is. It is a pointed weight attached to a rope that is used as a vertical reference line. I doubt, however, that many have heard of a rope dart. It is an ancient Chinese weapon that consists of a long rope (approximately 10') with a metal dart attached to the end. A user can throw the dart at an opponent and then draw it back for another attack. When swung around in circles, a rope dart can be hurled with incredible force. A loop tied around the user’s wrist keeps the rope in hand at all times. While a hardware store plumb bob makes a ready-made rope dart (when attached to a stronger rope like 550 paracord), you can use almost any dart-like object as a substitute. To become proficient with rope darts takes quite a bit of practice. You can also use them as improvised grappling hooks to climb trees or scale walls. Note: A railroad spike with a hole drilled at the head also makes a great rope dart.

Chapter 6

Gear Hacks

TOOL HACKS

Make a Glass File

Soup Can Lid Ulu

An AMAIZEing File Handle

Viking Clamps

TOOL AND GEAR MAINTENANCE HACKS

DVD Case Knife Sheath

Copper Wire Rivets

Rope Vise

Knife-Sharpening Surfaces

Plastic Bag Tool Sheath

Plastic Bottle Replacement Knife Handle

Improvised Needle Awl

Ski Knife

Charcoal Epoxy

CORDAGE HACKS

2-Liter Cordage

Dog Treat Cordage

Bottle Cap Pulley

Shopping Bag Rope

GEAR STORAGE HACKS

USPS Water-Resistant Stuff Sacks

Skivvy Roll

Gear is necessary for survival. Whether they be modern, natural, or improvised from found materials, tools make survival possible. Even primitive man used gear extensively. From flint blades to plant-fiber cordage and clay pots, a variety of improvised accoutrements made life in the wilderness not only easier but possible.

This chapter is all about using random everyday items to improvise tools and gear that may be used in some way to facilitate survival. Gear is a generic term including containers, cordage, knives, saws, and a variety of hand tools. In certain instances, the lack of gear (or the inability to improvise it) can make the difference between life and death.

Some would argue that maintaining the gear you do have is just as important as the gear itself. For this reason you will also find a section about gear repair and maintenance. Whether replacing a knife handle or waterproofing boots, these hacks help to ensure your gear performs when and how you need it.

TOOL HACKS

MAKE A GLASS FILE

I use a file all the time for tool maintenance and sharpening. It’s one of the tools I can never do without. A surprisingly effective file for soft metals, wood, and plastic can be made from a glass bottle and some epoxy. Start by crushing the glass bottle with a rock in between several layers of fabric. Try to crush it as finely as possible until it looks like tiny grains of sand. Next, sift out all of the large and irregular pieces through a piece of screen mesh. At this point you should be left with glass “sand” of around the same consistency. Apply a layer of epoxy to a clean, dry stick or small file-shaped board and press it into the glass dust so that it is fully coated. Once the epoxy has dried, your glass file is finished and ready for action.

SOUP CAN LID ULU

An ulu is a knife traditionally used by the Inuit and Yupik people of the Arctic. The crescent-shaped blade is specific to that region. It is a blade adapted to the chores of that region, which include skinning game (seals primarily) and cooking and working with caribou hides. The need for carving and chopping is unnecessary due to the scarcity of wood in that part of the world. You can fashion a very solid ulu blade from the tin lid of a standard soup can. Fold ¹⁄₃ of the lid over to create a flat, folded edge. Sharpen the exposed rounded edge on a smooth stone. You can use it as is or insert it and lash it into a split stick for a traditional ulu-style grip, as shown in the diagram.