# Simply Simple Ideas !!



## TrackerRat (Mar 24, 2011)

This is a great place to put your quick ideas. Anything from simple, cheap or some great ingenuity






for starters

Its very easy to hike when you have a walking stick. Easy durable solution, Ski poles!! Go to garage sales or thrift stores and swipe em up. Your arms can take some of the burden off of your legs. They are light weight and long lasting.


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## Halfway (Nov 26, 2009)

Collect and attach baby carabiners to EVERYTHING. You'll need to hang that water bottle at sometime!


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

get more pockets, get clothes with lots or sew em' in yourself; sew oversized ones inside your coats/jackets

pockets are nice, they hold stuff


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## Warrendee (Jan 12, 2011)

*Simply Simple Ideas*

A Tampax is a field expedient battle dressing.
They oughtta make this thread a sticky
W


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## MrSfstk8d (Jan 20, 2011)

The_Blob said:


> get more pockets, get clothes with lots or sew em' in yourself; sew oversized ones inside your coats/jackets
> 
> pockets are nice, they hold stuff


Carefull with where you PUT those pockets, and what you put in them. I can tell you from experience, putting the wrong load in a thigh pocket on a long ruck can chaffe rather uncomfortably.

Halfway, by baby carbines, do you mean the three inch carbiners you get at the dollar store? Or the plastic interlocking baby ring toys you can clip onto one another? I suppose either would hold a water bottle, lol. Each has their uses.

Oh, and NEVER put anything but water in your canteens. EVER!!!!!!!!!!! You'll never get the smell out (or the cleaners if you go that route), and if you forget it's there, you run serious risk of spoilage. If you want coffee, use a coffee cup.

Wrap half a box of Tampax around the end of a stout stick, wrap that in wire, soak the assembly in some fuel (kerosene good, gasoline, not so much). Light. Instant torch, runs quite a while. Just don't hold it over your head, as any drips will make a really cool sound as they burn on their way down. Make sure you're not what it lands on. Slower burning fuels are better. BTW, in my experience, deisel is TOO stable for this.

Good thread!!!


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

If you do put something other than water in a canteen or stainless steel bottle-put in 1/2 cup of baking soda and fill with boiling water. Let it sit for at least 24 hours and then rinse-no more stinky canteen or SS water bottle.


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## HarleyRider (Mar 1, 2010)

Every time you get something to eat at a drive-thru, be sure to ask for extra salt, pepper, sugar, powdered creamer, etc. You'd be amazed at how quickly these add up, and can save you quite a few bucks in the long run.


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## MrSfstk8d (Jan 20, 2011)

Be careful where you store them too. They are like mouse magnets. Heaven forbid one of the packets in the case got broken, or the cashier had food mess on his/her hands.


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## Clarice (Aug 19, 2010)

That's right HarleyRider, and they are so much lighter weight and easier to pack than a salt & pepper shaker. Seems we always have extra in the bag so I just keep a small snack size ziploc bag in the vehicle and stash them there. When I pack our lunches for fishing trips I add these in with the sandwich.


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## TrackerRat (Mar 24, 2011)

Pack a bandanna, you can use it to keep the sun off your neck, the dust out of your mouth or the sweat out of your eyes. It can become a makeshift sling or used to stop the bleeding on severe wounds.


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## TrackerRat (Mar 24, 2011)

I read in a book that if you lose power to your house you should put a tent up in the living room and sleep in it. It will hold heat in and keep you warmer.


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## carolexan (Dec 28, 2010)

TrackerRat I recently puchased a new tent, as ours was done in. We put it up in the living room and slept there for the night. Both of DH and I are tall but it was a perfect fit for sleeping...:wave: good idea.

My simple idea is to be sure to wear comfortable shoes, boots etc and good quality socks. Be good to your feet.


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## Doomskull (Mar 25, 2011)

Save alot of dryer lint in ziplock baggies. Makes great fire starting material. Plus steel wool and a nine volt battery to start the fire with.


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## Warrendee (Jan 12, 2011)

Take a ten foot section of hemp rope, cut it into one-foot pieces. Shred each one foot piece, and stuff the shred in a 35mm film can, seal each, and keep them in your pack, butt pack, BOB, etc. with a flint striker, they are instant fire starters.


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## ZoomZoom (Dec 18, 2009)

Lots of options on fire starters listed but I'll throw out one of my favorites. Take some cotton balls and swab them (relatively heavily) through Vaseline or other petroleum jelly and put in a ziplock bag. Pull one out when needed and light it. They light easily and burn a long time.


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## Halfway (Nov 26, 2009)

MrSfstk8d said:


> *Halfway, by baby carbines, do you mean the three inch carbiners you get at the dollar store?* Or the plastic interlocking baby ring toys you can clip onto one another? I suppose either would hold a water bottle, lol. Each has their uses.
> 
> Good thread!!!


The cheap, non-rappel type carabiners such as the one's in the check out lanes on key rings and such. Always handy and can be easily clipped to bug out bags, tent poles, guy lines, clothes lines, etc.

And I agree...GREAT THREAD! You can get a lot of dryer lint into a 35mm plastic film container!


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

bczoom said:


> Lots of options on fire starters listed but I'll throw out one of my favorites. Take some cotton balls and swab them (relatively heavily) through Vaseline or other petroleum jelly and put in a ziplock bag. Pull one out when needed and light it. They light easily and burn a long time.


I used rubbing alcohol with that technique ---works great.


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

I have those little freeby containers of hand sanitizer in each vehicle and each of my bags and my little day hiker pack. There are lighters and back up match packs with each and every one of them... all you have to do is put a tiny squirt of that stuff on your tinder and light it and it burns wonderfully and is hard to blow out so works okay in a breeze. I have used it on purpose to test when starting fires out in our back yard and can say personally it works better than other things I have tried. Now if you had some dryer lint and put a dab on and lit it you would be golden.
I don't throw those bottle out when empty either... I buy the big bottle at the dollar store and refill them all about once a month if they need it.

I don't know about all weddings but the last few that I have been to have had the book matches with their names on them... at the end of the night while I was helping the family clean up(many of the weddings I have been to lately have all been family lol) they had three whole cartons left that were not even opened and they let me have one whole box. There were 100 packets in there... sure they all have a name and date on it, but they still work! So keep your eyes open. There are opportunities all around us.


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## Frugal_Farmers (Dec 13, 2010)

bczoom said:


> Lots of options on fire starters listed but I'll throw out one of my favorites. Take some cotton balls and swab them (relatively heavily) through Vaseline or other petroleum jelly and put in a ziplock bag. Pull one out when needed and light it. They light easily and burn a long time.


Learned this tip years ago. We store ours in 33mm film canisters.


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## Frugal_Farmers (Dec 13, 2010)

TrackerRat said:


> Its very easy to hike when you have a walking stick. Easy durable solution, Ski poles!! Go to garage sales or thrift stores and swipe em up. Your arms can take some of the burden off of your legs. They are light weight and long lasting.


Warp duct tape around your hiking pole (ski pole) and you have a ready source for emergencies.


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## Frugal_Farmers (Dec 13, 2010)

Portable duct tape-- unroll duct tape and refold it in a 3 inch length (credit card size) and wrap several layers. Put this handy length of duct tape in your wallet for everyday emergency use. We also keep several of these in each vehicle.

Surprisingly, I have used my emergency wallet duct tape on several occasions in a public setting. People are blown away when they see the expediant duct tape fix.


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## Frugal_Farmers (Dec 13, 2010)

Not trying to hi-jack this thread, but this is an awesome topic and I have tons of tips to contribute in this thread.

In lieu of posting my entire list of uses for 5-gallon buckets here, I will provide this link to a blog entry I wrote some time ago:

Our Little Farm: The Bucket List


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## hillbilly (Jan 24, 2009)

[quote

I don't know about all weddings but the last few that I have been to have had the book matches with their names on them... at the end of the night while I was helping the family clean up(many of the weddings I have been to lately have all been family lol) they had three whole cartons left that were not even opened and they let me have one whole box. There were 100 packets in there... sure they all have a name and date on it, but they still work! So keep your eyes open. There are opportunities all around us.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/quote]

Our little convenience store always has book matches setting out and over the past yr have probably collected 300 packs and if the cashiers feel good the night I go in and there is none out I ask for some and they usually hand me an unopened box for free.


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## mrghostwalker (Sep 17, 2009)

The Duct tape ideas are great!
If you have children, or work in a school, then you have lots of broken crayons. Save them for making heaters out of. A tuna can plus a coil of cardboard and melted crayons (and any other wax you have lying around). These make great emergency heaters or stoves and they won't leak in your backpack.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

Working on something or it's taken apart to move??? Put the screws in 'masking' tape, fold, and label with sharpie--been doing this for years.
You won't lose those little buggers.


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## BillM (Dec 29, 2010)

*Most versital*



Frugal_Farmers said:


> Portable duct tape-- unroll duct tape and refold it in a 3 inch length (credit card size) and wrap several layers. Put this handy length of duct tape in your wallet for everyday emergency use. We also keep several of these in each vehicle.
> 
> Surprisingly, I have used my emergency wallet duct tape on several occasions in a public setting. People are blown away when they see the expediant duct tape fix.


Amen. duct tape is the worlds most versital invention. Apollo 13 would never have made it back without a roll of duct tape and a ******* astronault


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## Frugal_Farmers (Dec 13, 2010)

BillM said:


> Amen. duct tape is the worlds most versital invention. Apollo 13 would never have made it back without a roll of duct tape and a ******* astronault


Gotta love ******* astronauts


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## TrackerRat (Mar 24, 2011)

I keep a pitcher of water in the fridge. Its a cold gallon+ of water and water stored. Thats one more day of life


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## TrackerRat (Mar 24, 2011)

I was reading some peoples comments where they expressed their worries of mice and other pests effecting their food storage. I heard some easy ideas from a wildlife officer. 

1. Ammonia Ball: Take a pair of socks and ball them up and soak them in ammonia. Throw them in dens of pests or strategically place them in crawl spaces or window wells ect.
2. Cayenne; rodents, bunnies most animals hate the odor of Cayenne. You can sprinkle it in areas that you want to deter the varmints. 

I found this online and it had some good ideas:

* Deter Pests from your Surroundings

1. Lighting: lights lure bugs and insects, so porch and patio lights can be a perfect invitation for pests to enter your house. Have yellow exterior lighting rather than white.
2. Gutters: clean out gutters in the autumn to prevent wood rot, and to prevent insects nesting in the rotting leaves.
3. Keep your garden and the area around your house free of rubbish.
4. Don't leave spilled birdseed under feeders and bird tables - it could attract mice, rats, pigeons and squirrels.
5. Don't leave piles of wood, leaves, pipes and other detritus in the garden as it provides a perfect hiding place for rodents and other pests.
6. Stacked Firewood - Keep firewood a decent distance from your house and make sure it's kept off the ground.


* Keep Pests Physically Out - check the exterior of your property

1. Seal up holes around pipework.

* Did You Know Mice can get through a Hole the Width of a Pencil? *
2. Fit brush strips to the base of doors.
3. Fit fine wire mesh over vent holes.
4. Screen windows that need to be open to prevent flying insect access.


* Be Inhospitable! - Pests need Food, Water, Warmth and somewhere Safe to Live

1. Keep loose foods in sealed containers - glass or plastic containers.
2. Lids on bins - take the rubbish out daily and clean up behind the bin. Bits of food on the floor in dark corners can attract cockroaches.
3. Keep your home clean - vacuum regularly, including the mattresses. More info on Bed Bugs.
4. Keep your pets clean - watch out for fleas.
5. Check for water leaks - ensure no access to water if possible.


* Get Rid of them!

1. Use poisons, physical traps, pest repeller devices and ideally call in the experts.
2. Do your research.
3. Check out several different pest control companies.
4. Read testimonials.
5. Ensure they are the expert for your type of pest.


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

TrackerRat said:


> I was reading some peoples comments where they expressed their worries of mice and other pests effecting their food storage. I heard some easy ideas from a wildlife officer.
> 
> 1. Ammonia Ball: Take a pair of socks and ball them up and soak them in ammonia. Throw them in dens of pests or strategically place them in crawl spaces or window wells ect.
> 2. Cayenne; rodents, bunnies most animals hate the odor of Cayenne. You can sprinkle it in areas that you want to deter the varmints.
> ...


I'm a simple guy... I got a couple cats


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## JustAPrepper (Apr 15, 2011)

I run our disposable razors across a piece of denim once a week to keep the blades sharp. I've been using the same Venus razor for about 8 months now and DH's Gillette is at least 6 months old. Also, the blades are interchangeable with the handles so if the male Gillette replacement heads are on sale or cheaper I buy those and can attach them to my Venus handle when needed. Same thing with Schick, they are interchangeable between male and female. 

We have a pretty small house so I started storing the industrial size rolls of toilet paper from my big box store. 6 huge rolls to a box that equal about 44 regular size rolls and the boxes barely take up any space and stack nicely. They also fit under the bed and/or the furniture.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

Hey TrackerRat...great use for old socks with holes...because I don't dust with aerosol sprays(use swiffer) and have lots of socks and nothing to do with---thanks.

And I don't have cats; but no mice here since moved here almost 4 years ago--must be the neighbors cats working overtime for me...great.

My Tip: I use an old kitchen towel for 'swiffer for floors' instead of those replacement swiffer sheets that are so expensive; (reusable after washing, your choice)....:2thumb:


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

JustAPrepper said:


> I run our disposable razors across a piece of denim once a week to keep the blades sharp. I've been using the same Venus razor for about 8 months now and DH's Gillette is at least 6 months old. Also, the blades are interchangeable with the handles so if the male Gillette replacement heads are on sale or cheaper I buy those and can attach them to my Venus handle when needed. Same thing with Schick, they are interchangeable between male and female.
> 
> We have a pretty small house so I started storing the industrial size rolls of toilet paper from my big box store. 6 huge rolls to a box that equal about 44 regular size rolls and the boxes barely take up any space and stack nicely. They also fit under the bed and/or the furniture.


I thought about that with the TP..is it cheaper?? is it rough?(when shtf, may be our only comfort?) will they fit on TP holder?? Not?
Will more than likely start buying those now.


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## BillM (Dec 29, 2010)

*Poisen the Rats ?*



TrackerRat said:


> I was reading some peoples comments where they expressed their worries of mice and other pests effecting their food storage. I heard some easy ideas from a wildlife officer.
> 
> 1. Ammonia Ball: Take a pair of socks and ball them up and soak them in ammonia. Throw them in dens of pests or strategically place them in crawl spaces or window wells ect.
> 2. Cayenne; rodents, bunnies most animals hate the odor of Cayenne. You can sprinkle it in areas that you want to deter the varmints.
> ...


I thought that was what the 22 and the skillet was for ?


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## JustAPrepper (Apr 15, 2011)

JayJay said:


> I thought about that with the TP..is it cheaper?? is it rough?(when shtf, may be our only comfort?) will they fit on TP holder?? Not?
> Will more than likely start buying those now.


It's a little cheaper than the big bundles of 45 or so rolls, the box costs me around $21 and the bundles cost around $25. It's Kimberly Clark/Scott brand so it's not bad stuff (I checked.) It won't fit on a regular holder but I think my DH has seen a plan somewhere to make a holder out of a 5 gallon bucket, I could be wrong though. The main reason I store it this way is because of the space savings.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

JustAPrepper said:


> It's a little cheaper than the big bundles of 45 or so rolls, the box costs me around $21 and the bundles cost around $25. It's Kimberly Clark/Scott brand so it's not bad stuff (I checked.) It won't fit on a regular holder but I think my DH has seen a plan somewhere to make a holder out of a 5 gallon bucket, I could be wrong though. The main reason I store it this way is because of the space savings.


Thanks for the info...great idea/ space saver....boxes and packages of 24 take lots of space.


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## Jimmy24 (Apr 20, 2011)

Save your old phones books. And you can get many for the taking.

Good trading matieral as TP in a SHTF scenario I would think...

Jimmy


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## TrackerRat (Mar 24, 2011)

I moved this from another thread, great idea



ReconCraftTheta said:


> Just voicing another idea I had a bit back. In my family, we have quite a few cats, so we'd buy the big plastic bins of Tidy Cats litter. Empty, they make great water containers!


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## neldarez (Apr 10, 2011)

mrghostwalker said:


> The Duct tape ideas are great!
> If you have children, or work in a school, then you have lots of broken crayons. Save them for making heaters out of. A tuna can plus a coil of cardboard and melted crayons (and any other wax you have lying around). These make great emergency heaters or stoves and they won't leak in your backpack.


ok, I'm not the sharpest pencil in the box, I don't get what you're saying here...sorry, would you explain ?


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## Elinor0987 (May 28, 2010)

Curtain sheers have many uses. You can strain liquids, use them as a sifter, use it when you run out of cheesecloth (if you make homemade cheese), shine shoes, sew them together to make a mosquito net, use them to catch fish (kind of like basket fishing). If you have a dryer exhaust going out the window and for some reason have to close it, you could even put a piece of the curtain on the end to collect the lent. 

If your automobile is ever stuck in mud or snow, you can use cardboard or your floor mats to put under the tires to gain friction. A couple of years ago my car got stuck in a patch of snow. As the tires were spinning, the snow underneath kept getting smoother. I took pieces of cardboard and put them under my back tires. I was able to get my car unstuck without any help.


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## neldarez (Apr 10, 2011)

bczoom said:


> Lots of options on fire starters listed but I'll throw out one of my favorites. Take some cotton balls and swab them (relatively heavily) through Vaseline or other petroleum jelly and put in a ziplock bag. Pull one out when needed and light it. They light easily and burn a long time.


I have done that and it works great...also, if you use smokeless lamp oil, burns for very long time and no black smoke, so if you used it where you were cooking etc, you wouldn't be standing in the black smoke.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

I have been buying these little solar-recharged keychain lights. HOLY COW are they handy!! I use them all the time, and keep one in every room. They are only a buck.


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

LincTex said:


> I have been buying these little solar-recharged keychain lights. HOLY COW are they handy!! I use them all the time, and keep one in every room. They are only a buck.


cool! where do you find those? online or are they readily available at a store?


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

lhalfcent said:


> cool! where do you find those? online or are they readily available at a store?


I just saw these at Sam's club in a plastic tub -Ithink it was something like 24 of them for $20-in the area for "gumball machine toys" I so wanna pick it up and pass some out for holiday gifts. and some for self.


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## efbjr (Oct 20, 2008)

*Neat stove...*



neldarez said:


> ok, I'm not the sharpest pencil in the box, I don't get what you're saying here...sorry, would you explain ?


Try this link, just one of many available on the web:

How to Make an Emergency Stove from Common Materials | Utah Preppers


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## neldarez (Apr 10, 2011)

efbjr said:


> Try this link, just one of many available on the web:
> 
> How to Make an Emergency Stove from Common Materials | Utah Preppers


awesome post......thanks very much.......I printed some of their stuff out.:2thumb:


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## neldarez (Apr 10, 2011)

When I work in the garden I'm usually down on my knees, even though I wear jeans my knees get really sore. Today I took some of my husbands socks that had holes in the toe, cut the ribbed tops off and slipped those over my knees under my jeans.......huge difference!!


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