Knowledge Weighs Nothing - Life Hacks, Bushcraft etc
 

Its camping season, so I figured its time for a repository for all of the cool tips and tricks to be found out there that can make your experience easier and more enjoyable... don't wanna pack a tent so you can really rough it? theres a lot of different shelter designs out there, need to start a fire but forgot the lighter? there are tricks out there for that as well.

It can also branch out into cool knowledge that's useful around the home and in life in general, which is why I threw "life hacks" in there... this thread is for outdoorsmen and everyman.

Tell us your trick for saving money around the house, building a fire, catching food, making a field expedient water filter etc.

I'll start with something a little off the wall...

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Until I can get my daughter over here to school my dinosaur ass, I'll be posting links for many things, sorry, Bob Dole.

4 camping hacks you might want to try...

http://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/campin...ry-this-summer

That's no fun.

cotton balls with vaseline. Jam about 10 of them in a small clear bottle. They make great fire starters and will start with one match. If you don't have a match, they take a spark readily from a magnesium bar. I keep this in my fishing backpack, my camping gear, and my truck.

**** BILL SHATNER BOOOOOO

This is what I'm talkin bout, I've got 50 in a Ziploc baggie, once lit with my handy dandy ferrocerium rod they burn hot for a good 5 minutes, plenty of time to get even soggy tinder going.

I have one of those 10x10 tents that pop up for tailgates and such. They don't take up too much space in my truck bed, so when I go camping, I set the 10x10 canopy up above my actual tent. No rain or dew issues whatsoever, it only takes 5 minutes to set up, and there are all sorts of places in the canopy top supports to hang lantern, wet clothing, etc. Totally changed tent camping for me.

I'm what you'd call "indoorsy."

One of 1001 emergency heater/stove ideas...

http://preparednessmama.com/diy-emer...rvival-heater/

I enjoy the woods, rivers, and Zoo's.

I really don't care to sleep in one though...

Before reclining on your couch recliner, always make sure the remotes and your drink will e in arm's reach. Also, pro-tip, have an extra blanket handy. That way, if you need an arm rest, or even if you just get chilly, you have one right there.

LMAO I suppose that does qualify as a life hack, Sully.

pillow pets are just about the perfect size for a head rest while sitting on your couch or chair. It may look silly, but they are very comfortable.

Don't align your lamp tables with the front of your recliners, align them with the back, because when you recline, the table will be too far out in front of you to comfortably reach your drink or evening snacks.

If you have kids, teach them to load disks in the DVD player. They enjoy the hell out of the job, and you can just point to the next movie to watch.

That's Mrs. Radar's kind of camping.

My wife wants to go camping. But knowing her, that's probably only because she has never been.

I can't get the bugs off the table because we are eating in their yard. That white and black stuff on the table is definitely not bird poop either. Probably just remnants of some oreos.

So we will definitely be borrowing our equipment for the first time we go.

I always try to camp near a Chili's, because the free drink refills are great at keeping me hydrated.

I KNOW you've got some great outdoorsman tips, let the knowledge flow...

I'm sure everyone who's ever camped has been surprised at just how fast a fire can die out without constant feeding and tending, if you want a fire that keeps you warm all night while you snore, here it is.

It takes a bit of work and the vids a bit long, but this obviously works...

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As far as catching things, I've found that taking a bag of Dove Chocolates into a Hooters and sitting at the bar, is great bait for attracting Hooters Girls.

This is pretty elementary, but I always make a few meals in advance. Scrambled eggs and cheese, onions, and peppers frozen in pint baggies. Same for chili or stew. Then these frozen baggies keep your other fresh meats cool until you use them. When ready for a meal, simply hang the baggie in boiling water with a stick and wire, and you will have meals ready to go with little or no cleanup.

A great tip I picked up from the old man for staying warm at night without building an "all night fire" is this... several hours before bed, put a grapefruit sized rock in the fire, about an hour before bed shove that rock into an old pillowcase and throw it in your fart sack.

Leave it in while you sleep if its very cold out, or take it out before bed if you just want to warm things up in cool weather... but be careful about the rock you choose, if its been soaked in water it might explode in your face while sitting in the fire.

The water heats up and steam pressure can explode the rock.

Do you put the Vaseline on them first, then stick them in the bag?

I’ll admit I was looking for a good tick removal video to post because I’m sure they’re going to be thick this year. I already found one on me after fishing a farm pond about 3 weeks ago.

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:thumb: that kind of tip is exactly what I'm looking for, the food you take with you can double as what helps keep everything else cold.

Yes, spend a good minute or two working it into the fibers... the more you do that, the longer that little cottonball will last.

If you don't end up using them as firestarters, they can still double as lip balm and cut protection.

Thanks, Radar.

Yes.

For getting rid of them I keep a small coffee can with a little motor oil in it for just such occasions. Throw them in the can, they get covered with oil and suffocate. AND I HOPE IT ****ING HURTS!!! :cuss:

Gracias...

Been meaning to get one of these and keep it on the Jeep key chain since that's typically what I'm out in.

http://www.tickedoff.com/

Looks to me like a plastic spoon with a small notch cut in the tip should do the same thing.

Yes, ticks must pay for their insidiousness, a quick and easy death does not serve justice.

Salt for the leeches is fun to watch...

Diesel Mechanic buddy’s mom used to be a girl scout leader and she showed us a nifty fire starter trick last time we went out camping. Take a paper egg carton, fill each cup with wood chips (cedar or pine chips from the pet department work great) then cover them with melted wax and throw the carton in your camping gear. When you need to start your camp fire tear off a cup or two and build your tinder around it. Same concept as the cotton balls just different materials.

I just read something the other day about throwing sage on your camp fire to keep the skeeters away. Anyone else heard of that?

:thumb: yep, this is a vaseline cottonball on steroids.

Another good medium for the wax to cling to is dryer lint, I keep a ziploc baggie of that in my kit as well... its a free supply that never runs out.

Item #4 in post #4.

:doh!: Teach me to read closer.
Ever tried it? I’ve never had much luck with home remedies like that.
You know the drier sheets in your socks thing? Yea, doesn’t work. Or I’m running through brush too thick for it to work, one of the two.

My camping hack is I found a place that rents 27' Campers for about $80 a day. New ones.

It has a hot shower and fridge that runs on propane. I will never sleep in a tent again, ever.

If you have to poop in the wild you can use a leaf to wipe

Heres a life hack that should interest just about anyone, speed that computer up...

http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2013/07/to...et-connection/

No, I've never tried sage in the fire, but I bet it helps... I would soak the bundle before I tried it, though

And as a side bonus, its should help keep ghosts away :D

That's sure cheaper than a decent hotel, and the view should be MUCH better.

Just be REAL careful about which leaf...

Last one for the night, we all know the UK to be a cold, damp, miserable clime... yet this man swears by room heaters that use nothing more than tea candles and pot planters.

I WILL be trying this next year, I bet its an amazing way to heat a small space...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/n...-8p-a-day.html

Save your dryer lint and toilet paper rolls. Pack the dryer lint in the empty toilet paper rolls. They make great fire starters.

Whenever you go on a float trip especially here in the Ozarks, Always carry a six to eight foot piece of garden hose. Getting dumped out of the canoe usually happens at River bends and log jams. Which is where the greatest danger of getting trapped under the water happens.
a person can you supposed to breathe with until they are freed.

That's half the fun of camping.

AMEN!!!

Camp stove out of a pop can:

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Why is pee important here? Couldn't you do the same thing with water?

Funny story. First time I took my boy camping (he was 3). It was around Halloween out on 20 acres behind my buddy's dad's house. We decided to play a trick on them. We planted the children's heads with a ghost story about a midget witch who only gets children. About an hour later my buddy's sister sneaks up through the woods acting like she's the midget witch. Besides my son there were 3 other children: my daughter age 13 and his two sons aged 12. She sneaks up my daughter starts bawling as did one of his sons, the other just barfed immediately. My son doesn't say a word, shows no emotion, straight up walked up to her and decked her. It was over at that point as even the midget witch was rolling.

Take her here. It's perfect for you. All the stuff like tents, ice, firewood and water are taken care of for you and you get a small island to yourselves.

LMAO Leave it to the young'n.

You tellin' me someone who listens to Riff Raff is not the out doors type?

C'mon.

You'd better not be under very long if you're trying to breath through a hose that long. Almost all the air you inhale will be air you just exhaled and it won't take long to run out of oxygen.

It's stories like these why I love the outdoors. Being isolated from technological and other life distractions. Being isolated from the world and just focusing on nature and the other people around. I think it's more of a stop and pay attention thing because I've got a ton of memories from these trips that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world.

I like to pull them off and set them on the hood my work truck that has set in the hot sun. They hot foot around a little bit then give up the ghost.

Here’s something everyone should have in their camping gear, or at least something like it.

http://i57.tinypic.com/255s5s2.jpg

After you’ve been stomping around in the woods wash your arms, legs, hands and feet down with this stuff. I don’t know about you guys but poison ivy/oak is thick around here. I’ve gotten much better at recognizing it but I’ll still come down with it at least once a year.

If it’s too late and you’ve got blistering rash move on to this stuff.

http://i60.tinypic.com/2u8aufc.jpg

Always worked for Tarzan with the reed.

It works if it's short enough. 2 or 3 feet is probably alright. 8 feet is too long.

If you're on the couch and are having trouble breathing, don't bother with a hose. You're probably choking on a potato chip. Simply pat your belly until your dog jumps on you, sorta like the Heimlich menouver.

Pro tip: Chewing often prevents this.

Those are great, I've got an easier to make, cruder version of it made from a fancy feast cat food can, but it will still boil two cups of water in 4 minutes.

What if you don't have any water?

The witch story was hilarious, and I totally agree with the above... I can almost literally feel my blood pressure go down when I'm out in the woods away from all of the BS.

I never fail to feel refreshed afterwards.

Sometimes one must be evil to defeat evil.

The best way to cook.

http://www.culinarymusings.com/wp-co...-oven-deep.jpg

or you can keister them to prevent having to poop in the woods.

Probably make your fire smell like shit though.

Oh hell yes. :rockon:

I learned something on CP, Permethrin is the ****ing bomb for ticks. Soak pants and jacket with it. No ticks.

I may add that if you get a lone star tick, very popular in MO, that the best way I have found to remove them is to flip them on their back and pull out backwards. For whatever reason they are more likely to break or just never come out if you pull them straight out or straight back. But flipping them works like a charm.

Interesting. I had always called what we have around here deer ticks but your comment about lone star ticks got me wondering if that’s what they are. According to this chart:

http://www.tickinfo.com/TICKIDPAGE.htm

What we have mostly are American dog ticks.

The best method I’ve found for removal is similar to what you and the video are talking about, pair of tweezers as close to where the ticks connected to the skin as possible, but instead of a slow steady pull backwards I pull until the skin starts to bulge out and hold it. Pretty soon the tick will let go on its own.
When you grab a tick the first thing it does is tighten its grip, that’s why if you yank on it it’ll leave parts behind.
It’s kind of like if your holding onto a bar, if you’re just lying there you can hold onto it forever but if someone comes along and starts pulling on your legs you’re only going to be able to hold on for so long. So if you get a good grip on the tick and pull until there’s pressure on it to hold on it’ll eventually fatigue and let go. At least that’s my theory and I’ve had lots of success with it.

I've never seen one of them things. Usually we just use a big ol cast iron and put a rack around the edge. I'll have to try one of them out.

You can cook damn near anything in one of those sumbitches....

So true. My favorite camp recipes involves two frozen pizzas, a tube of Jimmy Dean Sausage and lots of cheese.
I use mine at home for everything from Upside Down Pineapple cake to Mountain Man Breakfast.

Pro Tip:
Cooking with a Cast Iron Dutch Oven is fat free. The iron uptakes all the bad fats and cholesterol to make EVERYTHING HEALTHY.

Even opossum!

Even the rare Mohawk Opossum!...