I’ve seen and heard a lot of weird things in my life – especially being in the prepping world – but these have to be 21 of the weirdest survival hacks ever.
It just goes to show you people can “MacGyver” amazing survival tools out of anything when motivated to do so.
Desperate times can call for desperate measures, and (ironically) those situations are often the birthplace of amazing survival hacks like I’m about to show you.
You might have heard of some of these random survival tips, but I bet you haven’t heard of them all. Just be sure to keep an open mind – one (or multiple!) of these could save your life one day, so it’s better to get prepared now.
21 Of The Weirdest Survival Hacks Ever
1 – Soda Can(dle)
Cut the side of a soda can open and fold out the flaps. Stick a candle in the can. You’ve now got a nifty candleholder, and the aluminum will reflect the light, creating extra brightness.
2 – Egg Carton = Charcoal Container
Keep charcoal in an egg carton for easy, mess-free storage. When you’re ready, simply light a corner of the egg carton on fire, and you’ll be cooking breakfast in seconds.
3 – Mosquitos Can’t Take The Heat
If you’re being eaten alive, sprinkle Tobasco on the affected body parts. Mosquitos hate the smell and can’t handle the heat, and they’ll soon be searching for another victim to prey on.
4 – Fight Bugs With Basil
Sprinkle basil and fresh rosemary onto the coals before cooking your food. Bugs hate the smell of these herbs and will avoid your meal at all costs.
5 – Solar Microwave
Take a cereal box and cut out three sides of a large rectangle inside it (leaving the 4th side attached and bent upward). Wrap the attached side and the interior of the box with aluminum foil. Leave the attached part sitting at an angle, so it reflects the sun’s rays.
After some time, your simple cheese and bread will become hot, gooey, and delicious thanks to your new solar microwave.
6 – Nature’s GPS
Take a sewing needle and wipe it on your clothing several times. Then lay the needle on top of a leaf, and rest the needle/leaf on a small body of water. The needle will naturally point north and help lead you home.
7 – Emergency Oil Lamp
Fill a Coke can halfway with olive oil. Then, twist a paper towel into a long straw and stick it into the can. Set the top of the paper towel on fire, and enjoy the light from your DIY oil lamp.
8 – Blue = BAD
For whatever reason, mosquitos love the color blue – so avoid it at all costs if you’re going through a buggy area. Mosquitos also love damp cloth, so keep your clothes dry to prevent bites.
9 – Light Colors = Less Sunburn
Don’t wear dark colored clothing (black, navy, etc.) in the sun – the rays heat up darker colors faster, causing you to heat up and burn sooner. Stick to light colors when walking outside.
10 – Concrete Opens Cans
Nope, you don’t need to buy a fancy can opener (or any for that matter) to open up that can of tuna or soup – all you need is a concrete slab. Scrape the can along its edge back and forth until it begins to perforate. Then you can open it with a knife.
Don’t believe me? Watch this video:
11 – Eggs = Temporary Radiator Fix
This is an incredibly odd prepper hack.
Hole in the radiator? To temporarily salvage the issue, break an egg onto the hole – the coolant will cook it and make a temporary cover for the hole so you can escape.
12 – Replace A Fan Belt
This one won’t be a permanent fix either, but pantyhose is stretchy enough to replace a fan belt if you’re in a jam.
13 – Store Dark Chocolate Instead
Ever notice how milk chocolate starts to turn white when it gets old? That’s because of the fat content in it. However, although milk chocolate only keeps for about a year, dark chocolate contains less fat and is good for up to three years in storage.
14 – Double Your Matchstick Supply
If you’re the kind of person that likes to start a fire quickly, but you have little room in your bug out bag, you can double your matchstick supply by simply splitting each match in half with your fingernail. Just be sure to keep the head of the stick intact when ripping.
15 – Stash Old Shoes In Your Car
This one’s actually a little less weird and a little more common sense.
Think about it – if you’re getting off work and your car breaks down (or SHTF and something crazy happens), you need to make sure you’re prepared to walk long distances in order to get help or find shelter.
Keep a pair of old shoes in the car, and another at your place of business. Old shoes have conformed to your feet and are less likely to blister them.
16 – Make Do With Smaller Batteries
If you only have AAA batteries and need AA instead, simply roll tin foil into balls and stuff them between the space between the battery and the cartridge. It’ll work as if you had the right batteries installed the entire time.
17 – Store The Cash
Most everyone has a cell phone case to protect their phone, but most people don’t use it to protect their cash. Remove the phone case and slip a $20 inside. Then put the phone back in. This is a great trick to keep your cash safe in a survival situation, as well if you’re traveling.
18 – Crayola Keeps You Warm
If you’re in an emergency and all you brought was your kid’s art supplies, borrow one of their crayons and set it on fire – it’ll burn for up to 30 minutes.
19 – Soda Bottles = Food Containers
Store your dry beans and rice in large, plastic soda bottles. The bag might rip and the box may break but plastic is durable and will keep your food safe and dry for longer.
20 – Refill Your Tires
If you’re in an emergency with a flat tire, you can fill the tire with grass to keep it moving for a short time until you can change it.
21 – Cloth For Clean Water
If you’re ever without clean water, take two mason jars and pour the dirty, murky water in one jar and leave the other empty. Fold up a long piece of cloth into a straw, and put one end in the dirty water and the other in the empty glass.
The cloth will begin to absorb the dirty water, and release cleaner water in the empty glass. However, you should always boil the water afterward to ensure contamination-free drinking water.