Unusal multi purpose bug in/out equipment

[jaffab]

Doing a quick 'is that everything' check for my bug in and bug out plans, and I came across an interesting post of small unusual things with multi uses. Most I had already covered in my own equipment list for my plan B (bug in) and planC (bug out) lists.

Thought I would share these two, in case anybody else had any ideas for small unusual multi use equipment...

PENCIL SHARPENER
can be used for..
1) used on twigs and sticks to create shavings for tinder
2) Used to sharpen the ends of semi burnt sticks to make quick dagger, arrow and spear tips
3) Can be taken apart to provide a quick and strong backup blade
4) If metal, can be used as improvised door stops and wedges

CIGARETTES
1) Used for barter/trade
2) The smoke drives mozies and other flying creatures away
3) Can be used as a slow burn fuse (wrap but with cotton wool to ignite to flame)
4) The silver paper wrapper is conductive
5) The celephane wrapper can be used to cover wounds and puncture marks
6) Wet tobacco stops itches and helps healing when applied to bites and stings
7) Tobacco ash promotes clotting when applied to minor wounds
8) The but filter can be pushed inside tubes and straws to act as grain/grit first filters for water processing
9) A never go out way of moving fire from place to place

[sethorly]

I guess if you're expecting to have your EDC knife taken from you a pencil sharpener would be okey.

Cigarettes seem pretty great to me because of their fire starting and trade uses, although I don't own or store any. Your post has made me realise I should probably buy some. It's pretty easy to identify hoof fungus or birch polypore, fungi that grow in the UK and have been used for millenia to carry embers from one place to another (and provide smoke for anti-mozzie-at-camp duties - if there's no damp moss to chuck on the fire). Getting a spark to create an ember in the body of the fungus takes some practise though and I haven't mastered that yet or even got to "skill level 1" yet - hopefully by the end of this summer. For trade, they would be really valuable to the right person (read: addict), yet are low value and portable enough to provide the liquidity and purchasing power for everyday bartering. So you could trade 5 cigarettes rather than trying to pour out quarter of a bottle of whiskey.

To add to your list, how about some cordage that can also be ignited easily and burns slowly? I don't know anything about rope to know what type to use for this though.

[Yorkshire Andy]

A jumbo kids wax crayon..,...

Used for writing notes

Marking directions of movement on rocks

Used as a emergency candle paper wrap becomes a wick

Use for lubricating nuts prior to removal (scribble on exposed bolt threads before removing nut)

[sniper 55]

You can get road marking crayons, great big block things about a £1 each last time I looked (not sure if they are better or worse than kids crayons)

[Plymtom]

You can get road marking crayons, great big block things about a £1 each last time I looked (not sure if they are better or worse than kids crayons)

Just bigger, we used them on building sites for marking chases.