Post by jimcobb on Dec 10, 2022 3:18:13 GMT
It seems as though there is something of a disconnect in the survival/prepper community when it comes to survival hacks and improvising solutions to problems. Whether we’re talking about using crayons as candles, wasp spray in place of pepper spray, or another one of these “tips and tricks” that gets thrown around social media on a daily basis, survivalists and preppers dearly love them.
Here’s the unpopular opinion—many of them are nearly worthless and most of them make little sense when you give them any serious thought.
I’m not suggesting improvisation is pointless or that exploring alternate options is a waste of time and energy. Far from it, as experimentation with these techniques can bring about new innovations.
What I am saying is that concentrating your efforts on stockpiling the “ingredients” needed to pull off these hacks, rather than obtaining purpose-built items, is just this side of folly.
Time and again, I’ve seen a post pop up about how you can burn crayons as candles in a pinch and people will comment that they’re going to pick up some crayons at the store to keep on hand for emergencies. Will wax candles burn? Sure, they’re flammable. But they also make piss-poor illumination devices. If you’re going to the store, just buy candles if you’re wanting a backup for your flashlights, lanterns, chemlights, and other emergency lighting options.
Yes, it is good to know that, in a pinch, you can grab a handful of your child’s Crayolas to create light during a power outage. But, that should be your last ditch effort, not your go-to primary plan.
Over and over, this whole wasp spray for defense thing comes up. It. Just. Will. Not. Die. No matter how many times we refute this little bit of “advice,” it comes back. It is not an adequate substitute for pepper spray. It doesn’t work nearly the same and it is illegal to use in that manner. While yes, an argument can be made that any substance sprayed into the eyes will at least momentarily distract an attacker, wasp spray doesn’t cause the person to drop to the ground, unable to see or breathe easily. There are any number of YouTube videos illustrating this, as well as countless homeowners who’ve gotten it in their eyes while using it against wasps and other pests. I don’t care who told you it is a great idea for a defense weapon, they’re wrong.
However, and this is where it apparently gets confusing to some people, me saying the above does not contradict the notion of using whatever is available at the time. If you’re out in your garage and suddenly attacked by someone, by all means grab whatever you can reach and go to town on them. All bets are off when your life is on the line. But there’s a difference between that and stashing a can of wasp spray in every room of the house, just in case someone breaks in.
Many “hacks” are akin to party tricks. They’re neat to know and if you’re in a jam they might provide a bit of use, but in the grand scheme of things your time is better spent learning real solutions, rather than half-baked goofiness. And don’t even start up with the tampon in a gunshot wound nonsense.
Don’t plan to improvise. Don’t plan to use half-assed solutions. Plan to use the absolute best tools that that you can obtain and save the improvising for when those tools aren’t available.
Here’s the unpopular opinion—many of them are nearly worthless and most of them make little sense when you give them any serious thought.
I’m not suggesting improvisation is pointless or that exploring alternate options is a waste of time and energy. Far from it, as experimentation with these techniques can bring about new innovations.
What I am saying is that concentrating your efforts on stockpiling the “ingredients” needed to pull off these hacks, rather than obtaining purpose-built items, is just this side of folly.
Time and again, I’ve seen a post pop up about how you can burn crayons as candles in a pinch and people will comment that they’re going to pick up some crayons at the store to keep on hand for emergencies. Will wax candles burn? Sure, they’re flammable. But they also make piss-poor illumination devices. If you’re going to the store, just buy candles if you’re wanting a backup for your flashlights, lanterns, chemlights, and other emergency lighting options.
Yes, it is good to know that, in a pinch, you can grab a handful of your child’s Crayolas to create light during a power outage. But, that should be your last ditch effort, not your go-to primary plan.
Over and over, this whole wasp spray for defense thing comes up. It. Just. Will. Not. Die. No matter how many times we refute this little bit of “advice,” it comes back. It is not an adequate substitute for pepper spray. It doesn’t work nearly the same and it is illegal to use in that manner. While yes, an argument can be made that any substance sprayed into the eyes will at least momentarily distract an attacker, wasp spray doesn’t cause the person to drop to the ground, unable to see or breathe easily. There are any number of YouTube videos illustrating this, as well as countless homeowners who’ve gotten it in their eyes while using it against wasps and other pests. I don’t care who told you it is a great idea for a defense weapon, they’re wrong.
However, and this is where it apparently gets confusing to some people, me saying the above does not contradict the notion of using whatever is available at the time. If you’re out in your garage and suddenly attacked by someone, by all means grab whatever you can reach and go to town on them. All bets are off when your life is on the line. But there’s a difference between that and stashing a can of wasp spray in every room of the house, just in case someone breaks in.
Many “hacks” are akin to party tricks. They’re neat to know and if you’re in a jam they might provide a bit of use, but in the grand scheme of things your time is better spent learning real solutions, rather than half-baked goofiness. And don’t even start up with the tampon in a gunshot wound nonsense.
Don’t plan to improvise. Don’t plan to use half-assed solutions. Plan to use the absolute best tools that that you can obtain and save the improvising for when those tools aren’t available.