Improvising (my not so survival scenario)

[InfantryAmerican]

So this wasn't exactly a SHTF scenario, but I figured I'd share it with you guys.

So for those of you who don't know (I'm newish around these parts), I live off the grid in the US. Anyway, I was hiking to the nearest grocery store to get some supplies. On my way there, I had to walk through some pretty thick brush. I lost my footing and fell directly into the worst place I possibly could - a gigantic thorn bush. Needless to say it hurt like falling into a hornet's nest and there were a fair share of cuss words echoing through the mountains at about that time. Now these things are bad enough when you walk past them and get one stuck in you, imagine falling into it when you have a backpack on! Some of those suckers were dug in pretty deep.

I didn't have tweezers on me, but I'm glad I had this thing. I actually found it lying in a parking lot outside of Wal Mart a few years ago and always kept it with me (it's pretty useful). Anyway, I improvised and used the pliers part to pull out all of the thorns. Then I cleaned the wounds with some ointment from my first aid kit. I started a small fire, and opened a can of beans, and relaxed for a bit to get over my melodramatic experience.

Has anyone else here run into a time where they had to improvise? Or maybe you used a tool for it's not so intended purpose?

[hunter63]

I don't know if this sort of thing is what you had in mind....but seems like sometimes temporary fix's sometimes become an "always carry".

Back in the olden days.... when your survival food for a days hunting consisted of a sandwich, of some sort, bag of chips, (Fritos burn like crazy min needed), apple, maybe cookies...hard candy to suck on....in a plastic bread bag, and carried in your pocket or " game pouch" in the back of the coat.

Was fairly early walking to a stand a couple of miles out, stepped in a fox hole(?) along side a marsh....ice had been thick enough to make it all the way across until that finial step.

Went in on one leg all the way to my crotch....Man that was cold, and you could feel the cold water soaking thru as I was trying to get out.
Wasn't even light out yet....gonna be a long day.

Was wearing Sorrel Pac boots with wool liners, wool socks.......soaked.

Took off boots, and sock...put my wool mitt (liner for chopper mitts) on my foot, put it in the bread bag, after taking out the goodies and transferring them into my pockets...and put the boot and liner back on... with that bag separating my foot w/mitt and the wet liner.....

Spent the rest of the day hunting, and building a small fire died out sock an liner....so I could use the mitt.

To this day, I carry 2 garbage bags in every coat bag and a box of them in the trucks and DW car.

I use them for everything....ponchos, shelters, waders (one on each foot) foraging, picking up garbage in the woods (pet peeve), kneeling/sitting on.

But I would never have thought of it... unless I had that experience with the bread(lunch) bag.