Unusual Uses

[MrsHoneypot]

If you found yourself in the situation in real life, and were presented with the same tools/supplies, what things would you put to unusual uses?

For example, i recently started a sandbox and for the first 2 days i couldn´t find any gloves, just loads of socks. In real life i would just put a pair of socks on my hands, in the game i had to break down 4 pairs of socks to make improvised hand coverings.

[sierra 117]

2x animal skins deer/moose, fill it with insulating material.  Keep tied around waist, use as buoyancy aid in case of thin ice or having to cross a river etc also doubles as a camp pillow.

Given enough time I'd also probably try to turn all those empty cans and one of those green metal containers into a portable stove. 

Good topic though , it is surprising some of the ways you end up improvising when camping .

[ajb1978]

Snowshoes!  Oh man at any cost, figure out some sort of way to make snowshoes!  Even if it's just strapping some plywood scraps to your shoes.  If you've ever spent an hour trudging through deep snow, especially if you're not used to it, your thighs will be absolutely KILLING you the next day.  Snowshoes take the edge off of that, by preventing you from sinking so deeply into the snow, you do less of the high-legged marching motion, and more of a natural gait.

A sledge of some kind, but something that breaks down easily and can be carried.  The idea isn't to haul more stuff, it's to make hauling what you already have easier when the circumstances allow.  Why carry when you can drag?  But you still need to travel light enough to be able to pick it up and carry it when you run out of even terrain.

If I knew I was going to be attacked by so many wolves, I'd try to craft a bite sleeve (like what they use for K9 training) out of whatever I could.  Multiple players of cloth, soles of old shoes, sticks for rigidity to protect against bone damage, etc.  Then when a wolf charges, block with my armored left forearm and counter with whatever I have available in my right.  Knife, hatchet, prybar, a rock from the ground, sharp stick.

A tarp + paracord could have soooooooo many uses, from rigging up a simple lean-to, securing gear to a pack frame, throw it over yourself like a poncho while you walk under one of those waterfalls, etc.  Also, a bow drill.  Both cedar and fir are suitable for bow drills, and for the string itself you could either harvest some sort of cordage in the bush, use your shoelace, fashion one out of some braided scrap cloth, etc.

Those giant hay bales in Pleasant Valley, man all you'd have to do is kick one of those apart and burrow your way in.  You'd be blizzard proof, unless you were horribly underdressed to begin with.  In fact, the snow would make the shelter even warmer, by providing a layer of natural insulation on the outside.

And for that matter, being able to harvest more than just firewood from trees.  I mean get some fatwood out of some pine trees, that's good stuff for firestarting.  Or even if you find one that's got some sap oozing out of it, save up some chunks.  Besides being very flammable in its own right, you can melt it near a fire then mix in ground up charcoal for a very strong natural adhesive, which would aid in the construction of a more rugged wilderness shelter.

Meh I'm gonna stop here, I could probably go on like this for an hour.  I keep getting hit by "Oh and another thing!" and there's always gonna be "another thing" when comparing a video game to real life!

[Looper]

4 hours ago, MrsHoneypot said:

If you found yourself in the situation in real life, and were presented with the same tools/supplies, what things would you put to unusual uses?

For example, i recently started a sandbox and for the first 2 days i couldn´t find any gloves, just loads of socks. In real life i would just put a pair of socks on my hands, in the game i had to break down 4 pairs of socks to make improvised hand coverings.

Use my abilities to make plastic bottles vanish for the good of mankind 😄

Cool topic

[MrsHoneypot]

Here´s another example.

If I didn´t have a bedroll but found a bunch of coats, I´d put those together. I think the Urban parker is long enough that 2 would cover a person sufficiently.

I might also break things down differently. I might make boot top coverings (just from ankle to boot top or knee) from old ski pants for extra waterproofing. 

I like your thinking on the plastic bottles Looper.

Broken down cans could help with the protective sleeve ajb.