Hi Plainsman,
Back to improvisation between the Christmas festivities and thesis writing!
Since the use of knife/multitool, firestarter and cordage has been discussed in details many times at different places, I am going to take only the can and the bottle for now.
1 l plastic bottle:
-water container (that would be its primary function if better is not given)
-fish trap (from books, cut top off and reverse it)
-plastic body makes some kinda cordage if cut up into a spiral (tried and found it very crude but might be OK for snare)
-label on bottle: write message on back, use for sign left behind, cut into stripes to mark branches and leave track, cut into stripes and twist into cord (short pieces were attached with knots were OK but not very servicable)
-with some water in it, bottle can be gently heated (tightenned cap) over fire without diforming bottle (rolling and shaking, water warms up and cools plastic the same time) until water is nice hot
-with same method (by regularly releasing pressure and retightening cap) I could shrink bottle that makes wall thicker (do not distort opening or it will leak!)
-huge bobber for fishing
-cut up and roll around fractured limb as cast
-to melt ice in it over heat
Aluminum can:
-shiny fishing lure, fishing gorge, improvised hook
-fold/roll wall into spear head, arrow head, some kind of sharp edged cutting tool
-mini hobo stove, lantern
-to carry fire when travel
-mini-pot for cooking
-cut up into a spiral and improvise some wire (I haven't tried but would if any can was around), if nothing better than some kinda barbed wire ('cause of sharp edge?)
-use as a trap (cut into a sharp edged star pattern, so small animal sticks head through but cannot pull out due to sharp edged 'teeth')
-polish shiny flat piece into signal mirror (even can try to poke sitting hole in middle)
-fill with pebbles and hear when trap trigger goes off
-use as a 'tin cricket' to make audible signals
OK, let's see what others had...
HM
