Gaye Levy
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Problem solving is one skill that is common among all preppers. And face it. From time to time, we have all called the most ubiquitous items into action when we had a problem to solve.
That’s just it. Part of the fun we have when we embrace the preparedness lifestyle is that we can dream about new ways to use common objects to do stuff. Case in point is the flying disc that is commonly referred to as a Frisbee. 
Today, Joe Marshall shares his quest to find innovative, off the wall and out of the box uses for a Frisbee.
Innovation And Adaptation, The Most Practical Of Skills
Survival is all about preparation, but there are some things that you just can’t prepare for. If you get caught in a situation that you were just absolutely ill equipped to handle, the only thing that would save you is your innovation and adaptability under stress.
A few days ago, I posted an article on Facebook that posed a question…
If you were in a survival situation and found a Frisbee, how would you use it to your advantage?
I wanted to test you all and see just how creative you could get with something as simple as a plastic Frisbee. After I posted the question I sat back and watched the comments roll in and I have to say you did not fail to impress me!
In fact, I wanted to share with you a few of the responses.
Here are my favorite uncommon, out of the box uses for a Frisbee.
10. Knock fruits out of trees
9. A weather vane
8. A shooting target
7. A makeshift paddle
6. A plate
5. A plate cover (to keep food warm and the bugs out)
4. Fanning your fire
3. A mirror or reflector when lined with tin foil.
2. “If you catch yourself around feral hippies, you can easily distract them with the Frisbee and make a break for it before any Phish starts playing.” (thanks @nick mackinaw, this one made me laugh!)
1. And my personal favorite is from @Mark Baca who uses it as a hunting tool. Read on:
“I use one for quail and pheasant when they tend to be runners rather than flushers. Once they run I throw it over and past them. They see the Frisbee or the shadow and think it is a raptor (Hawk owl etc. not the dinosaur ….lol) and they stop in place to hide from the “predator” giving me the chance to catch up and try to flush them (if hunting) or just shoot them on the ground.( survival situation).”
(Number 2 on the list actually made me laugh out loud!)
Again, survival is all about thinking on your feet and doing what ever is necessary with whatever you have on hand in order to make the best of a bad situation.
About ‘Above Average’ Joe: I am just an average guy with a passion for learning. I am excited to share the things I learn with you but I am most interested in learning from you. Thank you, Gaye, for inviting me to share the Survival Life with your readers!
THE FINAL WORD
One day, while I was on the road heading home in my car, I found myself without a bowl for Tucker The Dog’s food. I did not have a bowl but I did have a coffee filter. Thus spawned my article 29 Reasons to Use Coffee Filters for Survival. Now it seems to be that I could have used a Frisbee as well.
So now I need to ask you something. Have you ever used an item outside of it’s intended purpose to get something done?
Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!
Gaye
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Bargain Bin: Here are links to the products mentioned in today’s article. In addition, as it turns out, the recent article on DIY cleaning turned out to be hugely popular all around the web. In case you missed it, here is a link to the article Prepper Checklist: DIY Cleaning Supplies and to some of the products that I use to make my own cleaners.
Maximal Power FC999 Universal Battery Charger: This nicely built charger will charge charge AA, AAA, C, D, N, 9V, Ni-MH, Ni-CD, and Alkaline batteries. It has an LED display so that when you first put a battery in the charging bay, you know whether it is viable for charging or simply bad and ready to go back to the recycle box. See How to Recharge Alkaline Batteries.
Blocklite Mini Compact Size Ultra Bright 9V LED Flashlight: One of my readers (James) claims that these work great. There is a similar flashlight called the Pak-Lite (which is more expensive) but it does not have a high-low switch like this one.
Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds Liquid Cleanser: I know that Dr. Bronner’s Magic Castile soaps have a cult-like following but I prefer the Sal Suds. I call my DIY cleaner “Sudsy Sal”.
Soft ‘n Style 8 oz. Spray Bottles: I happen to like these smaller bottles and you can not beat the price for a set of 3. Likewise for these Pump Dispensers.
NOW Solutions Glycerin Vegetable, 16-Fluid Ounces: You will need this for your Dirt Cheap Soft Soap. I paid almost as much for only 4 ounces locally. This is a great price and 16 ounces will last forever.
NOW Foods Peppermint Oil: I favor peppermint essential oil (okay, I like lavender too) so this is what I get. But there are many types of essential oils to choose from. Take your pick. One thing you will find is that a little goes a long way.
Microfiber “Magic” Rags: No list of cleaning supplies would be complete without these wonderful microfiber cloths. They will last you for years and will allow you to replace paper towels forever. Truly. I color code using green for glass and windows and the other colors for everything else. I love these.
EMERGENCY ESSENTIALS Mountain House SUPER SALE! 40-50% off all cans!
This month Emergency Essentials is having a huge sale on Mountain House Products. The selection is huge. Not only that, for a limited time shipping is free on all orders of $150 or more.
Note: Do not be discouraged if some of your MH favorites are on backorder (mine were). Emergency Essentials will still honor the price and ship your products to you as soon as they are back in stock. As an example, the items I order on the 3rd arrived shipped this week.
One of my personal favorites is the Mountain House Chili Mac (shown below) which is 40% off at $15.89 for a #10 tin. And for a snack or dessert, the Mountain House Ice Cream Sandwiches are one of the Survival Husband’s favorites. I am more of a fruit person myself.
This is by far one of the best sales I have seen on Mountain House. The only problem I am having is deciding how to spend my $100 Emergency Essentials budget this month!
Shop the Emergency Essentials Monthly Specials
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12 Responses to “Survival Friday: 10 Ways to Use a Frisbee for Survival”
Two things, both related to using everyday items in a different way, and both related to fishing.
Empty plastic milk bottles – You can attach a piece of fishing line to the top of an empty milk (or juice) bottle and stick any old spoiled food product to a hook at the other end of the line. Try to make the line approximately long enough to just go to the bottom of the lake. Float several bottles in any lake where you might find catfish, go away for a day, and when you come back harvest the bottles. If the lake indeed holds any catfish there’ll be a good chance they’ll have swallowed the food (and the hook) and they’ve been swimming around oblivious. All you have to do is harvest the bottles to pull them out.
Two, I’ve used panty hose and a busted tennis racket to make a net that can scoop any kind of fish out of shallow water. You can use a pool skimmer the same way, if you have one handy. In a pinch you can even fashion your own handle and loop out of local materials, as long as you have the panty hose.
I’ve done both things successfully.
Gaye,
I love reading your blog and laughed myself at the hippie reference. Its either a Frisbee or a bean bag isn’t it?
I also wanted to say congratulations for breaking into the top 10 on the //thebestpreppersites.com/ blog. Looks like you finally passed old George after all! Take care and keep up all of the good work! This blog gives me something to think about every week.
I knew about my ranking with Alexa but not website you mentioned. Yeah, old George and I email daily as we go back and forth doing the ratings happy dance 🙂
Also, thank you for the kind words about my website. I try to vary the topics to keep things interesting.
Sorry; I thought that was eMail, not a blog entry….
Ms Gaye; As an avid reader of numerous blogs of this nature – my compliments. Your’s is one that I follow consistantly. I would advise that I am a model builder and regularly use items in non-conventional applications. So much so I won’t bother with specific details. What I’m writing about is my bicycle, a Schwinn 3 wheeler, that I powered electrically; so as an old man I can climb hills in this area. Beats the price of diesel… I used a 12 volt system for compatiblity with other systems I have built. (including a ’73 Avion travel trailer as worst case fall back residence) The bicycle is relay controlled, so I don’t face EMP or sunspot problems with high end electronics. The motors are from cheap winches (HF 2000 lb) with modified gearing, giving me 400 (m/l) RPM at 12 volts. I have written up the details for others to follow, this is in response to your using everyday items in an unconventional manner.
What is significant is the ability to use something beyond its’ original intention to accomplish a desired goal. Wife and I have a house-full (and shop-full) of such things. With 4 dogs, the frisbee food dish idea is a good one but we have dog dishes aplenty already. The coffee filters I use for straining paints and chemicals for my model building. Since I use kerosene for a shop heater and for cleaning parts, they get regular use there as well. The heater wick lasts much better with filtered fuel…..
Another being the WalMart end of season sale on a foam toy that makes good pipe lagging &c. I don’t know what they’re called, a soft club like wand 2″ diameter and some 4 feet long. Wife cuts them in half and sews them into under-door draft-stopper thingys. On sale at 88 cents, a good source of pipe thermal lagging when they’re slit lengthwise using a bed rail angle iron.
Then there’s the dog-house heater for the outside dogs. But that one is rather complex; while I’m more than happy to share the details, they’re for the asking, I won’t clutter up this communication.
No need for a reply, unless you have an electrical question. Just wanted to tell you that you -are- read by serious artificers…
Bill Hudson
Recently took apart a clothespin and used the two pieces to make a splint for an injured finger.
Serene – That is a good one! I wonder how many more uses we can come up with for a clothespin?
clothespins taken apart and reverse will shoot matches really well LOL
While my daughter and grandchildren were in for their yearly visit, they go to the restaurant she loved while she lived at home. They serve the kids meals in a Frisbee with their logo on it.
As we sit around the campfire in the back yard, the dog wants to jump on everyone and be loved and scratched. I found the Frisbee being thrown will keep the dog occupied and stop her annoying pestering to be scratched.
Not a bad list. Thank you for submitting those ideas. I’d add DIGGING IN SOFT SOILS, though a good ol’ digging stick will help out when soil is harder or more compacted. Pierced at three spots at the edge at equal distances, and with cord attached, a shallow basket. And using as intended (game of Frisbee) is a good distraction for two or more people. Especially in non grid situation.
I improvise uses for things all the time, but my dad 45 years ago did it best. We were camping, 7 kids, 2 adults in a bus my dad had converted. My mother had started cooking some beef stew and had to run to the store to get something. My dad was not one to help out in the kitchen, but seeing all the potatoes yet to be scrubbed and put in the stew, he decided to help mom (first and only time said my mom). Mom came home, was happy he had helped, and she finished up the meal. As we were eating something dawned on her, “Ed. what did you scrub the potatoes with?” My dad said “The vegetable brush.” My mother dropped her spoon. “We dont have a vegetable brush on the bus.” Dad: “Yes we do, its under the bathroom sink” Mom: “Ed McKenzie, thats a toilet brush!!” We had hot dogs that night! lol
BTW he also opened up a pressure cooker once to see the roast..yeah it was on the ceiling.
LeAnn – Oh my gosh – this gave me a good chuckle!