Improvise 5 things from a ball point pen

Note: Try to answer this before reading the responses of others.

You find yourself in a longterm survival situation (reasons unknown). You have limited resources...yet you still have to meet your "five survival needs".

In the supplies you have you find a retractable (one that makes a clicking sound) ball point pen.

question:

List five things you can improvise from the various parts of the ball point pen. With each improvised use...list which one of the "five survival essential" category it falls under. You may need to find a ball point pen and look at its various parts in order to complete this exercise.

Five survival essentials"

1. Personal Protection (clothing, shelter, fire)
2. Siganling (manmade and improvised)
3. Sustenance (water and food)
4. Travel (with and without a map and compass)
5. Health (psychological stress, environmental injuries, traumatic injuries)

------------------
Greg Davenport
http://www.ssurvival.com
Are You Ready For The Challenge?
Are You Ready To Learn The Art Of Wilderness Survival?

 
1. A signal whistle.
2. Drinking straw.
3. Awl.
4. Fire starter, if you have a battery.
5. Crude cutting tool from the metal/plastic parts.

------------------
P.J.
P.J. Turner Knife Mfg, Inc.
Uluchet, What's an Uluchet? Find out at...
www.silverstar.com/turnermfg


 
P

Plainsman

Joined
Apr 5, 1999
Messages
1,047
Tough question Greg! I like it!
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Ok, I'm at a disadvantage as the one I found is almost entirely PLASTIC!!!
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Here's what I can come up with:
1) pen body approx. 5" long. can be used:
a) like it is for a straw for drinking-food.
b) as a short blowgun-cut the pointed end off-food gathering. (Better be good with a blowgun that short!)
c) shape one end with your knife into a SPORK for eating-food.
2) USE IT AS A PEN! Leave messages everywhere you are! Signaling!
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3) Use the ink cartridge as a "weak" SPEEDHOOK-food gathering.
4) Use the spring as a spring in a snare/trap/deadfall trigger!?! food gathering.
5) Straighten the spring and attempt to magnetize for a compass needle. You would need silk (wool) to magnetize. Stroke in one direction repeatedly. Place on something light that floats on water.
6) Drill holes in the body for a flute-eliminate boredom if you are waiting for SAR!!
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7) If you have a METAL clip on the pen, it can be used for the compass needle.
8) Body can be used as a TENT stake (LOL)
9) STEEL body can be used as a NAIL!

I'm really stretching it now, I'd better stop while I'm behind!!
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------------------
Plainsman :)
primitiveguy@hotmail.com


 
straw, blow gun, euse both pieces inside and out to make stick method compass, hook, cant think of anymore Geoff.
 
My ideas would fit under #3.

Use the spring to make a fishhook.
The hollow body could be used as a straw for water in hard to reach crevises.

If your pen was all metal, you could flatten the tip and sharpen it on a rock. It could be a crude awl or spear point.
 
Ball point pen, eh?

With the clip I could make a needle/awl, useful making other things, primarily falling into personal protection, though depedning on the item, could be other categories.

With the spring, I could make a snare, feeding me.

I could try to make a blowgun out of the barrel, but I'd probably have better luck making a whistle, for signalling or just amusement. Never tried that before, may have to borrow a gov'mnt pen and see if I can make them a whistle...

With the barrel, I could also make a straw. Easier to get water if I have to dig a pit in a mudd area, or if I build a solar still with other materials.

If I have a metal ink cartridge, I can make fish hooks and lures, or another needle, I could alternatively make a fish hook out of the clip.

The small, toothed plastic pieces forming the click mechanism I could string around my neck for decoration, showing to all the world my might pen kill...

I could save the metal cap on the 'click' end until I found another, and make a little tea set for a doll house.

Other than that, I'm at a loss for things to do with the smaller pieces, and am interested to see what others have to say...


Stryver
 
Good ideas, but my favorite is still the good 'ole Tracheotomy tube. I've never had anyone need a trach tube, so I've never tried it. Sigh.

db
 
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