A major blackout has occurred and you need ambient light, what do you do? Take a headlamp and strap it to a gallon of water. The water will disperse the light resulting in a great makeshift source of ambient lighting.

If you get lost in the wilderness, one of the first things you will need is a fire. You probably know you can make a fire with the help of a magnifying glass but if you don’t have one with you, regular eyeglasses can also do the trick.

You can even make fire using ice. Form a piece of ice into a sphere and smooth it with your hands. Now, it can be used in the same way as magnifying glass.

If you happen to have a flat tire and you don’t have an air compressor with you, cut small holes in the sides of the tire and fill them with grass. Of course, there is no way of completely repairing the tire after this “surgery” but it’s a short-term solution that will at least get you home.

Apart from warming your legs, nylon stockings can also serve as a rope, a tourniquet and a filter to remove large particles from water and other liquids.

If you have a hacksaw, you can make a loud whistle out of an empty shell casing in order to alert rescuers to your location.

If you find yourself in the woods, you can repel ticks by creating a solution of one part tree tea oil to two parts water and spraying it on your shoes, socks, and pant cuffs.

Speaking of ticks, to remove them, use a cotton ball soaked with liquid hand soap and place it over the tick.

During a tornado, never take shelter under a bridge or any other traffic structure – they often collapse. Instead, drive to the nearest safe place or if you can’t do that, pull over, buckle your seat belt, close the windows and protect your head.

When stuck in a thunderstorm, don’t take shelter under a tree or any other tall structure. These attract lightning. Instead, search for a recessed place or depression to hide.

If you don’t have the right batteries for vital devices such a radio or flashlight, you can use shorter batteries by simply balling up some aluminum foil to fill the gap in the battery compartment.

Create a screen for your car window with mesh, magnets and duct tape. With this, you will be able to enjoy open windows and no bugs.

Need to keep your matches dry? Of course you do. Keep them inside your flashlight.

To make a temporary raft, lay out a tarp, put some lightweight material (plastic bottles, branches, bark etc.) on it, wrap the ends up and bind the entire thing with a rope. Before setting out into deep waters, make sure to test if it can hold your weight.

If you happen to be trapped under an avalanche, spitting can save your life. As soon as you stop moving, make a space in front of your mouth. Spit in the air pocket and note where gravity carries your saliva, then start digging in the opposite direction.

When lost in a cold, snowy terrain, don’t eat the snow to hydrate yourself. Eating snow might cause hypothermia. Instead, melt the snow first and then drink it.

When an earthquake is about to hit the area where you are at, curl up in the fetal position. This will allow you to survive in a smaller void. Try to place yourself next to a large, bulky object such as a sofa that will leave some room for you when pressed.

Speaking of earthquakes, wooden buildings are the safest type of construction to be in during one. When they come down, they create large survival voids as opposed to brick buildings, which break into individual bricks.

Crayons can serve as candles! Don’t remove the paper wrapping, however, because it acts as the candlewick enabling the crayon to burn.

If you get lost, you can use your watch as a compass. In the northern hemisphere, align the hour hand with the sun. The point halfway between the hour hand and the number 12 will be north. In southern hemisphere, align the number 12 with the sun.

To make polluted water drinkable again, add a few drops of bleach to your water bottle and let it sit for half an hour.

You can also put one end of a piece of cloth in a container with dirty water and stick the other end in a different container. After some time, the water will filter itself through the cloth, leaving all the dirt in the first container.

When a tornado is approaching, don’t try to outdrive it. Instead, take a moment to watch it closely and try to determine its exact trajectory. Once you know where it’s heading, drive in the opposite direction.

We’ve already talked about the multipurpose usage of nylon stockings but there is one item that is even more versatile – a condom. Anything you put in it will stay dry; you can also use it as a water container, cell phone protector, latex glove, grab a Y-shaped stick and make a slingshot etc.

After a major disaster, the public water system may be polluted if not entirely shut down. Therefore, try to fill your bathtubs, sinks, and other available containers with water before the disaster strikes. This will provide your household with a short-term supply of clean water.