How to Make a DIY Toilet Paper Holder for Camping

How to Make a DIY Toilet Paper Holder for Camping

How to Make a DIY Toilet Paper Holder for Camping
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If you want a more watertight Toilet Paper Holder holder than the one we showed you a few months ago, I have a more complex version.

This version uses a 2-liter soda bottle, some string, tape and a ziplock bag.

How to Make a Toilet Paper Holder

  • Cut the bottle in half, ensuring that the end with the spout is deep enough to hold your roll.
  • Split the bottom of a heavy duty freezer bag and place the split end over and around the cut end of your bottle.
  • Duct tape the bag to the bottle. – This should make an opening on either end – the bottle spout on one, and the bag ziplock on the other.
  • Poke a hole in the center of the bottle top and thread a string through it, knot it on the inside so it will not pull out. Attach the other end of the string to the neck of the bottle.
  • In the center of the ziplock zipper, and outside of the actual bag, strengthen both sides with a piece of tape folded over. Do each side individually so that the zipper is not taped together.
  • Poke a hole through the tape and the bag. Thread a length of string through the two holes – this is your hanging string.

To use

  • Pull out one end of the paper from the center of the roll
  • Remove the center from a roll of toilet paper.
  • Open the ziplock end of the holder and drop in the toilet paper, pulled end down
  • Fish the pulled out TP through the neck of the bottle
  • Hang near your latrine area, and pull TP out as required.
  • Screw lid on when done to keep anything from nesting in your holder.
  • Wash hands and go enjoy the woods…

What is the Difference Between a Flare Nut and Combination Wrench

 

Difference Between Flare Nut and Combination Wrenches
Buy at Amazon a Flare Nut Wrench Set.

Today we are going to discuss the Difference Between Flare Nut and Combination Wrenches.  Most of us, the mechanics especially, are familiar with a combination wrench.

Combination wrenches contain a simple box end and an open end.  This allows the user to easily tighten and loosen nuts and bolts.

Flare nut wrenches are designed for the flare nut fitting on fluid or gas lines.   In the Marines I was  taught that a flare nut wrench was called a line wrench.  These wrenches cover more of the nut to reduce wounding the nut off (like a box end).  Additionally, the open cut allows the wrench to slip over metal lines.

Obviously, open ended wrenches can be used in the same manner as a flare nut wrench.

However, they just don’t offer as much surface grip on the fittings which increases the likelihood of damage.

Difference Between Flare Nut and Combination Wrenches
Buy at Amazon a Combination Wrench Set

In conclusion, I own both sets, and find that when you need a flare nut wrench you REALLY need one.  Most of the time I do all my work with a trusty set of combination wrenches.

However, as a DIY advocate, I think it is important that you understand the difference between flare nut and combination wrenches.

What I really need is a new impact wrench to go with my flare nut wrenches, unfortunately some thief just stole most of my tools.

How to Build a Snow Igloo With Your Kid

 

Snow Igloosnow igloo 3snow igloo 2

Since this was the first time in a LONG time that I had a job that did not find it essential to be in during disasters my family decided to have fun in the snow.

The easiest way to do that and still secretly teach WT some skills was to build a snow igloo.

Snow Igloo
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It did not take much to build besides a shovel, a 5 gallon bucket, and a lot of snow.  Basically all we did was shovel snow into a bucket and lightly tamp it down just like making a sandcastle.

We then upended the bucket and let the snow block slide out.

We just used the blocks to form a toddle appropriate circle and then made a new row placing the new blocks in the center of 2 bottom blocks – just like doing any masonry work.

The trick was to slightly bow inward as we worked so that the blocks formed a roof.  It was not that doing that was hard, but WT wanted to kick at his fort because when the block broke he had ready made snowballs.

We used forms for the doors and windows and placed snow around the forms – removing them when the igloo was finished.

In trouble areas I packed in loose snow and rubber it with my hand to smooth it and slightly melt it so ice held the blocks together.

All in all we had a lot of fun and I think the boy learned something cool.

How to Make a Mini Tabasco Oil Lamp

 

DIY: Mini Tabasco Oil Lamp
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We have done oil lamps before, but today we are going to make a Mini Tabasco Oil Lamp.

If you have one of those mini Tabasco bottles – (in some MREs or you can purchase below) its easy to turn it into a lamp.

Use the bottle until it’s empty and then clean it out.

Next, fill ¾ full with oil or lamp fuel, and then either trim down a conventional wick, or insert a pulled out and tightly rolled cotton ball or cotton roving.

The natural fiber will pull out the oil and allow you to have a very lightweight candle that is probably smaller than your lighter.