MacGyver is one of several nicknames that I have been called through my life, so I eventually had to watch the show to familiarize myself with the character. It's about an ex-SF operator who goes on secret missions for the government and he resolves problems by improvising devices out of common objects around him. It's an interesting concept, but MacGyver eschews the use of firearms, which is fine in principle. However, I think he unnecessarily disadvantages/endangers himself and makes things many times more complicated and difficult for himself when a simple, effective solution is often available i.e. pick up a defensive weapon.
The real idea behind being MacGyver-like is to be a thinking person and using applied science to resolve situations. I just liked things like physics and mechanical engineering growing up, and I actually was fascinated by and paid attention during Chemistry class (both high school and college). And tinkering with basic electronics as a kid, you learn how things work. I wanted to learn about the physical properties of the world around me and how they interacted with each other. I considered it vital information.
I think a big part of being MacGyver-like is not just seeing an object for what it appears to be... but knowing an object for what it is and envisioning what it could be with modification or in combination with other things. I am reminded of that scene in Apollo 13 in which the scientists and engineers are given a finite pile of materials and told to write a procedure for fabricating a CO2 scrubber from scratch. I love puzzles like that! Like for example, a paperclip. Some people might just see a clip to hold papers together, and don't go much beyond that. What I see is a 3 to 4 inch length of 30 gauge low carbon steel wire with a tensile strength of about 40 lbs (maybe 25 under shock load) and a decent electrical conductor with about 40 ohms of resistance. It can be magnetized. It can fasten other objects together. It can pierce other objects. It can support a decent amount of weight. I see an innocuous piece of metal that will pass through a metal detector without a second glance, yet it could sabotage a computer, disable an engine, maim a person (as a weapon), pick a lock (esp simple ones like handcuffs), short an electrical circuit from any outlet or lighting fixture, and burn a hole through plastic or ignite wood. Using my imagination I can go on and on.
There are certain very general items I continue to find very useful on repeated occasions. Things like duct tape, dental floss, cable ties, hose clamps, plastic bags of all sizes, 550 paracord, medical tape, aluminum foil, 20 gauge wire/paperclip, chewing gum, etc. are all common objects that I find myself continually "riffing on" for my inventions and fabrications. These along with my pocket tools allow me to make almost everything that I need. Some of them are self-explanatory. Some, like duct tape, are "famous" for the their versatility and utility, and whole books have been written about duct tapes "legendary" uses. Waxed dental floss happens to be very strong string and is useful for everything from just attaching things so they don't get lost ("dummy cords") to use as thread for sewing and sutures. Both cable ties and hose clamps are versatile and convenient fasteners and pivot points. Plastic bags have thousands of uses. Not only do they organize stuff without taking up much space, they can hold messy items and liquids (like hold water), or conversely, keep items dry, they can hold air (for flotation), they can be an occlusive dressing (for tension pneumo-thorax), they can be improvised into weapons and booby traps in many ways, they can make articles of waterproof clothing, and they can be used as solar or condensate distllieries. Paracord is another endlessly useful item like duct tape. Remember, 550 stands for 550 lbs test... per strand. I can write a book just on the uses of Parachute cord. Any type of tape is good, but suffice it to say that cloth medical tape is also another particularly useful type. Aluminum foil is a wonderous material. Basically it is very portable, very malleable, sheet metal that retains all the properties of Aluminum with myriad uses. With some foil I can make a small (cooking) campfire on a lifeboat, in a vehicle, or in a snow shelter. I can make a complete set of cookware, including a dutch oven. It helps insulate (cold or hot). I can "fireproof" otherwise flammable objects or materials. It's great for making funnels, conduit, pipes, and chutes for channeling liquids and other loose materials. Almost anything can be "shaped" out of aluminum foil with imagination, including real and "fake" weapons.... LOL. Gum is a good flexible, temporary bonding agent.
In a survival situation, part of the "stop and think" is to take an accounting of your assets (things that will benefit you). Depending on the situation, sometimes a whole lot of what you need to survive is right in front of you, like in the wreckage of your plane, car, or boat. If safe, the wreckage might be the best shelter available. If nothing else, the remains of the vehicle itself is a "marker" for rescuers to look for. Think! Seat upholstery is cloth. The poly-foam insulation under it is warm and insulative. Seatbelts are tough nylon straps. Tires can burn and produce lots of smoke. Electrical wiring is useful for making things. Mirrors are excellent signalling devices. Pieces of metal, tire irons, airplane parts can be tools, weapons, and components of other things. Ropes, sails, pumps, residual fuel are all useful items. Don't forget the battery as a potential power source.
When counting your assets, don't forget the "human factor". It's surprising how even in a small group of humans how many different useful skills, qualifications, backgrounds, or useful experiences emerge if you ask. Pilots, medical knowledge, carpentry, engineering skill, hunters/outdoors people, cooks, language ability, military specialties, ex-Scouts, etc. you never know what you may find that can be helpful. Remember humans tend to survive better in small synergistic groups.
Though I have zero criminal background (or tendencies), oddly, I am often the person that my friends call when they have some difficult or para-legal problem or situation. Like, 6 times now in my adult lifetime, I've been asked to break into homes (the resident's). I don't know why, but people just think I have that sort of knowledge. (I did).
Though I respect that they have a thankless job to do, I scoff at TSA security checks for their officiousness, inefficiency, inconsistency, ineffectiveness, and wasted effort and cost. To stop ALL potential weapons from getting on board a plane, you'd practically have to ask all passengers to travel naked. Instead, the trend now is toward encouraging people NOT to check in their baggage (by charging for checked baggage). Would it surprise you to know that hundreds of potential weapons, incendiary and even explosive devices routinely get through security checks without a second glance? Use your imagination. What objects in your purse, bag, pockets, on your person, or in your carry-on luggage have dangerous hardness or mass, are pointy, able to be accelerated, have batteries or capacitors, flammable or reactive compounds? Last time I boarded a plane, I counted, on my person, 25 potential weapons that were just common objects all in plain sight.
Question:
What do Nylon stockings or synthetic socks, underwire or padded bras, belts with simple metal buckles, shirts with collars, silk scarves, shoes or boots with laces, cable luggage locks, coins (rolled or loose in a Casino cup), a plastic (acrylic) comb, disposable Bic lighter, aerosol hairspray, 10 keys and a key fob on a keyring, Listerine breath strips, a book of paper matches, mini nail clipper with file, a nylon strap from a bag or belt, a large paperclip, a pen with a metal body, a pen with a plastic body (nylon or acrylic), "Allure" perfume by Chanel, Time magazine (or any high clay weekly), aluminum Sigg water bottle (empty), "I (heart) N.Y." coffee mug, conch shell from Florida, bottle of Glen Fidditch Scotch whiskey, glass ashtray from "Fisherman's Wharf", sample rock collection from Grand Canyon, Arizona, bottle of Louisiana hot sauce from Mardi Gras, duct tape, metal Swingline stapler, powdered non-dairy creamer packets, hot pepper packets from Round Table Pizza, 6" wooden dowel (hardwood), nuts/bolts, glass marbles, packet of party poppers, small mister/sprayer bottle (empty), steel wool, cell phone, disposable camera with flash, Nikon with flash unit, Eton FR-150 AM/FM radio with solar/dynamo charger, portable CD player, travel alarm clock, 9V battery, and laptops with Ni-Cad battery packs (basically any electronic device with a rechargeable battery and/or a capacitor) have in common??
Answer:
They are all weapons or components of improvised weapons that regularly get past TSA checkpoints.
And who paid attention during chemistry class?? Aluminum (powdered), Ammonia (cleaning agent), Chlorine (disinfectant wipes), Ethanol (any booze over 80 proof), Hydrogen Peroxide, Iron oxide (powdered, base ingredient of aluminothermic reaction), Magnesium (powdered), Mercury (fulminate), Naptha (mothballs), Parafin wax, Potassium Permanganate, Phosporous (red or white from matchheads), Saltpeter (KNO3), and Sulfur are all potentially dangerous compounds that can routinely pass checkpoints if they are in their more "innocuous" forms.
So what, if any, new security measures are preventing another 9/11 type attack from happening? The only effective measure, really, is the reinforced cockpit door combined with our increased knowledge/awareness and the willingness of passengers to get involved. A small, determined group working in coordination could still (easily) smuggle weapons and take over the passenger compartment of a plane, but what happens after that would be quite different I think if another 9/11 type attack were attempted. A great disadvantage of these militant Islamic extremists possess is that they have consistently shown an aversion to actually facing someone who will fight back (they prefer defenseless, docile targets). Sorry, I didn't intend to go off on this tangent, and perhaps I will re-visit this topic of "improvised weapons" again. One important aspect of weapons I didn't cover is improvised "defense", which is important.
Finally, you'll hear me mention this over and over, but in addition to humans, don't forget the animal element. Dogs, especially dogs, can really enhance your survival chances. For very little in return, dogs will scout and hunt for you, they provide ample early warning with senses many times better than humans, they provide warmth, they provide morale and companionship, they will literally work themselves to death running/working/pulling for you, and they are a loyal and tireless defender if you are attacked. They will die for you.
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