Weird Ways to Use Aluminum Foil in an Emergency

Why is one side of aluminum foil shiny and the other dull? This is one of the great mysteries of our time.

Well, not really. But there is definitely confusion about it. Some people believe foil keeps heat out better when meat is wrapped with the shiny finish facing out. And heat is kept in better with the shiny finish facing inward.

Interesting theory, but not based in fact. Actually, both sides function identically. Aluminum foil has a shiny side and a matte side due to how it is rolled during production and packaging.

Because it’s difficult to produce rollers with a gap fine enough to cope with the small gauge of foil, two sheets are rolled at the same time for the final production pass. This doubles the thickness of the gauge at entry to the rollers.

When the sheets are separated later, the inside surface is dull and the outside surface is shiny.

11 unusual usages

Far more important than which side of aluminum foil is touching your food is how versatile it can be. Especially when it comes to our preparedness plans.

Here are 11 unusual uses for aluminum foil. With a focus on food preparation, eating and after-meal cleanup.

• Don’t have a pot to boil water? Line a hole in the ground with foil and fill it with water. Use tongs to pull rocks from a campfire and transfer them into the water. The water should soon boil.

• Digging an even deeper hole and lining it with aluminum foil will allow you to collect rainwater if your water supply is low.

• Keep matches and tinder dry by wrapping them tightly in foil.

• If you find yourself needing to fish but you have no bait, wrap aluminum foil around the weights. It can act as a flashing lure to attract fish.

• Find a branch that forks, stretch foil across it and wrap the foil around the branches to make a makeshift pan to hold over a fire.

• Shape a sheet of foil into a cone, tape it securely together and use as a makeshift funnel. It is especially good for transferring oil into smaller containers. And there is no cleanup afterward.

• To transfer hot coals to another campsite without burning yourself, fill a sheet of aluminum foil with shredded bark. Use tongs to place a hot coal onto the bark, then roll the foil around it as you would a cigar. Leave one end open to let air in.

• If your water bottle has a crack in it, use sticky pine sap and a strip of aluminum foil to patch it.

• Using a thick wad of aluminum foil so as not to cut yourself, rub the foil up and down the blade of a knife to sharpen it for cutting meat.

• After grilling, use a ball of foil to scrub the burned food bits off the grill.

• Clean silverware in a shallow pan lined with foil. Add two or three tablespoons of baking soda and boiling water, then drop in tarnished silverware.

4Patriots Sun Kettle

Even if the power is out, many of those aluminum foil uses can come in handy. And if you want to see a weird way to cook food in a thermos, click here to watch a video of the 4Patriots Sun Kettle.

This innovative product uses the solar power to heat water for cooking and coffee, and get rid of pathogens and other harmful microorganisms in your water.

It’s also very useful for making hygiene comfortable when you’re outdoors. You can prep a warm washcloth bath.

If you find yourself without any water in the winter, you could even use it to melt snow to drink.

Hot water could also come in handy for first-aid. It would allow you to wash off a wound before bandaging it.

The Sun Kettle is compact and lightweight (2.6 pounds). But it’s built tough to withstand bumps and tumbles. You can even carry it in a backpack.

No batteries, electricity or fire are needed. The square base and kickstand have four points of contact to prevent tips and spills.

Go here to learn more about the Patriot Sun Kettle