You didn’t plan to get lost, right? But since you can’t reverse the situation, you need to make the most of the things you’ve. And this includes your wristwatch.
Although it might look simple, there are several things you can do with this small timepiece. Keep reading to find out:
Tell Direction
Before dismantling your watch, it’s always better to utilize it as a simple compass to show direction. You can perform this trick with an analog clock or watch.
Lay the watch flat on the palm of your hand with the clock facing upwards. Rotate the watch until its hour hand is pointing toward the sun. If you’re in the northern hemisphere, the point between the hour hand and the 12 on your watch will be south. But if you’re in the southern hemisphere, this point will be north.
Dismantle It
Watches are generally outfitted with loads of tiny components that can be used in various survival situations.
Look around at the backplate. You’ll notice a small notch that can be utilized to pry off the backing with a small, sharp knife. Once you’ve removed the back of your watch, go ahead and remove the remaining components from its housing.
Make Fire
Most watches utilize a convex lens as the front cover. And this makes it easier for you to read the time. The lens is also perfect for focusing the sun rays in order to start a fire.
Clean the leans and hold it about six inches from your dry tinder. Hold the lens perpendicular to the sun, while ensuring that the sun is focused into a point of light. Once you’ve done that, move this point to the tinder. Hold for a few seconds until the focused beam of light is intensely hot. At this point, it should easily ignite the tinder and start a fire.
Utilize It as a Reflector
Did you know that the solid back of your watch can serve as a perfect reflector? Well, now you know. It can actually help you get the attention of people far away, as well as, passing aircraft.
Clean the back of your watch to shine it up. And then point its back facing the sun while trying to reflect the sunlight. Try directing sunlight to a nearby location to see if the reflecting technique works.
You can then use it to signal people who’re far away by flashing your newly created reflector towards them.
Sharpen Your Knife hone
The leather strap on your watch can be used as a strop to hone a blade. Tighten one end of the watch strap and then gently run the edge of your knife alongside it with the sharp edge sprawling the stroke. Although the strap might be a little bit small, it will still help in removing burrs on the knife-edge and restore an edge to your knife.
Final Thoughts
Did you know that your watch can help you get back home? If you get lost in the middle of nowhere, you can actually use this tiny timepiece to tell direction, hone a knife, and notify people far away from your location. So, before heading for adventure, check out the best survival watches. Having one can help you immensely.