How to use your Mobile Phone as a Survival Tool
This article takes a look at how to use your mobile phone as a survival tool. There are many different survival situations that may occur when you don’t have survival equipment with you. Fortunately, your mobile phone is made from a literal treasure trove of useful parts.
Before destroying your mobile phone you may wish first to use a few of its everyday built-in features that work without a connection to a mobile phone network in order to prepare yourself for survival. So let’s first take a look at the useful features on a working mobile phone.
Prolonging Battery Life
First, take the time to turn off all unnecessary features in order to preserve the battery for using its features and later for using the battery as a fire starting aid. Of course check for a mobile phone network signal and Wi-Fi signal first but then turn off Wi-Fi and GPS, reduce the screens brightness to its lowest level and turn off the mobile phone when it is not being used for the following applications.
GPS
GPS is a well-known feature and great survival tool if you have prepared yourself in the case of travel overseas. GPS navigation only works when the countries maps have been downloaded so if you are adventuring abroad don’t forget to do this. If using GPS is not an option then turn off the GPS signal as mentioned above as this an extremely power hungry app that will deplete your battery in no time at all. It’s also worth remembering that although you may be miles away from civilisation when your survival incident occurs that GPS will also show you geographical features such as rivers, lakes and forests and other useful landmarks such as train lines.
Translation
Downloading a free translation app such as Voice Translator Free may be beneficial if you come across a local on your journey back to civilisation. Apps like this one are particularly helpful as they translate your spoken phrase into both text and an audible translation and vice-a-versa.
Digital Compass / Torch
Most mobile phones come with a built-in torch, usually using the LED flash of the camera. Smartphones with GPS will most likely have a built in digital compass.
Now let’s take a look at how to use the components of your mobile phone to make survival tools.
Starting a Fire
If you have been using your mobile phone’s features remember to stop short of completely draining its battery as this may be used as a handy fire starting aid. The essential elements for starting a fire consist of fuel, air and heat. The fuel may be small scavenged kindling collected from the surrounding environment or made from fibres of clothing. The battery and a small wire from inside the phone will create the heat, a wire stripped from the brown flex cable is ideal for this. Then simply short the battery by connecting the wire to both the positive and negative terminals which will cause the wire to become extremely hot, enough to ignite the prepared kindling.
Signalling for Help
Aside from making a fire, the mobile phone’s display elements consist of several reflective circles that can be used to mirror the sun’s rays toward aircrafts or rescue vehicles. Several aiming techniques can be used and these include placing your hand between you and the aircraft and moving the mirror until the light shines on your hand. Alternatively, make a small hole in the centre of the reflective surface, raise the hole to eye level and direct the spot of light until it hits the aircraft. Signals of this type have been observed from over 150km away. So even if you have no rescuers in sight you can still use these techniques across the horizon to increase your chances of rescue.
Making a Compass
The speaker arrangement of the mobile phone includes a magnet and this can be used to polarise a steel wire, a needle from a watch or a nail by rubbing one of the ends against the magnet repeatedly. Next, place the polarised wire on a small leaf and float the leaf on still water. The magnetised end of the wire will then orient itself towards north.
Catching Food
Several components from a mobile phone can be made to fashion cutting tools such as a knife, a spear tip or a fishing hook. High-end smartphones may have a casing constructed from aluminium that can be sharpened against a stone to make a cutting tool whilst the circuit board can be sharpened and shaped with greater ease to make a spear head. The shiny internal metal casing can easily be broken into pieces to use as a flashy lure when secured to string or baited with a worm. After catching your first fish the fish guts are also an excellent option for baiting hooks.
Future Developments
I thought it would be worth making a mention of developing technologies here and in particular with reference to batteries. Micro-technologies currently being tested include a new form of mobile phone battery that is ten times more powerful than batteries used today. In fact it is reported that this emerging battery technology will allow you to jump-start a car further increasing the future usefulness of mobile phones in survival situations.
About The Author
Michael Brown is an avid traveller. He is also a mobile phone consultant for Mobilephones.com, a company that compares mobile phones and deals in the UK. Mobilephones.com can also be visited on Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus.
