I'm Not Going Out Like That

"I'm Not Going Out Like That" is a new series of post which will have to do with survival in one form or another. This series will also be known by it's totally catchy acronym INGOLT. Based on a lot of movie and television watching (mainly McGiver) I pretty much know what is necessary to get you by and out of tough situations. So let's start this off with an easy one...

Got a light?

Not only does a carrying a Zippo make you super-cool, but it can also be a great tool if you are in the cast of Lost. (Unfortunately, you would have to put a lighter in your checked bag. You can not carry a Zippo on a plane.) The obvious reason for a lighter is to be able to produce fire quickly. If you are stranded somewhere and must survive by hunting and gathering you will need it to start fires to cook your hunted and gathered dead animals. Oh, I forgot to mention that by "gathering" I also meant animal base. You may be trying to survive on an island or in a jungle, but that doesn't mean you have to be a pussy and gather berries.

What about after the lighter runs out of lighter fluid?

The best thing to do with a Zippo lighter is to simply open and shut it. Most people who already own one don't often even produce a flame with their Zippo. Try this:

• Lean against a wall (brick if possible...and outside a bar)
• Take the Zippo from your pocket
• Open and close the lighter a few times
• Smirk at chicks walking by (ladies, also look at ladies)
• Put the lighter away
• Repeat

While the previous technique for survival has to do with the survival of being fucking awesome, this does not mean a fluid-less lighter can't help you survive "stranded style."

It is going to be tougher to start a blaze, but you can still use the striking part (the thumb wheel combined with the bit of flint inside) to make a spark. The spark can help you catch dried out paper, plants, or organic matter on fire. That's right. Burn an old dead body if you have to.

This will lead us to a future survival item...

An old dead body