The Field & Stream Tips Blog

Make a Coffee-Can Blind Heater

You can use an empty 1-pound coffee can and an empty 3-pound coffee can to make a duck blind heater. Drill around 30 1/4-inch holes in the bottom of the larger can. Fill the small can with charcoal and light it. Once the coals are hot, invert the large can over the can of hot coals. This allows you to warm your hands and keep your drinks hot, so you’re able to sit in your duck or goose blind longer.
Dennis Radke, Hutchinson, Kansas

Waterproof Your Primer with a Valve Stem Cover

When heading back to a vehicle or to camp after a day muzzleloader hunting, put a rubber tire valve stem cover over the nipple and primer cap of your gun. Then, lower the hammer onto the rubber cover to keep it in place. It's waterproof, and works as a saftery, but allows you to fire a quick shot if a deer should appear.
Marlan Larsen, via E-mail

Keep Your Rod Tip Nick-Free Using a Plastic Bead

Before tying on your snap swivel or steel leader, put a plastic bead on your line. This will prevent the steel from scratching the ceramic insert in the rod tip, which will shred your line over time.
Stan Wolski, via E-mail

Merry Christmas!

--From the editors.

Relax Monfilament Memory with Hot Water

Before winding on a new spool of mono, run it under hot water for a few seconds. The heat relaxes the mono’s memory, making your casting trouble-free.
John Nelson, via E-mail

Waterproof Your Maps

Before taking your map with you on your next hunting or fishing trip, waterproof it by coating it with a clear water sealant, such as Thompson’s WaterSeal. Brush both sides of your map and let it dry. The water seal will make your map stand up against bad weather or wet gloves.
Scott Conner, via E-mail

Keep Your Feet Warm Using Antiperspirant

To keep your feet warm during cold weather, spray your feet with antiperspirant before putting your socks on. The antiperspirant helps prevent your feet from sweating. Dry feet are warm feet.
Thomas Holcomb, Henderson, Miss.

Stay Warm at Night by Sleeping on a Sunshade

Place a silver, reflective sunshade, the kind sold for car windows, under your sleeping bag to stay warm at night. The sunshade will reflect your body heat and acts as a ground dampness barrier as well.
Shawn Cloutier, via E-mail

Keep Your Rod Tips from Freezing

To prevent the tips of your rod from freezing up when fishing in extreme cold, simply spray some non-stick cooking spray on your rod, and your guides will not freeze up.
Frank Petrosino, Via E-mail

A Spill-Free Way to Fill Your Chainsaw's Oil Tank

Instead of recycling that used dish-soap bottle, rinse it out and fill it with oil. Then us it to refill the oil tank on your chainsaw. When your tank needs reloading, squirt the oil into the tank. There is no need for a funnel, and there is never a mess to clean up.
--Clay Pennington, Asheville, N.C.