Tom Stienstra interviews a survival expert who gives many of the usual tidbits of advice (your immediate need is for water, not food, etc). And this:

Improvise: “You have to know how to improvise because it’s doubtful everything will be at your disposal to meet your needs. You have to use man-made materials as well as what nature provides. At home, for instance, an example is when you use a rolled-up newspaper to kill a fly. It’s using something for other than its intended purpose. A car has a ton of improvising equipment. For instance, a mirror can be ripped off as a signaling device. Seats cushions can be cut up for insulation. A spare tire can be burned as a smoke signal, but only if you know the search-and-rescue teams are close.”

This survivor guy will be speaking in the Bay Area next weekend at the International Sportsmen’s Exposition at the San Mateo Expo Center.