10 military tips that make your life easier
Don’t move and look straight ahead! Military training or service is marked by order and discipline. But even outside the barracks, one or another tip can prove quite useful, as proven by the following 10 daily tips, which can only be learned in the army.
1) Narrow shoes
If there is one thing that military training is infamous for, it is the endless marching across fields and countryside. Blisters on the feet are in principle unavoidable, especially if the boots are not yet broken in. They often tighten because the leather is not yet supple enough.
This is why you have to pee in your shoes in order to moisten the leather and soften it. You can also wear wet socks. Urine itself plays no role, simple water would be enough to moisten the leather, which would also prevent the formation of possible odors.
It is likely that urine was originally used so as not to waste drink rations during the march.
2) Blisters on the feet
Another option to avoid blisters or abrasions on the heels is to first apply a dressing or bandage to the affected area. If you don’t have this type of medical equipment on hand, you can use armored tape instead.
3) Tie your shoes
We’re staying in the realm of walking and shoes: so that the laces don’t come undone easily and are the same length on both sides, tie a knot in the middle, where they cross.
4) First aid
Admittedly, we rarely associate sanitary napkins with typical soldier equipment – at least not until now. Still, in an emergency, sanitary napkins can be placed over an injury and secured with tape to stop the bleeding. (In a way, they were designed for this).
Aside from that, bandages can also be placed in shoes as a sort of insole to absorb sweat.
5) Stay warm
Sports leggings, running pants, running tights – these are the type of leggings that athletes wear when running or jogging. In winter, it can be worn under normal clothing – jeans or suit pants – to stay warm.
It does not stand out on clothing and men can also dress warmly during the cold season without having to resort to less aesthetic long johns.
6) Barbecue lighter
An inexpensive but effective barbecue lighter is made from cotton balls to which petroleum jelly has been applied. They burn very quickly and quite long for their size – around two to three minutes. Place them in the barbecue or in the hearth with the coal or wood to start a fire.
7) Folding the shirt
In military training, in addition to drill, order is also an important aspect: a precise uniform, shiny shoes and a well-made bed are self-evident for a good soldier.
Let’s start with the shirt: If your shirt is a little too big – for example because you recently lost weight – you can fold it to the side as shown and tuck it into your pants.
8) Make the bed
The next step is therefore the bed: for fitted sheets, the following step is not really necessary. But to make a regular sheet tight, fold a triangle towards the middle of the bed from the corner and fold it under the mattress towards the corner.
9) Shoe shine
Finally, a decent uniform should also include shoes as smooth as a mirror: to make the shoes shine, a lighter can help you. Start by polishing the shoes with a generous amount of shoe polish, then leave it on for a few minutes.
Then, gently pass the flame of a lighter over the polished shoe. Finally, polish the shoe with an old nylon pantyhose.
10) Refresh drinks
A tip that has proven itself in hot and dry areas of use, but which can also be useful on a daily basis in summer, for example during a barbecue at the lake: slip a bottle into a wet sock. Hang the wet sock with the bottle on a tree or clothesline. This way the drink stays fresh inside the bottle.
