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A HOT TIP

If you've ever tried to start a fire in a heavy wind that blows out one match after another, you know what frustration is. When you only have one match with you, however, the situation can be much more than just an irritation.

Next time you face that problem, take a knife and shave the wood near the tip of your fire starter into a fringe as shown in the illustration. The curled shavings will catch and hold a flame much more readily than would an unwhittled match stick.

GOT A LARGE CORK AND A SMALL HOLE?

Sooner or later it happens to most everybody . . . there's a small bottle to be plugged and every cork in the house is too durn big.

Here's a solution: Cut two deep wedges—at right angles to one another—from the bottom of the stopper. Then, wet the cork slightly, squeeze the "points" together as in the drawing, and stick it—easily—into that pesky little bottleneck.

REMOVE STAPLES EASILY

Those stubborn staples can be taken out of fenceposts (or almost anything else, for that matter) as "easy as pie" with a regular claw hammer and a nail. Just slip the little spike through the top loop of the stuck fastener (as in the drawing), get a "hook" on both sides of it, and pull away!

BAKE ON A GAS BURNER

Outdoor baking is an art . . . and folks who can whip up such things as cakes and muffins in a camping situation are few and far between. With a little experimentation, though, you can turn out such goodies on an open-flamed stove . . . using nothing but an "extra pan oven" positioned over one of the burners.

To try this trick (it'll work in the house, too, if you happen to have a gas stove with a nonfunctioning oven) you'll need two pie tins—one a good bit smaller than the other—your cakepan, and a saucepan large enough to cover the whole setup and leave room for the rising cake.

Arrange the pans as shown in the accompanying drawing. Start "baking" over a high flame (and do check the cake regularly . . . at least the first few times you try this idea) and gradually decrease the heat until your confection is done. This oughta work for pies, tarts, and other oven yummies, too.

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