Vol. 01: MakeShift

Imagine this: Your car battery is dead, and you’re stuck in the woods. Your mission: Get home before you freeze to death. For the winning entries, see MakeShift 01: Analysis, Commentary, and Winners.

By William Lidwell

+ Downloads & Extras:

The Scenario

After a relaxing night of camping in the deep woods, you return to your car to find that it will not start. The battery is dead. "Someone" left the parking lights on overnight. You are 50 miles from the nearest road and have limited food and water. You try to call for help, but your cellphone is out of power and out of range. Snowy weather is scheduled to set in by late evening. The situation is serious.

The Challenge

Create a makeshift solution to recharge the battery and start the car. Tools and materials at your disposal include the objects on the supply list below (as well as the car and its components). You have 10 hours. By the way, the car has an automatic transmission--push-starting won't work.

Supply List

1 Tent
2 Sleeping bags
Sterno (stove and fuel)
First-aid kit (Aspirin, adhesive bandages, hydrogen peroxide)
2 Pencils
6 Pack of cola
1 Dozen limes
2 apples
1 Banana
1 Large bag of potato chips
2 Liters of bottled water
1 Cellular phone
2 Road flares
A variety of tools (screwdrivers, wrenches, pliers, Swiss Army knife
Matches
Jumper cables

We have winners!

Thanks for all the amazing entries! Our winners for MakeShift 01 have been selected! Read MakeShift 01: Analysis, Commentary, and Winners. Congratulations!

� MAKE: NOISE — Discuss this article

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Showing messages 1 through 4 of 4.

Solution?
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What's the solution? It's killing me! :-)
Posted by wrenhunt1 on April 26, 2005 at 05:47:17 Pacific Time

chemicals?
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we're thinking that the alternator is too deeply buried in the engine to be much use, so we were looking at the supplies and thinking maybe some chemistry set solution is the answer. i guess it depends on the car... so where is the answer, guys? we're dying here.
Posted by evakovacs on May 02, 2005 at 12:54:49 Pacific Time

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If you're thinking of making a battery with limes, think a minute.

Remember science class? it took three or four fat lemons just to run a pocket calculator or digital clock.

It takes about 400 amps to start even a compact car engine, more in cold weather(which this supposedly is). A lemon produces about .0001 amps, a lime is smaller and would probably produce even less.

How many limes would it take to start a car? How many do you have?
Posted by Dan_Andersen on May 03, 2005 at 13:14:38 Pacific Time

"Someone" left their light on
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Push the car close enough to the car with the head lights on, pop off the cover for the light, unscrew the light bulb, attach the jumper cables to the battery, sharpen the both ends of each pencil and attach them to the other ends of the cables, and then touch the inside of the light sockett and drive a way. Would that work?
Posted by Cizmatical on July 13, 2005 at 19:36:48 Pacific Time

Showing messages 1 through 4 of 4.

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