Impress your friends and embrace ingenuity with these handy hacks.

1. Keep your pots rust-free
You know those little silica gel packs that seem to be in almost everything you buy? Don’t throw them away; instead, store them in your cookware to keep pots free from rust.

2. Bring your headlamp back to life
If your headlamp seems prone to flickering, clean the battery connections with a stiff brush or sandpaper. And, if you’re a real MacGyver and happen to have some dielectric silicone grease lying around, apply a thin layer for added effectiveness.

3. Bread tags to hang your clothes
Hold onto those plastic tabs that keep your bread fresh; they can be used as pegs to hang your wet socks by the fire at night.

4. Keeping zippers zippy
Apply wax from an unlit candle to keep your zippers lubricated.

5. Drinking straws as spice holders
Plastic drinking straws can be transformed into spice holders. To make one, first cut a straw in half or in thirds. Then, whilst holding one end closed with a pair of needle-nose pliers, melt the end with a lighter and pinch it closed until it’s cooled. Using a funnel, fill it with your spice of choice, and when done, melt the other end and close it in the same way. Don’t forget to label it when you’re done.