Being sent to prison deprives you of basic necessities that the rest of us take for granted, like lots of food options or a way to light those banned cigarettes. Necessity is the mother of invention, so those who’ve been incarcerated have had to come up with some creative lifehacks for when resources are limited. Here are a few.
MacGyver Tricks 1
They all have a common theme: making things last longer and being content with what you have. Principles we advocate for here at Lifehacker. Luckily, we can learn them without having to spend time behind bars.
After posting this video, several commenters noted that this trick is something most ex-cons know. Everything costs money in prison or has to be traded with others, so it pays to know if a battery actually works if you can’t just go to the nearest store and buy new batteries. Hence the prison drop test.
Once you know a battery is good, you can make a fire to light a homemade candle (made from empty yogurt or applesauce containers, baby oil, and wire), cigarettes, or whatever you want. Web Urbanist explains:
