Stink - in some cases, throwing something in the washing machine is not a good idea. Boots, shoes, chest rigs, plate carriers can all end up having a stink to them due to extreme use. You can eliminate the stench by placing the item in a freezer overnight for 8-14 hours. This also works for athlete's foot fungus.

1911 .45's - if you lose or damage the plug for the spring, you can use an empty .45 casing. It wiggles a little bit, but it is functional and will allow you to fire your 1911 .45 or to keep the internal parts together and from being lost while you order a new plug.