Peace Corps Living Life Hacks (Part 1)

Life Hack (ˈlʌɪfhak/): refers to any trick, shortcut, skill, or novelty method that increases productivity and efficiency, in all walks of life. (source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_hacking)

Peace Corps living (low budget flow, borrowed space, new country, unreliable/limited access to conveniences we are accustomed to) is the perfect breeding ground of creative "life hacks." We are enjoying the process of coming up with these tricks and are eager to share. We hope you find them as amusing as we have....

Cracked Flooring/Foundation: We discovered that our flooring has several serious cracks. In some places, it creates a deep bowl shape. The family had taken steps to minimize the effect by piling sheets of linoleum over the area. As new arrivals, we still had many chunks of compressed Styrofoam packaging and cardboard around. Hopefully, you have these same materials because they are key in this life hack.... Insert puzzle-pieced chunks of Styrofoam into bowl-shaped indentation (enough to mostly cover the area). Cover with cardboard. Cover with linoleum. Boom! A (more) even walking surface!

Lack of Roping for Hanging Mosquito Net: Use long strips of duct tape. Cut in half length-wise to reduce the amount of duct tape used. Take one of these skinny strips and fold it in half length-wise. Avoid folding the ends because you will need them to retain adhesiveness. Wrap one end of duct tape around ceiling post; adhere the end back onto the duct tape to create a loop (and minimize damage to the teal paint on said post). Wrap other end around the corner loop on the mosquito net. Adjust to appropriate height (be sure you can still tuck the ends under your mattress). Adhere the end back onto the duct tape. Repeat.

Rope o' Duct Tape

Lack of Rolling Pin: Use a Nalgene.

Joe demonstrates our "rolling-nalgene."

Cannot Hang Photos on the Wall: Attach a weighted fishing line to exposed ceiling beam. Attach photos with clothes pins. Extra: Attach sticks horizontally to add width to your pinning space.

Photo Display in our Main Room

Overall Effect

Cake Pan Too Big for Stoven*? (especially when you have gone to 7 stores searching for each item to begin with…): Use pliers to bend down the arms of the cake pan. Bonus: If it still doesn’t fit, throw the cake pan, curse the world, and take up an electricity-free lifestyle based on principle. 

*click for a photo of a "stoven"

"Won't fit in the stoven!? We'll see about that..." 

Need to Boil Water on Crappy Stoven-Top Burner?:  Pour just a little water in
pot and turn burner on high. Boil remaining water in electric tea kettle. Add boiled water from tea kettle to pot. Insert food item that needs boiling.

Need to Wash Your Hands But Running Water is Too Far Away?: Dilute handsoap in water. Pour into empty water bottle. Poke a hole in lid of said water bottle. Twist lid on. Voila!

Standard-Issue Wardrobe Might Take a Few Months to Be Delivered?: Those of you who know Joe know that he is a keep-it-organized-and-keep-it-ironed kinda guy. These natural tendencies + Living out of a suitcase in a culture that also values impeccable dress = Problem.  He is also an avid climber who geeks out over cool knots and anchors. This skillset + Exposed ceiling beams + New rope = Solution!  [Bonus for fellow climbing nerds... Featured knots: Single Bowline, Slipped Half-Hitch, and Alpine Butterfly (Joe adds that the alpine butterfly isn't necessary, "just nice to have.")]

Make-Shift Wardrobe
*The Alpine Butterfly knots are used to create dividers on the rope to prevent a drift towards the center.

Close-Up of the Slipped Half-Hitch

Stolen From Other PCVs:

Electricity-Free Flea Trap (mind you, I have no idea how to make an electric-ful flea trap, so that adjective may be unnecessary): Prepare a wide bowl with warm, soapy water. Take the long candlestick that you were intending to depend on for light after sunset. Mourn the sacrifice of said candlestick. Chop off the top of the candle and place it in the water, leave wick uncovered. Light wick. Fleas will allegedly jump after the light and will find themselves in their “watery grave” (…these are apparently pirate-fleas).

Computer Overheats When Sitting on Lap: WHAT?! You didn’t bring one of those fancy computer lap rests with built-in fan when you joined the Peace Corps? Of course not… Simply use an empty cereal box.

Bed-Bugs: Bleach mattress and set blankets/pillows to bake in the sun for two days.