In movies and TV shows we often see our band of survivors searching abandoned homes for canned food and medicine. Always a good idea.

But I have never seen anyone on these shows check the lint traps of the clothes dryers. They're passing by a gold mine.

Dryer lint makes an excellent fire starter. It's light and easy to compress. You can almost never have too much. And a bit can literally save your life when you're wet and cold and can't get a fire going.

The next time you clean out that trap and frown at what to do with that mess of lint, remind yourself: this is post-apocalyptic gold. Find a stray plastic bag-they're everywhere - and keep your lint dry.

It's also an excellent pre-apocalyptic fire-starting material when camping. Consider saving some for your next outing.