Even if you've never seen the show, you probably know the name: MacGyver. I haven't seen the series, personally, but because the name has entered by social circle as a verb, I studied up on it, and I may check to see if it's on NetFlix or Amazon Prime or something to watch a few episodes.
Basically, from what I understand, MacGyver was a spy, a secret agent, who preferred non-violent resolutions to his dilemmas and didn't carry a gun. He was a master of Duct Tape and with it, a Swiss Army knife, and his brain, he could do nearly anything with whatever came to hand. He used his vast scientific knowledge to convert common items into impromptu tools and devices to resolve whatever issue was facing him.
Sounds like just the sort of person you'd want to be partnered with in any sort of survival situation.
You know, you could duplicate some of MacGyver's efforts yourself. You could be a MacGyver sort of person.
All it takes is knowledge and some common items.
Here are a few things you can use to help you emulate MacGyver in your own life. I know, some are cheats, but we don't all have scriptwriters and Props and directors writing our lines for us and making sure we have exactly what we need at hand, and then editing the footage so everything comes out right in the end.
This is MacGyvering without all the Hollywood back-up.
The following items are small and can easily be carried with you wherever you go so you, too, can pull a MacGyver if you need to.
Duct Tape. The ultimate MacGyver tool (next to his Swiss Army knife). Jim Berg and Tim Nyberg have written a fairly extensive book on the uses of duct tape. There's also the Duct Tape Guys and their collection of Duct Tape oriented book. If those don't spark your MacGyvering ideas, nothing will. Also, not all their suggestions are practical, smart, or safe, so use common sense when reading these books and the website.
Pocket Knife. MacGyver, of course, was known for his Swiss Army knife. You might prefer a Leatherman tool - I bet if Leatherman tools were around when MacGyver was produced, he might have had one of them instead. I have a simple Opinel that I love and my hidden keychain knife that I picked up for free in Germany - it was a lagniappe at a factory tour I took and has been my best portable tool for decades. It looks a lot like this, except mine is stainless steel all the way and has the advertising for the company I toured on it. The blade on mine is made by Wuesthoff.
A thumb drive. You can carry your files with you, transfer files to or from someone else, carry computer programs on it as well, and even carry your entire computer with all it's programs with you. Whatever information you need. You can save scanned documents to it and so have access to all your vital documents. Of course, you'll need a computer to access the data, but it will all be right there.
Zip ties. These are good for securing the zippers of your luggage, attaching things together, emergency shoelaces, hang things, an impromptu keyring, hiding keys under the car, holding brake cables in place, depth stops on drill bits, securing a splint, impromptu hinges, binder and hook for a sheaf of papers, as an impromptu padlock...I'm sure you can come up with more uses. Zip ties are nice.
A smart phone. Either a Droid or iPhone can give you a platform for hundreds of useful apps in addition to phone service and internet access. It can be used as a flashlight and an alarm, a clock, and more. MacGyver would have had one.
Access to the internet. There is literally nothing you can't learn if you have access to the internet. Since we can't all have MacGyver's brain inside our heads, and we don't have scriptwriters and producers making sure our tricks work, this is what we, the, non-actor type, real life people use to get the information we need quickly.
Floss. Floss is sort of like zip ties, only thinner and versatile in slightly different ways - you can tie a snare with floss, but not a zip tie, for instance. You can use floss as emergency sewing thread - try that with a zip tie! You can use floss to tie up your hair (if you have long hair like me) or to tie things into your hair (a great place to hide small things if you have thick hair, and especially if it's long, thick hair).
Paper clips. Those twisty little bits of metal can do an amazing number of things besides hold pieces of paper together. I've used paper clips to push buttons on the TAM because they've set the bar up for monster truck drivers and I find the buttons are often over my head and just out of arm's reach. the length of a paper clip is just enough to reach and push those buttons, so I'm sure there are other buttons it could push, too, if needed. It's thin enough to thread into electronics to move things, and even to hold clothes together. Paper clips are also good to hold parts of your auto engine together. I've driven cars held together with paperclips, duct tape, and rubber gloves. A paper clip can sometimes be used as a screw driver.
Safety pins could also be used in place of paper clips, or in conjunction with them. They have that sharp end that can be used to pry out small objects from splinters to being used as an awl to stitch together leather or wood. and it can be used just like a safety pin!
Matches, lighter, and/or flint and steel. Fire is a pretty basic preparedness item. A flint and steel, once you learn the trick of it, is as fast or faster than using matches, never runs out of fuel, and can't be blown out by the wind. I carry a flint and steel with me all the time.
And then there are the other items you could carry or might have available - rubber bands, emery boards, corks, popsicle sticks, foil, bandana or handkerchief, plastic garbage bags, a non-digital watch (did you know it can double as a compass? True!), soda cans (can be used as a firestarter with a bit of chocolate, and the tab can be converted to a fish hook), and more.
With a little ingenuity and access to the internet, you can craft a fix for nearly anything out of nearly anything.