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There's about one month left to submit a solution for the MakeShift featured in MAKE Volume 22. Here is the challenge:

The Scenario: You're an avid and experienced snowmobiler off to meet up with a friend at a remote cabin some 60 miles back in a rocky and forested wilderness. You know the terrain can be rough in spots and there's a storm on its way, so you elect to use your older but reliable snowmobile rather than the newer one you bought just before this winter season.

Even though you get started somewhat later than you planned, and the storm seems to be approaching faster than expected, you're still making good progress. You're nearly halfway there when you crest a rise and notice -- a split second too late -- a sapling jutting up in the trail. Before you can react, one of the front ski tips catches on the sapling and sends you flying off into a snowdrift while your snowmobile crashes into a tree!

The good news is that you emerge unhurt. The bad news is your vehicle is sufficiently damaged that, even though the engine will still start and the gas tank's intact, it's no longer functional for transportation. What's more, in your haste to get on the road you neglected to move the emergency survival kit from your new snowmobile to this one -- and your cellphone has never found a signal this far out. No doubt, when you fail to arrive as expected, your friend will come looking for you. But with this wicked snowstorm already starting to pound the area, that might not happen for another 48 hours at best. So, like it or not, you're in for an adventure. And it's up to you to decide what form that will take ...

What You've Got: In addition to the winter clothing you're wearing, you've got two protein bars, a bottle of water, the snowmobile's cover, a basic repair kit consisting of some wrenches, pliers, and screwdrivers, the Swiss Army knife or Leatherman tool you always carry, and the bottle of single malt scotch you were planning to share with your friend at the cabin. What you don't have are any matches, lighters, or time -- because the wind is howling, the snow is flying, and the visibility is dropping fast. Are we having fun yet?

To enter: Send a detailed description of your MakeShift solution with sketches and/or photos to makeshift@makezine.com by Aug. 27, 2010. If duplicate solutions are submitted, the winner will be determined by the quality of the explanation and presentation. The most plausible and most creative solutions will each win a MAKE T-shirt and a MAKE Pocket Ref. Think positive and include your shirt size and contact information with your solution. Good luck! For readers' solutions to previous MakeShift challenges, visit makezine.com/makeshift.

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You've got one month left to submit your solutions for the MakeShift featured in MAKE Volume 21. The deadline is Friday, May 28. Here's the challenge:

The Scenario: You've had a long and crappy day at work. What's more, it's raining. Hard. You pile into the front seat of your car with your umbrella, waterproof storm coat, and briefcase, comforted only by the sight of a zip-lock plastic bag with homemade cookies. You plug in your cellphone, secure it to the hands-free mount on the dashboard, start the engine, and hit the road.

Traffic sucks, so you decide to get off the highway onto a winding, back-road shortcut that runs along the nearby river. Which would've been fine, until a deer suddenly darts across the road, causing you to swerve, skid, and go bounding down the embankment to crash-land in the river.

The Challenge: When you recover from the initial shock enough to utter a few choice expletives, you notice the airbag has deployed -- protecting your upper body from the crash -- but your legs and ankles really hurt, and might very well be broken. What's more, the river water is rapidly rising into the passenger compartment from below. Fortunately, the door latch seems to work, the river's current isn't too swift, and you're a pretty strong swimmer. But it's dark, raining, and you're miles off the beaten track. What are you going to do now?

What You've Got: In addition to the aforementioned items, there's a small flashlight and a Swiss Army knife or Leatherman tool in the glove box, plus the typical work-related items in your briefcase. Talk about needing a bailout ... good luck!

To Enter: Send a detailed description of your MakeShift solution with sketches and/or photos to makeshift@makezine.com by May 28, 2010. If duplicate solutions are submitted, the winner will be determined by the quality of the explanation and presentation. The most plausible and most creative solutions will each win a MAKE T-shirt and a MAKE Pocket Ref. Think positive and include your shirt size and contact information with your solution. Good luck! For readers' solutions to previous MakeShift challenges, visit makezine.com/makeshift.

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The deadline for submitting your solution to the MakeShift challenge from MAKE Volume 19 is fast approaching. Napping in an ocean kayak is generally never a good idea, but what would you do if you stuck in this predicament? Work your brain, get creative, and win stuff! Here's the MakeShift in its entirety:

The Scenario: You're an experienced and avid open-ocean kayaker, setting off early from your favorite coastal launch point for a restorative and invigorating day on the water. You've checked with the Weather Channel and the National Weather Service, and both have predicted sunny weather, slight clouds, and virtually no wind. So, after donning some sunblock and checking your gear and supplies, you're off.

The launching goes OK, but you take on a little water fighting the breakers. When you finally clear them, you paddle steadily until you're about 1 mile offshore, which you confirm with your GPS. Venturing out a little farther, you paddle parallel to the shore for a few hours. Then, adjusting your life vest and seat cushion to make yourself more comfortable, you stop to relax and enjoy the scenery, but between the warm sunshine, the gentle roll of the ocean, and the hypnotically reflective water, you nod off.

The Challenge: When you wake several hours later, the ocean is choppy and a strong, southerly wind has picked up, which has pushed you at least 3 miles from shore and continues to grow in strength. You dig for your cellphone just in case you need to call for help, only to discover that the saltwater you took on earlier has rendered it useless. You paddle hard for shore, but even after a relentless hour, the winds and currents seem to erase all your progress and the tall beachfront hotels are becoming mere dots on the horizon. You realize more paddling might be fruitless and only exhaust you completely. So what do you do now?

What You've Got: Two gallons of fresh drinking water and a basic survival kit with a compass, a lightweight 6×7-foot survival blanket (silvered on one side and dark on the other, in a pouch), heavy-duty nylon tape, and a coil of thin but strong nylon rope. You've also got a Swiss Army knife (or similar tool), some marine binoculars, a GPS unit, your waterlogged cellphone, some basic medical supplies in their own self-contained marine emergency medical kit, and an extra paddle. You also have a lightweight, waterproof windbreaker and some foul-weather gear stashed in the small but useful front storage compartment.

To Enter: Send a detailed description of your MakeShift solution with sketches and/or photos to makeshift@makezine.com by Nov. 20, 2009. If duplicate solutions are submitted, the winner will be determined by the quality of the explanation and presentation. The most plausible and most creative solutions will each win a MAKE T-shirt and a MAKE Pocket Ref. Think positive and include your shirt size and contact information with your solution. Good luck! For readers' solutions to previous MakeShift challenges, visit makezine.com/makeshift.

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Bill Gurstelle is your MAKEcation counselor for the make-a-trebuchet Family Challenge. Build a trebuchet and post pictures tagged "MAKEcation" in the MAKE Flickr pool to enter to win a $100 Maker Shed gift certificate!

More in my series of posts on How to Build a Catapult. In this post, I discuss Catapults, Ballistas, Trebuchets and the Triggers, Releases, and Latches that operate them.

I receive quite a few inquiries about making catapults and trebuchets. And among the most frequent questions is: how do I build the trigger? It's an important question.

Catapults are fun and educational to build and operate. When building a catapult, trebuchet, ballista, mangonel, or any of the hundred names by which such hurling machines are known, you'll find out that the mechanism that releases the throwing arm is often the most complicated part of the machine.

You may build your own release, which is tricky because you need to design the latch so that it will release reliably under full load. Actually, you can get pretty creative about triggers.

But considering how cheap and easy it is to buy one, it might make more sense to use one of the commercial solutions below, and spend your time working on the other aspects of the machine.I've spent time researching the best triggers and releases for small catapults. There are three good, off-the-shelf solutions: The archer's arrow release, the sailor's pelican hook, and the horse trainer's panic snap.

Archer's Arrow Release:

This is the premier solution. Works dependably, quickly and very smoothly. It costs a bit more, but of all the catapult releases I've tried, I like this one the best. Find it at a sporting goods store with an archery department, or find it online.

Sailor's Pelican Hook:

This is another excellent hurling machine trigger. Its normal use is in sailing, where it is used to securely hold and release lines and ropes. Basically a pelican hook is a hinged hook that can be quickly secured or released by a sliding ring. It is quite a bit less expensive than an arrow release, but it holds securely under load. The downside is that they can be awkward to release sometimes. Find it at a boating store or online.

Horse Trainer's Panic Snap:

A panic snap is a mechanism often used between a lead and a horse's harness. They are decent catapult triggers because they can be disconnected under load. A panic snap is specially built so that the latching mechanism is separate from the load bearing structure. Just pull back on the latch and the load releases. Very inexpensive, but not as smooth or dependable as the arrow release. Find it at a tack shop or online.

More:

• MAKEcations: deadline extended!
• Maker Workshop - Portable Trebuchet on Make: television
  
• MAKEcation trebuchet bundle in the Maker Shed
  

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