ABSTRACT The one truly common learning point coming out of every oil spill debrief is the understanding that no two spills are ever the same. This inherent variety coupled with the unpredictable nature of oil spills ensures that we can only ever aspire to attaining a level of preparedness somewhere short of being fully ‘response-ready’. Indeed, as the search for oil takes the industry further into unknown and unpredictable regions, responders are increasingly reliant on their initiative as one of the primary tools in a response. Remote locations, inadequate logistical support, unpredictable customs and poor planning can all lead to an absence of dedicated operational oil spill equipment where and when you need it most. Attending training courses and acting out drill after drill can teach core skills and impart confidence through repetition, but perhaps the most important skill of any responder is the ability to improvise and adapt. Rather than dispelling the importance of oil spill training and drills, this paper explains how a thorough knowledge of response strategies and techniques can allow a responder to adapt and engineer an effective response using limited resources. Within this paper, corralling without boom, in-situ gravity separation and dispersant application, are some of the examples within the author'S experience that will highlight the importance of ingenuity during an oil spill where adaptation and innovation have ensured a successful response despite the absence of dedicated oil spill equipment. The author concludes by exploring the merits and shortfalls of this approach and asks, “Is the responder'S toolbox really only limited by his imagination?”