Crafting something valuable out of something ordinary can be a useful skill in a survival situation. There’s nothing more that makes survival easier than being able to do a few simple hacks with ordinary objects—it just takes a little bit of creativity and imagination. Sometimes you’ll be able to make a tool that you otherwise don’t have, and it might end up saving you!
In this post, we will show you a list of simple soda can hacks that can help you survive when SHTF
Soda Can Survival Hacks
Soda cans are scattered and littered almost everywhere we go. In today’s modern society, we deem them useless and just throw them in the trash bin once they’re empty. But truth be told, there are many soda can hacks and you can easily put these soda cans to good use.
Even if you have your Bug Out Bag, if you are in the wilderness trying to survive, you can always craft valuable things out of a simple soda can.
Here Are Ten Survival Soda Can Hacks That YOU Should Learn:
1. Fishing Hook
Whether you’re a fishing enthusiast or not, being able to fish is important if you end up needing to survive in the wilderness. Normally, you wouldn’t imagine that you can hack a fishing hook out of a metal pull tab. It can be quite tricky to do, but it is easy enough with practice. Although it may not be as effective as an actual fishing hook, this soda can hack is better than nothing at all.
Materials
- Soda metal pull tab
- Scissors, knife or wire cutter
- Fishing line
Instructions
- Reshape the metal tab into a hook by cutting out the section of the larger circle.
- Sharpen the tip of the metal tab on a rock, enough to hook a fish.
- Tie the fishing line tightly to the smaller circle and set some bait on the sharpened hook (worms are always the best).
- Haul in the fish immediately once you feel a drag from the hook underwater.
2. Water Purifier
Running out of precious clean water to rehydrate yourself is always a possibility when SHTF. Clean drinking water is going to be the most important resource you can have to survive. You cannot just drink straight from most water sources available, like a stream, river, or lake. Having at least one soda can for this survival soda can hack will spare you from drinking contaminated water and getting dehydrated if you run into an emergency situation when you don’t have a water purifying device.
Materials
- Soda can
- Long peeled stick
- Cloth (for filter)
Instructions
- Create a hole on top of each opposing side of the can.
- Filter your water through layers of cloth while filling in the can to get rid of sediment.
- Place your can near the fire and boil it for 3-5 minutes.
- Insert the stick inside the two holes to avoid getting burned and remove the can from the fire.
3. Water Canteen
You will need a container for water you need to boil and purify, especially if you used soda can survival hack #2 above.. You might not know when you will get to the next available water source. Especially if you’re on the move and you don’t stay in one location for too long. Therefore, you will need a water container to be able to sustain yourself from one place to another. If you do not have any water container with you, just simply use this soda can hack to make a water canteen on your own with the use of two soda cans.
Materials
- 2 soda cans
- Scissors, shears or knife
- Long nose
- Duct tape
Instructions
- Cut the top of the two cans just right under their rim.
- Crimp the edges of one of the cans you just cut in half and fill it with water.
- Cover it with the other can and press it down until it’s sealed tightly.
- Apply the duct tape tightly around its seam. This will prevent possible leaking
- If you want to take a drink, you just twist off the top can to open it.
4. Drinking Cup
When you are going for a hot beverage to drink, you will definitely need a cup that has a handle on it. It will avoid your hands from getting burned when holding a hot beverage. Of course, it is not necessary to make one when you already have an actual drinking cup with you. But in case you don’t, then you may as well hack one out of a soda can which is a pretty simple soda can hack.
Materials
- Soda can
- Scissors, shears or knife
Instructions
- Cut out the can by 1/3 leaving 1-inch wide strip
- Cut down many slits on the edges by ¼ or ½ inch and bend them inwards.
- Bend the 1-inch wide strip outwards to make a handle. Be careful, the edges can be sharp!
NOTE: You can disregard step 1 and 3 if you do not want a handle. You just cut the top of the can all the way around and then proceed to step 2.
5. Tinder Trap
This is one of the best survival soda can hacks out there. Fire is one of the most important things to survive in the wilderness when SHTF. It provides quite a good number of benefits for your well-being. If you have tinder on you, it is important to keep it as dry as possible to use it more effectively in starting a fire. If you do not have a container on you but you can scrounge up a few soda cans, then you can just hack these into a tinder trap instead.
Materials
- 2 soda cans
- Scissors, shears or knife
- Long nose
Instructions
- Cut the two cans in half and set the halves with the metal pull tab aside.
- Crimp the edges of one of the cans you just cut in half and place your tinder in it.
- Cover it with the other can you also cut in half and press it down until it’s sealed tightly.
- If you want to take out your tinder, you just twist off the top can to open it.
6. Cooking Stove or Heater
The building process for a cooking stove/heater is somewhat complicated, and it requires a couple of easy-to-find objects. But it’s a great soda can survival hack to know. And once you get the idea, you will realize that it is completely doable with soda cans.
Materials
- 2 soda cans
- Knife or shears
- Nail
- Coin or rock
- Rubbing alcohol (Isopropyl Alcohol)
- Moss, dried peat or any insulation materials
Instructions
- Cut the top of the two cans by 2/3 and set the section with the metal pull tab aside.
- Using the bottom section that you just cut, crimp the edges of the can
- Make holes using a nail around the rim and on the center of the other can.
- Fill the crimped can with your insulation materials and pour some alcohol on it.
- Cover the crimped can with the other with holes and press it down.
- Pour some alcohol on and around the can and then light it up.
- Place the coin or rock on the center holes once it is lit.
7. Torch Lamp
The dark can be a little scary and VERY dangerous at the same time. Especially if there’s an approaching wild animal that you can’t even clearly see. Without light at night, you are leaving yourself vulnerable to whatever the wilderness might have in store for you. In order for you to get through the night safely, or even travel at night, you will need something to shine some light in your area. A torch lamp can come in handy at night- especially if you don’t plan on staying put and want to get moving in the darkness. Here’s a soda can hack that will help you light the surrounding area:
Materials
- 2 soda cans
- Scissors, shears or knife
- Paper towel
- Cooking oil or torch fuel
- Nail
Instructions
- Cut the two soda cans in half and set the top sections with the metal pull tab aside.
- Punch a hole on the other half using a nail and spread this hole using a knife.
- Join these two halves of soda cans but put the one with a hole on top.
- Pour some cooking oil or torch fuel into the can and dip the rolled paper towel inside.
- Once the paper towel absorbs enough cooking oil or torch fuel, you can now light it up. Be careful not to use too much fuel, the flame could flare up.
8. Reflecting Signal Mirror
If you’re lost or stranded in the wilderness, you should be able to signal for help if you see someone friendly. One of the effective ways is through the use of reflection. You don’t want anyone to miss out on helping you just because they didn’t notice you. You can catch their attention by just holding a soda can and directing its bottom towards them. With almost little to no effort, you might end up saving your life! Easiest survival soda can hack ever.
Materials
- Soda can
- Piece of cloth
- Chocolate, toothpaste or clay (natural polish options)
Instructions
- Apply natural polish either on your finger or piece of cloth.
- Rub it on the bottom of your can and keep on rubbing until it is fully polished.
- Try and check if it is reflecting into the ground or the surrounding trees.
- If it does, then it is now an effective signal mirror.
NOTE: If you don’t have enough time to do this, you can just cut the can in half and just expose its metallic interior to reflect signal light.
9. Whistle
Using a whistle is another way to signal for help and it requires little effort—you just have to blow on it. It can be considered to be the easiest among the other signaling techniques out there. The building process of hacking a whistle out of a soda can involves a lot of bending of the aluminum. We recommend using gloves or being extra careful for this survival soda can hack. But even so, you won’t spend too much time before you will be able to finish one.
Materials
- Soda can
- Scissors or shears
- Small piece of wood
Instructions
- Cut an aluminum sheet out of the can and cut out large and small pieces of aluminum sheet from the one you just cut.
- Place your small piece of aluminum horizontally over the vertically-positioned large piece.
- Bend the small piece around the large piece. Then, bend the shorter end of the large piece over the small piece by ¼ of an inch.
- Bend the longer end of the large piece to a right angle and then shape a loop out of that angle.
- Stick a small piece of wood into the hole of the small piece wrapped around the large piece to widen the mouth hole.
- Hold the loop with your thumb and index fingers when blowing it.
10. Knife
A knife is an indispensable tool which you can use for various tasks. It can be used in cutting meals, building shelter or even self-defense. Therefore, a quality knife is worth the space in your Bug Out Bag. But if you left your Bug Out Bag, or lost your knife, try to find some discarded soda cans instead. Then you can at least hack these cans into a makeshift knife, provided you have the right supplies.
Materials
- 3 to 5 soda cans
- Scissors, shears or knife
- Liquid soap
- Hot glue/super glue (this supply is going to be hard to get, so don’t lose your knife!)
- Popsicle sticks/ tongue depressors (another supply that won’t be easy to get)
Instructions
- Wash the cans with liquid soap and rinse them with water.
- Cut off the top and bottom sections of the cans and set them aside.
- Begin with the body section of the cans by cutting them in their standing position.
- Spread out the cans and mark an outline of the shape of an actual knife.
- Begin with cutting while following the outline that you marked on the cans.
- Apply hot glue on the popsicle stick and paste it in the handle of the cut out aluminum knife.
- Break a piece of popsicle stick in half. Then, apply hot glue on both pieces. Paste the first half of the popsicle stick on the top half of the knife and the other half just right under it.
- Cut out aluminum sheets from the other cans in the same size as your cut out aluminum knife.
- Wrap these aluminum sheets around the blade and handle and then sharpen the edge and tip of the blade on a rock.
NOTE: You may want to double or triple your popsicle sticks inside the knife, so that it won’t be flimsy enough to use.
Some Final Thoughts About Survival Soda Can Hacks
These tips are useful, but they are emergency tips if all your prepping strategies end up falling short or your plans end up falling apart, and you find yourself in a tough situation.
Sometimes we lose our Bug Out Bags, or they might even get stolen or lost. So you can’t always depend on having your equipment 100% of the time. That means learning how to maximize simple resources like a soda can into useful tools is an exceptional survival skill that you should develop. As you can see, the saying “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” clearly applies to soda cans, since they are littered all over. And they’ll probably still be all over the place when SHTF. We don’t often realize that by repurposing a piece of trash, it can give us a quick solution to a problem. And now you know some of the best soda can survival hacks there are! Comment and let us know if we forgot any good ones, or hit us on social media, links to all our socials are down below!
