Size and weight matter.
Whether your putting together a 72-hour Survival Pack that you can sling over your shoulder or making a Every Day Carry Kit that you can slide into a jacket pocket, it’s important to consider how easy the kit will be to carry.
Consider Convenience
I can tell you from experience if it’s big and bulky, you’re survival kit will get left behind more often than not. You’ll simply walk out the door without it. “I’m only running to the store; I won’t be gone but a few minutes,” you’ll say to yourself. Odds are, that’ll be when you’ll need it. And a survival kit, no matter how well stocked, is worthless if you don’t have it when the need arises.
Two factors that affect kit convenience: how heavy is it, and how bulky is it.
To curb unnecessary growth in both size and weight, it’s good to carry items that can serve multiple purposes. The fewer items you have to carry, the lighter your kit will be.
The Many Uses of a Coffee Can
That’s how a 1-pound coffee can can earn its way into your 72-hour pack. Consider the following uses for this light-weight and versatile survival instrument.
- Purify water. As a metal container, the 1-pound coffee can be filled with water and safely heated over a fire to kill any water-borne pathogens that may be present.
- Dig a hole. The rigidity of the container allows it to be used to scrape the ground and even dig a hole in some soils. This can be handy for finding food or water.
- Carry fire. A small coal from your fire can be placed inside the can along with some tinder and kindling and transported to another campsite, saving matches or firesteel.
- Cook stew. The natural wild edibles you may find in a true survival situation may be as unappetizing as they are nutritious. Combining your dried earthworms, grubs, and ants with more palatable items like dandelions and chickweed will help soften the taste and texture of your impromptu meal.
- Melt snow. During the winter months, a coffee can may be used to melt snow or ice over a fire. The warm liquid will help provide much need heat to your body as well as lift your spirits.
- Contain the kit. The coffee can itself can be used as the container for the survival kit. You can pack quite a bit inside the can, including a multi-tool, a trash bag, a fire steel, safety pins, some packages of oatmeal, cotton pads, a handkerchief, and some paracord to list but a few.
- Table. The can may be turned upside down and the bottom of the can will provide a nice flat and durable, albeit small, work surface that you can use.
- Make noise. Tapping on the bottom of the can with a rock or the spine of your knife will produce a noise that can help signal would-be rescues.
- Carrying items. A can is, after all, a can. It can used to help carry small items along your journey as you survive in the wild.
With so many uses, and potentially many more, why not add a coffee can to your 72-hour pack or your get-home car kit?
What uses have you found for a coffee can?
PreppingToSurvive.com 
October 18, 2012 at 3:22 pm
Reblogged this on Zombie Periodical and commented:
A recommended article
October 19, 2012 at 6:18 am
Where can you find metal coffee cans any more?
October 19, 2012 at 10:01 am
Substitute a #10 can from food storage. I save all my # 10 cans, I have plans to try making a rocket stove one of these days.
October 23, 2012 at 5:53 am
Rocket Stoves are another great use for the cans. A 1 pound can is probably a bit small but the #10 food cans should would well.
Thanks Ursula.
Joe
October 19, 2012 at 3:50 pm
Amazon sell some sorts. E.g. http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003R7K148/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B003R7K148&linkCode=as2&tag=actgeasup-21
October 19, 2012 at 4:01 pm
Walmart Master Chef cans are metal.
October 23, 2012 at 5:54 am
Agreed, they are getting harder to find these days.
June 13, 2014 at 4:52 pm
Most off brand coffees are metal cans.
October 10, 2014 at 12:35 am
Major coffee brands are no longer packaged in steel cans; that coffee is in paper or plastic. But the house brand coffee is usually in a steel can. Also, you can still get coffee in the un-economical smaller cans that are steel.
But you are right: steel coffee cans are a departing relic from the previous century. Just like the steel beer cans that could be soldered together to make a great ham radio antenna (thick conductor provides greater bandwidth).
July 18, 2016 at 1:31 pm
In the grocery story… in the coffee aisle. And don’t buy Folger’s so much, those cans are plastic. Open up and look around. Some of those other brands of coffee are actually in a “metal” can.
July 20, 2021 at 8:34 pm
Fill one with small toys, snacks, etc.. One per grandchild. Great for driving long distances. Their own Treasure Can. I also put snacks in one for the adults to share on trips. Tight lid, Handy. Easy to pass from person to person. My camper is full of coffee cans. Cannisters, storage containers used in kitchen and bathroom, one for card games, dice games, etc. Small tools, nails, screws, duct tape, fit nicely for a tool kit. I could go on forever. Kids love to play with them, carries their treasures. Always, always, always, one for each child to collect their ‘finds’ when camping or playing outdoors.
I also use them for serving soup for a small group ‘camping’ as well as one for crackers.
I could go on and on……………we buy coffee in the tin cans so we have a good supply.
October 20, 2012 at 12:12 pm
Drill 2 small holes on on the top edge and to run paracord, coathanger, or chain through to carry or hang over a fire. Additionally I keep some sandpaper in there to clean the bottom to use as a makeshift signal mirror.
October 23, 2012 at 5:56 am
Good point about drilling a couple of holes near the top to make a handle, Kevin B.
Joe
October 21, 2012 at 12:25 am
I have a #10 can in my bug out kit. It contains a roll of toilet paper and plastic bags to be used as liners. This my emergency porta potti.
October 23, 2012 at 5:54 am
Nice, Donna! A use I hadn’t thought of.
November 25, 2012 at 7:46 pm
A coffee can with a toilet kit is a life saver when traveling through Idaho and Montana with a wife and three daughters with bladders that activate five minutes past a rest area.
November 25, 2012 at 7:53 pm
Hahaha, yes. I know what you mean. I don’t think it’s specific to Idaho and Montana, though; I think that happens in every state, David.
October 10, 2014 at 12:37 am
Nor is that problem limited you young females. At least we can use Flomax to relieve the problem; the females can not.
December 12, 2020 at 11:30 am
In the years since this post, I have also added a small pkg. of wet wipes and a tiny bottle of hand sanitizer.
October 24, 2012 at 12:12 pm
i agree 100%.i am totally with you on this whole thang can wait to hear more.
November 25, 2012 at 11:37 pm
I always have one when I camp. Getting up to use the potty in the middle of the night can be loud and I don’t want to wake anyone. It is really nice to have one when it’s raining and you are camping.
December 9, 2012 at 1:33 am
Does it have to be a coffee can, or can it be one of those cookie cans?
December 9, 2012 at 7:33 am
It can be most any container that would suit your purposes. If you’re talking about one of those cookie tins that are 4 inches tall and 12 inches across, I’d prefer the coffee can personally. It’s going to be more rigid and easier to carry. But that’s a personal preference.
Thanks, Sarah G!
Joe
December 9, 2012 at 11:51 am
Thanks. What I was talking about was the ones that are like 12 inches tall and like 5 inches wide. Like the Creme de Pirouline cookie jars.
December 10, 2012 at 10:47 am
I would think so as along as the metal is sufficiently thick.
Joe
July 15, 2014 at 3:59 am
It’s hard to find educted people oon this subject, however, you sound like you know what you’re talking about!
Thanks
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July 16, 2016 at 2:23 am
… you’re (your) survival kit will get left behind…
July 18, 2016 at 11:15 am
Take a roll of Bathroom Tissue and place in coffee can. Pour alcohol over tissue( Rubbing alcohol). Light and keep warm up to 8 hours.