9 Smart Soda Can Survival Hacks You Need To Know

Check out these soda can survival hacks, and see if you can come up with any survival hacks of your own! I’ve said it before, but I really can’t emphasize this enough: there’s no survival skill more important than improvisation.

Take a soda can, for example. You can get a ton of uses out of an empty soda can, including these soda can survival hacks. So don’t throw them away just yet! Also, you are likely to find soda cans anywhere, which means you can survive by arming yourself with these simple soda can hacks!

Soda Can Survival Hacks that Could Save Your Life!

1. Soda Can Improvised Lamp

It might not seem like much–in fact, it probably seems like a piece of trash. But there are several surprising survival hacks which can turn a common soda can into a useful survival tool.

Take this improvised soda can lamp. Simply draw a big “I” on the side of the can. Cut the lines with a razor, then open it up and put a tea candle inside. Use the tab as a hanger.

2. DIY Soda Can Survival Torch

See this wonderful video and see how these unlikely tools can make an effective torch. To make this simple torch/lamp, take two soda cans and cut them in half.

You will only need the bottom half of the soda cans. Join the soda cans to make another container, and punch holes on the top half. Pour some cooking oil or tiki torch fuel into the can.

Dip a rolled paper towel into cooking oil or tiki torch fuel, then insert into the hole. Light the paper towel/fuse and voila! You got yourself a lamp or a torch.

3. Penny Can Stove

What is great about soda cans, survival- and improvisation-wise, is that they’re easy to work with. You can easily cut and punch holes through its pliable aluminum material with any cutting tool.

Soda cans and your regular Swiss army knife can go a long way. Any pointed tool will even do to make this penny can stove. You can also learn how to make a twin tin survival stove from soda cans here!

4. Survival Whistle

A whistle is important in a survival situation where you are trapped and need rescuing. You should know by now, shouting at the top of your lungs for help will do you no good. A whistle should take care of that for you, but how many of us always keep a whistle in handy?

You are likely to find soda cans lying around in a survival situation than you would a whistle. Watch this video from Black Scout Survival and learn how to make a whistle from a soda can!

5. Hanger or Hook

Survival hacks are a great way to put your skills to the test and see how many uses you can come up with for a common object. How about this: Paracord + pull tab = strong hanger hook! You will doubt this little baby but put it to the test and you will be just as amazed as I am. It can lift objects heavier than expected.

This is perfect when you want to put food higher to keep out of animals’ reach when out camping. You can also use this to lift objects up high if you can’t carry them all up to an elevation.

6. Fishing Hook

It can be pretty tricky to make this fishing hook survival hack from a soda can tab. But if you have the proper tools (like pliers, which you should always have in your toolbox), you can make this fishing hook easily like how it’s done.

If you are in a survival situation, you just have to explore all options. This may seem not much, but it has been tested to have actually served its purpose. Meaning, it did catch fish!

7. Use Soda Cans to Make Char Cloth

Starting a fire seem easy enough on television. Even Survivor has episodes where the contestants struggled to start a fire on the first days. Even with a flint or an igniting device, the struggle doesn’t end there.

You will need an effective tinder to start a fire fast and easy. A char cloth is one of the most effective tinder, but even then, you still need fire to make some.

But with a char cloth, starting a fire with improvised objects will be easier. Learn how to use soda cans to make char cloth in this video from UK Survival and Bush Craft Tips, and start a fire easier next time around.

8. Start a Fire with a Soda Can and Char Cloth

With a char cloth, bright sun, and patience, you can light a fire with the bottom of a soda can. Now you have a char cloth (as shown in the item above), an igniting device in the soda can. Find out how you can make an effective reflector/igniting device as you read the next entry on this list.

9. A Reflector or Signaling Mirror

This soda can survival hack is pretty much straightforward. The bottom of the can be tweaked to work like a mirror. It can work as a signaling device and you can even use it to start a fire. Simply buff the bottom with a cloth and aluminum polish. The shinier it is, the better!

Learn how to make a survival stove with two soda cans in this video from Nuclear Studio:

You might think, things like empty soda cans and other discarded items are useless, but think again. Soda can survive hacks like the ones listed above can turn your trash into survival treasure.

Knowing these survival hacks could mean your ultimate survival. It also goes to show, you can do anything with a little creativity and skill!

Will you put these soda can survival hack to the test? We’re excited to know how your improvisation is going to work out. Do share them in the comments section below!

Up Next: 7 Cost-Effective Uses For Shipping Containers Survivalists Should Know

For awesome survival gear, you can’t make at home, check out the Survival Life Store!

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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on February 17, 2015, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.