A huge part of being successful at surviving during a disaster, zombie apocalypse or any SHTF scenario is to improvise, adapt and overcome. When supplies are limited, it will be imperative for you to think outside the box and think of alternative uses for the gear you have. Simple things like garbage bags become ponchos, shelters and water-catchers.
Many preppers already utilize food-grade plastic buckets for their food supply; however, these five-gallon buckets provide a lot more uses than just food storage. The 0.900 mil HDPE-approved resin white has a wire bail handle with plastic grip. It is impact-resistant and is good at keeping out moisture. Paired with a gamma lid, you have an airtight seal for anything you want to store in the bucket. Measuring 11.89 inches in diameter and 14.46 inches tall, the bucket can withstand temperatures from 160 degrees to -100 degrees Fahrenheit. Each bucket only weighs 2.08 pounds without the lid.
Stock up on some sturdy and tough buckets that are perfect for every day use, but come in 101 ways handy for survival.
If you’re too short, you may not get that dumpster sandwich!
- Food storage
- Water storage
- Keep caught fish in it (For easier survival fishing, use the automatic fishing reel.)
- Emergency toilet (Use waste bags to stay sanitary.)
- Store handguns
- Store ammunition
- Ferment beer
- Distill liquor
- Back-up BOB
- Store batteries
- Water filtration system
- Store rice and other grains
- Store flour
- Use as a planter
- Collect rainwater
- Resting stool
- Trash can
- Hold bait
- Store sugar
- Store potatoes
- Use as a cooler
- Livestock feeder
- Hold pet/livestock food
- Wash clothes
- Wash dishes
- Churn butter
- Use it to milk a cow
- Store coffee
- Gathering
- Hold first aid supplies
- Coal/charcoal storage
- Store wood for a fire
- Hold sterno or MRE heater fuel
- Hold seeds
- Fill it with sand as an alternative to sand bags
- Animal trap
- Pull off wire handle and use it as a tool
- Hold gear and back-up supplies
- Game collector
- Floatation device
- Weapon
- Bury things
- Solar still
- Bang on it for a distress call or relieve stress
- Game feeder
- Step stool
- Store used oil
- Store beans
- Hold a 72-hour food kit
- Make dough
- Keep paper products dry
- Bear and raccoon-proof storage
- Store kindling
- Collect clams
- Collect spent brass
- Hold reloading supplies
- Fill with rocks or sand and use as an anchor
- Grow potatoes
- Solar heater
- Lobster or fish trap
- Buoy
- Water marker
- Use the lid to plug a hole
- Use multiple lids as wheels
- Store/hid barter items
- Start a fire inside it in bad weather
- Store salt
- Mix concrete
- Store tools
- Hold cold-weather and rain gear clothing
- Hold matches and other fire-starting tools
- Hide valuables
- Heat water
- Hold sanitation supplies and toiletries
- Use for bathing
- Cover plants or crops to prevent them from freezing
- Keep personal items, like copies of birth certificates and social security cards
- Catch minnows for bait or food
- Store plastic dining ware and cooking utensils
- Store medicines
- Store baby’s bug-out kit
- Keep ropes and paracord
- Use as a helmet
- Use the lid as a Frisbee for entertainment
- Use the rubber gasket seal from the gamma lid
- Fill with sand or dirt and use it as post hole
- Fill it up with dirt or sand and use as a weight for exercise
- Use as a dumbwaiter
- Remove the plastic grip and use as a tool or straw
- Bailing out a leaking boat
- Use it a sieve
- Catch and keep crawfish
- Shovel
- Emergency shower if you poke holes in the bottom
- Make a compass
- Use it as a fulcrum
- Break it and use the shards for weapons
- Water trap
- Cistern
- Use as a spotlight (with a light inside)
- Chicken roost
Not really sure what you would catch with a coke can. Only one way to find out!
Keep those last few cans of warm beer away from unwanted hands.
Oh now we’re just getting ridiculous
Why was this the first thing I thought of when coming up with uses for a bucket?
Bucket O’ Fun!
For an airtight seal to store food, purchase the gamma lid. If you want to use the bucket as an emergency toilet, you will need sanitary bags. As a water filtration system, you will need the ceramic water filtration system.
What uses can you think of? Tell us in the comment section.
To learn more about surviving and prepping, read the following blogs:
- How Much Food and Water Do You Actually Need?
- Essential Skills to Surviving the Next Apocalypse
- Purifying Water on the Fly: Safe Drinking Water in an Emergency
- Give it Up or Grow your Own
The mission of Cheaper Than Dirt!’s blog, “The Shooter’s Log,” is to provide information—not opinions—to our customers and the shooting community. We want you, our readers, to be able to make informed decisions. The information provided here does not represent the views of Cheaper Than Dirt!
And this is why us farmers will almost cause a traffic accident when one blows off the back of the truck, you also left out they are awesome for thermal protection for a hydrant or sorts-of-stuff like that. Pack it full of newspapers place it over the low profile hydrant and place a rock on top of it..lol you may have said.. that and i missed it …lol… either way good one you all!
Comment by Robert P. — March 15, 2013 @ 11:49 am
store a liberal, lid on of course
Comment by rick freese — March 16, 2013 @ 2:27 am
I think it’s only necessary to say you can store things in it. Naming every item that comes to mind and numbering it a a different use is just stupid.
Comment by El Walde — March 16, 2013 @ 2:53 am
Many years ago, our Boy Scout Troop used 5 gallon buckets to keep sleeping bags and personal items dry on canoe trips. Each scout was allowed two buckets. It provided many Scouts a dry bed to sleep in at night !!
Comment by Bob Slaughter — March 16, 2013 @ 4:48 am
Wow, nice list of uses! In our survival stash, we have piles of “Homer” buckets from Home Depot or any other typical home improvement store. They have a very decent seal around the lid for long term weatherproof storage. The only down side is that they are more difficult to remove than the Gamma type lid.
Comment by Silas Longshot — March 16, 2013 @ 6:24 am
A few years ago I heard OSHA , or some other goverment agency , had determined that empty buckets were a drowning hazard. The buckets could not be left just sitting around unless they had holes drilled in them. This of course would completely render a bucket useless for what it was designed to do, hold liquid. So I guess they could be used as traps., just set them out partially filled with water and watch as goverment bureaucrats fell in them and drowned. These buckets could be the answer to all our prayers.
Comment by John J — March 16, 2013 @ 6:33 am
And the number one use in an emergency situation when one just can’t wait, line it with a walmart shopping bag sit on it and go when done tie up the ends and toss the bag in your neighbors trash. Yes I have
Comment by RJ Peterson — March 16, 2013 @ 7:07 am
The traditional use is as a seat for still hunting. You carry lunch and warm clothes inside till you get to your stand.
Comment by D.Curran — March 16, 2013 @ 7:50 am
A helmet really????
Comment by csc — March 16, 2013 @ 8:04 am
We have cats so we end up with a number of those sturdy yellow Tidy Cat litter buckets throughout the year. Not quite as good in some applications as a totally weatherproof bucket but still very useful. Now if I could just get the other guys to stop laughing when I bring one to job sites as my tool bucket….
Comment by Mobius — March 16, 2013 @ 8:28 am
If you take a bucket and drill holes in it until it looks like a spaghetti strainer you can use it to wring out your clothes. Put your wet clothes in the bucket with holes, place another bucket on top and step in it. This is particularly useful for the wringout required between each rinse.
Comment by Thomas Williams — March 16, 2013 @ 9:42 am
Actually, HDPE 5 gal buckets are *not* water tight – even with a Gamma Seal lid. If you store beans, rice, etc in on of these, the product will “draw” moisture through the bucket. Learned this the hard way after Y2K. Need to use a mylar bag inside the bucket.
Comment by Rooster — March 16, 2013 @ 12:00 pm
As always, it’s for the bucket lists…especially the ones with all the Republicans fixes.
Comment by MD Godsy — March 16, 2013 @ 12:47 pm
Start a fire in a plastic bucket? That and the helmet example are just silly.
Comment by Jackpot — March 16, 2013 @ 1:18 pm
Hi. Does anyone know where I can acquire such buckets please? Thanks in advance…
Comment by Robert — March 16, 2013 @ 3:57 pm
@Robert, you can purchase the buckets on our website at http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/product/CAMP-309?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=social&utm_content=shooterslog&utm_campaign=20130316social-blog-5-gallon-white-bucket. ~CTD Donna
Comment by Donna Hornsby — March 16, 2013 @ 4:04 pm
Plastic buckets work well for concrete molding. Several projects come to mind including inverted for driveway markers, moveable posts, concrete pots/planters, boat anchor. Can be used as a funnel with simply a hole in the bottom or heat the bottom enough to puncture and shape it.
Comment by Larry Scott — March 16, 2013 @ 4:37 pm
5 gal. bucket with lid, drill a hole in center to fit the handle of a NEW tolet plunger. drill holes in top of rubber plunger and use as a washing machine. the holes in plunger allows for easy aggatting of water.
Comment by tommy sr — March 16, 2013 @ 7:36 pm
A water bucket for carrying water from the stream/lake/river to the house. You may not be able to drink or cook with the stream water, but you can flush the toilet, bathe, and wash things with it.
Comment by Bob — March 16, 2013 @ 8:37 pm
brine a turkey or pork shoulder in a new or clean bucket for several hours befor you cook it,,,,,just keep some ice in with the brine and don’t use the bucket that had been used for unsanitary purposes,,,,you know what I mean…..
Comment by bryan r culbertson — March 17, 2013 @ 12:00 am
I agree with the other person who said naming each item you can store in it is just redundant. I think someone was trying to pad the list to reach 101 uses. Bad ones are 1. Helmet WTF (my tin foil hat was at the cleaners???
2. Distill liquor (in a plastic bucket???
3. Start a fire REALLY and inhale extremely toxic plastic fumes until it burns a hole in the bottom???
4. Weapon ???
5. Use the lid to plug a hole ??? (Like the one in the top of the bucket I presume???
6. Heat water ??? I guess that’s what the fire you started in the other buckets for???
7.
Comment by Tommy — March 17, 2013 @ 5:17 am
Fire starting in a 5 gal bucket: Ahh, I think they expected us to be smart enough to remove the fire from the bucket after starting it in inclement weather.
Comment by Ted — March 17, 2013 @ 8:20 am
No plastic bucket is proof against bears #52-don’t make that mistake if a bear wants into your bucket he’s getting in there, store foods up high or in heavy metal containers if in bear country.
Comment by Wylde — March 18, 2013 @ 9:26 am
I made sauerkraut in one this year. I cut 3 inches off the bottom of a 2nd bucket, drilled a bunch of 1/8 in holes in the bottom of that. Filled the bucket with the cabbage and topped it with the perforated bottom piece and a clean 5 lb rock for weight. It was a perfect fit and kept the cabbage submerged. I also liked that I could just look and see if the water level was OK. Worked great! Price out a new traditional 5 Gallon crock, and the ceramic weight to fit inside it will set you back over $100.
Comment by Alan — March 18, 2013 @ 9:52 am
101 uses my ass, it’s a storage container, you guys are listing multiple items that can be stored in the storage container, that doesn’t count as a seperate use.
Comment by Brad — March 18, 2013 @ 5:28 pm
The square plastic buckets can be cut open a bit, with a handle installed at the back and used as an industrial sized dust bin, or for raking leaves. It makes it easier than bending over with those home sized things you use with a broom.
Comment by Jim D. — March 18, 2013 @ 7:20 pm
I believe these buckets could withstand at least some vacuum. The walls and bottom would need some reinforcing (a wire cage perhaps or a plastic sleeve) and the valve stem installed thru the lid. Definitely worth some experimenting.
Comment by Larry Scott — March 19, 2013 @ 5:52 am
The comment made by Tommy re “starting a fire.” Noticed Tommy they said “starting” a fire, not letting it burn to melt the bottom. And yes, it can be used to distill. I’ve used 5 gal buckets for years to make wine and it always comes out great. Listing the uses may seem stupid, but some people have a hard time thinking outside the box. By listing multiple uses, you get folks brain thinking. Just saying…
Comment by Thomas — March 21, 2013 @ 10:25 am
I’ve grown mushrooms in a 5gal bucket. Kind of a giant version if pftech. Not so much for survival though, as you’d be hard pressed to maintain sanitary and temperature requirements in asuch a situation. Can grow big oyster and shiitake mushrooms in a blend of sawdust and rice flour (sterilized).
Comment by alt0182 — March 22, 2013 @ 2:30 am