How To Open A Can Without A Can Opener

No Can Opener? No Problem!

The SHTF and you’ve come across a couple of canned goods while scavenging. Great news, right? The only thing lying between you and sustenance is a thin layer of metal… and you don’t have a can opener. As preppers it may be hard to imagine being caught off guard in such a way that you don’t even have the most basic essentials like a can opener in your bug out bag. However it can and will happen, remember, that’s why we prep. Let’s get on with it.

Opening a can without a can opener is not hard after you understand how the can is constructed. Present day canned goods are sealed by way of a roller which bends and then crimps the top of the can over the side walls, forming a, leak-proof, albeit thin seal. So all we have to do is break that crimped seal; not a challenging task with a little bit of concrete and friction. Watch the video below:

Instructions for Opening a can without a can opener:

1. Find a large flat rock or a concrete slab (the rougher the surface the easier it will be to open the can)
2. Place the can on the flat surface (upside down if preferred).
3. Slide the can back and forth across your hard rough surface until moisture begins seeping from the can.
4. The seal on the can has been broken, now just use your handy survival knife to finish prying the lid off.
5. You’ve just opened a can without a can opener, add another notch to your prepper belt.

As always let us know if you have any other ingenious prepping tips or hacks to get canned goods or other hard to open items open. Things that come to mind are 50-gallon drums, fire hydrants, and unlocking doors. We’ll write about these in the future and be sure to update this article with links.