If you’re anything like me, you go through gallons of milk every week (especially if you have kids) and toss the plastic milk jugs in the recycling bin.

However, you may not realize that these plastic milk jugs actually have a TON of valuable uses in a survival situation!

The best part is that a lot of of these survival uses take minimal effort to put into effect.

Some of these uses require a bit of work; however, for many, you can repurpose these plastic milk jugs in just a couple of minutes.

If you’re willing to put in the effort, you’ll have an array of survival tools you can easily use while camping or bugging out once SHTF.

You’ll be astonished at these…

16 Amazing Survival Uses For Plastic Milk Jugs

1 – Showerhead

Take an empty plastic milk jug and fill it up with fresh water (filtered is best if you can get it). Then seal the cap on tight, and flip the jug over so it’s standing on its cap.

Using a sharp knife, cut small holes in the top of the jug. Tip the jug over, and you’ll have a steady stream of water you can use for a quick shower.

Or, to make  things easier, grab our insanely easy to use Jumbo Campers Shower! This 5 gallon bag is heated by the sun, giving you the warm shower you need after a long day in the great outdoors. See it here.

2 – Mallet

I’m not gonna lie to you – this one takes quite a bit of work. However, as you’ll see in this video, the payoff is worth it and it could seriously save your life.

Because the mallet is made out of melted HDPE, the plastic has hardened to become a heavy, effective weapon to use against your enemies. You could seriously do some damage with this. Take a look:

3 – Water Your Plants

If you’re planning on leaving your bug out location for the day (or even longer if something happens) you can bet that your plants are still going to need fresh water to survive.

Clear your mind of this worry by simply making a DIY watering can.

To make one for yourself, simply use a Sharpie to draw a line around the base of the milk jug, about 2-3 inches from the bottom. Hint: There’s also sometimes a seam that runs around the jug near the bottom – you can cut along this seam if your jug has one.

Take a knife and cut through the milk jug to start a hole; then, finishing cutting around the milk jug with scissors. Once the bottom of the jug is off, set it to the side. You can use this for other projects (as you’ll see later in the blog).

Poke multiple holes into the cap using a sharp nail or similar device.Be careful not to rest the cap on anything valuable while doing this, as the nail will puncture through the cap as well as anything underneath it.

Once you’re finished, replace the cap and stick it into the planter/pot. Fill the jug with fresh water, and watch as it slowly trickles water into the soil. This DIY canister will help ensure your plants are well-taken care of while you’re gone.

4 – Prevent Spillage From Overwatering

I think it’s safe to say most all of us have over-watered our plants a time or two; and we’ve all had to clean up the mess it creates.

To help solve this problem, just take the base of the milk jug (which you’ve already cut out in survival use #3) and place it underneath your plant pot. The extra water will drain out of the pot and into the container, leaving zero mess for you to have to clean up.

5 – Survival Tool Storage

If you’re in a pinch and need to carry lots of small items at once, you can always use the base of a milk jug (which you cut out in survival use #3) to conveniently carry them to safety. This method is especially effective when you run the risk of dropping things on the trail.

Note: Need more space to store your stuff? Try out one of our awesome and super durable survival bags. They’re perfect for storing your survival gear!

6 – DIY Dog Bowl

If you were lucky enough to bring your four-legged friend with you on your camping/hiking/bug out trip, you can treat him to dinner using the base of a milk jug. Simply cut along the seam near the bottom of the jug (or simply measure 2-3 inches up the side and cut around).

Once you’ve cut out the bottom of the jug, you can use this as a handy dog bowl for your pooch.

Note: If you need dog food made specifically for survival, look no further than our Emergency Dog Food Rations. These offer delicious, nutritious and long-lasting meals to help keep your pup fit for survival!

7 – Plant Protector

By performing a few simple steps, you can easily make a cover for your plants that will shelter them from the coming frost.

To do this, simply follow the steps listed in #3. Once you’ve poked holes in the lid and cut out the bottom half of the plastic milk jug, place the jug over the plants you want to protect. The holes in the lid, as well as the plastic’s light color, will help allow sunlight in to keep your plants thriving.

8 – Make Compost

This one is pretty cool and amazingly simple. All you have to do is take an empty milk jug and put in a bit of the compost you’ve collected. Fill the jug with water, and then leave it in a sunny spot in the backyard for a couple days.

After this time has passed, simply pour the liquid over your survival garden – this will give your plants a healthy boost of nutrients!

Note: Need more fruits, veggies and herbs to add to your survival garden? Look no further than these incredible survival seeds.

9 – Secure Your Shelter

If you’ve ever been camping or bugging out and had the end of your tent fly up in the wind, you know what a hassle (and annoyance) it can be to keep it tied down in the middle of the night.

To avoid this, simply fill the plastic milk jugs with dirt, pop the cap on and lay them on the edges of your shelter. This will help prevent any edges from flying up again.

Note: Need a new survival shelter that won’t blow away in the breeze? We’ve got a great variety on our site – here’s a few options:

10 – Funnel

Simply remove the base of the milk jug by cutting around the container about halfway up from the bottom. Remove the cap, and use the top half (with the spout) for an effective funnel that’ll come in handy in a variety of circumstances.

11 – To Light Up A Room

Measure the plastic milk jug into four equal sections (or as equal as you can). Then cut off the top fourth of the container. Fill it with sand/gravel/dirt, and then push your emergency candles into it.

The candles will be able to stand securely inside, and the walls of the jug will help keep the candle from blowing out in the wind.

We recommend using the following long-lasting emergency candles:

You can then easily light the candles inside the jug with our incredibly long and durable Mega Match! Works great for lighting in hard-to-reach places!

12 – DIY Water Filter

Using a few natural ingredients and a clean, empty milk jug you can make your own water filter in emergencies.

Simply follow the steps in the video below, substituting the plastic bottle they use for a plastic milk jug. As stated in the video, make sure to ALWAYS boil the water after you filter it to ensure you kill all bacteria and microorganisms that may be residing in the water.

That’s one way to do it; however, if you want a super simple way to drink filtered, bacteria/microorganism-free water out of ANY water source in mere seconds, we highly recommend you use the award-winning LifeStraw Water Filter!

13 – Make A Fish Trap

If you’re near a body of water with small fish, you can easily trap them with a milk jug.

Follow the steps in the video below, and just substitute a milk jug for the plastic bottle they use.

14 – Fishing Bobber

If you use an empty milk jug as a fishing bobber, you’ll be able to easily see when you’ve got a fish on your line. Plus, the jug is so big you’ll be able to see it from a distance. Simply cast out the line and get to work building your shelter and a fire while you wait for the bobber to signal you’ve got a catch.

Note: If you want all your fishing supplies (complete with bobbers) in a compact, easy to carry method, look no further than our super popular Paracord Grenade!

15 – Store Survival Food

You can easily use an ordinary plastic milk jug to store your filtered water, rice, and beans in (not to mention other survival foods). The funnel (found in #10) will come in handy for filling it up.

16 – Shovel

Take a marker and draw a circle around the top of the plastic milk jug handle.

Next, draw a line leading from the bottom of the handle (at a slight diagonal) to the bottom of the milk jug. Continue the line around the corner of the jug (this will be the tip of the shovel) and come back around to form the blade.

Now, with a knife or scissors, cut along the lines to cut out your shovel.

Note: If you’re looking for a larger, more durable shovel (instead of a flimsy piece of plastic) you’ll need one of our badass survival shovels (featured below):

You can see a visual of this process (as well as 16 other handy milk jug uses) in the video below:

No matter what you use your milk jug for, I think one thing is clear – the worst thing you can do is to throw away your empty milk jugs when you’re done with them.

Not only is this wasteful, but you could really be shooting yourself in the foot in a survival situation.

Think about it – you’ve just read about 16+ uses for this empty container; you’re bound to use some (if not all) of these in a crisis. So please, do yourself a favor and save those empty milk jugs. You never know when you might need them!

No matter what you use your milk jug for, there’s one survival use for it we can all agree is a great one – and that’s for storing ice cold, refreshing milk.

The only thing is, it’s mighty difficult to carry these milk jugs around with you once SHTF. And not only are they a pain to carry for long distances, but they also have to be constantly refrigerated lest they go bad.

And, even when you keep them cold, they still won’t last you more than a month.

So what’s a prepper to do? After all, you need the vitamins, minerals, protein and calcium that milk can provide to keep you energized in a crisis.

The smart option  to solve this issue is our delicious, nutritious and practical 160-Serving Mixed Milk Bucket.

This milk bucket is sure to keep you and your family thriving in an emergency. Each serving is delicious, flavorful, and extremely healthy. That’s because this powdered milk contains zero artificial flavors, preservatives or chemicals. It’s also free of trans-fats, GMOs, and high fructose corn syrup, making it the obvious solution to your thirst-quenching needs.

Not only is this powdered milk nutritious, but it’s also extremely easy to make. Simply add water and you’ve got a frothy glass of delicious and filling USDA Grade A milk ready to be enjoyed.

One of the best parts about our powdered milk is that it’s got an extremely long shelf-life. Thanks to its individually sealed mylar bags and oxygen absorbing packs, you can be sure your milk will taste just as great today as it will in over 25 years.

Not to mention it’s perfect for survival – these mylar pouches are packed tightly into a durable and portable container for easy transport. Plus, once you’ve drank all the milk, you can easily use the storage container to hold your other survival gear.

And speaking of survival, did you know that powdered milk has a ton of other survival uses besides just for drinking? You can see eight of them here!

There’s nothing quite like drinking a rich, filling glass of milk; and when you’re in a survival situation, it’s modern conveniences like these that’ll keep you thriving in a crisis.

And, with an unbeatable combination of plain and chocolate varieties, you can rest assured the whole family will love this delicious beverage.

Click here or on the image below and grab a case of this delicious and nutritious powdered milk – it’s made for survival, so that you can be too.