While RVers usually have to travel light, there’s something that they all have in common and that is an abundance of tin cans. The convenience of having canned food in your RV is not to be underestimated because having beans, soup, or dessert available when you’re on the road is a must. As trash is increasingly a problem around the world, it is also important for the RV community to continue to do their bit and “leave no trace,” by reusing, recycling, or upcycling.
Tin cans come in various sizes, which means that different ones are suitable for different purposes, and you may never throw one away again as they are so useful when traveling. Make sure that you bring paper and pens for kids on the road as they can decorate the cans with their artwork to make your vehicle feel like home. This will help keep them occupied as well as being one of the many ways that you can give old cans a new life.
How to reuse tin cans
If you use an opener for your cans, be sure to make the edges safe before reusing them, especially if you will be giving them to children. You can do this by gently sanding the edge if it isn’t too rough; alternatively, you can seal it with duct tape. Depending on the thickness, you can use multiple layers to make sure that the edge is fully covered and the tin isn’t able to cut through. Duct tape is a camper’s best friend, so be sure to keep a roll in your RV at all times! It can be used for all sorts of situations that may arise, including fixing holes, preventing blisters, and removing splinters.
Before you reuse your old tins, make sure that you wash them out fully because any rogue food left inside may get moldy, smell, or attract unwanted insects. If the tins are left outside with food in them, they could even encourage a bear or other wildlife so be sure that they’re both safe and clean before you start upcycling them.
What to do with tin cans
Tin cans are ideal for creating activities for kids in the outdoors, as once they’re safe, they can be stacked to make towers, used as bowling pins to knock down, or even made into robots. If you poke a hole at the bottom of two cans, thread a string through, and tie them together, it can be a rudimentary telephone. They also make great pots for pens or other treasures like stones or shells. If you poke two holes on opposite sides underneath the lip of a can, then you can knot a loop of string onto it which makes a handle. When it is finished, your child can carry it as a container to collect things on walks.
One genius upcycling idea from RVtravel.com is to make a nightlight by freezing water inside the can so it keeps its shape and then making holes in it using a hammer and nail. Remove the ice and put a light inside and it is a cute RV accessory that resembles a starry night sky. They also recommend making an “X” hole in a can lid and using it for plastic bag storage as well as keeping larger cans to protect things that need to stay dry, like toilet rolls or valuables.
Whatever you make, be sure to share it with the RV community as an upcycling project is always a fun vacation activity.
