Is there a use for empty cans?

[Dahart]

Empty cans keep piling up when I play survival and I have yet to find a use for them. 

Is there one I don't know about?

I don't think we can can food for preserving, do we?

[Guest kristaok]

From what I gather there's no use for them but to boil water, well... maybe now they may be used for making bullets but I don't know because I don't make them.

[Dahart]

Ah yes, bullets is an idea. I never manufactured some.

I knew about boiling water, forgot to mention.

[MarrowStone]

I recommend holding onto at least 2 while you travel. They are good for making life saving tea or boiling water inefficiently, but in a pinch. 

[Dahart]

I always have two in my backpack. There are not more cooking spots on a bonfire anyway. Pots are too heavy to carry around imo.

[ManicManiac]

@Dahart

What I generally do:  I will drop off two cans at every location that I am likely to hunker down (this generally includes all caves and structures).  This way if I get each location setup for water... then I can roam around that region without having to lug cans or cooking pots with me (it may not much but every little bit helps).

The other thing to keep in mind... once your cooking gets up to level 3, you can just smash open cans without loosing any calories due to "spillage."  When you smash open cans, you don't get a recycled can back.  So this way, there is a perfectly good method to avoid the accumulation a bunch of unwanted cans in the first place.

Edited March 31, 2020 by ManicManiac

[Tactical Ex]

I have about 7 kgs of cans .... won't I eventually run out of cans considering decay?

[ajb1978]

5 hours ago, Tactical Ex said:

I have about 7 kgs of cans .... won't I eventually run out of cans considering decay?

Cans only decay if you boil something dry in them.

[Dahart]

8 hours ago, ManicManiac said:

@Dahart

 When you smash open cans, you don't get a recycled can back.

I don't understand. I always get an empty can back, even at the very start of the game and without using a can opener. Or is a "recycled" can something special?

[Laika Ivanova]

2 hours ago, ajb1978 said:

Cans only decay if you boil something dry in them.

Just saying here in case someone reads it and doesn't know: You can repair cooking pots with scrap metal so no worries about running out of cooking pots or cans

[acada]

On 3/31/2020 at 10:39 PM, ManicManiac said:

When you smash open cans, you don't get a recycled can back. 

This goes against my observations. When I open the can using can opener I get can which is about 85% quality. When I smash open a can, the quality is about 75%, but I still get it in my pack. But I play on Voyageur mainly.

[hozz1235]

On 3/31/2020 at 12:14 PM, Dahart said:

Empty cans keep piling up when I play survival and I have yet to find a use for them. 

Is there one I don't know about?

I don't think we can can food for preserving, do we?

I tie a string between 2 of them, hold 1 can to my left ear, run the string around an object or through another room, hold the other can to my right ear and alternate cans talking to myself - does wonders for the loneliness! 🤗

[ManicManiac]

1 hour ago, acada said:

This goes against my observations. When I open the can using can opener I get can which is about 85% quality. When I smash open a can, the quality is about 75%, but I still get it in my pack. But I play on Voyageur mainly.

...are you sure you're just not opening the can with a knife?  When you don't have a can opener, it will automatically use a knife or axe in your inventory to open the can.  I've been playing voyager lately and I don't get a recycled can after smashing open a can and eating the contents (not for at least the last couple of years anyway).

When actually smashing a can the UI is very specific about it... I notice that if it doesn't specify then it's found another tool to use instead.

Edited April 1, 2020 by ManicManiac

[acada]

@ManicManiac Wait a second. You want to tell me my character is the kind of person who dulls a knife on a can? I always thought it takes a rock and pushes the can lid down. If he uses knife, there is no reason for spillage. Even if character uses for example screwdriver from tools, there is no reason for spilling. This is quite new info for me. I shall test it when I am on Great Bear.

[ManicManiac]

14 hours ago, acada said:

If he uses knife, there is no reason for spillage.

right... because when a knife is automatically used in the absence of a can opener, then there is no spillage because the player isn't smashing open the can.

When I said the UI was very specific I meant it literally... when you have no knife or axe in your inventory (and also no can opener) and you try to open said can that's then the UI very specifically states "Smashing Can" (or something to that effect) under the the progress wheel.  If it doesn't say that... then you're not smashing the can (ergo you get your recycled can back when you've eaten the contents).

But I stand by original statement, because it's been my experience that when you actually smash open a can... you don't get back a recycled can when you're done eating the contents (ostensibly because you ruined said can when you "smashed" it open).

 

Edited April 2, 2020 by ManicManiac

[acada]

@ManicManiac I dont argue with you. I always thought that I am smash opening can when I have no opener. I just wonder whether can opening by knife dulls the knife.

[ManicManiac]

@acada
I didn't assume you were arguing, I just wanted to try and clarify anything I might not have conveyed well earlier. 
But yes, when our survivor does use a knife or axe to open a can it does chip away the condition as it qualifies as a "use." 
By that I'm just referring to the description in the Wiki where it talks about decay on a per-use basis.

[MarrowStone]

@acada,Even when you get the "smashing can causes no spillage" perk your character will still automatically use any tool in their inventory and dull them, it is frustrating. 

Be sure to drop all tools on the ground if you plan to smash a can open. 

[Dude Revenant]

On 3/31/2020 at 2:14 PM, Dahart said:

Empty cans keep piling up when I play survival and I have yet to find a use for them. 

Is there one I don't know about?

I don't think we can can food for preserving, do we?

I use them as trail markers so I can find my way to fishing huts during blizzards.  I place them every 5-10 steps from the radial menu. 

[ajb1978]

Oh since this bubbled to the top again I figure I'll add something.  Lately I've taken to carrying 3 cans with me.  1 for water in an emergency, and 2 to leave behind at a rest stop.  I figure if I stopped there once, I'm likely to stop there again, so may as well leave something behind for future use.  And it helps fight can clutter at my main bases.

[Krait]

There was a mod where one could break down cans into scrap metal, seems logical, no?

[ManicManiac]

25 minutes ago, Krait said:

seems logical, no?

No... I don't think you'd want to use cheap aluminum for the kind of things you'd likely want to use "scrap metal" for.

[odium]

i carry two at all times, and i always look to find the highest % cans i can find. i have yet to wear out even one single can though

[piddy3825]

When I'm at Camp Office and the dead guy spawns upstairs...

I just put all the empty cans i don't want inside him.  

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