Wow, with all the money you’re saving by making your own camping and hiking stuff, rather than buying it, you can afford an expedition to a faraway land. Before you go, though, you surely have time for one more outdoor craft. If you’ve got duct tape you probably have everything you need to make a canteen, which might not look quite as professionally-made as a store-bought canteen, but it will serve you just as well.
A plastic soft drink or water bottle can help you get started making the canteen. The mouthpiece and lid are just what you need to make a mouth for the canteen. The bottle you use can be a 20oz bottle, or a 2-liter, depending on the size you want for your canteen.
Pierce the side of the bottle then use scissors to neatly cut the top off. Not only will you need the lid and mouthpiece but you’ll also need to cut a few inches lower than that. The extra plastic can help you shape the new canteen.
Use a thick, zipper-lock bag, like a freezer bag. Cut the zipper part off of it and use the bag as the bladder for holding water. Slide the cut area of the bottle top into the bag and use duct tape to hold it there. Wrap the tape around the neck of the bottle, well-securing the bag.
When you fill the rudimentary canteen it’s much easier to wrap it with duct tape. However, even though you’ll be carrying water in the canteen it’s easier to wrap the bag in duct tape if it’s filled with something solid. Flour, cornmeal, rice, or something similar, is a good choice. Later, you can rinse the canteen to get it ready for holding water. Just use a funnel to fill the canteen and put the lid back on.
Start wrapping the plastic bag from the bottom, up. Wrap the tape around and around until you’ve completely covered the bag. When you get to the top, wrap back down to the bottom. It’s important that the bottom be well-wrapped. If you want, you can shape the bottom so that it’s flat, and that makes it easier to set the canteen down.
As you’re doing the first wrap – from the bottom, up – add a handle. Cut a length of twine, wide ribbon, or a similar material, and put one end on each side. Continue wrapping the tape up, then all the way back down, with the strap ends in place.
The duct tape canteen isn’t all that lovely but, with colored duct tape, it’s actually quite impressive – and very useful. Since the whole thing won’t even cost you a dollar, you can’t beat it!