The good news about these 38 tips, is that you only need one item: The 5 gallon bucket! Depending on how useful you find the uses listed below, you may want to buy more. They're inexpensive at hardware stores, but you can also check out your local thrift shops and 99 cent stores, too.

1. Water storage
2. Keep caught fish in it
3. Emergency toilet
4. Water filtration system
5. Store rice and other grains
6. Store flour
7. Use as a planter
8. Collect rainwater
9. Wash clothes
10. Wash dishes
11. Fill with sand as an alternative to sand bags
12. Animal trap
13. Hold gear and back-up supplies
14. Flotation device
15. Solar still
16. Bang on it for a distress call or relieve stress
17. Keep paper products dry
18. Bear and raccoon-proof storage
19. Fill with rocks or sand and use as an anchor
20. Grow potatoes
21. Solar heater
22. Start a fire inside it in bad weather
23. Store salt
24. Mix concrete
25.  Store tools
26. Hold cold-weather and rain gear clothing
27. Hold matches and other fire-starting tools
28. Heat water
29. Hold sanitation supplies and toiletries
30. Use for bathing
31. Cover plants or crops to prevent them from freezing
32. Keep personal items, like copies of birth certificates and social security cards
33. Store medicines
34. Fill with sand or dirt and use it as post hole
35. Use it as a sieve
36. Emergency shower if you poke holes in the bottom
37. Break it and use the shards for weapons
38. Use as a spotlight (with a light inside)

Having access to an emergency shower (#36) could come in really handy depending on where you are if you're without running water. We've found these 5 gallon buckets to be a great source of storage. Some of our emergency fire, first aid and earthquake kits are stored in these buckets in our garage. They can be stacked as well, so they're great for saving space too. Thanks for all the ideas, Cheaper Than Dirt!

Did You See Any Ideas You'll Use?

If you plan to use any of these survival tips on your 5 gallon buckets, share them with us! We'd love to know which ones are more popular, if you found another use that wasn't listed, or if you found problems with any of the items listed above. Share your feedback in the comments section below.