5 Survival Uses for Coffee Filters (2024)

It’s amazing what you can use for survival when faced with a lack of resources. In a survival situation, it’s unlikely that you will have the exact supplies you need to carry out everyday tasks unless you have a carefully prepared survival kit. Even then, assembling all the supplies you need for every scenario would be impossible to carry on your back, so you’ll need to improvise. Let’s check out a few survival uses for coffee filters, a readily available item we use daily.

Water Filtration

Using a coffee filter to filter water seems a little on the nose, doesn’t it? The very same task they do day in and day out to make us our morning brew applies to filtering water to drink in a survival situation. While it cannot purify the water of harmful bacteria and toxins, it will remove particulates before you boil it to make it safe to drink.

Fire Starter

If you’re cooking with a pan in your survival scenario, soak up any leftover grease in the pan with coffee filters. Fold each one individually and store in a plastic bag or airtight container for an effective fire starter that will get your flame going in seconds.

Tissue

Whether you need it for the toilet, to blow your nose, or clean up small messes, coffee filters are slightly more absorbent than toilet paper. They are a great substitute when supplies are running low.

Bandage

Coffee filters also make an excellent bandage substitute for their absorbent properties as well. Use multiple filters stacked together to make a thick bandage to stop minor bleeding until you can get to your first aid kit or a medical professional.

Bowl or Plate Insert

If water supplies must be rationed for drinking only, you can still use your plates and bowls to eat without needing to clean up a sticky mess later. Just line your plate or bowl with a coffee filter or two, and then dish up your meal. When you’re done, just burn the filter in your fire. Use another one to wipe up any remaining particles.

Wrapping up our post on Survival Uses for Coffee Filters, we thought you might also like: 5 Edible Roots for Survival in the Wild or Make a Survival Stove Out of a Tuna Can!

Featured Image from Tim Umphreys/Unsplash

September 16, 2017