Foil. Every household has them – they’re inexpensive, readily available, and easy to pack up and store along with your gear. They are primarily used for cooking food over a campfire and many campers bring some for that purpose when outdoors. But a roll of aluminum foil has many more uses than its main function, especially for camping!

Here are 5 awesome uses for aluminum foil for camping and the outdoors:

Multipurpose kitchen tool.

Heavy-duty aluminum foil is ideal for use in the outdoor kitchen. Use it to cook foil packet dinners over your campfire or to wrap up your leftovers. One great property of aluminum foil is that it can be easily shaped into anything. If you run out of a bowl or plate to eat from, or need an extra “pan” to cook over a campfire, you can use aluminum foil! You can even create a makeshift larger cup, spoon, or bowl to collect rainwater.

Wind breaker

Does the wind interfere with the campfire fun? Use a wall of aluminum foil to create a windbreak and place it around the fire pit to help break the wind. Not only will it keep your campfire going and roaring, it will also help keep you warm when the night is cool by helping it radiate heat back to you!

bait for fishing

Is there a lake nearby where you camp and want to go fishing? If you couldn’t bring a bait, don’t worry: Grab some aluminum foil, wrap it around the hook of your fishing rod to make an instant and effective fishing lure. Remember, fish are attracted to shiny objects!

to sharpen knives

A crumpled piece of aluminum foil can do many wonders. You can use it to sharpen dull knives or scissors. You can also use it to scrub dirty pots and pans to remove soot or grime that regular dish soap can’t remove. You can also use a ball of aluminum foil to remove rust.

For emergencies

Due to the reflective property of the sheet, it is ideal for use as a sign in emergency situations. Simply tie a piece of aluminum foil to a tree branch or anywhere that can be easily seen to locate it from both the air and the ground.

Bring extra heavy duty aluminum foil the next time you go camping, you never know when it might come in handy! It can save you from a bad situation!