P-38 Emergency Can Openers

An article on can openers? Really? Well, YES!

Almost any preparedness website will tell you to stock canned food (because it is an excellent idea). And any “Prepper Fiction” you happen to read will always have the hero scavenging houses for canned food. But no one ever seems to talk about can openers. Yes, you likely have one of these sort of can openers in your house (and thank goodness).

My very favorite Can Opener for home. The Kuhn Rikon. Opens cans with no sharp edge!

Now…. Let’s say you are making a bugout bag. A Can Opener would be a good idea!!! But who wants to carry a big one? Well, enter the emergency can opener. Now, these are by no means “new”. These are often called P-38 Can Openers, and they were developed in 1942, and were used along with MRE’s from WW2 through roughly the 1980’s. So if you have ever seen one of these, now you know its name. I tried to figure out exactly where the name P-38 came from, and there’s some debate. Some say it is from the 38 punctures required to open a C-ration can. Some say its 38-millimeter length gave the name, and there are even theories that there’s some comparison to the P-38 Lightning fighter plane. It is also famously known as the "John Wayne" can opener.

But how do you actually USE it?

P38 Can Openers (small and large)

So let’s go! I tried to take pictures and show step by step.

A P-38 can opener with some more classic can openers behind it. Also… Corned Beef Hash is delicious!

Step 1: Clip the opener on the rim, and position the “blade” in a way you can push down to puncture the top.

Step 2: Push (you can see the white of my thumb as I press) the blade in to the can.

Step 3: Work your way around the can, slowly. You will see I tried to make a time lapse!

So there you go! Now you know what a P-38 is, and how to use it!