miab87•1d ago

TIL those old metal ammo boxes make perfect tool storage for damp basements

I kept finding rust on my hand tools stored in plastic bins in my basement over two winters. Switched everything to surplus .50 cal ammo boxes I grab for $5 each at flea markets and not a speck of rust since. Anyone else use military surplus containers for gear storage?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_olivia1d ago

omg yes haha I grabbed a whole stack of those old .50 cal cans from a garage sale last summer for like $3 each. my buddy was telling me his dad still uses his from the 70s for fishing tackle and they look brand new. I actually use them for my camping gear now because the rubber seal keeps everything bone dry even when I stupidly left one out in the rain overnight. the only downside is they get crazy heavy if you fill them all the way up with tools but totally worth it for the rust protection.

the_jessica22h ago

Ngl, same thing happened to me. They're built like tanks.

kais6719h ago

Yeah I used to think they were just overhyped surplus stuff but honestly @the_jessica is right, these things are seriously durable. I dropped one off the back of my truck onto concrete and it barely left a scratch. Definitely changed my mind on how well these old military cans hold up.