If you've ever been in an emergency situation, you probably know that no matter how well you prepare, things don't always go according to plan. We picked 5 of our favorite urban survival tricks to help you get through even the most peculiar of jams.

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5. How to open a can without a can opener
 
Everybody stores canned food for that inevitable emergency.  Whether it's an earthquake, flood, blizzard, or any other imaginable disaster, canned food does tend to be the one thing that survives.  This first trick shows you how to do it with nothing more than your bare hands and a patch of concrete (garage floors, concrete decks, sidewalks, etc.).


4. How to charge your phone in a power outage
 
It's not uncommon for the power to go out in an emergency.  If you need to call a loved one, or even just use your phone as a flashlight, you'll need to keep it powered.  Here's how to charge your phone if the power goes out.



3. How to filter dirt from contaminated water

If you're in a dire situation where you're in need of food and clean water, this trick may come in handy.  While it won't filter out dissolved elements, or bacteria, it could help in a pinch if you're simply trying to filter away large debris (dirt, gravel, etc.) from a water source.



2. 6 ways to open a bottle without a bottle opener

What might survive along with your canned food?  Bottled beverages.  You might already know a handful of ways to open a bottle without a bottle opener, but you might learn a few new ones in this compilation of 6 ways to open a bottle without a bottle opener.



1. How to operate a flashlight (and certain other electronics) when you don't have enough batteries.

People frequently store flashlights for long periods of time without using them.  Batteries sometimes last, but they can break or die when left dormant for long periods.  This video demonstrates how to operate a flashlight when you're missing a battery.