Tin Can (Fallout 3)

The tin can is a miscellaneous item in Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas.

Characteristics
Tin cans are sealed metal containers used to hold and preserve perishable food, such as Pork n' Beans. Their airtight seal allows food to keep for years, though all tin cans found are open, empty, and unlabeled. In-game, they are typically found either in places where food is or was once sold, such as grocery stores and gas stations, or alongside camping grounds and hideouts.

Fallout 3

 * Used as ammunition for the Rock-It Launcher, tin cans are especially useful due to their relatively low weight, expendability, and prevalence.
 * They are an essential component in the creation of nuka-grenades.
 * You can't make Nuka-grenades with bent tin cans, which is a different item.

Fallout: New Vegas

 * Tin cans are one of the components in crafting powder charges.
 * With Gun Runners' Arsenal loaded, they are used to craft nuka-grenades and tin grenades.
 * In the Dead Money add-on, it is used as a component for the Sierra Madre martini.
 * Also in Dead Money, after you get the Junk Rounds perk you can use tin cans, scrap metal, and the various cases and hulls you find to make "junk rounds." This requires five tin cans, one piece of scrap metal, and a case or hull for the ammunition you would like to make.
 * Tin cans are among the pieces of junk metal accepted by Isaac in the unmarked quest Dealing with Contreras for fulfilling the McCarran arms request.

Fallout 3

 * Tin cans are extremely common and can be found almost anywhere. A total of 3,622 tin cans exist within the base game alone, not counting vendors, cans found in containers, or those found in add-ons.
 * A very good place to find tin cans is Museum station, which has approximately 213 tin cans and only one bent tin can.
 * 151 tin cans can be found in Metro Central.
 * 97 in the National Guard depot.
 * 91 tin cans can be found in the Super-Duper Mart.
 * 11 tin cans can be found at the F. Scott Key Trail & Campground.
 * 11 tin cans can be found in Arefu: 5 in Evan King's house, 3 in the West residence and 3 in the Schenzy residence. Another can be obtained from Brailee Ewers after completing the quest Blood Ties, speak to her and she will give the Lone Wanderer an "old fashioned cookie", which is actually a tin can. 1 more can be found at the scavenger post just east of Arefu.
 * 11 tin cans can be found at the mirelurk nesting hole.
 * 10 tin cans can be found in the Dunwich Building.
 * 10 tin cans can be found in the Temple of the Union, there are 6 in Simone's home and 4 in the storeroom.
 * 8 tin cans can be found in the sniper shack.
 * 7 tin cans can be found in the maintenance room of the Lincoln Memorial. 11 more can be obtained if the quest Head of State is completed in favor of the slaves: there will be 4 tin cans in Simone's tent, 4 in Caleb's tent and 3 in the refugee tent.
 * 2 tin cans can be found at the Moonbeam Outdoor Cinema.
 * 1 tin can be found outside of Sierra Petrovita's home in Girdershade.

Fallout: New Vegas

 * Compared to Fallout 3, tin cans are less abundant in Fallout: New Vegas, but still plentiful. The base game alone has 1,292 tin cans placed in world, again not counting vendors, cans found in containers, or those found in add-ons.
 * There is a large amount in Aerotech Office Park, especially in suite 200 where they cover the ground along with bent tin cans. There are exactly 74 bent tin cans and 57 regular tin cans.
 * 44 cans are scattered around the Camp McCarran concourse near Cpl. Farber, who gives you the unmarked quest Not Worth a Hill of Corn and Beans. However, all cans in the terminal are considered owned and must be stolen.
 * There are 8 or 9 tin cans in the Allied Technologies offices along with several giant soldier- and worker ants.
 * Similarly if you head east from the Allied Technologies Offices and enter the abandoned warehouse there are at least 18 on the shelves in the back of the room near the large storage containers. (The abandoned warehouse is used as the meeting place for the Van Graffs and Caesar's Legion during the quest Birds of a Feather).
 * There are at least 10 tin cans split between the Powder Ganger camp east and Powder Ganger camp west, they are spread across around the camps along with bent tin cans.
 * There are 5 tin cans located in the Brotherhood of Steel safehouse, which can be accessed after gaining a liked reputation with the Brotherhood of Steel.
 * There are 10 tin cans located at the Mesquite Mountains camp site scattered around the fire pit and the picnic tables along with several bent tin cans.
 * There are 8 tin cans located at the tribal village they are located around the campfire and may be covered by the bodies of the cazadores that inhabit the area.
 * In Vault 3, home of the Fiends. there is a total of 42 tin cans scattered throughout. 26 of them are scattered about in the Recreation Area, with almost all in the halls. In the Living Quarters there are 16 tin cans, with, once again, most located in the hallways.
 * There are 10 tin cans by the travel marker for the Goodsprings source. 4 are located scattered around the campfire where Sunny Smiles teaches you how to make healing powder and several yards away from the campfire next to a small camper with two beds are 6 more cans.
 * Near Powder Ganger camp west there is a destroyed truck backed into a large radioactive pit, at the end of this truck there are 4 cans along with several milk bottles and bent tin cans.
 * In the Bison Steve Hotel there are 9 tin cans inside the locked storage room to the right of the main entrance. 4 more can be found in the hotel's cafeteria where several of the convicts are located.
 * At the NCR Correctional Facility there are 5 cans behind cell block B among the radioactive pools and other garbage. 2 more can be found in the northeast corner guard tower. 2 more can be found in the western guard tower closest to the visitors center.
 * 6 tin cans may be found at the Nipton Road reststop with two in the garage separate from the main building and 4 on the front porch of the store.
 * 14 cans may be found in the fenced in area of the Gibson scrap yard, 9 found on the west side, stacked in a nice little pyramid, two near some locked metal boxes on some shelves, and 3 near a large, overturned dumpster in the northeast corner of the area.
 * There are a few tin cans in the houses in Nelson, though they have to be stolen.
 * There are some tin cans in broc flower cave near the Ratslayer.
 * There are three tin cans to be found in Cannibal Johnson's cave.
 * Old Lady Gibson may sometimes sell them
 * There are 35 tin cans at the Boulder Beach Campground and 3 more at Ranger Station Alpha nearby.
 * 5 tin cans can be found in the East Pump Station.
 * There are 10 tin cans in The Gray.
 * 6 tin cans can be found at the Sniper's nest.
 * 5 tin cans can be found at the Great Khan armory.
 * 6 tin cans can be found at the north cistern and another 6 can be found at the south cistern.
 * 20 tin cans can be found at Cottonwood Cove, not including any that may spawn in containers. There are 8 in Cottonwood Cove shack, 7 in the mess hall and 5 in the restrooms (3 in the men's and 2 in the ladies).