I stumbled across a YouTube video about the infamous Altoids survival kit, and thought hmmmm, maybe it's time for me to give in and make one for my kit. Something small with a few things incase I ever got separated from my pack.

Then I actually started thinking of analyzing contents.
Now I'm having a hard time finding actually useful items K can fit in one.

Common items:
Fishing hook/line:   makes no sense to me. In a survival situation where I am, I am not going to be spending time trying to fish. There's very few natural fish, and most fishable waterways are stocked. So encountering a stream/lake/etc intl the middle of the woods prob isn't gonna have very much as far as fish. Further more, last time I went fishing at a PRIVATE STOCKED lake, with an actual fishing pole and lures, spent 8 hrs and caught nothing. To me it just doesn't seem like a very lucrative use of time/energy.
Matches/lighter:   I'm in favor of this one. Wouldn't mind tinder also.
Knife:.    Can't exactly fit a huge knife in there. Either a razor blade or a cheap 2" blade. Either one sure it isn't bad to have, but theoretically if I still have the things on my person I still have 1 or 2 knives.
First Aid:    Not sure what kind of life savings items you can fit in an Altoids tin, and I'm very familiar with 1st Aid.
Small mirror:     I'm not against this one. Just curious how effective they actually are. How many lost people have actually been noticed by someone looking for a signal. I imagine 95% of the population seeing a mirror reflection they would bat it away and reach for their iphones to check InstaFram.


SO, can anyone think of any items that can fit into an Altoids tin, that one wouldn't have on their person, that would ACTUALLY be useful?!?!

I like premise of lil last ditch survival items. I would think, fire starting would be #1 in any kit followed by water ( water purify tabs and a couple freezer bags and coffee filters)

Lets talk about mirrors ( this very subject got me banned from frugal squirrel) you should only carry items that have more then one purpose. A mirror is no exception.

Signaling , fire starting and first aid ( if you get the slightest of “anything” in your eye, be it bug, dirt,etc, things dont always just come out with a good cry, sometimes ya gotta go fishing in there,  mirror would certainly make it easier)

Skip matches and lighters, learn to use flint/steel fire starters. Skip tinder, so many available sources if your crafty and know where to look, etc.


Also, Protus caught a bass using only handline in a small pond in the Ocala Nat Forest. No pole, jus line, sinker and bait. It can be done.

Mirror is key but with effort you can polish the inner lid of the tin.
Construction worker building a house across the street got wood chips in his eye.
He was trying to use his truck mirror to see the effected eye.

Good subject.

I was thinking of the WW II RAF emergency rations.

Credit card knife works well, but may have to trim the corners a bit. A good button compass and individual antibiotic packet or two are nice also.

My last ditch altoids tin kit is mostly a fire kit wrapped in a little paracord stored in an old usgi compass pouch.  After a decade of outdoor activities, remote treks, hunting trips in the Adirondacks, and Rockies, camping in the Mojave desert I found that having a way to make fire, and having some cordage that allows for repairs is most important.  P38 thrown in there for good measure.  Like many of you I dont see my self spending time fishing in a SHTF or survival situation.  If I am that far backcountry I probably have a more inclusive primary kit.
-Mini bic
-Mini ferro rod
-razor blade
-small candle
-hank of waxed jute twine
-hand of regular jute twine
-"sail" or large repair needle
-P38

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A guy at my work builds portable solar phone chargers that fit in those tins as a hobby.  Probably as useful as a tin full of fishing line and old condoms.

I got no criticism. Very nice.

I've got an altoid kit I put together, probably close to 15 years ago.  Probably time I pulled it out and went through it again.

When I get home in a few weeks I'll pull it apart.  IIRC, there's tin foil, fishing line/hooks/sinkers, a blade of some sort, paracord, a Spark-Lite with tinder ... probably more.  It was pretty impressive what you could squeeze in.

I'll throw in pics to this thread when I get home.

Please tell me you built that!

I've never taken the Altoids kits very seriously.
The military has put some thought into their mini survival kits, and the smallest kits they issue are the size of a small paperback book.
I see the Altoids kits as the equivalent of a NAA minirevolver. Fits in the pocket, gives you some peace of mind for having it, but not really all that useful

I didn't, but other hams did.

It was sold as the KD1JV AT Sprint Transceiver Kit - included everything but the Altoids tin.

The most useful thing an altoids tin survival kit accomplishes IMO is getting the person putting one together to think critically.

They're a lot of fun to put together for people just starting out or on a tight budget as a thought experiment.  Putting your own together has a lot of intangible benefits over buying a pre-packaged survival kit, throwing it in your bag and calling it good like some people might do.  You don't want the first time you explore the contents to be when you actually need them.  So it's not so much the kit itself, but what it represents -- those who are thoughtful enough to put together their own kit tend to be the type of people who are least likely to get into a situation in which they'd need one in the first place.

Whatever form factor you choose (altoids tin, belt pouch, fanny pack, whatever), it should be small enough you'll actually have it when you need it, and big enough to carry what you decide you need.   Too many people choose the container first, then see what useful things they can stuff inside, rather than deciding the minimum gear first then finding a container to carry that.  I feel an altoids tin is a bit too small for what I'd like to have personally.  When I was younger I started out with an "SAS" like survival kit which is tobacco tin sized -- that evolved over time but eventually turned out to be a little large for my tastes, as I was able to stuff it so full that it and heavy that it was uncomfortable hitting the side of my leg in my cargo pocket, and too large for any of the other pockets (would have been okay in a jacket pocket or belt pouch).

This is a wise statement and I fully agree.  The only addition is if you take your kit out and use it to see what works and what doesn't or simply to practice those less-used primitive/survival skills.

I have several, but would recommend taking a loot at your typical EDC and have it compliment it...you'll get more mileage.  Most of the tin-kits seem to be designed around you being naked and dropped into an E&E scenario.  Apply it to how you normally dress, what your EDC kit is, if there is anything else you use outside of your pack, etc.  I typically don't carry a dedicated survival pocket kit as I don't like much in my pockets if I'm carry a full-size pack.  What I will carry is my HPG Kit Bag, which serves the same purpose and will stay with me if I jettison my pack for whatever reason.

Still, building one does make you critically assess not only the contents, but your skill set.  I would recommend everyone build one just for the experience and fun-factor, but more importantly, to think about useful essentials that don't take up much space...

ROCK6

That's exactly how I did it.
What could I fit in that I think I would need.  Basically, "10 Essentials In A Can."

In other words, total opposite of you.  In my "what if" preparation, I'm counting on my EDC, my backpack, whatever, as bonus items.  Not, as you suggest, having the altoid 'fill the gap.'

To put it in gun terms, you know the idea about using your pistol to make it to your long gun?   Same idea.  The altoid gets me to X (either my pack, my camp site, my car, etc).  It's something small enough that it goes in my bag when I'm hiking (then in my pocket when I separate from the pack). The other nice thing is it fits nicely into a fanny pack, so I can just take that, usually with a pocket knife and some water, when I'm going on a  day hike.  Usually I'll throw in a space blanket too, and off I go.


*************************************************************************
Going back to my earlier post, this is my first attempt at a personnel survival kit.  Posted this on another forum in 2007 when I made it.  The large plastic bin is the kit, the altoid is for reference.  Not sure where this is now, but if I find out I need to go through it and remove the batteries!

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A wally-world "fish bait" container (with belt clip).
6 brass safety pins
1 ea. Lg, Med, Sm. sewing needles
about 12 ft of 20lbs strength fishing line
2 swivels
4 weights
6 hooks (4 sm, 2 lg)
4 sparklite tinders (crammed in)
1 lighter
10 wax-dipped safety matches
5 lifeboat matches
Mirror
4 bandaids
8 butterfly bandages
2 packets of first aid cream
Whistle (soon to be a Fox 40)
BSB saw
3 ft duct tape
1 button compass
4 batteries (in electrical tape)
1 2-LED Headlamp (Tikka? I forget)
2 Exacto Knife blades (1 curved, 1 straight)
2 1-quart plastic zip-loc bags
1 carabiner
12ft 160lbs test carp line
6ft waxed dental floss

I'm a fan of the little tinder tabs.  A reliable source for 2-5min of flame makes quick fire building a lot easier.  I'd say one of those, a little ferro rod, and water purification tablets may actually be valuable.

I’d rather just have a pocket knife, Silva Ranger Compass (has nitro) matches/bic and a Sawyer Micro or canteen .

With that I can stay hydrated safely, build I fire, navigate in a straight line so even without a map should be able to hit a road in difficult terrain, and knife is just handy for cutting fuzz sticks for fire making, make spear, process an animal, etc.

Everything fits in my pockets other than a canteen and is real use it quality.

I bought one of these years and years ago, and it's still in my truck somewhere.



I've used the band aids out of it and the razor blade for cutting out a big splinter. I've started fires with the fresnel lens just messing around. The compass works ok. I would ditch a bunch of the stuff in there and add more tinder if I was serious about it.

I've taken to keeping a dedicated fire kit in an Altoids tin. Has a Bic, ferro rod, char cloth, magnifying lens, fat wood, bow drill bearing/flint striker, and a bunch of paraffin tinder. I can use the tin to make more char cloth.

For my actual survival kit, I keep that in a 5 liter waterproof bag. It has knives (fixed and folding), flashlight, bug net, bandana, Sawyer filter, first aid kit, power bars, space blanket/tarp combo, bank line, 550 cord, whistle, pencil/paper, gorilla tape, and a bunch of other stuff I'm forgetting. I do stuff like wrap some fish line and hooks around the barrel of the flashlight and cover them with duct tape, so almost every item has multi uses or stores the other items.

I just picked up a couple titanium knives that would be a perfect fit for an Altoids tin kit.  The knives are very small/lightweight and use disposable scalpel blades that are commonly available.  They are usually out of stock but Countycomm gets them in every six to eight weeks so just use the "Notify me when available" option on their page







https://countycomm.com/products/folding-titanium-craft-scalpel-knife-case-spare-blades?_pos=1&_sid=162ccd564&_ss=r

fishing line, sinkers, hooks, firestarter, small compas, emergency blanket or two on the outside wrapped in paracord.

That would be enough to get you through a couple nights....maybe even down to freezing if you got seperated from your group/boat or just lost or injured....

I put some together for the kids, just messing around. The matches I put in them did not last. Soaked up moisture in the baggies.

I think there are many variations of intended use, so there's really no wrong or right answer, just finding what works best for you and your situation.  I've built dozens of pocket kits and have used them from deserts to jungles.  







If part of my second-line gear, I'm usually good, but life-evolves and combat kit isn't for my day job and I've found I don't care to have anything in my pockets when backpacking.  I ended up finding my pocket kits replaced by a HPG Kit Bag, which becomes a pseudo chest pocket.  



There is still a place for pocket (E&E) survival kits in your bail-out-bag, or other kit bag that is a grab and go bag.  I've also seen them as part of one's "smock" coat (which I've done as well).  It doesn't matter what method you use, it the goal is to have it close at hand for an worse-case emergency...and then practice with the contents.

ROCK6

so in regards to the fire comments, this is exactly the opposite of what I recommend.  how many times have you had a lighter that is protected and enclosed in a sealed container fail?  Also, why is it bad to carry tinder that is able to be lit even if wet?   I have been through multiple military SERE courses and they always tout having a lighter is waaaaaay easier than not having one.

This Urban Altoids kit is pretty cool:





https://gearward.com/collections/frontpage/products/compact-survival-cord

All it needs is more cash and a fake ID

Agreed.  Regardless of having a lighter in a kit or not, I would likely have one on my person as I usually do anyways along with a few stashed in bags, packs, etc.  Regardless of your ignition source, as shown by @thederrick106, is have tinder (preferably waterproof).  I've attempted enough fires when the weather conditions suck and I'm cold, wet, and shivering...an ignition source (even a lighter) is not a guarantee and while I can get a fire going with very little to start with, it takes much longer to prepare which exacerbates your current conditions.  Tinder makes a significant different in getting a fire going in a few minutes verse 20-30 minutes, or more.  I have failed on a few occasions just with a lighter or Firesteel where it just took me too long to prep natural tinder, and being soaked with poor weather conditions, I was getting close to hypothermia and my body was shivering so much I just couldn't manage getting a fire going.    

ROCK6

I put mine in a pencil bag lol.

Survival straw
Fire
Collapsable canteen
Signal mirror
Mylar blanket
Wrist compass
Blade

Ill have to dig it out later.
Use a old airforce kit in my bdu thigh pocket.

Place holder for list/pics:

Interesting thread. Personally, I've never seen the point of these small survival tins outside a way to store something like a dedicated fire kit or mini fishing kit. How many of these kits have space taken up by a bubble compass? They're cheap and I'd much rather buy a few and sew them into different pieces of clothing than deal with a tin. The same holds true for a lot of these small survival trinkets.

Short of a suppository kit, I can't imagine a scenario where I'd lose ALL of my gear, but get to keep an Altoids tin.

Speaking of suppository kits...

The tins are also meant to be used for boiling water (not a lot given the size), the two flat halves would boil water quickly over a small fire.  I personally like the idea of a collapsible water bottle and purification tablets; easier carry on the move.

It’s more mental exercise than probable situation, and I also doubt I would just have a small pocket-survival-kit (PSK) on me without my Kit Bag for typical backpacking or my battle-belt/chest rig for more kinetic recreation.  There’s more than anecdotal stories where a pocket kit could have made a difference or at least made survival from an immobile injury or something similar much easier.  Several times, I have jettisoned my pack when having to hike almost a mile down hill to a spring to collect water; the Kit Bag always accompanied me.  While I always lash down my pack to my kayak, there’s always a chance you get dumped and lose you kayak for a short period.  Back in my younger days, we always set up a patrol base, dumped our rucks, and did recon patrols with just our minimalist combat kit.  

So, while I can appreciate the concept and exercise of the ubiquitous “survival Altoids tin”, I prefer a slightly more layered approach that may or may not include that dedicated tin.  Pockets, belt-mounted, waist-pack, HPG Kit Bag, chest rig, shoulder bag, etc.  Most who spend a significant amount of time in the woods plan to avoid those situations or at least prepare to minimize such situations.

ROCK6

I have had Bic style and even torch style lighters fail on me multiple times on camping trips. Florida’s humidity hovers high most of the year. All it takes is a foggy morning to temporarily kill a lighter until it dries out.  Nothing beats the convenience of a lighter when they work, but when they don’t nothing beats the reliability of a ferro rod.

Survival tins are great vehicles for space blankets and plastic ponchos, both items that may get messed up if shoved naked in my pockets.

Ok, I'll play.  This sits in my daily carry Murse, which has other stuff in it, so just the tin and it's contents.

Bill

Folding scissors
Matches
Bandaids
Spare Shoelaces
Sewing Kit
MRE Toilet Paper
Held closed with two velcro binding straps.

That picture says a little too much...

I built some several years back. I repack them every once in awhile, March being  the last time. Meds are updated, ferro rod inspected, water tabs inspected. During the last inspection, the water tabs had degraded and caused some rusting in the case.

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Bottom outside : inventory, exp dates, directions on masking tape that will burn.

Lip outside : one square foot of tin foil under masking tape that will burn

Case outside : 1 qt ziploc, 10' para cord, 20' x 10ga ss wire

Case, bottom, inside : taped down - 2 safety pins, 2 x 1-1/2" finish nails, 2 magnetized needles, 2 x 2" pins, 2 x 3" copper wires.

Case, inside :
Mini signal mirror.        Whistle w/ S.O.S. code
SAM striker.                   6 SAM
2 hurricane matches.    Mini ferro flint
Hacksaw blade.             Trick b-day candle
Note card.                        Pencil lead 2-1/2" HB
2 large paperclips.          2 keyring
Magnet.                            P38
Razor blade.                     #22 scalpel blade
10' x1" duct tape.            10' x 1/2" medical tape
Floss.                                 Cotton ball
2 alcohol wipes.               1 triple antibiotic
4 bandaids.                       2 butterflies
Drinking, fire blowing straw.
4 ibuprofen                        2 excedrin
4 immodium AD

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I keep my altoids (above post) as a backup stored with other gear. It fits inside of my Nalgene carrier, which is attached to my pack. If need be, I can pull my Nalgene carrier from the pack, attach a carry strap that is ziptied to the carrier and have a decent little kit.

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* Nalgene bottle with stainless cup
* Compass, Nav/Surv cards, lens cleaner, write in rain, pencil
* Knife sharpener, 25' Kevlar string, surveyors tape, moleskin, earplugs, whistle, matches, survival blanket( not shown), altoids tin listed above.
* mag bar with 2 hacksaw blades and charcloth, lighter, red Photon, water tabs, nitrile gloves, trauma bandage
* CAT TQ

For an always with me wood's kit, I prefer a larger kit that fits in a pants cargo pocket.

The base for the kit is a kit the NRA sold for $10, years ago. It contained:
Black waterproof case.      Jetstream whistle
Blastmatch.                          2 wet tenders
Small signal mirror (starflash)

I ripped out the packing and added:
Swiss army knife.        ESEE arrowhead
Hacksaw blade.           Micro LED light
2 trick b-day candles.  5 SAM
Lighter.                           Charcloth
10' paracord.                 3' waxed string
8 large bandaids.          2 small bandaids
1 first aid cream.           1 alcohol wipe
Tick tape

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I forgot I bought one of these back then.  I think it was a suggestion from this here forum.  I should have bought two!
$9.99 IIRC.

ETA:
Blue Spool is fishing line and hooks
Brass wire
Sewing Thread on metal spool
Whistle
Blast match
two razor blades
Signal Mirror
Tinder
Purple Gloves
White Rope (takes up too much space)
Green GP line with sewing needle and two bobby pins
Empty zip lock bag
Outside of case are two Velcro straps

As described in the earlier post, my first tin back in the day was a pro force "SAS Survival Tin" and it brought me back to my boy scout days. As a kid in high school I couldn't afford a lot, but I knew I could do better, so it was a fun hobby to slowly replace things in the tin with better, smaller items.   I wanted something that could get me through even if I had nothing else, and while I knew I couldn't stuff a shelter in it, I could at least carry the tools to help make one.  The wire saw? Tossed it -- took up too much space in 3 dimensions coiled up. Replaced it with a pocket saw, which lay flat and wasn't so easy to break.

Man, it was thick enough I had no choice but to carry it in a cargo pocket unless I wanted some sort of belt pouch, and so heavy that it bounced against my knee uncomfortably when walking.  Theory meets reality!  

So it evolved over the years.  Instead of choosing a container and trying to figure out how much I could stuff into it, I instead decided what minimum items I wanted to bring to supplement what I'm likely to have on me (EDC) rather than stand-alone (something Rock touched on), and something easier to carry.  Water ended up being what drove the size of the container -- I wanted 1 liter whirl-pak bags so I didn't have to split water purification tablets, but I didn't want to fold and crease them, I wanted to roll them.  The width of these bags was perfect to fit into the SAS sized tin when rolled up, but it didn't carry well.    Eventually I discovered some gift card tins that were the same width and length as the SAS tin, but shallower -- the same depth as an Altoids tin.    To spread the weight, I divided it up into primary and supplementary kits, the supplementary kit carried a lot of the "nice to have" items.  Each one is lighter and thin enough to fit fine in any pocket.

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So, here are the two kits compared to an altoids tin (both are vacuum sealed for added water resistance, but they also have electrical tape around the perimeter and transversely to help take the pressure off the tape on the edge)



Contents of the Primary tin.  There are 2x 1 liter whirl-pak bags rolled up with an index card wrapped around to help provide abrasion resistance, along with 12x chlorine dioxide based purification tablets.  My EDC light is a Streamlight Microstream and I did want to include a spare AAA battery -- but if I didn't have the light for some reason I didn't want a useless item in the kit, so the battery carrier is a Fenix E01 flashlight giving 16.5 hrs of regulated output (albiet only 13 lumens). The bobby pin is included so I can clip it onto the brim of my hat if I need to use it as a headlamp hands free.




The cord is "Lash-it" dyneema, ~500 lbs test.  It doesn't stretch nearly as much as Paracord and there's enough for a small ridgeline, bow saw, etc.  I also use two loops of it for the pocket saw handles.  They held up really well.







I did want a backup knife. I used to advocate for a fixed blade, but given the size constraints you'd either have to compromise on the handle length or blade length. I figured I could just make the handle in the field, no big deal... but once I actually tried it (with the little RSK shown), it sucked. It took way longer than I thought, wasn't particularly comfortable, and was a pain to do, and that assumed I had the time to do it and didn't hurt myself in the process.  Without an improvised handle, the little knife cramped up my hand when doing a variety of tasks you'd expect of it.  Better than nothing, and of course I can't knock it given it's price point, but in the process the edge really suffered and didn't want to cut paper by the end of the few hours testing.  

I compared it to the SOG Access Card 2.0 as another contender for a PSK tin knife because it's very flat, comfortable in the hand, and the lock style is nice and strong (I'm a bit paranoid about folders folding up on my fingers).   It's not exactly a fair comparison given the price point difference, but it did do better in all respects. It was more comfortable and held it's edge throughout the testing. I did break the tip (not surprising, hardness has it's drawbacks) but I wanted to see it's limits. Satisfied in general I ended up buying another.





The carbide sharpener might prove useful cleaning up a wrecked edge in a pinch, and is an amazing ferro rod striker, so I cut it down and put it in the kit. I took the saw off a multi-tool and threw in a bolt and wing nut, because it took up very little room and gave it another purpose. It's a bit aggressive, but works okay for notching and other light work.




The little fishing kit has some bait, some circle hooks for unattended fishing, and some J hooks for hand line fishing.  I included some high strength test fishing line (50 or 65 lbs, something along those lines) for fishing, light lashing, etc.  Also a couple of speedhooks.

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The supplementary kit has some nice to have stuff for booboos and hygiene.  




The Esbit tab is there as a sort of kindling to compliment the Tinder Quik if conditions call for it.  Black thing to the left is a mosquito headnet vacuum sealed.  I hate bugs, so that and the bug repellent was something I definitely wanted to include. I've _never_ had those bug repellent wipes not leak all over the contents of the tin and stink it up, so I vacuum sealed them separately and carry them on the outside of the tin (which itself is vacuum sealed in it's own little pouch) to keep it all together.  I combined 4-6 electrolyte pouches into two to reduce the volume they took up.  The straws contain gold-bond powder, the thought being I could use the Hoo-Ahh towels for a field bath at the end of the day and then powder up at night so I'm not chafing the next day. The little one has some anti-fungal cream which can be used like Bordeauxs butt paste, combined it'll help stave off swamp ass working in the Southeastern humidity for a few days.

To be fair, this was put together a few days after being inspired by some military / E&E oriented kits, a situation I'm unlikely to ever find myself in!  

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Speaking of EDC, when I'm out on the boat for the department or just enjoying the outdoors on a dayhike I generally have an IFAK in one pocket and an emergency shelter in the other in the form of a Palmer style furnace when the conditions are such that hypothermia is a risk.  This is so if I ever get separated from my main bag, at least I have something.  They're vacuum sealed and curved a bit so they're form-fitting to the leg in the cargo pocket.  In addition, I'll normally keep a little roll-up water bag (like a Platypus or Evernew bag) in the same cargo pocket as the shelter.






The Palmer Furnace is just an altoids tin sized container (without the hinge holes so I could fill it further) with some beeswax in there. I used beeswax because it burns hot, pretty clean and has a higher melting point so it's less likely to melt all over the contents than something like a tea-candle.  During spring and fall the days are pretty hot, but the nights get chilly.  This particular thing burns about 5 hours in testing.  The poncho is like a reflective and mildly tear resistant type of emergency blanket.  The inflatable pad isn't insulated but does keep you up off the wet ground, and the rubber bands are there to close the poncho arm holes while you're sitting there leaned up against something. We don't get a lot of snow where I'm at in the Southeast, but it does get bitter cold.



My only test to date was on the back porch during freezing drizzling rain -- the temp was right at 32f.  The interior stayed about mid 80s.  Other than the prospects of sitting in that position for hours, I was surprised at how well it worked.  I was wearing a light softshell (Condor Summit) which is not nearly warm enough for the ambient temp on it's own, along with a watch cap.  The only parts that got a little cold were the bits right up against the poncho (knees, toes primarily) but certainly nothing life threatening,  and while my clothes weren't soaked I do plan on re-testing it under those conditions.  



The rationale came after some calls we had on the river in adverse weather --  we aren't deep in the wilderness, but backup could be more than an hour away so if we ended up going in the water for whatever reason I wanted something I could keep on my person to stave off hypothermia, since I'd likely be separated from my main bag that's on the boat.  Luckily there are very few dead zones that we couldn't get out either with cell or fire radio, but I do have a PLB on my PFD, along with a little vacuum sealed flare that could be used for fire starting in addition to the usual bells and whistles (signal mirror, whistle, strobe, SOL emergency blanket,  etc).

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There are tons of ways to carry a bit of backup emergency gear, of course a tin is only one of them -- it's nice that it helps reduce the risk of crushing and damaging the objects, but there are a lot of other options like a fanny pack, belt pouch, chest pack and so on that would do just as well.  As always, having it with you when you need it is key.

Some great ideas and lessons learned!

ROCK6

As far as teeny Altoids tin goes, this guy managed to stick a 24" saw in one, and still found room for a water container...

Cool thread. I agree with the guy who said the biggest value of a kit like this is to get people to think.

The biggest downfall is, they're mostly just a snivel kit with regard to genuinely life endangering circumstance. What you carry in your head is infinitely more useful.

When looking at the rule of 3s, there's only so much you can do with such a kit. Fire to get your ass warm. Iodine and collapsible bladder, to get your ass hydrated. Pretty much everything else, you can do without for whatever amount of time it takes to get where you need to be, and/or procure those items elsewhere.

Water and shelter. Those are the things that really count. I suppose a tourniquet and chest seal could be included in that list but we're well outside the size of a pocket survival kit, then.

Combine that with the notion that, if you're carrying this survival kit, you would presumably be carrying what you normally carry. Knife, lighter, gun, flashlight. Some guys get a little carried away with EDC.

There are a few handy/convenient things I've picked up the habit of keeping close. A small coil of snare wire (.01") and some kevlar braided line (you can fix a lot of stuff with these), couple bandaids, antiseptic towelette, scalpel blade (in the wallet). A bandanna. But each person will figure what works for them.  

I agree that consistent EDC with knowledge base is as important as any kit!  I used to always carry a lighter and hank of paracord but in the past few years I gave up on that and they got demoted to my back pack which goes to and from work but sits in my office when at work.  I always have a knife and flashlight in my pocket. I try to keep a couple bandaids in my wallet as I have found them to be very hand when you least expect it.

Revisiting this thread; My post came off much more "aloof" than I intended. There is definitely some great info posted.

Burncycle's post in particular addressed the ever important, "Keep your ass warm" part of the equation in a minimalist and realistic manner.

It's funny that the good ideas often go back a long ways. That tin of wicks and wax is awfully close to the old Betty lamps that burned whatever fat you had to put in it. My flintlock longrifle bag has a tin of 50/50 tallow/beeswax (used for rust prevention, moccasin waterproofing, lip balm, and a few other things) and if need be, laying a hank of tow (unspun linen used for cleaning the gun) in it and lighting it will serve the purpose.

There are universal truths when it comes to humans trying to stay 98 degrees or there'bouts that have been around a long time. Materials may change. A few new or rediscovered techniques turn up here and there. But, I still contend that the single most important tool you have is the one you carry between your ears.....or not.

Too often, particularly in the bushcraft community, (imho) folks get off in the weeds with gadgets, improvising when they don't have to, carrying things they don't need, etc.

Getting out and doing is the best crucible. No better way to distill down to what works and what is frivolous.

Cool thread. I agree with you guys, the main benefits are to get people thinking, force them to make decisions and consider the trade-offs, and ideally get them to practice with the tools and materials they select.

Really, people don't get enough opportunities to exercise their creativity, problem solving, or critical thinking, especially on survival matters. Stuff that people did 100 years ago as a matter of routine (and necessity) are now completely lost skills.

I think an altoid SK and altoid portable radio would make ideal Scout projects, especially because they can mostly be made with surplus materials, cheap stuff, or stuff that mom or dad already has lying around the house or garage.

For adults, I think the contents are highly dependent on the activities you do, your geography/climate, and the frequency you expect to access the contents. I personally never envisioned the altoids tin as the end-all, more like the thing that was small enough you could conveniently and routinely carry it in your pocket, and to which you could resort if you were somehow separated from the rest of your gear; or as a source of back-up items to supplement your primary items, if they were individually lost or rendered useless.

I have been following this thread since it started. Was hiking with the kids the other day and the older one (4) fell and started to bleed a tiny bit. I have first aid in the car, house, but not my pocket.  

I had a gun and knife but neither were helpful in that situation.

I’m going to put one together with a light, some fire stuff, spare knife, first aid, and water purification. I’m in GA and we don’t currently winter hike so not as worried about being lost for days.

I think this exactly the niche they were designed to fill--a bigger kit can do more for you, but if it's not convenient enough to have on your person, you may find yourself without. Plus, build them with/for the kids, and they start to build the same mindset!

A snivel kit is a must when out with kids for several reasons, imho.  

Helps foster a be prepared attitude. Let them make their own so they feel included and have creative latitude.

Helps them enjoy their time outdoors. If something minor happens It stays minor.

It helps make dad's trip more enjoyable because of lack of whining.

Good additions: duct tape (or your preference) for blisters etc.

Fun size snickers bars. They get tuckered out easily. About one of those every 45 minutes does amazing things for a 6yo.


I'd add one particularly useful bit of know how. If you have stinging nettle in your area,the kids will get into it. Jewel weed usually grows nearby. When rubbed onto nettle aggravated skin it takes the sting out.

Sorry to drift the thread. But it goes back to knowledge is so cool because it weighs nothing and doesn't take any space. Something as simple as knowing about a plant remedy can back an uncomfortable trip into one with a good story.

The more I think about distributing the contents of what you would typically find in a tin on your person to supplement your EDC,  the more the Wazoo Cache belt starts to make sense as a modern altoids tin: to carry nice to have but rarely accessed emergency items.



First and foremost I think I'd want whirl pak bags and some water purification tablets... but after that the possibilities are endless.  Tinder quik, some band aids, anti-septic and antibiotic packets, a pair of nitrile gloves, mosquito headnet...  and of course plenty of space for backup documents when traveling or a little extra cash, backup car or house key...

I may have to pick one up and experiment with it a bit.

You don't "fish" in a survival situation, you set up static lines, then just check them each day.

Am I the only one that keeps a half dozen  wax dipped .22lr rounds in lieu of the sinkers for the fishing kit? They're fire starters, sinkers, lures, ammo, etc.

It could work I suppose, but don't you need pliers/multi-tool to break them apart? And it doesn't seem like there would be much wax? And for those traveling outside CONUS, ammo is definitely a no-no.

I think one of the more important considerations that is often over-looked is not needing to rely on improvised/unfinished tools in your kit to access or use others; for example, a knife blade without a handle, which you have to *carefully* use to craft something else. There is a chance you injure yourself (exhausted, cold, unlucky, whatever) and then you are in worse shape. Something that can be overcome with practice/experience obviously, but my assumption is that the bits in ones kit just don't get accessed as frequently (even if they should).

I've made a few.  This is the one I've kept.  The last time I visited it was 2017.  Given the size restriction I'm still fine with the contents.  Everything is pretty self explanatory except for maybe the yellow Kevlar string.