Bare minimum - Pocket survival kit
- Thread starter Defiant Rat
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It's not as hard as it sounds. Most of the items are flat like the blades mirror, saw for the striker etc. I still have room for more little odds and ends. The container is one of those virginia leaf baccy tins so is not only fairly roomy but is water tight with the addition of some black electrical tape around the outside so the lid doesn't pop off accidentally, it is also rectangular so makes packing stuff in easier.
Should you be looking to make one of your own you could buy one of those survival tins that they sell in the shops take out all the naff bits that you don't want and then just customize. The firesteel that is in there is also one of the thinner versions not great for constant use but great for a survival tin. The bonus of these compared to the normal larger size firesteels is the striker that comes with it. This in itself is a little saw and with some heat treatment the end of it can be turned into a small but sharp knife, great for cutting cloth and kindling etc.
Should you be looking to make one of your own you could buy one of those survival tins that they sell in the shops take out all the naff bits that you don't want and then just customize. The firesteel that is in there is also one of the thinner versions not great for constant use but great for a survival tin. The bonus of these compared to the normal larger size firesteels is the striker that comes with it. This in itself is a little saw and with some heat treatment the end of it can be turned into a small but sharp knife, great for cutting cloth and kindling etc.
To be honest there are a few bits in there that are useful like the whistle but the container its in looks a bit flimsy. I'd be worried that it might tear, and the spark striker doesn't look that robust, you may be able to operate it one handed but if it breaks ya screwed/ My motto is the less moving parts it has the less chance of it going wrong. As well as this much of the contents I think could be got hold of pretty cheap else where and that way you can ensure your not paying for stuff you don't want like a pencil and paper.
As a start i'd reach for the good old SAS survival guide and look at the kit list for the survival tin, this is what mine is based around.
As a start i'd reach for the good old SAS survival guide and look at the kit list for the survival tin, this is what mine is based around.
The container (Aloksak) is the only thing in there that I have some experience with and I'd say its pretty bombproof.
I use one as my map case and another as a waterproof storage for my mobile when out and about. Both have taken a bit of a battering and seem to be doing fine, seal is still A ok - although I broke the mobile by standing on it
!You can get them pretty cheap here. (no connection with the company etc)
No experience with the sparklite but I agree with your sentiment with regards to fewer moving parts
.I guess that they have the added advantage of not bending or deforming if trodden on but what about the contents plus I have a sharpened version of the saw strike in mine and i'd be worried about it slicing through? They sound ideal for tinder though, i'm fed up with the bags i've got getting holes in.
not so long ago there was a sparklite kit auction from ets run by martin f and got 3 of em with aluminium strikers. brilliant and strong. believe that it will happen again but could see about a group buy.
aloksacs in various sizes start at a quid to i think 1.50 from pr3pr3 on bay.
no connection..........just pleased
aloksacs in various sizes start at a quid to i think 1.50 from pr3pr3 on bay.
no connection..........just pleased
The Doug Ritter PSK is a very good piece of kit and well thought out. It's small enough that it can be comfortably carried in a pocket.
A PSK that is too bulky to be comfortably carried, is most likely to be not on your person when needed.
the packet it comes in is very robust, the equipment inside is all useful and well made.
the flint striker is actually a good idea for a survival kit. Can you operate a standard flint and steel with one hand? it's not easy.
as for the pencil and paper, that's a very useful piece of equipment to have, and very inconvenient to improvise.
get a copy of "build the perfect survival kit" by John McCann, it describes many different sizes of kit for many different uses.
"I use one as my map case and another as a waterproof storage for my mobile when out and about. Both have taken a bit of a battering and seem to be doing fine, seal is still A ok - although I broke the mobile by standing on it !"
I am not doubting that the Doug Ritter PSK is a good bit of kit but why pay for something that you could put together yourself. As for the container what happens if you tread on it with that nice little striker inside or pherhaps a lense? A tin may buckle but it will take a good battering whilst staying watertight and protecting the stuff inside plus it is pocketsize as its made for tobacco.
I am not doubting that the Doug Ritter PSK is a good bit of kit but why pay for something that you could put together yourself. As for the container what happens if you tread on it with that nice little striker inside or pherhaps a lense? A tin may buckle but it will take a good battering whilst staying watertight and protecting the stuff inside plus it is pocketsize as its made for tobacco.
I think that's half the point. IMHO the kit is extremely good value especially if you look at the quality of the kit - the individual items are some of the best there are available. Ok some of the items you could make your own or find lying around the house i.e. the duct tape, cotton wool and Vaseline for tinder, safety pins and needles etc. However the kit only costs £26 on Amazon. I did a quick comparison and if you bought the parts individually then the mirror, whistle, firestarter (sparklite or normal flint) and compass alone work out at about the same price - for the £26 you get everything else. I'm of the opinion that you should get the best available as you life may depend on it. Having had a look at the contents of the kit I doubt I'd remove anything - might add stuff like a small folding knife and a normal fire steel etc but what is in there seems to the very good.
Just to play the devils advocate - I would have thought that the fact the pouch is soft maybe an advantage i.e. it will flex and absorb an impact (remember that all the items inside are plastic so will flex to a certain degree - the tinder etc is padding and the mirror is made of lexan polycarbonate so can take a battering), it floats, you can see the items inside so you can check the contents quickly to make sure you haven't left anything behind etc.
Maybe it's just me but most of my muckers carry tobacco pouches rather than a tin
! The aloksack is slimline and I suspect I'd be more likely to carry it in pocket than I would do a tin (infact my tin lives in the bottom of my daysack rather than on my person - its quite bulky though - not a tobacco tin) - it's also got a lanyard hole so you can carry it round your neck if needs be. I'd probably go for one of Hoodoo's type of tubes (see his post below) rather than a tin for an everyday pocket carry if truth be told. Just my 2 pence worth 
.Fair point I guess. I quite like hoodoos tube idea to I guess at the end of the day it really comes down to personal preference. A lot of the bits in my tin I already had it was just a case of finding a suitable container to put them in. I did'nt realise quite how cheap those kits were as I could''nt find prices on the site. As for the baccy pouches I thik these are probably a lot cheaper to make lol. My tin is rather ancient and came from the days when my grandfather smoked a pipe way back in the 40's.
I wonder if there is anywhere that road tests different survival kits a bit like cars so you could buy a 1 star survival kit that would need Ray Mears to operate it to survive and 5 star that could be used by a 5 year old.
Just wondered why people carry such things as survival tins ect in every day situations WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU EXPECTING TO HAPPEN that could not be delt with . Just wondered how many people walk into there air conned office with a survival kit in there pocket WHY -- If you go out and enjoy a weekend in the wilds and want to practice bushcraft as i do you go a bit more prepared than a backy tin full of bits at least a small rucksack of bits so as to spend a comfy stay I suppose Ive opened up a can of worms now with this thead not intended i must say
Where did you get this from? The only place i have seen them they were inordinately expensive.
I think that's the whole point - you can't predict it. For example see here, I bet that bloke wasn't expecting that to happen. But with a few bits and bobs in his pockets and more importantly some knowledge his night could have been much more comfortable than it sounded.
I don't think most people on here carry a full blown survival tin around with them every day
! Most people will carry a small LED torch, small multitool or pocket knife, a whistle, small compass and maybe a lighter or matches (or firesteel) on a keyring as shown in British Reds post. It doesn't weigh much but I can guarantee you will end up using one or two of the items a few times each week, I've used my LED torch 3 times already today! ...... ok it was only used to look under filing cabinets and tables as we had 2 mice running round the office ...... but still ... I used it 
! Caught the blighters too 
.wasnt he a silly man not going prepared for his adventure Im not back tracking on what I originally said I just couldnt see the point of taking a full blown survival tin Fish hooks and snare and wire saw ect into a office envirment The man in the above artical was very foolhardy to set out ill prepared ie lack of cloathing and what else he ort to have taken and i think every one with any experience would agree
Hey there.
Mame from a fishing tackle shop a few years ago. I can't remember how much it cost but it wasn't that much. However my beta light is only about 3/4 of an inch long so fairly small.
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