Survival Tins - Updates

moocher

Full Member
Mar 26, 2006
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So , its great to see all these Tins come out - I did think I may get a frosty reception for resurrecting a bit of a 80's throwback concept.

So where do people keep their Tins? On them , in a trusty outdoor jacket? In a bergan Pocket??
Camo jacket pocket or trousers if out in woods .
So what sort of Mini knives are you all putting in your tins then?. Yes Multi-Tools like me but I mean Small Folders?.
spyderco bug great little knife .
 

Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
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Victorinox Compact, Petzl e+ lite, Silva Ranger SL, Micropour forte, Bic mini lighter orange, Edelrid multicord 2,5 mm or 2 mm. Light my fire ferrocerium rod small.

A Defcon 5 poncho is better than an emergency bivvy bag. A 1 litre Nagelne stainless steel bottle (wide mouth) is better than every other container.
All should fit into the bottle I guess.

A Snugpack special Forces bivvy bag would be additional a good idea but I' m unsure if it fits into the bottle too. I would try to find a bottle carrier or other little shoulder bag to fit in the stuff, perhaps including also a stainless Mora Garberg with leather sheath.

Perhaps additional a basic fishing equipment.

And if it isn't meant just for survival training but meant as a real survival kit, the COMET COMPACT SIGNAL LOUNCHER surely is a good idea too.


In my opinion that's a sensible survival equipment instead of such tins which usually contain nonsense.
 
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SD63

New Member
Sep 11, 2020
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Yep Kevlar Cordage, Lock picks, Handcuff key, a small bag of Magnesium Shaving's / Powder.
Just for starter's
Lock picks? handcuff keys? Ok, lets say that you find yourself cuffed and face down in the back of a car...anyone with any sense will have already relieved you of your bag and gone through your pockets, if only for the cash you may be carrying...your tin will be long gone now. If you need 'that sort' of kit, then it needs to be secreted in your clothing where a casual search will not find it. Replace your bootlaces with kevlar cord. stitch a cuff key into a hem and a ceramic blade whilst you're at it. Survival tins are just that, a tin that contains enough stuff to help you survive the first days cutoff from assistance.
Don't get it confused with SERE kit.
 
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Forest fella

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Jul 2, 2008
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Gloucestershire
I'm not confused mate, I was taught to think out of that box and make getting out of a survival mishap or anything else, And yes some of my item's are more use for Sere you can take the out long before you think you might need then, And yes Survival is like Clothing do it in Layer's Kit as well.
As for the face down in ''Put A KEY'' under the seat and before you bring it up ''Put a Razor Blade under 1 to, That and I have these on me anyway.
cheer's
 
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TeeDee

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Nov 6, 2008
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Victorinox Compact, Petzl e+ lite, Silva Ranger SL, Micropour forte, Bic mini lighter orange, Edelrid multicord 2,5 mm or 2 mm. Light my fire ferrocerium rod small.

A Defcon 5 poncho is better than an emergency bivvy bag. A 1 litre Nagelne stainless steel bottle (wide mouth) is better than every other container.
All should fit into the bottle I guess.

A Snugpack special Forces bivvy bag would be additional a good idea but I' m unsure if it fits into the bottle too. I would try to find a bottle carrier or other little shoulder bag to fit in the stuff, perhaps including also a stainless Mora Garberg with leather sheath.

Perhaps additional a basic fishing equipment.

And if it isn't meant just for survival training but meant as a real survival kit, the COMET COMPACT SIGNAL LOUNCHER surely is a good idea too.


In my opinion that's a sensible survival equipment instead of such tins which usually contain nonsense.

Which is why i guess they started to get a bad rap in the first place within the civilian market.

I can't disagree with all the items you have suggested but the larger the items , the more of them tends to mean the less likely one is to ACTUALLY carry them.
Yes - 99.9% of us will never find us in a true situation where our life depends upon their contents but as I mentioned in the opening post I was watching a ( True ) film involving a very lost Tourist and was thinking just how lucky he would feel if he had a small tin of useful high impact goodies to draw upon.

Some items I wouldn't carry but i think the main onus based around the ability to quickly and easily create Fire to purify water, create warmth & light ( rescue fire ) , some way to purify and contain water and maybe a few items to aid self rescue wouldnt be a bad thing to hold just in a tin that is ALWAYS on hand because its small , and light.

Just my thoughts - good to occasionally kick these ideas around.
 
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Broch

Life Member
Jan 18, 2009
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Now you're getting somewhere; start by defining the requirement - what scenarios do you want the tin to help with. This is a survival tin not a 'live in the wilds' tin. So: help to get out/get rescued, help to eat and help to drink is about all it needs to be IMHO. You might add, if there's room and the weight isn't too much, help to shelter.
 
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Herman30

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Aug 30, 2015
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I have made me a waterproof emergency fire kit. Contains regular matches, storm matches and a couple of small Esbit tablets.
Hang it around my neck - put it in a pocket - attach to or in a bag - etc.


 

TeeDee

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Nov 6, 2008
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I have made me a waterproof emergency fire kit. Contains regular matches, storm matches and a couple of small Esbit tablets.
Hang it around my neck - put it in a pocket - attach to or in a bag - etc.



I like it. Simple small and will definitely produce what you want.
 

Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
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If we expect the lost tourist to have a usual rain suit and proper boots with him, he could put the suggested items in a tin, but would need a collapsible 1 litre bottle to carry water and to purify it with the Micropour tabs, what takes of course longer than boiling water in a Nagelne steel bottle.
But like this he doesn't really need bivvy bag, poncho and full tang knife and not the steel bottle.

His time to march out of the situation becomes shorter, but the kit becomes far more compact.

If that's enough depends mainly where he gets lost. In a lonely area he should carry my bottle set, in relatively crowded areas he will survive with rainsuit and a tin with my suggested smaller stuff.

In Germany we have usually every 2 kilometers a house. As long as one has compass and head torch and walks straight ahead one will find one pretty soon.
 
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TeeDee

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If we expect the lost tourist to have a usual rain suit and proper boots with him, he could put the suggested items in a tin, but would need a collapsible 1 litre bottle to carry water and to purify it with the Micropour tabs, what takes of course longer than boiling water in a Nagelne steel bottle.
But like this he doesn't really need bivvy bag, poncho and full tang knife and not the steel bottle.

His time to march out of the situation becomes shorter, but the kit becomes far more compact.

If that's enough depends mainly where he gets lost. In a lonely area he should carry my bottle set, in relatively crowded areas he will survive with rainsuit and a tin with my suggested smaller stuff.

In Germany we have usually every 2 kilometers a house. As long as one has compass and head torch and walks straight ahead one will find one pretty soon.

Completely agree a Metal Nalgene style Bottle ( along with Close Fitting cup ) makes an awesome kit container. I have several Guyot wide mouth bottles in Condor H20 pouches and it makes a great ( if large ) basis for what I would define as a very capable Survival kit. One can put items in the Empty bottle itself until needed and it has a useful pouch on the front. Make a carrying strap out of Paracord in some lengths of Bike Inner tube and its still a smallish package that covers all the 10C's with ease.

It is however still larger, heavier and more complex than a tobacco sized tin in side pocket.
The main problem I'm currently seeing with the Tin route is that its difficult to include anything ( so far ) that allows for the Purification of Water by boiling.

One can carry a condom , purification tablets and a small tube and use that to source and replenish fluids if needed.
 

Erbswurst

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Pilots should use parachute cords and lost civilians perhaps a condom and the cigarette lighter. In survival situations one has to use what one carrie's on the person. It's no fault to mention how to use such stuff.

But Edelrid Multicord 2,5 mm is and stays the better option for hikers and a real collapsible high quality bottle is without any doubt the better recommendation for a wilderness survival kit.

A collapsible bottle fits in really every pocket.

 

TeeDee

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Beyond the immediate items to procure & produce Fire ( for warmth & possible signal/rescue fire ) and a method to collect and purify water ( for rehydration ) I'm thinking the Survival Tin should contain Self Rescue type items if possible - all I can think of at the moment ( size & weight considerations ) is a:-

Whistle - for Audio signalling

Possibly a small torch for light signalling SOS ( How quickly batteries would deteriorate Vs Lumen strength )

Polishing the Lid - Use as a Heliograph

Putting some High-Reflective Tape on the Top lid to reflect at Night if SAR are passing https://www.flashbacktape.co.uk/pro...term=4582558312003932&utm_content=Ad group #1


Any thing else?
 

Laurentius

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Now you're getting somewhere; start by defining the requirement - what scenarios do you want the tin to help with. This is a survival tin not a 'live in the wilds' tin. So: help to get out/get rescued, help to eat and help to drink is about all it needs to be IMHO. You might add, if there's room and the weight isn't too much, help to shelter.
Yes it all needs to be tempered with realism and the situation you are in or likely to be in. I don't think most of us will envisage crash landing in the Amazonian jungle, and what you can carry onto a plane won't help you much, but beyond that, even a fire starting kit has to be considered carefully. If you are lost in a forest in Oregon, for goodness sake do not start a fire. Equally if you are out hill walking in Scotland or Wales well where is the firewood? Of more importance there is insulation and a bit of body fuel, not forgetting the compass, a whistle and a torch.
 

Laurentius

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Aug 13, 2009
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I maybe incorrect , but are you talking about plasticuffing a potential person?
Nah if you are in the middle of nowhere a folding shovel to bury them, after you have dispatched them with your impromptu spear, fall trap whatever.
 

Minotaur

Native
Apr 27, 2005
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Birmingham
But Edelrid Multicord 2,5 mm is and stays the better option for hikers and a real collapsible high quality bottle is without any doubt the better recommendation for a wilderness survival kit.
Just carry paracord and a disposable cord.

I think the survival tin idea is great however I am not sure the practice works.
I think EDC is a better idea so as a hiker make sure you have on you at all times what you need to survive. Like a small first aid kit.
i think that is why a possibiltiy pouch is better for general use.

A lot of people have point out that a survivial tin depends on what you do so as a soldier it works and if you could lose all your kit for some reason.

A collapsible bottle fits in really every pocket.
I am sort of stuck in a half way house of wanting to go natural and wanting to go Bushcraft or Scout for want of a better description.
For example, I have gone metal for bottles however I do like those bottles and have a few of them.
 
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Erbswurst

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Of course a stainless steel bottle or canteen with steel mug is much better for general use than such a folding bottle, and also better in survival situations.

You simply can clean it better.
And you can use it for water purification.

Nowadays people try to get a survival equipment into a Nagelne steel bottle for example. That's obviously the better idea for civil use than a tin.


In my opinion an experienced person doesn't need disposable lengths of cordage for camping and the point about parachute cordage is, that it's unnecessarily heavy and bulky for hiking and also not the best option for camping. There are simply much better options on the market. Every good boat shop sells such stuff, just ask them!

And even usual hardware shops offer for our use better cordage than parachute cord.
 
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TeeDee

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Of course a stainless steel bottle or canteen with steel mug is much better for general use than such a folding bottle, and also better in survival situations.

You simply can clean it better.
And you can use it for water purification.

Nowadays people try to get a survival equipment into a Nagelne steel bottle for example. That's obviously the better idea for civil use than a tin.


In my opinion an experienced person doesn't need disposable lengths of cordage for camping and the point about parachute cordage is, that it's unnecessarily heavy and bulky for hiking and also not the best option for camping. There are simply much better options on the market. Every good boat shop sells such stuff, just ask them!

And even usual hardware shops offer for our use better cordage than parachute cord.


I do like the water bottle concept but I still believe that the bigger the item the less likely one is going to have it when needed or its going to be left out of a day sack.
 

Erbswurst

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I think it depends on where you use it.

It would be idiotic to throw such a bottle out of the rucksack if you drive around in Candadian forests.

In central European circumstances it should be usually enough to carry a Victorinox Compact or Opinel No7 and a cigarette lighter in the pockets if you carry or wear a usual waterproof rain jacket.

And here a folding bottle as the only really additional survival item becomes pretty interesting.

Petzl e+ lite and small compass fit in the pockets too bu the way. And a few Micropur forte tabs.
 
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Erbswurst

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This blue Caperlan waterproof pouch is
meant to put the smartphone inside.

It is surprisingly long lasting.

I think such a pouch is nowadays the better idea as a tin, because it disturbs less in the pockets of a jacket but it keeps all together too.

 
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Jared

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Sep 8, 2005
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Problem with a tin or bottle is still need some sort of pouch/bag when use it to boil or carry water.

Though could wrap a waterproof pouch around the outside of the bottle and ranger band/tape it on.
 

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