Survival Tins

[sandbender]

Agree to all the posts, just wondered what the sentiments were, perhaps a good thing to pack if one were going to visit one of the 3rd world $h!thole$, you know the type of place your embassy likes you to check in with them before you leave the hotel.

I have traveled in parts of the 3rd world, I wouldn't be quite so harsh in my description of them though, certainly some might require a certain degree of roughty-toughtyness and an open and friendly outlook to the folks around you, but a survival tin, no.

I had one from survival aids when I was a lad and I still have the little brass compass somewhere. But for day to day travel in Europe or elsewhere, not so much.

I do carry a couple of tobacco type tins in my 'day' bag one contains a small first aid kit, the other a 'repairs' kit for things that might need sewn, stuck, sawn etc. Additionally I have a leather belt pouch containing some useful doo-dads.

Paul Kirtley posted a blog article where he looked at his old tin and talked about his slightly larger sized 'bushcraft' survival kit, I'll post the link if I can find it.

Edited to add:

Here you go...

http://paulkirtley.co.uk/2011/bushcraft-survival-kit/

 

[wingstoo]

The guy who certainly helped develop the tin still carries his when he goes out, even when out on a shopping trip to the local super-market he pops it into his jacket pocket, sort of habit I guess.

But if I was to carry one it would be adapted to the environment I was in.

A CPR mask and gloves and some needles and thread when an urban area, outside that some high strength nylon cordage, fish hooks, some band-aids, a poly bag andf some puri-tabs.

You have to remember that the tin was developed as a last ditch item for Special forces personnel in hostile enemy territory as well as when on exercise in hostile areas. The webbing pouch kit was much better though.

 

[Chopper]

I put this together when I was about 12 and have kept it up to speed eversince, I'm now 48.

 

[wingstoo]

Those little fuel tubes were great, haven't seen them for years.

 

[Chopper]

Those little fuel tubes were great, haven't seen them for years.

Yeh, I know.

I bought them years ago, probably some safety laws stopping their sale now.

 

[MikeLA]

Does no harm to carry (what ever you carry) and i prefer it to be in a pocket or stuff sack in a pocket rather than a belt.

 

[rg598]

I used to have one, but then I noticed that I never opened it, but rather carried duplicate items in my pockets that I actually used when I was in the woods. I couldn't imagine a time when I would have my survival kit, but not have the contents of my pockets, or for that matter, even my full pack.

I do still carry several tins in my pocket, but they are what you could call my possibles pouch. They are the things I use all the time, with some emergency items included.

In one of my pockets I carry the Mora #2 you see above. In the other pocket I carry a small pouch, in which I keep a Fenix E01 flashlight, a mini BIC lighter, and three Altoids Smalls tins. One of the tins holds my repair kit with a few fishing hooks thrown in on the bottom. The second tin holds some medications I commonly use and water purification tablets. The third tin contains tinder (waxed jute twine) and matches. On the pouch itself a have attached a mini compass.

 

[mountainm]

Has anyone actually survived thanks to a survival tin? Would be interested to know of any real stories.

 

[Strikealight]

I have carried an Altoids kit for many years now which as I have gotten older has become ever more "urban". It has got me out of many scrapes and more minor inconveniences over the years. Examples - patching up various nasty wounds (nealry all suffered by others), fixing broken bag straps, replacing lost buttons, sorting out headaches and hayfever attacks at the start of the season, emergency cash, etc.. I carry an extra kit when I am in the countryside with things like paracord, emergency whistle, strobe, etc. but my Altoids kit still forms the core. As it happens, I used mine twice today while I was out in the sticks with my family - plaster for one of my kids and a water sterilisation tablet for a bottle of water we had to re-fill from a remote tap (just to be sure).

 

[Greg]

I started off with a "Survival" Tin when I was a boy...but when I joined the Army it soon became apparent that almost all the squaddies I knew had binned the tin for a webbing pouch....this enabled us to carry more items of use and 24hrs worth of food....then when I was posted into a Mountain & Arctic Warfare Unit we carried everything we needed in our Smock pockets in case we lost our bergens...which on one exercise a mate of mine did whilst crossing a river....
I still carry a survival patch but like most I pre pack it before a trip with items that may in the worst case scenario be of use to me in the area I am travelling to.
A quick note....it isn't just "Special Forces" Personnel who are required to carry a "Survival tin / pouch"...you'll find that most squaddies do these days....plus it was Prone to capture troops...not Special Forces and not all prone to capture troops are special forces....okay minor grype over..no need for any more comments..lol ;-)

 

[FGYT]

remember the original army / SAS Tin was actually a mess tin size not a tiny baccy one that only appeared and became popular due to the SAS survival handbook

 

[Greg]

I always wondered why people opted for the bacci tin method (That includes me!!) when lofty also had a webbing pouch survival kit in his book....?
Oh well each to their own..

 

[wingstoo]

I'm working on a webbing pouch one at the moment, I managed to get a minimi ammunition pouch for a tenner, a quick adjustment to the loops on the back changed it from a Molle setup to a belt one. Now I just need to find all the bits to go in it. I also have a couple of Kidney pouches I might be converting to make a more authentic looking one.

 

[rik_uk3]

IIRC Wally Herbert's Arctic survival kit was morphine, the idea was if he got injured, no hope of rescue he'd just call it a day.

 

[Swallow]

I always wondered why people opted for the bacci tin method (That includes me!!) when lofty also had a webbing pouch survival kit in his book....?
Oh well each to their own..

Lofty said in several places it has to be small enough to put in your pocket or you won't carry it with you all the time. He also spoke of having it in your pocket when ballroom dancing and being able to sew a button on if it came off.

 

[wingstoo]

I guess ballroom dancing with a green webbing survival pouch with mess tin and other accoutrements might be a tad uncomfortable when doing the Rumba... All to often it is just easier to call for help these days and so people prefer to carry little more than a mobile phone for emergencies, when a small survival pack to get you through the night in a bit of comfort can be easily carried, after all in the UK the phone coverage is good, and of course we don't, as individuals, need to have insurance to be able to call out a multi-million pound aircraft and crew or a volunteer or military MRT because we are tired and unable to continue. <small rant over>

 

[Tristar777]

Hi. I always have a SOS tin on me. A urban tin with odds and sods that I could need in town and out and about and a tin for the trips in the woods. The items change depending on the season and the woods tin is supplemented with the webbing pouch and other equipment depending on where Im going and for how long. I will always carry the tin if nothing else so one day when it is needed and Im with someone who doesn't carry one I can laugh as they die in a ditch! Lol!

 

[Fallschirmwomble]

<snip> so people prefer to carry little more than a mobile phone for emergencies

I'm not disagreeing with your sentiment. But here's a lesson learned on my part.

Did my first solo coastwalk at the beginning of the month. Had a "lost comms" arrangement with a friend: if I failed to contact him (cellphone txt message with grid ref) 2x nights running, then he's to inform authorities of my last known location, direction of travel, expected location and that I might be in difficulty.

Good in theory - but mine's not a satellite 'phone and, literally being at the very edge of the country, I had no 'phone coverage for days. I had to detour to a town inland to make contact to cancel the arrangement.

I can't help but wonder how many people in our nanny state go out into the wilderness relying only on their cellphone (thereby inconveniencing OTHER PEOPLE) if they run into difficulty - but then discover that there's no coverage. Darwin's "natural selection" comes to mind...

 

[dump of the stig]

remember the original army / SAS Tin was actually a mess tin size not a tiny baccy one that only appeared and became popular due to the SAS survival handbook

Im not sure if that's true, im 38 now and when I was 7 I used to spend my time packing and re-packing these,
back when there was no such thing as a celebrity bushcrafter/survivalist, and the only knowledge of the
S.A.S was through the Iranian embassy siege, and even literature was not easy to find, you really had too
search the library for even the scruffiest paper back which you would treat like gold. In a weird way I think
RAMBO had a lot to answer for with the craze in survival knives (button compass, fishing kit in handle).
I must of appeared a strange little boy, packing my granddads old holburn tins will my mates where playing
football.

 

[wingstoo]

I'll be seeing Lofty in a few days time, I'll try to remember to ask him which came first.