Hi,
For various reasons I have given up on tin containers for survival kits. many years ago a friend got his tobacco tin kit wet from salt water and it and most of its contents corroded. Of interest is that when it was opened after several years the life boat matches functioned perfectly wheras the metal match had crumbled to dust.
One container that I have devised is formed from tapered shampoo or dishwashing liquid bottles which can be cut down and sleeved as a top and bottom. Select ones that taper toward the top like truncated triangle. Cut off at the desired height and reverse one as the top and slide on. The little Johnson and Johnson baby oil bottle make fine kits. Chinese knock offs seem to have a low melting point and are quite soft.
The other kit box that I like is the yellow boxes from Speer projectiles which can be placed in the pouch of surplus 8mm Mauser military rifle cleaning kits. The final one is the alloy boxes which vaseline guarze used to come in. I have 2, one a 2" sqaure one for my micro kit and a larger one for a pocket kit. Has anyone used the BCB mini messtin box yet? Some people on other forums have made good kits from them
Vin7

Interesting ideas. I like rubbermaid boxes -- lots of sizes, water/ dust proof and mostly see through.

Teacher

I haven't found a plastic container in a size I like to carry.

I still use altoids tins: one for a PSK, one for a FAK, and a smaller round one that contains cotton balls, a chapstick, a slender bic lighter and a spark-lite flint. Each is placed in its own zip-lock bag, and they usually ride in a canvas pouch on the shoulder strap of my briefcase. Sometimes I take them out of the pouch and stash them in separate cargo pockets for a short hike or bike ride.

There is some redundancy - the PSK also has a bic, 10 strike-anywhere matches (wrapped in plastic wrap), a spark-lite and spark-lite tinder, as well as a couple of bandaids and a small pack of antibiotic ointment, and the FAK has scalpel blade in it even though there are utility knife blades in the PSK. Both the PSK and the FAK tins are also wrapped in 6 feet each of nylon cord.

So far they have survived me getting caught out in a soaking rain without the contents getting wet. I haven't tried going for a swim in salt water with them, but I have hopes they'd be OK in that, too.

People seem to like these, they can even hang it around their neck.

the never ending search for a good metal container with
a water proof seal is one of the things that brought me to
this site..oh where--oh where can i find Spam cans??
but--i would say a kit can't sit around for years--you need
to refresh it at least to keep the food bars from going bad.
and if you can't cook in the container then half it's
usefulness if gone..

Frank, that's the best bet. Metal containers are better than plastic for a great many things. If something must be dry, ziplock bags around the outside of it. If you kit is small enough, you then stuff it in a sock; it is is large enough, a watch cap. That gives you some thermal layer, protects the bags from abrasion, and keeps it from going "clank" when you bump into something.

I like the multi-purpose aspect of a metal container.

I am afraid container serching has become an addiction for me, I often care more about the container than the product inside.

In decades past many things came in great metal containers but these are now considered antiques and are high priced.

I recently found a nice hinge-top metal box at a gun show that was a military (Chinese?) rifle cleaning kit (cost $3 with the crude cleaning supplies), perfect size for a mini-kit (about 50% bigger than an Altoid Tin). Still working on this kit (really twin kits, for my son and I), I think it will be a PSK in a metal container plus other everday carry items all within a cordura belt pack. It will mostly be used for remote hunting, fishing and exploring.

Fancy chocolate shops are other good places to find tins but they are more expensive, and often have fancy pictures on them (my last ones has fairies painted on it).

I placed an DR/AMK PSK in my work coat pocket today after adding a folding Gerber knife, mini bic, matches, Micropur tabs, bandaids, alcohol wipes and a mini LED light. Thinking now I should of added a plastic bag also as there is nothing to hold water in to treat with the Micropur, DUH. First time I have carried a PSK not in a metal container.

Later,

Mike

The Q-tips purse pack is very light.

http://www.qtips.com/products.php

How about the shell of a Adventure Medical Ultralight First Aid Kit or something similar. They have a tough zip lock type interior bag and an outer zip nylon bag.

I personally like the aluminum Trangia mess tin with the handle. It can carry all the basic stuff, like Doug's PSK, fire starters of several kinds, a very thin painter's drop cloth (use as an emergency poncho or to waterproof a shelter), a few batteries and a small light, a McNett survival straw, cordage, etc. Plus you can cook in it. It fits snugly inside a standard ammo pouch that holds 3-30 rd. M-16 magazines. You can wrap electrical tape around the seam between the top and bottom (it's not watertight) and wrap your duct tape around it in the opposite direction.

I really like this one.

http://www.aquapac.net/usstore/erol.html#600X1146

Neck or pocket.. both comfortable. I have no need for a rigid (e.g. Altoids) box.

I have mine in an Otterbox 2000. Very tough and waterproof to 100 + feet.

Know how you feel. Sometimes the container contents are an absolute nuisance. Unfortunately, buying new plain tins, etc., from commercial suppliers usually means you have to buy in lots of at least 100. Say...do you think we could get 98 fellow addicts to pitch in?

On second thought, 100 of us would never agree on "the" perfect size, so forget it. Oh, well. The search goes on.

Frank2135

I have tried this box and still us it. It is fairly bulky in a pocket, kind of fragile too. I bent the lid by trying to over-fill the box. I doubt that the seal works very well the way I have it packed. Despite the shortcomings, I like it better than an mint tin or otter box.

I am totally sold on the Aloksak zip lock interior bags that come with the AMK Ultralight kits. You can also buy them separately: REI Aloksak 4 Pack

They're clear, 6 mil, and waterproof to 200 feet. They also seem more flexible to me than most Ziplocks, which helps resist punctures.

I also get a lot of mileage out of the 4 mil Elkay poly zip top bags for things that don't want to get wet while I'm hiking -- cell phone, driver's license, etc. They hold up a lot better than your average freezer Ziploc. The freezer Ziplocs are more compact, so I always throw a couple in my gear (both quart and gallon size), even if I don't know what I'll be using them for, whether I'm hiking or traveling. Invariably, when I get back to civilization I've found a use for every last one of them.

I have a couple of those kits...don't remember the number..maybe .5...anyway, the included sack is an Aloksak...very cool...waterproof to 200m...in case you want to take it deep sea diving
Also puncture resistant and dust proof...if the company's claims stand up. Aeromedix was billing one size as a perfect fit for the DR PSK...and now mine lives in an Aloksak. A lightweight insurance policy. I had carried my first PSK in my back pocket and eventually split the seam of the pouch it comes in, although now the new one rides in a Spec Ops pouch in a cargo pocket.

One word about zip loc type bags (in case it hasn't been mentioned). I prefer freezer bags as opposed to the standard weight. Much more durable, and packing space wise they are a titch more bulky, but the added strength is worth it IMHO. The Wal Mart brand of quart size freezer bags (the only WM bags I've used) seem to hold up as well as the name brand...maybe even better.

Although certainly not pocket sized, what about the good old Nalgene bottle? Waterproof...tough, see through. I've been mulling over the idea of what to put in quart size for a while now, but a pint size might yield good results as well. I've thought about individual kits for my family to keep in the car...easy to carry if we should have to abandon the car for some reason. Like so many of us who spend time re-working and re-thinking kits, it gives me something to do.

Speaking of which, I'm going to check out some of those Elkay bags...looks pretty handy.

It's been done, actually. In the spring I went to the local sports equipment store with Number One Grandson to outfit him for the summer soccer league. We were looking at water bottles, and I noticed one labeled "Emergency Kit". Packed in the bottle was a mini flashlight, a whistle, bandaids, a small compass, some string, a mylar emergency blanket, and a few other goodies.

Not a bad idea, until you need to use the bottle for water, at which point I guess you fill up your pockets with everything else.

I saw these at LL Bean. They are clever enough to include a ditty bag so you can both use the water bottle and carry the contents, although they seem kind of gimmicky to me, and the contents aren't of the greatest quality. They have a bunch of them -- Fitness in a Bottle (biner, pedometer, sunscreen, lip balm, first aid kit and stuff sack), Outdoor Survival in a Bottle (whistle, compass, shake flashlight, small knife, emergency blanket, poncho, duct tape, first-aid kit, waterproof matches, biner, carry bag), Paddler in a Bottle (compass/whistle/waterproof match case, light sticks, emergency blanket, poncho, first aid kit, sunscreen), Auto Aid in a Bottle (shake flashlight, knife, screwdriver, tire gauge, safety flasher, reflective vest).

...and if all of that surviving is stressing you out, you can go for the Toblerone in a Bottle (1 lb. of Toblerone chocolate), or the Travel Spa in a Bottle (shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, soap, razor, shaving cream, lotion, toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash, bath salts, vanity kit, mending kit, stuff sack).

Also, First Aid in a Bottle, Hiker in a Bottle and "Ultimate Survivor in a Bottle".

I got one from a preparedness website...just to see how much they packed into it and how they did it. Like any that you would find in the stores, the quality of the items was lacking...but then I paid $14 for the whole thing, so who can complain?

Yes, these things are becoming very gimmicky. I started figuring out what I would want in mine, and the cost of it...got over $200 and I wasn't finished yet. Definitely not marketable to a wide audience based on cost, but for my own use...

Do you have a ballpark cost breakdown? What's so expensive? The knife? ("Waterproof matches...check. Compass...check. Rolex...check.")

...also "Jameson's Irish Whiskey in a Bottle"...

I had to laugh when I saw it included the 5-in-1 survival tool. In the early 1980's they were being marketed to Boy Scouts (even sold in the summer camp trading post). My buddy and I who were camp staff picked a couple up and demonstrated to the scouts in our Wilderness Survival class how bad the things were.

• What they call the 'lip balm' holder used to be called 'the matchcase'. We put matches in it and dunked into a bucket of water. The matches were soaked.
• The whistle had a plastic pea in it. It popped out when we strongly blew into the whistle, thus rendering it inoperative.
• The compass would spin around randomly, but it could point one in a general direction (ok, there's North...I think)
• There used to be a tiny mirror inside the cap, about the size of a dime. I'm certain that would work for signalling someone across the dining hall, not much more.
• The attached small rope is also known as a 'lanyard' to hang the silly thing around one's neck.
• There used to be a firesteel rod glued into the side of the case. We used it once, the knife blade caused it to pop off of the case.

I'm not trying to be mean, but we were pretty ticked off at the shameless attempt to sell junk to Boy Scouts in order to make a quick buck. Much of the official gear at the time was pieces of cheap imitation junk.

I've always told parents to research their purchases and buy good, quality gear. It often won't break, will perform the job with less work and be safer. The kids will have a much better time and enjoy camping.

Summary: As a toy, the 5-in-one would keep the camp staff amused for an afternoon. As survival gear, it would be dangerous for someone to actually have to depend upon it.

Oops, sorry for taking so much time on the soapbox...

For those of you who want tin boxes without having to buy stuff in them, check out your local thrift shops (Goodwill Industries, in particular). All sizes and shapes, a few hinged. If you don't like the fairies, hearts, and baby kitties, just sand them a bit to rough up the surface and give them a coat or two of spray-on metal paint.

Now, I know that containers that can keep contents dry at 100, 200 and 500 feet are really nice. But if I am 100, 200 or 500 feet under water, I have WAAAAAY more serious problems than my matches getting wet.

Sue

LOL...that's true...

Also available at Eddie Bauer, and I've seen them now at some Army-Navy stores. Not a bad idea, though if you'd EDC it, I suggest going with the 250ml or 500ml bottles. Square if possible.

I happen to see some 'mini' orange backpacks by the earthquake stuff (stuff to secure items on an endcap). Typical stuff inside...and nobody could wear the backpack but a child.

If you build it yourself, a PSK can run up to 50, 60 dollars pretty quickly. A better kit can top 100 very easily.

A decent multitool or SAK runs 30-50 without trying hard. A good flashlight, 20-30 dollars, minimum. Good water bottle is about ten bucks, so is a pack of clorine dioxide tablets. A box of contractor bags is about ten bucks. An AMK/DR PSP runs about $35. And OK FAK is about 20, 25. Add in matches in a case, a lighter, spare socks, some cordage, a few snacks, call it another 20. Empty coffee can for free. We're up to 160 dollars and we haven't paid shipping or bought a pack yet. And when you spread it out, it's not going to look like much, it will all fit in a messenger bag with room to spare.

Heck, I added everything up and to replace my BOB and ditch kit (binary system) would cost more than the insurance company thinks my car is worth. And I don't have a lot of gucci gear. *blushing madly*

Ah, OK. I thought were were talking about a "fits in an Altoids tin" kind of kit. If you're not limited by those dimensions, then I agree you can spend an arbitrary amount of money.

Ok, I was going to make my own PSK and FAK this weekend, but I realized that I have two of the PSK kits that doug sells at:

http://www.equipped.org/psp/index.htm

So am I all set on the PSK side of things? and just work on the FAK?

Is there something that is missing that I am forgetting?

Thanks

The Lock n Lock boxes are nice for plastic. They seal well and come in several sizes.

My pocket tin ran me about $50, maybe $60. Admitedly, I do carry more than the PSP, and the tin is a little bigger than an Altoids tin, but it is by no means hard to carry. Price would be lower now if I started with a PSP, but this is older than Doug's kit.



And it isn't arbitrary. Have your priced the PSP and a good pocket knife? That is what most of us would consider the bare minimum, and if you are paying less than $50 bucks before tax and shipping for the two, someone got a deal.

I agree with you Ironraven, the cost of a mini-kit can be quite high if you put quality items in it.

The Altoid kits I gave my hunting partners last fall were similar to Doug Ritters home-made mini kit on ETS and they cost about 25.00 each. They did not have a knife (only utility/razor blades), sparklight (I epoxied welding flints into a groove cut in a Buffalo whistle) or a one-hand signal mirror (I included a very thin plastic mirror); so the cost was significantly reduced by substituting these items.

I am now collecting the items to produce a quality small wilderness kit (actually a mini-kit within a larger belt pack) for myself. The complete kit will include sealed "survival items" (e.g. signal mirror, water purification tabs, fishing kit) plus everyday use tools (e.g, 550 cord, bandaids, whistle, knife sharpener). There will be duplication between the 2 sections so they can be seperated and you will still have the minimum equipment needed. In this kit I intend to use only quality tools so I anticipate the cost will be over $200.00. I hope it will actually lighten the load of "equipment in every pocket" that I have carried for years.

I will post this new kit for review when it is assembled (I do not say "completed" because I am always making changes).

Mike

Hey, I just found these and they look pretty cool. Has anyone seen them in person? They're made by Sigg, the same people who make the aluminum water bottles. They're anodized aluminum with a rubber seal, and come in large and small. Here's a link to the larger size.

Hi Katie,

I use the small Sigg Box for an intermediate sized survival kit. The Sigg Box is a bit thin walled but does work at boiling water with the Esbit stove pefectly well without buckling despite Siggs warning that it should not be used in his way. I have recently spotted a cheaper hard anodised type copy, which looks a bit more durable and has a folding stainless steel handle similar to a British army mess tin, but has a waterproof sealed lid such as the Sigg.

I use plastic Sucrets containers, plastic soap boxes, and appropriately-sized plastic kitchen containers.

Wow! I really like that survival-kit...

Can I ask where you got the Solar LED, and how well does it work? I've seen one at Tadgear but have been debating about buying.

Now that's a good looking kit "Am_Fear_Liath_Mor"...I might have to copy it

I use a clear Pelican case for my Large Kit that is the core for my BOB. Pics of my large kit

Pelican makes a strong case in my opinion.

Hi Frostbite,

I got my Solarlight at Penrith Survival

http://www.shop.edirectory.co.uk/penrith_survival/55/mia/pid/1533587

It actually works better than expected as it holds its charge for longer than I thought it would.

The specs on the Tadgear website are pretty accurate I would say, giving about the same output as a generic White LED CR2032 type light. Its fine for night time map reading and personal tasking within a small tent for example. But it is not really suited for night time navigation or signalling hence the Fenix P1D CE.

I'm about to modify the kit though after purchasing a Fenix Tip Diffuser.



The Candle and the Puritabs should fit inside the tip diffuser.

Thanks!

I use a BCB tin from Bestglide.com. I use this tin for my PSK and purchased the new case bestglide sells for the large tin.

http://www.bestglide.com/tin_info.html

http://www.bestglide.com/personal_survival_kit_holder.html

I just bought one of these Witz cases from REI for my PSK and its great. I replaced the original black lanyard with about 8 ft. of 550 paracord braided tight. Slightly wider "fatter" than a survival tin but still fits in the pocket nicely, and is waterproof.

http://www.rei.com/product/723130

Amusingly, I was a bridesmaid for a friend at her wedding a week ago, and she got me the 'Survival in a Bottle' kit as a bridesmaid gift. The other bridesmaids got 'Travel Spa in a Bottle'. I guess she knows me pretty well.

I do have a question about this, though. 'Outdoor Survival in a Bottle' comes with a 5-in-1 whistle/match safe/compass/flint/lanyard as well as a shake flashlight. When I originally unpacked the kit, the flashlight and compass were on opposite sides of the bottle, and there was a warning to not pack them too closely as to damage the compass with the magnets in the flashlight. How close is too close? Is on the opposite side of the bottle really adequate? Putting the two within a couple feet of each other make the compass turn.

By the way, the "20-piece first aid kit" in the bottle is a little micro-sized LL Bean backpack with 20 identically-sized Band Aids in it.

I think you can demagnitize your compass if its close to a magnet for an extended period, which means your red (north) needle would be realigned and wouldn't point north anymore. Although ensuring the compass and the shake light stay apart in the bottle might be hard so maybe replacing the shake light with a small Photon microlight is an idea. As far as the "band-aid kit" is concerned, I'd recommend adding some antiseptic wipes, neosporin, advil/motrin, etc.

Find the distance at which the flashlight no longer causes the compass to deviate from north. This would be the safest and best distance.

If that's not possible, you could remagnetize it to ensure accuracy with a little preparation and testing ahead of time:

From: http://www.dowlingmagnets.com/aboutmagnets.php



If you determine and mark the flashlight magnet's south pole, you've just added a compass repair magnet to your kit! Also, you could use it to magnetize a sewing needle to hang by thread or float on a leaf in water, and you'd know which end pointed north.

That's pretty interesting info, thanks...

These come up on ebay every so often.
http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Military-Surviva...1QQcmdZViewItem One side fits into the other. the side with the folding edges has a sticky glue inside for your items to stick to to prevent loss. I made a copy of these out of a poly 3 ring binder. Lined it with self adhesive velcro. All my items were in small zip lock bags that had a velco dot on them. It was novel. I tried aloksacks but they developed holes after one trip. Now I'm down to plain ziplock bags. Nothing in my kit is fragile enough to need a hard case, and all are water resistant. Some day I'll make a simple pouch out of silnylon.