I've been what I'll call a "kit freak" ever since I put together my first survival kit as a young boy scout. It's been great to read all of the good info in this forum, and I'd like to get your ideas on something I've run into. <br><br>In the past I've carried most of my items in nylon belt pouches of various sizes. One of the items I carried was a condom ever since I learned of its use as an emergency water container. But due to the motion of the items in the pouch and me constantly tinkering with and using the items, the little packet that a condom comes sealed in would abraid and wear through, possibly leading to failure of the item if I ever needed to use it. I stopped carrying them after a time rationalizing that I would always have my water bottle with me if I were in the woods (Mr. Murphy smiles). Lately I've been carrying a mini kit of my own creation much like the tobacco tin kits mentioned throughout these pages. I've enjoyed the tinkering and packing it full of stuff while constraining myself to the size of the tin so that I'd be more likely to always have it on me. But now I'm thinking of making a small (less than the size of the tin) leather pouch/sheath to wear along side my knife and carry some vital items in it.<br>I like the idea of having my kits be "working kits", that is, when I go camping or backpacking and need matches, I'd use the ones in my kit, and the compass in my kit, and ...<br>So my goal is to keep things compact/dense while still having the items readily accessible. Unpacking my delicately arranged tin kit to get some matches is just too inconvenient.<br><br>Anyway, all of this rambling finally brings me around to my question. I want to start carrying a condom again, and I'm looking for some type of durable container just big enough to contain it and protect it from damage in my "working kit."<br>I haven't been able to find anything that fits the bill yet.<br><br>By the way, I've been known to buy small things just for the container. It drives my wife nuts -- she just doesn't understand the compulsion :-)<br><br>Anybody have any ideas or thoughts to share?<br><br>

>>>I like the idea of having my kits be "working kits", that is, when I go camping or backpacking and need matches, I'd use the ones in my kit, and the compass in my kit, and ...<<<<br><br>I'm taking the opposite approach. I want my kit to remained sealed and complete so I don't have to worry about replenishing it. So I'll have a buttom compass in the kit but will carry a baseplate compass in my belt flap. The baseplate compass is a better one for orienteering anyway. I'll have fire starting tools in the kit, but will keep matches in my fanny pack separately. Same with meds, etc.<br><br>I don't ever want to get caught with the kit missing items because I forgot or got too busy to replenish them. Plus, the kit's so small, it's not an inconvenience if there's a redundancy in some items.<br><br><br><br><br>Willie Vannerson<br>McHenry, IL

to protect the condom I have 3 ideas:<br><br>1) There is one brand of condom that comes packed inside a small metal disk. It looks like a coin. I think it's 2 pieces of aluminum that fit toghther in a clamshell fashion. They may not be quite as rugged as you might wish, but they would resist wear and abrasion better than the paper by far.<br><br>2) If you can get access to a kitchen vacuum sealing machine, you could vacuum seal a condom into a very small vacuum bag. That adds durability with very little weight or space.<br><br>3) sandwich the condom between 2 pieces of Duct tape or other tape.<br><br>By the way, I would advise against using your condom for... well, let's just say "the purpose for which it was manufactured"... They become unreliable with age and exposure to heat, even body heat, over time. Use only fresh ones for that.<br><br><br><br>

I mentioned this once in another post, but I'll expand on it a bit here.<br>When I was a young lad, I learned that carrying a condom in a wallet would weaken it, since it would be constantly subjected to crushing pressure and often sliding or twisting pressure every time one sat down. During a stop at a gas station, I bought a small "travel tin" of aspirin. These are perhaps just a bit larger than 1" x 1 1/2" x 1/8" or so, and can just hold one condom of your favorite choice in its original wrapping, although it may take some care to fold the edges of the packaging in just right. These travel tins come in two sizes ... the normal size for normal tablets and the extra large size for extra strength tablets.<br>All joking aside, you really need the larger tin to comfortably hold a condom. I'm currently carrying an extra strength Excedrin tin, which happens to be painted white. Do not strip the paint off these, by the way. They rust if you do that. (I suppose you could seal it with some clear coat, but I don't care enough to do that.) I've carried one of these tins in my pocket for over a decade and a half, albeit not for survival purposes. So, I have never tried to fit one into a pocket survival tin. I prefer my survival tin to be well sealed and hard to get into and my first aid tin to be open and easily accessible. In such a sealed tin, there is no need for the extra protection of putting a condom in its own steel case, since it's already protected. However, in a soft sided nylon pouch, such a metal tin might be just the small but sturdy packaging you condom would need.<br>Of course, all things age, and you should swap out your condom periodically, just as you would any other expendable items you carry.<br>As for the container fetish ... I totally understand. My girlfriend gets a good laugh any time I buy anything that comes in a small metal container. She knows that odds are good I don't even care what's inside it and only bought it to see how I could use the box.<br>Stay safe,<br>J.T.<br><br>

Your referrence to aspirin set a light bulb off in my head that it would be good to include some in a kit, not for pain relief but in case of a heart attack. Taking aspirin at the onset of an attack increases the odds of survival. <br><br>FYI, I also remember reading that you can "give" yourself CPF if alone by forcing deep coughs. The muscle activity in a deep cough does squeeze the heart, which will help keep the blood pumping. <br><br>I should have saved that article. I'll try locating it on the net.<br><br>Willie Vannerson<br>McHenry, IL

I found it.<br><br>HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK WHEN ALONE<br>Many people are alone when they suffer a heart attack, what can you do? Without help, a person whose heart stops beating properly begins to feel faint and has about 10 seconds left before losing consciousness. However, these victims can help themselves by coughing repeatedly and very vigorously. A deep breath should be taken before each cough, and the cough must be deep and prolonged, as when producing sputum from deep inside the chest. A breath and a cough must be repeated about every two seconds without let up until help arrives, or until the heart is felt to be beating normally again. <br><br>Deep breaths get oxygen into the lungs and coughing movements squeeze the heart and keep the blood circulating. The squeezing pressure on the heart also helps it regain normal rhythm. In this way, heart attack victims can get to a phone and, between breaths, call for help. <br><br>Willie Vannerson<br>McHenry, IL

CAUTION:<br>I don't want to start a debate on this issue but be careful of this info:<br><br>Check out:<br>http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/blcpr.htm?once=true&<br><br>http://www.snopes2.com/toxins/coughcpr.htm<br><br>http://beth.canberra.edu.au/u5023/Resources/UCLegends/HowToSurvive.html<br><br>For more information on this<br><br>Thanks<br>Ted Fisher EMT I/D<br><br>

Perhaps Doug should remove my CPR post so it does get passed around any more than it already has.<br><br>Thanks for the info.<br><br>BTW, I'm still adding aspirin to my kits.<br><br>Willie Vannerson<br>McHenry, IL

As far as my own kit goes, I really must use the items to get an idea of what works for me and what doesn't. Otherwise, I'll forget what I put in there to begin with.<br><br>