can anyone recommend a container for a medium sized survival kit, suitable for carrying in a rucksack?
thanks

Pete,
I,ve got a wash kit roll made by a company called Black Horse, dont know if they are still around. Its got 3 seperate compartments and comes in a delicate shade of DPM. It's done me well for a few years now. On the other hand you could go for a tupperware type box.

Johno

how about the well know/used mess tin ?

Do a search for "otter boxes". Larger than the "holy grail" altoids tin, but generally very well thought of.

Moving up to a medium size kit obviously increases the size,quantity and quality of the assembled items. It makes sense to also upgrade the container. A unit that can hold and boil water for purification or food preparation is a defininte plus. You may even find yourself in need of a tool to dig snow or soil. I would opt for a steel unit, wieght disadvantage aside.

If you are moving up to a rucksack, you can also move away from the idea of a specifically packaged survival kit. In a sense, everything you have with you, aside from whatever job related items like cameras, notebooks, measuring tapes or whatever, is along for the ride because of its utility in making your life comfortable or possible. I would agree with Chris that some kind of cooking container (my preference is for tough, lightweight aluminum) is a worthwhile addition. This can hold the burner head for a light weight cartridge stove. Add in a cartridge and you are set for fire starting and boiling water. I often carry a stove and pot, even for day hikes,
because of ecological and safety considerations involving open fires where I live. Throw in the other items that you would normally carry and you are set.

Think of your load in terms of a series of enhancements to the basic survival kit items. In a Altoids kit you might carry a condom, fish bag, etc. for an emergency water container. You can upgrade to a real canteen in equipping your rucksack. Similarly a mylar blanket expands to a tent, your basic knife is suppplemented with a saw, etc. You are still thinking in terms of the basic survival requirements, but most likely specializing for the environment in which you will be operating.

A British Army PLCE Utility pouch will take a mess tin and a host of other gear. It will take all of the gear shown in the SAS Survival Guide 'pouch'. It needs a poly bag inside to make it fully waterproof, but the outside is bombproof.
Get them second hand at:
http://www.springfields.biz
or new (with other exciting custom pouches available) at:
http://www.sass-kit.fsbusiness.co.uk

These pouches benefit from having a variety of attachments on the back, so you could wear them on a belt, on a rucksack waist belt, attached to a strap or inside the rucksack.
Very versatile. The Olive green is more casual than the camouflaged (called DPM, available in 'woodland' or 'desert')

Hope this helps.

I just remembered, I did buy an olive green utility pouch for this purpose. Thanks.

I got this and so fat it has been outstanding. It's a LC-2 FIRST AID PLASTIC INSERT BOX 5.5'' TALL from Brigade Quarmasters. If you feel like carring it alone you may get a small pouch for it that uses ALICE clips. I find it very reliable and sturdy.

Matt