Hi folks.


This is my mini-general purpose survival pouch. It is designed to be carried on my person at all times while out and about. I carry more stuff in a backpack as required, but this stays in a pants/shorts pocket no matter what.

These are the contents:



Fire•
. 12 Mariner wind /waterproof matches w/striker strip
• 5 spark lite tinder
• Spark lite


Shelter

Space blanket (84 x 52 inch)

Signaling and navigating
• Survival whistle
• Signal mirror
• Trail tape, yellow x 6 feet
• Button compass

Food and water procurement
• Tin foil, 2 x 3 foot sheets
• Water purification tablets x 12(micro-pur MP1)
• Ziploc bag
• Mini Fishing kit(in plastic case)

Fishing kit contents include:
A. 25 feet 0f 20 lb test line(wrapped around credit card)
B. Assorted plain hooks x 4(1 large for small gaff)
C. Assorted split shot x 4
D. Assorted Snap swivels x 2
E. 1 hook with spinner

Medical

• 1 extra large band-aid
• 4 large cloth band-aids
• 2 antiseptic pads

Miscellaneous

• Para cord x 6 feet(5 strand)
• Wire x 10 feet (wrapped around credit card)
• Safety pins x 4
• Mini golf Pencil
• Large sewing needle
• Sheets of write in the rain paper x 4
• Survival instruction card
• 6 feet of orange duct tape(wrapped around credit card)
• Mini roll of thread


All the items are secured in mini zip bags to keep as dry as possible. In total, it has a Weight of 200 gr. It measures 6 x 2 x 4.5 inches. It is a bit tight, but it will fit into a front jeans pocket. I labeled the little bags in such a way that anyone, even a kid could grab it and know what each item does. (I may be the one hurt after all) This is how it looks in the little labled bags:



And this is in its closed state with a SAK as a size reference. It has a belt loop but I really wanted it to fit in a pants pocket so I will always have it.



I was thinking on tweeking it a bit. I may try to make it a little bit smaller by dumping the fishing kit and a few other items. I only intended it to be a short term type of kit and not something designed to keep me going long term. I carry it with my multi-tool and a small flashlight when biking or trail jogging or fishing. On extended trips it stays in a pants pocket and is used as a supplement to my camping or hunting gear. I tend to go light when possible, and although it
is good to have some survival gear I tend not to go overboard with it. Maybe I should just leave it as is?

Thoughts or comments please.

Stephen W Priest

Great job!! As this is one of your first post I would like to Welcome you to ETS Forums and Hope you learn a lot and that we can learn a lot from you! This is really a great kit and I agree maybe drop the fishing kit, or just make it a bit smaller, im sure others with disagree with that however. And maybe, if it fits, more medical supplies, but Im sure you want to post your First Aid Kit

again

Welcome Newguy

Looks good priest. Labeling all the bags with contents is a fantastic idea. I've never seen it done quite like that before.

My kit is very similar only I use a hard, waterproof case and leave the space blanket as optional.

I agree with climberslacker, great post and nice kit, thanks!

I suggest considering how this kit is to be used: what environment and situations we want the kit to address. The kinds of questions we might want to ask include: is it to fit every environment and situation? is it a wilderness kit? is it an urban kit?

Then we can examine kit contents against: (1) the Rule of Threes (you may die if you go: 3 minutes without air, 3 hours without shelter, 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food); (2) whatever set of survival categories you find appropriate (mine include: First Aid, Shelter, Fire, Water, Food, Navigation, Light. Signaling, Self-protection, Hygiene, and Morale); and (3) your other EDC.

I suggest working to set up a mini-survival checklist, preferably a computer spreadsheet.

My DD2 uses Maxalt for Migraine headaches and she recently gave me several of the plastic carrying cases that the Maxalt comes in.

If you can find some of these, I think you'll find them very handy for fishing kits, a very small FAK, etc. These are molded on round side so as to fit in a pants pocket (cargo?) and look like they would be good against rain but would probably leak if held underwater.

I am incorporating them into my PSK and will post later when I've tried them out.

Hi Priest,

Nice Kit and Welcome to ETS Forum, this is a fun place where everyone can learn from each other.

Mike

welcome. I'd add that the fishing kit is un-necessary. Up the first aid items - more band-aids, Tylenol and add pepto tabs. No need for the space blanket or signal mirror. add cash.

teacher

Thank you for the welcome folks.

I will try to answer some questions.



I carry this pouch as part of a bigger system. I have a separate medical kit which I can take if needed. I will try to post it all together sometime.



I wish I could find one that fits into my pocket comfortably. Any ideas?



This kit is just to have in my pocket while hiking, hunting or during small day trips while biking trails or things of that nature. On two different ocassions I have had to ditch my main pack and was left at the mercy of what I had in my pockets.(long story) Afterwards I put this together so I would have something to work with if I can't get to my main stash of gear.. I did not intend to use it in an urban setting, so it is a wilderness kit. Please note that this is not all that I have with me in the woods by any stretch, This is what never leaves my side, even if I am only walking 100 M into the brush from the main biv. I carry all the other stuff(shelter, tinder,cookware,stove, med kit) etc etc in my pack.



I am sorry folks. I dont surf fourms much, I don't know a lot of the lingo yet. What does DD2 stand for? wife or kid I assume.



I have been playing around with kits for years and I have always had a few hooks and line. The other day it occured to me that these are items I have never used. It just feels wierd to have a kit with no hooks though. I am sure I will dump them. I keep the tablets in a separate kit in my pack as they(to me)are not totally essential to keep on my person. Just curious though, why would I drop the mirror and space blanket? What use would cash have in a survival pouch?

Welcome new guy!

>25 feet 0f 20 lb test line(wrapped around credit card)
>Mini roll of thread

I'd replace these both with either a sewing bobbin of something like 20 pound braided specrta fishline or kelar thread that will fill both rolls, or much less expensively a spool of dental floss.

And if this kit is for on the blacktop EDC, I'd drop the fishing items. If this is going off the black top or in a rural area and it is an EDC item, I'd keep them, even in the desert. The one thing I'd take out is the lure- a little bit of tin foil seems to work just as well, or a couple of sequines. :P Or maybe the fish around here are just hungry and stupid.

But in any case, another needle or two. They don't take up any space or mass, and if you drop your ONE NEEDLE, in my experince you spend 20 minutes hunting in the grass and leaves for it, and you still don't find it in the second or third 20 minute block of hunting. :P

>Medical

If you can, try to get a couple of gauze pads, or a maxi pad, in here.

I might have go with a smaller whistle, but that is personal call. The only other thing I can think to add is to gather it all up in a freezer bag, then another, and add a couple of water purification tabs.

All in all, a good little kit- I like it.

Nice kit

I'd be tempted to add:

A few OTC meds (esp an anti-spasmodic and an antihistamine) - a couple of tablets can make all the difference in a crisis. I like some NSAIDs as well, but those are in the big kit I presume.

A light of some kind e.g photon

A blade of some kind e.g. mini sak, boker subcom, whatever

Again, I'm sure you are carrying these, but a bit of redundancy and being sure they are with you at all times might be worth considering

Also, I'm tending to think that a disposable poncho is more useful thatn a space blanket in some scenarios, but that's a personal choice.

Okay, this is an outdoor kit.

It would be helpful to know what other things are part of your every-day-carry or EDC when in the environment for which this kit is aimed.

It would also be helpful to know something of most extreme environment you think you might encounter. For example, if a likely scenario is a hike many days or weeks from food re-supply in an area of many streams and rivers, then the fishing gear makes more sense.

Thanks.

Well of course it is. I’ve yet to hear tell of anyone using a survival kit indoors.

I'm just teasing dweste, honestly. I know what you meant so I wasn’t trying to be a jerk. When the opportunity to poke a little fun arises though..........


To answer your question

Every time I step into the woods(or anywhere I may need this pouch) I have my Leatherman surge, my Fenix L2D and my Zippo on my belt as well as a small EZ-lap diamond sharpener and two spare AA batteries for the light. I have a photon and a mini fox 40 on my keys which are usually on my person as well. My cell phone, GPS and map stay in my pockets as well as my Suunto compass. This pouch goes into a pants pocket so that if I take off my sweater/shirt/jacket for any reason it is still on me. I sometimes drape the shirt over a tree while setting up camp etc and this kind of defeats the purpose of the kit.(I am less likely to be taking off my pants in the woods) In my bag I have all my major gear including a FA kit, fire kit, a small fixed blade, folding saw etc , etc.



I hunt and hike alone, always have. A few years back while hunting up in northern Alberta I stumbled across a big nest of wasps that was in the ground. I had no idea until I saw the massive cloud of them rise up. I did what any self respecting macho guy would do.

I ran and screamed like a little boy who had just seen the boogeyman. Sometime later I realized that I had ditched my pack somewhere to aid in my rapid evasion of said wasps and to prevent getting stung to death. After an hour of two of hiding in the brush I decided to slowly walk back to my pack to retrieve it. The little yellow bas$%#@* were still there all over my pack. Not feeling very brave I waited till dark until they finally left and went back to the nest.


Last year a good friend of mine was snowmobiling when he turned over and became trapped under his rig. His pack with all his supplies was strapped to the rack but was thrown clear as he flipped over. Hopelessly trapped under his rig with a broken pelvis he looked at his gear only yards away but could not get to it. Fortunately help came a few hours later as he was on a well used trail.

These are the types of scenarios that I want to be more prepared for. The pouch is just to be able to make a fire, get some shelter, purify some water and wait it out until help arrives if I have become separated from my other gear. It was never intended for long term use. I have long term supplies in my pack but all the survival gear in the world is no good if I cannot get to it to be able to use it.

Jeez, maybe a few yards of cord and one of these in your friend's pocket would have helped:

http://countycomm.com/microhook.htm

Not that most people are all that chipper with a broken pelvis, tossing and reeling stuff in, but at least he could have had a pillow!

Now we are getting down to it.

Indoor survival kit use: Many of use spend most of our time in buildings. Things happen inside buildings: fire, collapse, hostage situation, power failure, etc. Things happen outside buildings that force us to stay inside or return to buildings when we would rather go home: storm, fire, flood, earthquake, civil unrest, police emergency, power blackout, etc. Perhaps we should make room in the game plan for an urban survival kit geared to those kinds of scenarios.

Your EDC addresses many of the things that seemed lacking in the pocket kit – good job!

So I would review your pocket kit against survival categories, mine being: First Aid, Shelter, Fire, Water, Food, Navigation, Light, Signaling, Self-protection, Hygiene, and Morale. Initial comments:

First aid: I would consider what might disable you so that without effective first aid you could not get back to your pack, and address them. Blood loss? Sprain? Broken bone? I would add some medication to moderate discomfort and head off infection.

Food: Is there room for a sports concentrate gel pack or two? Or at least some hard candy?

Fishing kit: Maybe several pre-assembled ice fishing size spoons or spinners with swivels instead of the hooks and shot.

Water: Zip-lock better than nothing but consider upgrade. Seems like a lot of purification tablets.

Light: Maybe a couple birthday candles?

Hygiene / Morale: More than one sewing needle (darn things are easy to lose).

Miscellaneous: Consider a mini-multi-tool. Change for pay phone.

Welcome newguy! I would suggest adding a bandanna. It has a multitude of uses, water pre-filter, dust/smoke mask, pot holder for hot items, head covering for keeping sweat/hair out of face, bandaging, etc.... If its too big for your kit I'd suggest to throw one in a pocket.
If you are looking to upgrade the ziplock baggie, Glock-a-Roo in his thread "interesting water container-Aqua Pouch" has found a fine looking piece of kit that does away with the "cap won't allow me to fold it flat, it takes up too much room for a small kit" problem.
Now for the abbreviations.....
DD=dear daughter
DS=dear son
DW=dear wife
DH=dear husband
EDC=every day carry
BOB=bail/bug out bag
SAK=swiss army knife
FAK=first aid kit

-Bill Liptak
P.S. There are others, lemme know if you need one translated. I'll try my best though there are a few I'm clueless on

Maybe one of those towels that is dessicated down to a weighs-nothing small disc that springs to life when wet might fit in your kit to perform some bandana-like functions.

For me all this stuff is in a locker at work, with some items stored in a drawer in my desk. I don't really think of it as a kit but rather a stash.
I want to put some more FA stuff in the mini-pouch but FA stuff is rather bulky. If I fit more in I fear it may burst or no longer fit comfortably in a pocket. I still am scratching my head to see what I can remove without selling myself short. You may be right with the tabs,as 6 may be enough. I may replace the space blanket with a disposable poncho as someone suggested.



Nice! thanks Bill. The normal ones I know but some had me wondering. Except for when I am at my desk at work I don't spend much time on a computer. I guess I need to work on my geek skills a bit more to stay in the loop.

I will look into the aqua pouch. I have an enviro-sack which has the bloody cap so I like the idea of a flat folding, quality pouch. A zip-lock will do in a pinch and can be easily fixed with the duct tape but they spring leaks like crazy.