Double doh, i didn't know what the pennies were for either. Always use the edge of my spyderco for opening paint cans. But back to the subject at hand, yes i have given preparedness gifts. Lights and knives are the most well received items, a first aid kit will usually get an eye roll. But usually somewhere down the line someone says thank you after they have needed it.

I gave my wife a SAK Compact and she was kind of hesitant at first, asking, :"Do I really need this?" Well, after about a week in the office with her knife, it is now indispensable to her. She uses it all the time at work and at home. As a matter of fact, she is on her second one, after TSA took her first one as we forgot to take it out of the bag!!

Garrett

Yes, the pennies are to open the can.

Turns out that todays pennies are not really copper but simply a copper coating overtop of a relatively soft metal. I tried to open the can with the pennies and bent the pennies. Eventually got the can open after much effort. Maybe a slug from an electrical wiring box would be a better choice?

I went to the local homecenter and got one of the free paint can openers. The type that look like the a screwdriver tip on one end and a loop of wire on the other. Hung it from the bale of the paint can. It is possible to open the can with the opener still attached to the bale but it is difficult. Much easier to remove the bale from the can, take the opener off the bale, and then open the can.

The reciepenets of the kit do not and would have a pocket knife on them to use to open the can.

try a split ring to attach the opener to the bail.

I did the similar thing for my wife several years ago. Gave her a Leatherman Micra for Christmas. Got the obliglatory Thanks and eye roll. By the end of the day she had used it 3 times. I got a big hug and kiss later.

She liked it so much she bought 2 dozen Micras and gave them out as birthday, anniversay, whatever gifts to everyone she knew. First couple of friends were not sure what to do with them. Within a couple of weeks, everyone wanted their Micras before their birthdays.

Due to the airport restrictions, many of those people no longer carry the Micras since they are frequent flyers.

Older brother - Micra
Mom - Small SAK, keyring-sized LED
Younger brother - His birthday is still coming up - Any ideas?
Dad - A lot of conversations and debates about wilderness survival/medicine. After all, he is the one who gives me the pocket-money, and he is the one who needs to realise that I am not wasting it <img src="images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Last Xmas, I had a brillant idea : it would be lights for everybody !!
So I bought a few Surefire flashlights, a whole lot of Photon3 micro-lights and some Krill products.
I too get some weird looks back ("what a strange idea - that's the PC version .. <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />...."), but a few months later, many of my friends/folks said "well, it's really nice/amazing/usefull ... that little light you gave me at Xmas".

The Photon 3 make especially a good gift : even if people don't think much of it at first look, later on, they appreciate it ; it's so small, they easily keep it with their keys or else, and they finally find it usefull.
The Krill and the Surefire lights are more special and you have to give them to people who will really use them.

Currently, I am preparing, as gifts for family, two PSK, "de luxe" version .
First, I wanted to build something very simple and cheap, based on tin cans, but I rapidly change my mind for something bigger and more complete (and more expensive : about 150 dollars per kit) based on a mess tin (about 20 x 13 x 7 cm).
I will see next Xmas, what my folks say when I will give them these kits .... <img src="images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Alain

I also gave my wife a Photon, small one-handed folder and a Fox Whistle.

i was thinking of making a kit with those trangia messtins 2. I didn't knew they made 2 size's.

For years I have tried to "jump-start" peoples thinking with gifts. Everyone in my brothers and sisters families have first aid kits that I built, and this past Christmas everyone got a Grundig FR-200 emergency radio. My nephew who is in the military has gotten some other things from me that were survival / preparedness related. This Christmas everyone gets PAL lights.
Good luck and take care.