Point well taken, Chris.<br><br>I guess my question was answered. How would the survival tins help with obtaining potable water? They don't- at least to any real degree. After reading these discussions, I don't consider survival tins "enough," but I do consider them better than nothing.<br><br>While we're all on the subject of gathering water, I'll share a little trick that allows you to heat canteens that have the plastic tops. Forgive me if everyone knows about this already, but I think it's pretty cool.<br><br>You will need two key rings and one metal clip (Clip=The ones found on belt loops or money wallets that keys clip to.)<br><br>Get an aluminum canteen. Make sure it is not the kind with the plastic screw threats already molded to the top. You want the kind with the plastic cap that is connected to the canteen with a chain.<br><br>Carefully bend the chain link open where it connects to the canteen body.<br><br>Attach one key ring to the canteen body where the chain connected. There should already be a smaller ring to fit your key-sized ring onto. If the chain attaches directly to the canteen, then use a #5 split ring. (Get them at fishing gear places; these are the ones that fit onto the Leatherman Tool Lanyard rings.)<br><br>Attach the metal clip to the ring you just put on the canteen body.<br><br>Finally, attach the key ring to the chain connected to the plastic top.<br><br>After making sure everything is snug and there are no gaps, you now have a removable top on the canteen. You can now heat your canteen without worrying about any plastic melting. With the key ring, you can slide a wire through and hang it over a fire, or place it directly on coals and get it out by slipping a stick in.<br><br>If you always keep a canteen cup mated to the canteen, you have a reasonable survival mess kit. I pair this up with a fanny pack of necessary survival items that always goes with me whenever I leave a campsite.<br><br><br>Peace and God Bless America<br><br>Chris