Jeffery,<br><br>Well, perhaps I have a vivid imagination? :-)<br><br>I cannot argue that what comes in the standard U.S. pilot's survival kit is deficient in many respects, or at least not as good as it might be. I've answered a lot of emails relating to this subject the last few weeks, mostly with nothing more than pointers to information on this site. It's not hard, nor particularly expensive to improve upon the standard survival vest. But that's a lot more equipment than I choose to carry on my person as last chance gear. Then again, I'm not going into combat in Afghanistan .<br><br>Mini-kits come under the heading of much better than nothing. A nice to have luxury that can buy you some piece of mind, comfort and convenience and save some energy. Nobody, least of all me, has suggested they are "THE ANSWER." They are one solution; one I just happen to like for lots of reasons including they are fun to develop. <br><br>Condoms are one answer to water storage. Just because I include one doesn't mean you or anyone else has to, or that you or anyone else has to carry a mini-kit. It serves a purpose for me, but it's hardly perfect.<br><br>While I have never personally done the deed with only my kit, each of the components of my kit has been tested and does more or less what it's supposed to do. I'll survive quite nicely in most circumstances, thank you, with what is in it along with my other don't-leave-home'without-it gear.<br><br>I do know USAF survival instructors who have done very nicely with a far worse mil-spec "parachute" kit." But then they would have done OK with nothing but their knife. <br><br>You pay's your money and takes your chances. This is a place to exchange ideas and experiences, each of us has to decide what works for us. My kit works for me.<br><br>Doug Ritter<br>Editor<br>Equipped To Survive