Has anyone here bought the Swiss Army S.O.S. Kit ($135.00), Deluxe S.OS. Kit ($163.00), or Traveler's Kit ($80.00)? I'm a Victorinox fan, and these kits sure do look cool, but they're kind of expensive. I'm wondering if they're worth it.<br><br>Craig<br><br>

Not in my opinion.<br><br>Doug Ritter<br>Editor<br>Equipped To Survive

Are the kits' contents not to your liking, or do you feel they're simply overpriced?<br><br>

I bought one a while back. Like so many things, it was better than nothing, but not as good as I wanted. I feel it was overpriced. The quality of the contents was medium/average to low/poor, and there wasn't much included, anyway. The miscellaneous items I have collected are far superior to what came in the Victorinox kit.<br>Some of my dissatisfaction stems from no more than mere personal preference: I'd rather have a Superior Sharpener than a sharpening stone, windproof/waterproof matches than strike anywhere matches, my own choice of cordage than the nylon "strings" that come in most kits, etc. But, some of it, like flexible foam adhesive bandages over the cheap plastic strips that are normally included in kits ... well, that's just quality. Then there are the questionable items. A comb? Hmm...<br>So for me, whether it's personal preference, quality or selection of items, I'd still rather assemble my own items and stick 'em in an Altoids or Windmill Lighter tin.<br><br>Stay safe,<br>J.T.

Actually, a basic grooming/hygiene assembly is not inappropriate. There is a ivory comb from the Viking era still holding head lice in the teeth. A set of nail clippers can forestall painfull imobilising pedal infections, not to mention the perfect tool for cutting fishing line after knotting. Lastly, there is a popular book devoted solely to a very personal bodily function in the outdoors. I however, carry a paper product. No, it is not rite in the rain.<br><br>

Agreed. I've since built my own version of the kit and had fun doing it.<br><br>

Oh, granted, definitely! I concur, a comb, toothbrush & toothpaste, nail clippers, etc. can soon make their absence felt, much like toilet paper. In fact, I keep various hygiene items at my office and in my Jeep, and carry them when traveling any good distance, whether between cities or out in the wilderness. An ingrown toe nail can really slow you down when you're trying to make it back to camp before that big storm hits. The larger the kit, the more room for these items, and all the better. In this post, however, I was specifically referring to what to put in a kit as small as the SAK kits, and was thinking only in terms of prioritizing. I often disagree with the priorities that seem to govern professionally assembled kits, and I do not carry a comb in my Altoids tin. So, I'd rather just be a good Jedi and build my own. <br><br>Stay safe,<br>J.T.

Nothing is written in stone. Obviously fire starting materials halfway up a Swiss mountain are more appropriate than fish hooks. Kits are ever evolving, hopefully improving and both versatile, yet with an eye to speciallization if we can pre plan. Commercial kits are governed by the bottom line, cost and profit. So the bottom is what you get.They also look at conventional offerings and become,well conventional. The danger is, falsehoods become repeated enough times to become the truth and the standard. Stamp 'survival knife' on another hollow handled sawback, boast of it's mythical 'stainless surgical steel' and sell it to somebody who saw Rambo kill a pig with one. I asked a local manufacturer "who are the experts you cite as assembling your kits?" Silence. "well, have you field tested the units?" More silence.<br><br>