As much as I love to develop new kits, I’ve consistently found that the most important item I can fill my water containers with is water. Of course, you have to consider that I spend most of my time in South Texas or Iraq, so I very rarely have to worry about the cold. So, if I begin my survival situation with an empty water bottle it feels like I’m already in a bad place. Everyone’s needs are different, but if I were making a kit centered around a water bottle, I would focus on putting my survival supplies in the carrier for the water bottle. I don’t know if I’m walking around the exercise by suggesting a carrier (like the Maxpedition 10” X 4” bottle holder), but that’s what I would do. Besides, once you fill your bottle up with water, where are you going to carry the contents you’ve just displaced? You never know what you’ll be wearing if this is something that goes in your car (but if it’s something you are taking camping and you know you have a lot of pocket space, I guess it’s alright).

Well, enough of changing the conditions! To answer your question, if I had to make a kit centered on a water bottle and I did not have a carrier for it I would:

Still fill the bottle with water

Take some basics (fire steel, SAK, duct tape wrapped around a card, Vaseline soaked cotton balls in a wax paper sleeve, bandana, and a few coffee filters) and situate them around the metal bottle. Then take an AMK heat sheet/mylar blanket/sill tarp (take your pick) and wrap it around the metal bottle(sandwiching your gear between the bottle and the heat sheet). Secure the AMK heat sheet (that’s what I would go with) near the base and top of the bottle with zip ties. Wrap some 550 cord between the zip ties.

As long as I’m uninjured and meet some minimal footwear standards, that should get me at least 10 to 20 miles away from a broken down vehicle. Don’t forget to replace your water periodically to keep it clean.