I have never really carried a PSK per se, I usually just take the things I need in my pockets. I recently moved to a place with lots of water and have got back into kayaking. Since in a kayak I am only wearing shorts with no pockets, flip flops(maybe) and a life vest I figured there may be some merit to putting a few things in a small survival tin in case I wipe out and am left only with what is in my vest.
I hit the work bench the other night and crafted several of these to place in my vests.

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In no real order, each tin contains:

1. Starflash signal mirror
2. 6 lifeboat matches/striker (vacuum sealed)
3. ranger firesteel w/striker
4. Jetscream whistle
5. Inova squeeze light (white) in mini zip lock bag
6. mini compass
7. BCB wire saw with rings
8. 6 cotton tinder
9. 2 heavy duty safety pins
10. Mini Swiss army knife
11. Approx 20 feet of heavy duty nylon twine
12. 2L zip lock bag
13. Heavy duty sail needle (taped to inside of lid)

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Items packed inside tin.

Once each tin was complete I wrapped several lengths of gorilla tape round each to at least help with keeping out water and super glued a large strip of reflectivle/glow in the dark tape to the top and bottom to aid finding it if dropped. (in theory anyway)

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The tin is placed in a mesh pocket along with a heat sheats brand survival blanket in a small zip lock to prevent it being rubbed around too much in the vest. I secured the flap with a large safety pin to hold it closed in the event the velcro may fail. Not shown is a separate, small but stocked First aid kit which is secured in the opposite mesh pocket.

I intend to add some MP1 water purification tabs when I find some, but in the meantime the FA kit has a small vial of iodine should I need to purify some drinking water.

All my other gear is stowed in the compartments in the kayak but would be hard to get to in a hurry. If I get separated from my gear I will have this much at least. I am confident I could ride out a couple of nights with this if I had no choice.

Thoughts and ideas are welcome.

Thanks folks.

Hi Stephen. Looks good. The only things I can think you might want to add are a Mini-Bic and dental floss. And make sure you can unwrap the kit even with wet, cold, numb fingers.

possibly attach a sheath knife to the jacket in case of a line tangle...chemlight on the jacket

Attach that knife and it sheath upside down so that you can draw it with either hand. You don't specify what model of PFD you will wear, but consider one with enough pockets to hold marine flares and other items (SPOT?).

What are your water temps like? I would think something a little warmer than shorts would be appropriate for Ontario. Are we talking sea kayaking or whitewater? I am thinking like a sea kayaker.....

LED,

I would love to add a mini BIC. I stewed it over but theres just no room in the tin. The twine can be seperated into smaller strings which are still very strong and which will easily thread with the needle. Hard to tell on the pic.

Les, I forgot to mention I do have a sheath knife (Fallkniven WM1) Attached to the outside of the vest by a nite-ize s biner, as well as another whistle (fox 40) which comes with the vest. I also intend on adding a pellican L1 If.....when I go over I want those three items imediately at hand.

Hikermor, I tried with the WM1 and even though its designed for neck carry I don't trust it upside down on the vest. A quick pull on the lanyard and the knife will pop out with either hand. The life vest is Roots brand as seen in the pic. Not sure on the model. I have been meaning to find something with a few more pockets but I am worried about overloading the vest to the point where it will no longer float

The water/temperature is really warm in Ontario this time of year believe it or not. Maybe not southern cal warm but pretty good for a Canadian(30ish + deg deg cel) with a fairly high humidity index. As the season turns to fall I will add a wetsuit to the mix but hypo is not a big concern at the moment. There are massive firebans everywhere because everthing is so hot and dry. I am doing mostly kayak fishing with some whitewater as my skills get better. I love to sea kayak but the ocean is too far from my neck of the woods.


Thanks for the input folks

Looks like a very nice kit. Kudo's on your preps!

A few things you might want to think about, depending on your situation:

If you're on the water then there's a pretty good chance there'll be fish around. Adding a selection of hooks and some split-shot sinkers might give you a food option. Along with that I'd add some braided fishing line. (I'd much rather use bugs for bait than eat them!)

Instead of Gorilla tape try electrical tape: it's easier to get off when you need to get into the kit with cold, wet fingers. Fold the end over to make an easy-to-grip tab.

My tendency is to wrap the cord tightly around the outside of the kit and secure the ends with more electrical tape. This winds up allowing me to carry more cord and also have more room inside the kit for other items.

Use some of that twine to tie your striker to the ferro rod. If you fumble the rod at night you're much more likely to find the shiny striker in the grass than the dull, black rod itself.

Great idea, Stephen!

A good friend went fishing on a secluded lake on the weekend and stumbled upon this:





This guy went out for a leisurely sail and ended up stuck in the middle of a lake, overturned sailboat, no lifejacket, no cel phone..... A good reminder that it's a good idea to: wear a life vest, have a life vest kit like Stephen's, file a plan and have a way to signal for help.

Stephen,

My one suggestion would be to replace the S-biner with a locking carabiner. I have had the s-biners come off with just moderate activity. I use the MOLLE compatible Grimlocs like this. They attach to any one inch webbing, are easier to unlock using just a finger tip (even gloved) and will break away (at about 80 lbs of force) to keep you from being hung up or strangled if the gear gets caught on something. Never had one break, come open accidentally or fail in anyway. There's also a simple D-ring version as well. They're made of a plastic so won't rust. I've carried my water bottle on one for several year and have never had it come loose.

Mark,

The tape is tabbed for easy removal, once again hard to see in the picture. I find gorilla tape far superior to everything else I have laid hands on thus far. Man that stuff is awesome. It is strong and will re-stick several times before needing to be trashed. I am not fond of wrapping cord round the tin. I may be wrong but it seems it would be an awful PITA to have to unwrap it every time I wanted in the tin. OTOH, I should only ever need it in an emergency (or to swap batteries etc) so maybe I should consider it further. Good catch on the striker/firesteel. I will be tying both together promptly and prehaps put some glow tape on the flat surface of the striker as well. I thought about adding some hooks etc but it is really only intended as a very short term kit. If I am missing it won't take long before someone raises the alarm. I am a firm believer of always using a solid plan before heading out alone. OTOH, once again a few hooks weigh nothing so I suppose it couldn't hurt to have them. The twine may work as fishing line in a pinch.

BPJack,

You wouldn't have been at black bear beach the other day by chance? I saw a woman who looked identical to your avatar picture.(minus the winter garb of course)

That guy is lucky someone happened along of he may have been in the news in a bad way. I an no prepardness expert, but no life vest or phone? Wow.....I couldn't even imagine being that stupid. My life is worth more to me than that.

I just picked up a few pelican boxes today. One that specificaly fits my iphone/mophie case. That will fine a home in my vest as well. If I go over and need help, the phone is no good to me once I am safely on shore and the kayak is underwater or swept downriver. I think I would rather have it on my person vise in my gear which is secured to the boat in one of those button hatches. It floats too. The PSK however, does not. Found out the hard way today....

Andy,

Thanks for the int on the grimlocs. Believe it or not I have about 20 of these kicking around from overseas but have not used them yet. I had feared they would pop open on me. Survival aside I would be rather pi**ed to lose my favorite knife. 80 lbs is a lot of force. I will give them a try if they are that good. I have had no problems with an S biner either, but I am a little wary of the fact they don't lock. Will they pop if thet twist? (grimlocs I mean) Just wondering.

Helpful stuff guys (and girl) Thank you

Consider a signal mirror and some calorie-dense rations.