I have found that as I accumulate items, that my PSK is too small to hold all the items, so I have made an "Emergency pack".

..... presenting problems of its own, no?

Yes, in that for me anyways, I've had to cut out some of the items in my messenger bag. Now I have had to put some things back in my pockets, where I was trying to avoid that before by getting the bag. Must be one of those "If you build it, they will come" kinda scenarios.

First let us get some terminology out of the way. So we are on the same page.

Micro: About the size of an old fashion pocket watch or smaller. These are usually job specific. Fire, water, fishing, ETC. The design is for these kits to be scattered around your person or gear to be combined to form a survival kit. The ultra small [micro] size makes for compact storage.

Mini or PSK: The size is to fit conveniently in a pocket. This should be a daily carry item. The standard is usually based on the Altoid tin. This is the true stand-alone survival kit. These kits try to meet the minimum needs in most situations. This can be made up of several micro kits.

Maxi: The next step up in size and level of convenience. Usually from the size of a large paperback book to a hard bound one. This is where shelter material is starting to be added. You step up to this when you are planing to leave the beaten path.

Pack: This is the size of a butt or daypack. This is where you start adding food for several days. Such as a 72 hour kit. Usually combined with full camping gear. Carry this for short side trips or even if just going over there. If you go out of sight of the main camp you may need it.

Large: This is your camping gear and supplies for and extended trip out and beyond.

What the Idea of a PSK is to have the minimum gear when the only thing you have left is your pockets. Too often people keep adding gear until the kit is to big to fit in a pocket. Then it is not carryed. More gear is desireable and a PSK is really a last resort back up.

My take on the terminology - only mine hope no one takes offence.

Micro: Single function - no larger than a tic-tac box. Included here are FSK (Fire starter Kit), SAK (Swiss Army Knife), KFK (Key fob Kit) - but not the MKK (Mega-Keychain Kit) that last is multi-function so doesn't fit here.

PSK (Pocket Survival Kit) - fits in a pocket. Many use the Altoids tin, some use a slightly larger Tobacco tin, some use a variety of soft-sided wallet sized pouches or even the Mil-Surplus FAK belt pouch or the like and some use novel approaches such as MKK. Point here is that this is the smallest kit designed to live out of if need be. This should contain enough tools of sufficient quality that you could construct shelter, find and purify water, stay warm, stay fed, and signal for help and last for a minimum of 3 days up to indefinately. This is the first level of redundancy and is always carried. The size is constrained in both directions - it needs to be small enough that you are not bothered by carrying it everywhere no matter how you are dressed or where you are going and it needs to be large enough to be complete. This size constraint leads to many different compromises each based on personal taste, skill, risk profile and health / well being. It must be complete and you must be willing and able to carry it everywhere. An example of a compromise for space and weight savings that I have heard of is to carry a metal pop bottle cap filled with vaselline soaked cotten and wrapped in a ranger band as your only fire start. This saves space over many of the alternatives but lacks in redundancy and relies upon the suroundings to complete it. (The pop bottle cap becomes the bearing used for a bow fire drill - If you know then 'nuff said, if you don't then get a mini-bic)

PFAK(Pocket First Aid Kit) A single function pocket sized kit focesed on bandaids and medications. Many add this to the PSK for ballance - it makes both pockets the same size so you don't list to port too badly. Also allows a wider variety of stuff in your PSK since you won't need any room there for first aid supplies and allows a usable quantity of FAK since to squeeze bandaids into your PSK will always mean too few bandaids to be worth it.

NSK(Notebook Survival Kit) or the Maxi: The next step up in size and level of convenience. This size is too big to be comfortably carried everywhere. It will be described as always being nearby in the desk drawer at work, in the car while you are in the restaurant, etc. This kit may contain some shelter such as a trash bag or plastic poncho or silnylon tarp but it won't be with you if you have to stand and run or if you get dropped out of the sky or over board the cruise liner etc. I also include in this category my VSK (Vest Survival Kit) because in warmer weather I often take that off and leave it hanging on the back of the door or coat rack etc.

BOB (Bug Out Bag) Everything larger than you are interested in carrying around all the time in the car goes into this category. Some think of evac from somewhere to home and therefore have a smallis BOB that travels with them. Some think of evac from civilization to the safe-haven of the retreat in the hills and have a full-on expedition camping setup that lives at home next to the 55 gallon drums of gas, and water and the 5 gallon pails of dried food-stuffs waiting to be loaded into the off-road vehicle with hood mounted cannons and oversized tires.

The PSK needs to stay pocket sized or you won't have it with you. As you accumulate "stuff" that you think you might want to have with you, it may make more sense to construct other kits.

In my case, I started with the requisit Altoids PSK - while constructing that I discovered that there wasn't enough room to fit a useable amount of First Aid supplies so I built an Altoids FAK. Walked around for a few weeks with an altoids tin in both front jeans pockets. I found that to be a bit irritating and also I discovered that I didn't have any really useable blade or shelter or the newest LED light I really liked or .... So I built a VSK around a Filson vest as Swhert suggested. Much more comfortable but the day came when it was too hot for the vest or I had to be in a different kind of attire and the vest wouldn't fit in. Once again I was forced to be unprepared in order to be socially acceptable. So I went to a kind of bag kit and it was large enough to grow quite rapidly and I reasoned that I would always have it in the car so I would be close enough to it. Well not so. How about the rail commute with a suit on? Dang-it. Well, long story somewhat shorter, I ended up keeping all of the kits and am happy for the redundancy. I now carry the Altoids PSK and FAK balanced in my front pants pockets and find that there is rarely a time when they look out of place. My legs have grown accustomed to them being there so no irritation. I also regularly wear the VSK and keep the belly bag kit in the car along with a EMT-Basic Jump kit FAK and a HAM setup. I no-longer have the over-sized 4X4 on steroids since it's engine siezed last fall during my un-employement. I haven't yet gotten the 55 gallon drums of gas and water though I do have a large stock-pile of bottled water and a lot of Dinty-Moore Beef Stew.

I've started doing the more than one small kit instead of a big pack I will leave. I have a KSK, I think that was your term, (maybe we should start another sticky at the top with all of these new ones we make up) in one pocket and have started a second one for the other front pocket with some redundant but different stuff. Then there is the leatherman and cell phone on my belt that I never go anywhere without.

My psk is in a 2 pocket ammo pouch Danish? or something, my emergency pack is a nylon butt pack like the old army canvas butt pack and my large FAK is in another butt pack. I help with the local boy scouts and I want to have enough for major problem. I have had to get it out of the truck for school emergencies. I also carry a BOB in my Pickup all the time.

I used to stuff my pockets with all kinds of EDC, now I am down to just a few items. I carry a Swisstool RS, Spyderco Military, Photon 2, Fox whistle, Lighter, and Chap Stick. I have recently added a Jump Drive to my EDC as well. I do have in my work bag a PSK made out of an otter box, but it isn't a true PSK, more of an urban convience kit.

I always carry with me, in my truck, my Camelbak MULE with an FAK and PSK in it. These are more robust and are designed along the lines of Cody Lundin's Kit. The CamelBak is always with me when I go to and from work, or to the field. As a matter of fact I just got done upgrading some components that I was either lacking or used and broke while I was in the desert in CA.

I have to agree with what I have been reading lately, the more you know, the less you need. That is why I dont carry a PSK with me 24/7. All I carry is what I have in my pockets.

I guess this is what this thread is all about....

Garrett

My EDC/PSK is more urban as well since thats where I spend 99% of my time. I don't have anything that would really count as a real psk, just a keather key case with a couple things in it. I have a lexar jumpdrive too, carry some of my personal data on it (address book for example). Then I backup my edc with two bags in my truck, one is tools like wrenches and screwdrivers geared more toward a the truck and the other with a few supplies.