You make some very good points. Fire starting and the means to obtain shelter, along with water availability, are the key items in survival, and trinkets like fish hooks are way down the list. If I want fish, i won't be angling, but will probably resort to techniques that would otherwise be illegal.

The best kit is one assembled by the user, with due regard for the prevailing conditions. The kit I carry in winter in Arizona mountains differs radically from that carried in the summer in the adjacent desert terrain.

The small "Altoids' kit does have a specialized niche. I carried one when flying to offshore islands in California. It was easy to imagine a scenario where the plane would be down, you would be able to exit the craft, and all you had were the items on your person. You might be in the water, you might be on land, or you might even be in the mountains, if you were dreadfully off course. In that situation, a tiny kit, that doesn't bulk up your profile and impede your exit, makes sense. But, like you,I would include better and more fire making items.

"Marketing gimmicks??" Who ever heard of such a thing??

I'm shocked!...Shocked I say!

This reminds me of a scene from Casablanca.

Captain Renault: I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!
A croupier hands Renault a pile of money: Your winnings, sir.
Captain Renault: Oh, thank you very much.

Jeanette Isabelle

Too true. Most places I'm likely to be hiking, if you can go in a semi straight line you WILL hit a road or other civilization. Great Smokey Mountain NP has enough trails that the longest line I could see on Google Earth was about nine miles.

That is why I like the SOL Scout, it seems to cover the basics and have room to add a few small items.
Making your own is always better but IMO you still need to supply all these items in some form.
The OP did raise a question concerning the effectiveness of the new striker and that is why I asked if anyone has done a side-by-side test?
Nothing in this kit seems to be "trash" except for the fishing kit and possibly the whistle. IIRC there were some early reports of glue failure
that now seems to have been rectified, at least from close examination
of my kit.
I did toss out the Mono fishing line and substituted a bobbin of HD poly thread. I can't remember if mine had a needle in it or not, just that it has one now.
Like I said earlier I think the dry bag is a real waste of money for this
kit, I wonder if the items would fit in a BCB style tin? IMO it would still be waterproof when sealed and be a more useful container when empty. Would the cost of tin vs dry bag be a wash, I don't know.

Duct Tape
1 Duct Tape, 2" x 50"

Survival Tools
1 Compass, Button, Liquid Filled
1 Fire Lite Fire Striker
1 Fishing Gear in Vial
1 Heatsheet Survival Blanket
1 Mini Rescue Flash Signal Mirror
1 Mini Rescue Howler Whistle
1 Tinder Quick

"Marketing gimmicks??" Who ever heard of such a thing??
Mr. Grylls, are you listening?

There is a thread on the subject:

http://forums.equipped.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=227611&page=all

Paul 810, in particular, wrote an informative post:

http://forums.equipped.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=227741#Post227741

Jeanette Isabelle

Thanks for the links.
Not sure that I like the idea of 3 smaller flints over one
single large/long stick.
At the point the smaller pieces get worn down they will
either jamb the striker or flick out, that would not be an issue
with a single piece flint.