sorry my computer was having some probs ( more like i was having probs with comp ) but it is in a tin that a good friend of mine sent me, it is a tad bit bigger than a box that holds a deck of cards<br>Thanx resqman, i added my dog tag, it has a neat polish job that my uncle did to it some sort of reflective powder coating he does but any way i have replaced all my shoe laces with para cord so no worries there<br>and i took a old innertube of a bycicle tire and made some "Ranger Bands" with it (wrapped kit), replaced pep with immodium and dont really have enough room for any other means of fire but on my keychain i have a flint wrapped with 15 lb fishing line and im rarley found without my zippo.<br>o btw, any ideas for a keychain?

Hey a neat addition to a survival kit are those sponges they sell in craft stores, there about 1/8 of an inch thick, but when you get them wet they expand to a full inch or so, pretty neat, i figured you can use them to collect morning dew and tending wounds as well as bathing. ill get a pic of my kit and sponge soon

How did you seal the PA tube, and how often do you rpelace them?<br><br>Other than that, looks increadable.

Potable Acqua is sealed into the half length Bic-Stick pen with two of the end-caps that normally seal the end of the pen. These seem to fit tightly enough to prevent the other contents of my kit from turning yellow so are presumed to be airtight. I have only just assembled this kit 2 months ago so I havn't come to the 3 month replacement time. I am running a sort of experiment here. If they come out after 3 months with no noticeable degradation or coloration or weakening of the tube then I will consider this packaging safe. If you can find out the actual composition of this plastic let me know. So far everything seems sealed and stable. The internal diameter of the tube fits the iodine tablets accurately enough that they don't rattle around and if you cut the caps a little shorter than production length they will fit snugly without taking up too much room. On one of the caps I flattened the edge of the cap so I can grip it with my leatherman and pull it off. I suspect that the xacto blades would be able to cut that tube open well enough in an emergency but then I wouldn't be able to re-seal it. I remember biting these caps off back in highschool and being able to re-insert them....<br><br>I suspect that I will be able to open a close this adequately in the field.

I put my portable aqua in a tiny glass vial (found in some craft shops here - it looks like a tiny version of what some herb containers look like ) and this is sealed with a tiny cork (came with the vial ). This seems to work quite well too. No leakage and i can stuff 24 of those potable aqua + some cotton wool inside. Fits pretty well in my psk.<br><br>Anyone have any idea if PA will erode cork ?<br><br>

It probably will- iodine is pretty corrosive/reactive. I figure it should chew Brad's pic pen up pretty well (at least I don't think they are a flouroethalyne based plastic), and those caps aren't air tight. Trust me, I chew on my pens and even a new one can have air sucked thought it.<br><br>Doug talks about the joys of finding things it doesn't react with at http://www.equipped.org/parepack.htm<br><br>Blueline stocks them if you want to order them from him. I got mine from the VetTech department at my old college.

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>Anyone have any idea if PA will erode cork ?<p><hr></blockquote><p><br>No doubt. As the tablets release free iodine, it will attack (oxidize) the cork (organic). However, I think you could use a piece of PTFE (Teflon) pipe thread tape to prevent that problem. Lay a short piece of tape over the mouth of the bottle and then press the cork in.<br><br>Regards,<br><br>Scouter Tom

Great idea! I'll try that. <br>Thanks!

hi mebrad<br>great seeing pics of your kit! I was just curios as to why you have papper matches when there are wind and waterproof ones avalabule. is it cos thy take up les space?<br>oh and one more thing; I've never seen someong have glue in there survival kit befor. why did you think it deserves a place in your kit? <br>thanks.<br>-james

The matches are awaiting an upgrade. I put together the kit with what was on hand and am upgrading items as I get to it. So-far it haven't acquired, packaged better matches. I may be getting a few more matches in by using paper matches but I am sure that they would all be useless if they got wet. <br><br>The krazy glue is the kind rated for wood and other absorbent materials. This type of glue is useful for various repair work and is also quite adequate replacement for sutures in SHALLOW though bloody wounds such as occur in the face and hands. Essentially if the wound doesn't sever a major vein, artery or full muscle then it can be glued back together after sterilization. This is not recommended unless you are quite certain of sterilization. In SHALLOW wounds soap and water, iodine at high concentrations and alcohal all serve to sterilize. Use only Krazy glue or Super glue for suturing. There is a gell formulation of this type of glue which is easier to use for suturing but you are more likely to use more than is needed in other situations. Also the gell formulation comes in a somewhat larger container so didn't fit.