Hi,

My ETS PSK arrived from Oz yesterday. Actually, I ordered two, one for me and one for my wife-with-the-rolling-eyes...

My first impressions were good. It's small, light and complete. I will be adding stuff and repacking it into a tin though. I am using Doug Ritters own personal kit as a reference and will probably add the items in his kit that are not already in the ETS kit, if they are applicable to me.

The price is reasonable, about NZ$50 per kit, and worth it for the key items in the kit- the whistle, the signal mirror, the compass and the spark-lite/tinder-quik combo. These items alone are hard to source in NZ and would cost about the same as the complete kit. It is clear that the additional items in the kit (except perhaps the fresnel lens) are low-cost and easy to procure, but I don't feel ripped off just because I could get some thread, safety pins, aluminium foil or fish hooks for a couple of dollars somewhere. The point is that the kit is complete, and someone has taken the time and effort to put a lot of thought into what is in the kit and why. In some respects the cost (and consequently the price) is irrelevant.

The first thing I did was to protect the fresnel lens by cutting a credit card pouch from a spare wallet insert I had. The lens fits into that and the thickness is barely increased.

Next, I had a good look at everything, but I did not open the sealed packets (scalpel, mirror or tinder) as I don't want to damage anything (at least not until I've seen how robust these things are).

I am not sure how I will get everything in the tin. Especially as I don't yet have everything I want to include. The tin I have is about the same size as Doug's tin, which is very slightly bigger than an Altoids tin (which we can't get here). I am grateful to KyBooneFan for posting the Field and Stream article for another good example of a tightly-packed tin.

I have the following items to add: a Bic Mini, 6 Coleman waterproof matches and striker, a tin opener, 2 x $5 notes, Potable aqua, potassium permanganate, big hook, petroleum jelly, 40cm seep tube, paracetamol.

I need to get and add the following items: Gerber milk bag, fishing line, wire saw, LED light.

I've repacked the tin a number of times already, but I can't get everything in yet (although I am surprised how much you can get in and that repacking seems to make it possible to add one more item). One thing I do know is my permanganate vial is *way* too big! Anyway, it's not often you get this much fun for $50, and it just doesn't stop.

I don't think I will get everything in, so, as an exercise, I will select items similar to those in the Field and Stream article and see if I can pack those into the tin. If not then my tin-fu is not up to scratch and I need to work harder. Either that or there is sleight of hand involved...

A

One possibility is to keep the ETSPK as Part A of a binary kit, and in your pocket, after adding a lighter. Part B would be in a belt pouch or a shoulder bag, along with a thermal and/or dry layer and a water bottle. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

As you might guess from this suggestion, my tin-fu is weak as well. I use a frech mess tin (like these: http://www.exarmy.co.uk/shop/product.php?xProd=148) without the centermost piece for my kit. Still has a couple of things to go into it, but as it is, is 95% done. It fits in the pockets of my jacket or the side pockets of any of my packs. And there is a spot saved for it in a buttpack along with a tragia mess kit (swiss surplus?) and a few meals of food items. Why? Becuase I can barely open an Altoids tin without losing mints. :P

How's it goin, eh?
You may want to use Micropur MP1 from Katadyn instead of Potable Aqua. They are supposed to be better, but I will leave the research to you. Perhaps our forum mates have some info on this. As far as TinFu ( an exellent new term) is concerned, I have stuffed my psk, opened it, and been unable to repack it even though I know everything has previously been in it.

ame,

Dump the matches. With the SparkLite and TinderQuick you don't need them. Make up some Vaseline cotton balls to practice with the SparkLite.

You need to practice with the signal mirror. Get some Duct tape or Gaffers tape and put it around the thin plastic holder. You might want to get a PDA screen protector to protect the mirror surface. You should also precut some thin cord for the mirror. That way you can pull it out and put it around your neck so you will be able to deploy it fast enough to signal an airplane before it is out of sight.

When you are lost and stressed out is not the time for niceties.

Have two tins, separate the contents, and put one in each pocket!

Sue

Fantastic ! I don't know if YOU invented that concept or if you got it from somewhere else, but it's ... GREAT ! <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />
Just THE word we need (if we ever needed one...) here on this forum.
Now, nobody will be able to say we "play" with our PSKs...

Building a PSK is now an true art, it's a philosophy, a way of life ....

BRILLANT !! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Hi,

Yeah, I made it up on the spur of the moment, but I cannot take full credit. I am a computer programmer, and it is common for, er, computer people to add -fu to the end of some activity that requires a little bit of thought/effort/ability to improve ones skill. So, it was only a matter of time before a computer programmer would attempt to fill a small tin with things and invent the term "tin-fu" as he sought enlightment in the One True Way to make it all fit.

A

What would be the difference between "tin-fu" and "tin-do", The Way of the Tin.....
<img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Tin-fu would be Chinese, but I'm not sure of the exact translation.

Tin-do would be the art of tin, and thus reserved fro those who mearly compete or are looking for the peace of mind through the meditation of the kit. Looks good, sounds good, isn't always the best.

Tin-jitsu would be the nitty, gritty, knock 'em in the mud and jump on them version. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Might not be fancy or pretty, but it brings your backside back.

UPDATE: Google is my brain. :P Kung-fu means hard work, or great accomplishement, and doesn't actually mean just martial skills, unless you a westerner. So... Tin-fu is accurate, as it a truely work to stuff the good parts of an entire civilization into an Altoids tin. And isn't that ultimate goal? <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Hello,
Here are the contents of one of my survival kits that is an amalgam of the BCB Military and Ritter PSP kits and other odd bitts http://tinypic.com/ehzm1v.jpg. Its contents are based on the 10 ESSENTIALS and my experience from many years of backpacking. While many folks pack their kits with purpose made survival items I try to select everyday, but compact, backpacking items that I’d normally use while backpacking or day hiking. It contains the following from left to right clockwise (see photo); BCB tin, flint sparker, tinder, whistle, (4) safety pins, fishing kit, needle, heliograph, thread/fishing line, brass wire, Leatherman Micra, button compass, LED flashlight, small plaster, (2) aspirin, antibiotic ointment, (2) large plasters, scalpel, (2) breast milk/water bags, and (6) Katadyn water purification tablets. There was a bit of extra space left over, and I have since added the gum and coffee ration from an American Meal Rejected by an Ethiopian (MRE). Also, I may upgrade the button compass to a SUUNTO Mini compass. While I do not have the funds at this time to buy a kitchen vacuum packer, I plan on getting one to reseal the tin with a vacuum seal. However, I'll experiment first to see if any of the above contents have a negative reation to being vacuum packed.