Please Help Me Find a Source for Quality Signal Mirrors on a Budget
or
How The Doug Ritter PSK Would Have Saved Me a Hell of a Lot of Money

I had the bright idea that I would give a small Starter Survival Kit to a number of friends for Christmas (Solstice for a few) this year. Well I thought it was a good idea, but by the time I had arrived where I am now I had officially spent a butt load of cash (I lost count at $800 and thought it best not to calculate a real grand total).

Initially I thought I would send a small starter kit that included the following:

• ”Decent” Folding Knife
• MagFire
• Mini Maglite

This probably would have been fine, but I happened across a deal buying a number of 1/2-inch button compasses. I had to buy in a quantity, but I figured if half didn't cut the mustard I could toss those and give the rest of the working ones away to people “just because”. Or, if all of the compasses were junk I could toss the lot without too much pain. On the upside, all but one worked (due to a fairly large bubble I could not get rid of). On the downside, when compared to a decent knife and a mini Maglite, the button compass looks rather cheap in comparison.

I've got issues... I know...

Anyway, at that time my gift list expanded from 6 friends to 8. I also decided such things were important to have and if I said these were "Starter Emergency Kits" I could put together another 4 sets for family members without them feeling the need to do an intervention.

I also have to order more MagFires, but that’s another story...

So I had the following for almost every kit:

• ”Decent” Folding Knife
• MagFire
• Mini Maglite
• 1/2 inch button compass

This was looking like a good start to me. However, I am an admitted anal retentive or an obsessive compulsive... Something like that... I didn't focus on psychology in college...

I then decided that I would include 20 feet of 550 paracord in each kit.

And hey, why not pack it all in a Swiss Sport Nalgene Lexan Bottle because it'll serve a purpose in a survival situation, will look cool and serve as a way to easily carry the kit without looking like Batman to boot.

But what if they need to actually use the bottle for its intended purpose?

Where will the rest of the kit go then?

So I bought some heavy-duty airtight bags.

Wait… Water... What if the water needs to be purified?

So at that point the kits included the following:

• ”Decent” Folding Knife
• MagFire
• Mini Maglite
• 1/2-inch button compass
• 20 ft 550 Paracord
• Nalgene Bottle
• Heavy-Duty airtight bag
• Bottle of Potable Aqua

I would like to have gone with MicroPur tabs in each kit, but as you can see, the kit was getting pretty expensive at this point, so I decided to go with Potable Aqua. Potable Aqua and P.A. Plus? No, they can buy Gatorade packets... LOL

Then I decided to look up survival kits on the web, and saw that a few companies offer kits packed in Nalgene Bottles... And I thought I was being original... Most of these kits included a Carabiner to clip the bottle to a belt and for other possibilities. What a great Idea!

Add a Carabiner to the kit list...

And I’ll add a Bic lighter for backup...

Oh, and a survival blanket because I ran across a deal when ordering by the case...

Oooooo look, Lightweight Reusable PVC Ponchos are on sale and I can pick up a couple of cases...

This is never going to fit in the bottle...

To make a long story short so I can get to the point of this post, the list now:

• ”Decent” Folding Knife
• MagFire
• Backup Bic Lighter
• 2-hole Pencil Sharpener for Quick Tinder (Yeah, there’s I know there’s a knife...)
• Mini Maglite
• LED Upgrade Kit for the Mini Maglite
• 1/2-inch Button Compass
• 20 ft 550 Paracord
• Classic Fox-40 and Lanyard
• Nalgene Lexan Bottle
• Bottle of Potable Aqua
• Heavy-Duty Airtight Bag
• Carabiner
• Survival Blanket (+1 for each of the giftee’s immediate family members)
• Lightweight Poncho (+1 for each of the giftee’s immediate family members)
• P-38
• Mini Fishing Kit
• Small Bottle for Fishing Kit
• Snare Kit
• Safety Pins
• Heavy-Duty Sewing Kit
• ”Duck” Tape
• Various First Aid Items
• Heavy-Duty Tinfoil (I almost got SS Mugs that neatly fit the bottom of the Bottle)

If I had known where I was going with this I would have gone for the Ritter PSK for everyone, added a Knife and Flashlight and helped ETS as well.

What an incredible opportunity missed.

I feel like an ass.

Lesson Learned I guess...

Anyway, I’ve fully come to terms with the fact that a screwed up big time, and now wish to put the final nail in the coffin (or my wallet as the case may be) by adding the following items to these kits:

• Star Flash Signal Mirror or similar
• Waterproof Paper

Please, any help finding these items at less than average store prices would be appreciated!

Thanks!

I cant help with cheap mirrors from down here, but next year - Just buy em gift vouchers all from the same store to ballance out all the running about you did this year <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Don't know of any "cheap","good" mirrors out there Nic... good luck with that one. One suggestion, if you're talking about a bulk purchase, contact the manufacturer, outside of that, I'm out of ideas.

Troy

I commend you on your efforts. You have some lucky friends!

http://www.bestglide.com is a nice source for signal mirrors and other good stuff. They're my standard source for Fox40 whistles, ORANGE heavy duty space blankets (hard to find), SparkLite kits, replacement TinderQuick tabs, and Streamlight Polypro 4AA flashlights... but they don't have waterproof paper.

Another nice source of gear is http://www.basegear.com .

My suggestion might be to go to an office store (Staples, Officemax, ...) and find some of the tiny Sharpie Mini markers (http://tinyurl.com/b6kkn ) that can be attached to a lanyard, and then carry some white, or better yet orange, trash bags. The markers can then write on the bags and be left as easy-to-find messages.

I really think a few orange 55 gallon trash bags would do better for emergency situations than a poncho. I'd include at least two - one to sit on or use for signalling, making flags, etc, and another to go over the top as shelter. Users should tear a face-hole just below one corner. Don't tear arm holes since they let heat escape. They keep the user MUCH warmer than a poncho and take less space than a HD space blanket. Source: http://www.spectrumbagsonline.com . A box costs something like $50 with shipping, but you get 100 of them. These are great shelter bags. There goes the budget again.

Ken K.

There are quite a few versions of a small, flexible plastic mirror out there. Runs about $3 and can be found at outdoor stores such as REI, etc. Here's a link to it:

http://www.rei.com/product/710.htm?vcat=REI_SSHP_CAMPING_TOC

FYI - the Starflash 3"x2" mirror won't quite fit in my Lexan bottles. It's just a little too wide, by all of a millimeter.

Countycomm has some pretty nice sighting mirrors that were around 8 bucks. I'd get those over the REI mirrors, and cut WAY back on the other stuff in those kits you're making. For example, instead of the minimag with led upgrade, just include one or two coin cell lights.

For "waterproof paper," go to FedEx facility, pick up some of their large (free) mailing envelopes (Tyvek-like material). Cut the non-printed areas into small sheets. Maybe not Rite-in-the-Rain, but hey, it's free.

Oh, BTW, I'll PM my address if you'll put me on your Christmas list. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for all of the info, everyone!

Ugh... Figures. It'll probably be the same case with mine then. LOL
Thanks for the info!

HAHAHA
Believe me, this is a one time deal.

Good idea. That's what I did for most of the other items. A few were very happy to oblige, but some would allow orders of no less than 50 to 100 items in quantity.

Still, it's worth a shot.

Thanks, and thanks for both the links and ideas!

Had I known where I was going when all of this started I might have gone that route, but truthfully the Mini Maglite and LED kit make a pretty darn good flashlight for less than $15.00. I didn't mind that expense too much, and having had my D-Cell MagLite for going on 10 years now, and my first Mini MagLite for nearly 5 and second for more than 3 with none having failed yet, I trust both the product and the manufacturer. And these torches have been put through the paces...

I hope the LED kit cuts the mustard as well. Even if it doesn't I've included the original parts in the Survival Kit so they could use them if things don't work out.

The Mirror though... That's a very important piece of equipment...

Interesting... I'll take a look at that. Thanks!

Have you considered buying Mirror Card and cutting it to size? There is some more about it here . I don't know if the quality is good enough for you - it's reflective but no aiming hole.

Yeah, as well as Mylar with a hard backing and Acrylic mirror stock, but in the end I feared that it mught be impossible to aim reflected light where one intends due to warping. However, it's an idea I'd really like to test, and if I had the time to do see how well it worked I'd go for it.

Thanks for the idea though! All input is greatly appreciated. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

*Update*
I was able to find many suppliers of "Rite in the Rain" paper products online, and the price is something I could definitely swing. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I think these kits are going to be called "Nico's Better Late Than Never Christmas Survival Kits"... I still have to pack and ship these things out and I'm waiting on the last few pieces to be shipped in. LOL

The CountryComm mirrors are nice, but heavy glass and large sized....no way are they bottle sized.

You might want to consider switching to PP Nalgene bottles, their mouth will flex by a mm or two to allow a good mirror in I think.

I would not compromise on the mirror in any case. You have taken the trouble to find excellent pieces for these kits so you may as well spring for quality mirrors. Doug's mirrors are quite nice....maybe you just want to add a Ritter Kit to each of these eh <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Yeah, had I known where I was going with this whole Survival Kit I would have just bought everyone the Ritter PSK, added the knife, Maglite and LED Kit, saved myself a whole lot of money and helped out ETS at the same time.

What can I say? I screwed up. I'm in too deep to fix it now, and can't really afford to go another $250.00. <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

A google search came up with this flexible signal mirror. I wonder if that would squeeze into your bottle?

http://www.argear.com/gear/grsunfeatherweightmirror.html

Sorry for bumping this back up, but someone asked about it in another thread so I’m including a couple of comments on what was in the final kit and supplemental packages, and what I would have done differently.

There are a couple of things I would like to have done differently if I could do it all over again. The first thing I would have done differently is purchase a bunch of Ritter PSKs, add a few supplement items and saved myself a load of cash. The second thing would have been to really search for a better blade to include in the kit. This could have been easily added had I not wasted a lot of money building the kit from scratch. The third would have been to include instructions. Sure, I could have printed up Doug’s, but I felt so badly about not getting Ritter PSKs that I would have felt like a complete ass for including them. The fourth would have been to add stormproof matches and a waterproof case instead of the bic. In fifth place, I would have added tinderquick.

Don’t get me wrong, if you don’t mind me tooting my own horn for a moment, I’d say that it’s a pretty good kit as far as things go, but I’m a perfectionist at times and I think I could have made it better. LOL

Ultimately the thing weighed 3+ pounds... 3+ POUNDS!!! (based on the calculations made by the USPS scales and not including supplemental items). What the hell was I thinking?!? That takes it out of the realm of Light PSK and firmly plants it in the category of things that can be used to workout with.

Size-wise it is fairly compact... That is until the moment you need to use the bottle to actually hold something other than the kit items... Say something like water perhaps.

I included a couple of airtight bags for items once out of the bottle, and an extra carabiner, lanyards and split key rings for other items. So, the kit isn’t impossible to carry after the bottle comes into play, but it is obvious that a buttpack of some sort sure would have been a nice addition.

Unfortunately the ponchos had to be carried separately from the start. I underestimated how large they were. In kits where I included extra ponchos and survival blankets for additional family members, it’s obvious that the 32oz Nalgene bottle becomes too small a carrier.

The 550 paracord was attached to the carabiner used to clip the bottle to a belt.

It should be noted that I only had 6 Magfires and 1 Magfire pro (I kept one Magfire Pro for myself), so some kits got a magnesium bar firestarters.

Also, I’ve not yet determined how the Stainless Steel Cup will finally be affixed to the Nalgene bottle. I’ve tinkered with a few cords and quick clips, which could be attached to the cup’s first handle, looped up around the neck, and attached to the second handle, but putting such stress on the handles might not be a good idea.

Here’s the final list with the supplements included.

Knife

• ”Decent” Folder (Maxam SkadRed)
• Snap Clip and Lanyard for knife
• Knife Sharpener *

Fire

• MagFire Firestarter (or magnesium bar firestarter)
• Backup Bic Lighter
• 2-hole Pencil Sharpener for Quick Tinder (Yeah, There’s a knife, but a pencil later too)
• Pocket Chainsaw with Nylon Pouch (military style) *

Water

• 1Liter SwissSport Nalgene Lexan Bottle
• Bottle of Potable Aqua

Shelter

• Survival Blanket (+1 for each family member)
• Lightweight Reusable PVC Poncho with Pouch (+1 for each family member)

Food

• Mini Fishing Kit (5 small hooks, 5 small split shot sinkers, 5 small barrel swivels, 50 yards 30lb Spiderwire, Small Bottle for Kit)
• P-38 Can Opener
• Snare Wire
• 16 oz Stainless Steel Cup (Fits over the end of the Nalgene Bottle) *

First Aid

• Tylenol Extra Strength (2 packets of 2 caplets)
• Bayer Aspirin (2 packets of 2 caplets)
• Imodium AD (1 packet of 2 tablets)
• Alcohol Prep Pad (3 individual packets)
• Neosporin (3, 1/32 oz packets)
• Povidone Iodine Wipes (3 individual packets)
• Sting Relief Pads (3 individual packets)
• 4 Heavy Duty 1in. Fabric Bandages
• 2 Heavy Duty Fabric Fingertip Bandages
• 2 Heavy Duty Fabric Knuckle Bandages
• Waterproof bag for first aid items

Signaling

• Classic Fox-40 and Lanyard
• Signal Mirror *

Light

• Mini Maglite 2AA with Holster
• Nite-Ize LED Upgrade Kit for the Mini Maglite
• 2 Extra Lithium AA Batteries

Navigation

• 1/2-inch Button Compass

Extra Equipment

• 20 ft 550 Paracord
• 1 Carabiner 150lb test (clips bottle to belt)
• 1 Carabiner 150lb test (can be used to clip Magfire, Knife, etc to belt)
• Heavy-Duty Airtight Bag (to carry equipment when bottle is being used)
• 6 Safety Pins
• Split Keyring (pins, P-38, Knife key etc attached to it)
• Heavy-Duty Sewing Kit (2 canvas needles and 100ft heavy tapestry thread)
• ”Duck” Tape (10yds wrapped around pen body I cut to size)
• Heavy-Duty Tinfoil (originally for use instead of SS cup)
• 2 Heavy-Duty clear garbage bags *
• Rite in the Rain Paper and Pencil

Asterisk (*) notes items that will be added to the second shipment

As a final note, some of the other work put into the kits I would have preferred not to have done. LOL

This includes:

• Wheeling and dealing to get items in bulk though I have to admit, there are some darn nice folks out there
• Cutting down writing pen bodies to the width of “Duck” Tape and then wrapping the tape around said pen carcasses (carcai?) by hand all the while making sure the tape stayed relatively even
• Buying the 550 Paracord in bulk, cutting it to length, burning the ends so the cord wouldn’t fray and then tying it up
• Spooling Spiderwire from a large spool to plastic thread cards by hand
• Spooling tapestry thread from a large spool to plastic bobbins by hand
• Repackaging a lot of the items such as first aid stuff, fishing stuff, etc
• Packaging the kits to be sent to the far corners of the earth
• Trying to figure out how to print postal labels online in an attempt to save time only to find that I needed to know the package weights
• Finding out what I could legally send to Canada and the UK and then unpackaging it all to remove items
• Filling out customs forms for those packages

Eh... It was a learning experience I guess. And it wasn’t a total and complete pain.

Everyone went nuts over the kits and that did make me feel a lot better about it all. A few asked if they could pay me to put together kits for their extended families, friends, etc. LOL

Look at it this way...you have given out some great kit, created some interest and questions. Now you can provide links to Doug's kit for the pocket coverage and maybe inspired some additional prep that the families can do together.

All looks good to me.

Thanks, Schwert.

Also, when those people asked about kits for extended family, I pointed them to the Ritter PSK and put together a list of other items that they might want to think about picking up as well.

I'm hoping that they will follow through and pick these up.