I had this idea. It is basically a mini survival kit, in a pen! The ink bit would be removed. You could fit in some very basic components (eg. few matches, foil for signal mirror, cotton wool). The advantage is that it could be carried everywhere. This would help the semi-illiterate author of the "ARE YOU NUTS CARRIEING ALL THOSE SURVIVAL GEAR ?" thread (read the thread for more details). This would also help me, as my normal survival kit weighs 9-10oz. It would be duct taped up to make it waterproof. What do you lot think?

Feel free to post the contents so we can get a look at how you have covered the basics. See Doug's kit for details of how to cover the basics.<br><br>Potable Water<br>Fire<br>Shelter<br>Food<br>in that order of precedence AFAIK.<br><br>The poster you referred to as semi-illiterate had some very interesting questions and ideas and initiated a very worthwhile thread that we all benefited from. I don't think that English was his native tongue so we might forgive some mis-handling of the english language. I value the contributions or our international friends, and appreciate their attempts to communicate in the only language that I know.

That's an interesting idea, but I'd hate to see the miniscule amount of stuff that would come out of that pen. There were some threads awile back on making a micro-kit, they discussed using vacuum packaging to make a tiny kit in about the 1 ounce size range that still have a useful assortment in them. They are also small enough to be at least as easily carried as a typical pen. Mine has a compass, mini-lighter, rubber-band tinder, whistle, razor blade, bandaids, birthday candle, fishing hooks and line, needle, paper clip and retro-reflective tape. It has about the same bulk as a Zippo ligher, is waterproof and floats. It can be easily carried in a shirt pocket or on a neck lanyard or be pinned into a swimsuit. For the smallest kits, there is a real advantage to to using vacuum packaging instead of a rigid container.

I didn't say that he/she didn't make any very good questions, and, true, english might not be his/her native language. I have to admit, though I can speak french and german, I am not that good at either. <br><br>What I did was I got a large felt tip, sawed the top off and threaded it. It now has a lid and a screw-cap. I sawed the whole top off another one, and heat-sealed it onto the original. I took the ink out, washed it and fitted in:<br><br>1 razorknife blade<br>1/2" thin party candle<br>5 strike anywhere waterproof matches<br>3"² turkey foil<br>duct tape round outside<br>2 tiny fish hooks<br>10ft fishing line, 5lb test<br>1 tiny fishing weight<br>3" of 1/32" diameter tubing<br>tiny bit of natural flint<br>2 sewing needles<br>10ft sewing thread<br>5 saftey pins (2 tiny, 2 normal, 1 medium large)<br>10ft brass snare wire<br>10 puritabs<br>cotton wool soaked in vaseline in lid<br>wire saw w/o handle<br><br>See! Quite a lot! This fits into any pocket, and I am just going to make a small laynard attachment out of some more plastic.<br><br>casual1y<br><br>PS. It was heat-sealed with a cigarette lighter.<br>

That's quite a lot of stuff in a pen. Packaging is everything. I would love to see pictures if you can find someone to post them. Only problem I see is the puritabs. If those are the iodine type then how do you keep them from going bad. The Iodine is veeeerrry reactive and will simply oxidize in the air if you don't have them sealed air-tight. Also the iodine will usually react corrosively with the foil and other metal items in your kit which may make them less usefull. ( I suspect that it would take quite a bit of iodine to compromise even the smallest amount of metal but it will react. It would probably weaken the foil some.) Iodine will also "melt" many plastics. All this being said, I carry my Iodine tablets in a 1/2 length tube from a bic stick pen. They seal air-tight when you use the plug from another on the open end and are exactly the diameter needed. This pen is made from polypropylene according to Bic and I have had no evidence that the Iodine reacts with it. I am still looking for a way to test the effectiveness of the iodine that has been stored in this way. Short of having some petri dishes and agar I don't know how to test this sort of thing. I may have to order some from Edmund Scientific.

I have put all my stuff in a cellphone bag. There's a lot of space inside, it can be carried in many ways (it has a belt clip, a loop, it fits into a large pocket). It looks totally unsuspicious (no "are you nuts carrying..." problem - maybe just "why do you carry two cellphones"). Unlike tins, it can be always opened and closed back. The only problem is that it doesn't protect the gear from water and mechanical damage.

thats a nice idea, but it is kinda small. especially for me because they dont sell much survival equipemment over here, so finding the right things with the right size is **** hard. <br>and "camoflage" my gear isnt a solution because i cant afford all those diffrent kind of gear twice and repacking them every 2 day's isnt that handy either. <br>btw i was" the semi-illiterate author of the "ARE YOU NUTS CARRIEING ALL THOSE SURVIVAL GEAR ?" "<br>

another disadvantage is that if you camoflage your kit in to a pen ( especially a student like me ) is that fellow students usually "borrow" my pens and papers... <br>and camoflage a kit with something else like a candy tin doesnt really help either, because fellow student usually bags ( or how ever you spell it ) for some candy wenn they see the tinn... and there are lots of other examples

Just a thought -- how would a cigar tube work? I've seen plastic or aluminum ones (I must confess I am not a smoker so I have limited knowledge). They could sit in a pocket, but I doubt if anyone will ask to borrow your cigar....

It depends on how well connected you are to politicians. Wink, Andy.

Minimalist kits usually reflect a specific need or mindset and not the real world. Miniature compasses and knives were developed in WW2 for E&E behind enemy lines, with concealment the main consideration. There is also a strange ego game called " I can survive on less than you can" with our hero standing like some nude Arnold Swartzenegger with only a knife. Or, it's variation " I can make my kit smaller than yours by using .22 shells as whistles and dental floss for rappelling." Well knock yourselves out fellas, Ill see you in the real world. It's scary enough contemplating self preservation with a small tin of basics. The absolute bare bones survival kit seems to be a decent knife and a metal match carried by a VERY WELL TRAINED PACTITIONER . My pockets are crammed with goodies and spare knives down my boot tops the minute I leave Terra Congnita.Trouble with people playing with your gear?Try a semi arcane word in today's society-NO.

In the real world the ultimate survival pen for me is, my employer's pen which he signs my pay check with:)<br><br>Besides the joke, I do not belive in "SURVIVAL" equipment. I belive in dedicated equipment which "I CAN" use when I need to.<br><br>Burak<br><br><br>

Hey, Casual1y -<br><br>Better watch who you're dissing. I found more than a few grammar and punctuation errors in your own posts....<br><br>The goal of this forum, IMHO, is an exchange of ideas among like-minded folks and *not* publication in the Atlantic Monthly. <br><br>Regards,<br>Mamabear<br>(An editor in my other life)

The puritabs are clorine-based.<br><br>miniMe, I could try to get my science teacher to let me try that at school, but that will have to wait till after my GCSEs. 1 month, i'm afraid.<br><br>casual1y

Mamabear, I am looking vigorously for my ELEMENTS OF STYLE and WEBSTER'S. I emulate Hemingway " it was a small fire. A good, clean fire like the lemon orchard workers lit at dawn with bic lighters from the 7-11.It kept us warm while we went mano a mano with the opposum." Please people, temper remarks. Some of us have soft Rockwells ;O)

Pricey, but may fill your needs. Pete<br>http://www.tadgear.com/X-treme%20Gear/life_capsule_alpha.htm

Along the same line...waterproof tube with compass...Check out:<br><br>https://store.wildernet.com/content/store/catalog/product.asp?cat=1909&prod=585<br><br>This Silva Match Case seems to offer the same usefullness in a slightly less cool package for $15. I have several of these and think they are the best match case I have ever seen. They are getting hard to find as plastics seem to be taking over.<br><br>For about $2 you can also get a metal match case without compass that also looks good. I have not tried these.<br><br>https://store.wildernet.com/content/store/catalog/product.asp?cat=1909&prod=658<br><br>If you are going to go the mimimalist route these may serve.

In the bad old days, you would have taken an empty 12ga shell, cut the paper away from the high brass base, slipped this as an end cap over another empty 12ga shell, and waxed the package to seal it. <br><br>Your matches/cash/meds etc were safe from weather and could be accessed in an emergency by slipping the end off after scraping the wax off with a thumbnail. <br><br>Should work with plastic shells as well I guess - though not exactly disguised as an urban gadget where this thread began!<br><br>For a more urban look why not use an empty poster pen (the aluminium cased ones with the fibre tip, like an oversize felt pen).

I remember as a kid reading about using two shotgun shells as a match case. I took two plastic (empty) shells, filled with Strike AnyWheres, and then pounded the outer shell over the inner......Mom, shouted down the steps, "WHAT WAS THAT NOISE", a somewhat deaf and smokey son replied.....naaathing.<br><br>The base of the shell had a cone shaped particle board like filler which served as an excellent striker as I merrily pounded away. <br><br>I bought my first EverDry match case soon after :^) nose blown to side.<br><br>OK we are totally off Pen sized PSK's!

Chris, <br><br>You are right - my message was way too strong. I hit the 'send' button before thinking about it. Sorry to have stepped on toes. :-(<br>

Pocket pill pen 4" x 1/2" http://www.preparedness.com/pocketpillpen.html <br><br>

OK, so it's more a marker than a pen. Slightly different mental images. <br><br>The real challange- can you get a fire going and survive for 24 hours with just that pen, the clothes on your back, and (if you carry one) the knife you have every day? Do it in good weather first. If you can't do it, then scrap or revise the kit. If you can't do it in bad weather, than it's really time to think about moving up to a tin, and maybe even a small belt pack.<br><br>Microminimalists drive me crazy, becuase so few of them ever both to find out if what they have (which MUST be better becuase it's little) is even close to be the equal of the gear and people they are sniping at. To many people get the gear, and never really learn how to use it. And learning if you can really use it happens at night, without light (unless you are carryingone), in the rain, with a good wind, not in your garage. Your nice, warm, concrete pad with it's roof and four walls and convenient lights is where you learn how, but not how you test yourself.