Click on pictures for a larger one

--Personal Survival Kit--
stored in an Otterbox 1000
with a 12 ft 550 paracord lanyard (whipped down to 1 ft)

-Signaling

Fox 40 Resuce Howler whistle
2x3 signal mirror (protected with duct tape)

-Fire Starters

12 waterproofed strike anywhere matches w/ strike strip
re-light birthday candle
spark lite
5 quicktab tinders

-First Aid

3 tubes antibiotic ointment
5 wound closure strips
4 antiseptic alcohol pads
2 2x2 gauze pads

-Emergency Devices

2 razor blades
scalpel blade (#22)
hacksaw blade (18 tpi)
fishing kit
5 split shot sinkers
1 extra large hook
5 small hooks
5 med hooks
5 snap swivels
25 ft 20 lb test fishing line
photon micro light freedom
compass (20mm)
23 iodine tablets

-Multi Purpose

5 sq ft HD aluminum foil
2 Gerber bags
P-38 can opener
26 in duct tape
2 sheets Rite in Rain paper
1 space pen refill - (forgot to put it in the picture)
6 ft steel wire (0.020)
commando wire saw
3 twist ties
2 rubber bands
10 ft braided nylon line
1 large needle
1 medium needle
15 ft HD nylon thread
safety pins
2 large
2 med
2 small

So, what do you think? $0.02 welcome, I may have overlooked something that everyone else can point out.

I designed this kit to be a small SHTF backup for a camping/hiking/outdoor emergency. I am usually dressed properly (BDU pants, long underwear, waterproof jacket, solid boots, hat, etc) and I always carry a good knife (DR RSK M1 on the way), lighter, and bandanna in my pockets. When camping I have backpack, food, water in canteens, tent, sleeping bag, flashlight, first aid kit, etc. So again, this is a redundant backup for real emergencies, but I also think that I could get along OK with solely this kit.

- Matt

(My PSK for while on Coast Guard ships is the next project!)

My one concern... in about a month, take the duct tape off the mirror, see if it leaves anything behidnd. Or did you have something between the mirror and the tape.

I think I would dump some of the fishing items and add either some aspirin/tylenol/advil, immodium and or pepcid AC, possibly a few other meds, add a few bandaids, maybe switch out the iodine tabs for micropur tabs

The mirror I used came with the Ritter PSP. I left the protective film on the mirror side and used the duct tape for added protection and to insure that the film did not fall off with abuse.

I had 4 band aids but the kit wouldn't close. I did an analysis and decided that they were the odd man out. I know that food/fishing isn't a huge priority, but I also believe that band-aids are more for superficial wounds. The pads don't even fully encapsulate the wound, the side is left open for dirt to enter. With the antibiotics/antiseptics, wound closure strips, gauze, and duct tape from the kit as well as my pocketed bandanna, I'm fairly confident that I could handle a more severe wound. Though it would probably be a good idea to try and flatten some (maybe 2?) in a dictionary and then cram them in there ...

Hmmm, some pills might be good too, especially something like Immodium (if I do catch a bug). You have to be careful with aspirin - if you have a nasty injury, it can thin your blood and you'll start to bleed out again. Is the purpose of Advil/Tylenol in a survival kit just for pain management?

I read somewhere that MP-1 tablets needed to be kept in the foil packaging. I made a small compromise between quality and quantity. I hear that Potable Aqua is pretty effective and I was able to put 23 in there. Is there a huge difference in quality? Is the foil thing a correct representation of MP-1?

Nice kit. Good idea puting the whistle on the outside. Only thing I would do different it to go with better matches. I use the life boat ones and they have gotten some good reveiws.

I actually do have a vial of those around. I've never tried them out before but I do like what I've heard. Again, it came down to a quality vs quantity. The NATO lifeboat matches are much thicker then my stike anywheres, and I do like the prospect of being able to light a match without a special striker.

Can lifeboat matches be lit on any old match striker, or is the one on the lid of the vial special?

What does everyone else think, not just for my PSK but in general. In a limited amount of space, which are the best matches to use, keeping in mind that you can carry fewer lifeboat matches but the overall quality is arguably better?

Yes, MP-1 needs to be kept in their foil packaging, but doesn't potable aqua start to go bad as soon as you open the container? (ie transferring them into another container). Someone can probably clarify.

The reason people like MP-1 tabs is because they'll kill stuff the others won't. Potable Aqua won't nail viruses or cysts, like cryptosporidium, but MP-1 will. The way I look at it, there's no point in killing 90% of the bad things in the water, then getting sick anyway because of the things you couldn't kill.

I use MP-1 as primary water treatment in my PSK, but I also have AquaTabs as backup (they take up less room, but again don't kill as much as the MP-1 will)

Anything is better than nothing though <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Lifeboat matches should be able to utilize any striker designed for matches. They're nice... kind of like the NATO wind/waterproof matches. Burn like little flares. As far as what you use, it's up to you. Personally, if I could only have a handful of matches, I'd rather just go with a mini bic. If it does work, you get potentially hundreds of fires compared to a dozen for matches. If it malfunctions, you have your spark lite.

Still, you're right... you have to weigh quality vs. quantity when space is at a premium.

PA goes funny if you open it after about a year, or three years if closed. Now that I'm repacking PA, I replace it every six months. 8 bucks a year is a decent investment.

The reason I use PA still, now that MP is available in my area has to do with the smiple fact that water that's pure doesn't help if you can't get it down. Tried it, and almost hurled.

When in doubt, BOIL. 100C destroys pretty much everything.

However, now that I double checked, I see that you are using a clear/colorless bottle, Coastie. Wrap a label around the bottle, becuase they do break down due to light. Amber bottles are much better if you can get them.