Well, I live in San Francisco bay area, so that is pretty urban. What I am trying to say is that, I will not go live off the land for two month with this kit. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I look at this kit from a dual use point of view: disaster and everyday use.

For a disaster (earthquakes here) one would worry about being trapped in a collapsed building, for example at work, thus a Mylar blanket and whistle. Also, if memory serves me well, many injuries during Loma Prieta earthquake were due to burns from fires that got started because of busted gas lines, thus the burn gel.

Everything else in the kit are dual use items: flashlight, Gerber Mini Clutch, duct tape, and a first aid kit (what if I get a headache! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> )

I am building another one for my wife and she specifically requested to have the whistle clipped on the outside for easy access. (She works in a seedy neighborhood)

I like your idea about sewing kit and safety pins, thanks

The pouch is basically a soft sided inhaler case , and since its soft-sided it can accumulate a little bit of extra gear.