Jason,
That is one of the problem with kits that don't stay on the person. As you mentioned when your bottle PSK was strapped to your boat; if you had lost your boat you were left with what was in your pockets and on your person.
That is my main problem with the whole bottle PSK thing. You have to at least strap it to your belt or something and you may be tempted to remove it.

In some ways I have begun to believe that some PSK's are too large and have too many things in them making them prohibitive to carry. Even the small pocket sized kits can be too big in some cases.
One example is trail running. I run in the local East Bay parks; they are quite wild for being in the Bay Area but most of the time I am on trails that I am familiar with are easily followed. None the less I still like to have some emergancy gear but I can't put a PSK even one as small as Doug's PSP in my pockets and I don't want to carry a pack. So I clip a Mini-Grip in my waistband and I put a Photon, mini Bic and whistle in the tiny pocket on my shirt or shorts. In cool weather I carry a very light windshell but in summer no jacket. This is about all I could stand to carry when only going out for an hour run. Point being that sometimes all you really need are some basics and knowledge because to carry more might not be appropriate. In a bad situation I might wish I had more gear but in the case of an hour trail run how much more can you carry before it inhibits your running?

In that case you've made a conscious and educated choice to less equipped to balance other parameters. I guess my question is have you looked for an alternative carrier that are compatible to your activity and environment?

I ask because to compare something in the Bay Area on dry land to something like canoing in a more remote area is like comparing oranges to broccoli- not even the same shape. Hiking in most places is kinda like your runs, and thus analogous to cauliflour; a small kayak or day sailer in the Bay is kinda like canoing, so kinda like an apple.

And being in the Bay Area, how close are you to your car when you are running? Or do you not bother with a car kit because it doesn't fit in the pockets of your running shorts? Becuase it does sound like you are dismissing water bottle based kits because they don't fit a very specific and narrow role. They are a bit more general purpose than what you are describing, and more capable. They don't fit in every non-emergency scenario, no one kit does.

Yes, while running near my home I am usually only 3-5 miles from my car. So yes I make a descision to go with less because it is pretty pedestrian compared to other outings.

I have looked into other carry options and so far I find they move around too much unless they are small and have little room for extra gear. I have been looking at some fanny packs that hold either bottles or bladders but the ones that stay put while runnung have almost no extra capacity; mostly a small zippered pouch to hold keys and a pack of sports gel.

I agree that you need to adjust you gear to the endeavor but sometimes it is still limited by space and weight. If I am on an alpine style rock climb I may have a 10 mile approach each way so therefore I am far from my car but I still have to go quite light or it inhibits climbing; just what I can stuff in my Camelbak (Mule I think)so I am quite limited.

But all in all outside is outside and exposure can kill you on land and sea so the survival basics remain the pretty much the same. You still have to address the basic needs to stay warm, hydrated and getting rescued. In many cases (TWAWKI) any gear that addresses anything beyond this is extraneous. That does not mean it is worth having just that it is not necessary. The fishing part of some kits is an example.

In any situation you will need water; so having a water conatiner filled with anything other than water means you need to carry a second container with the water or you are not carrying any water at all . If you are in the wilderness you must have water so the obvious choice is to take water with you in a container and then refill in the field if need be. I rarely carry two Nalgene bottles at one time so for me the bottle kit has little value. My bottle is already filled with water.

I agree that the Nalgene bottles are great containers and have on occasion used them to keep somethng dry but normally I use them to contain liquids. I also agree that keeping a bottle based kit in a place like your trunk makes sense but as a kit you intend to carry it does not make sense to me.

As far as a car kit my car is very equpped but it does no good if I am not at my car.

I made a "half size" PSK out of the tin that Altoids gum comes in. A few matches, about a foot of mason line, a little over a foot of duct tape, an Inova LED (Photon size). If you haven't seen the tim, it's probably 1/3 the size of a regular Altoid tin. You could probably throw a razor blade in as well.

Yea I have played around with the mini PSK too.

Who says you only get to have one???!!!

I have four myself. My smallest/lightest is a keyring model. That's in my pocket always for everyday urban movement (work, shopping, whatever). Except when I decide to carry my larger urban kit, which has more stuff carried in a micro-sized camera pouch. That's fine in a jean or jacket pocket, but slightly too bulky for all day comfort.

Then for outdoors I have my Altoids tin kit that is always in my pocket when I am hiking. For longer hikes, or remote hikes, or solo hikes, or when I'm carrying my larger daypack I also carry my Nalgene kit in the pack. Along with extra clothing, food, emergency bivy, etc. that won't fit into the Nalgene bottle (this extra gear is carried seperately in my pack).

Same deal with knives. 90% of the time I have a Spyderco Native clipped into my pocket. But for church and other more formal occassions I opt for a smaller and more discrete knife inside my pocket. For a run inside the airport, no knife. For sporting events during "orange alert" conditions where they may wand you down, a small CRTK "PECK" that generally isn't picked up. And if it is, many don't recognize it as a knife or think it's so cute that they don't bother with it.

I think that a nalgene bottle is too large to be a survival kit. You will need to carry it in a backpack, and most likely will already have a nalgene bottle for water. I could see a nalgene kit as a car kit. Personally i think the extra nalgene is better used as a humidor for some stogies!

I peronally don't carry numerous kits. I have survival gear on my person. Sometimes in a PSK like Doug's PSP or something I made up. After that I dont' make up addtional kits to carry; I just add the gear I need. One exception is a FAK.

There was a time when I used to hike with the "kitchen sink". I used to backpack with huge packs full of all kinds of gear and back up gear. Then I started climbing and mountaineering in the Sierra and had to learn the fast and light approach. You just can't cover enough ground carrying a lot of weight.
Much our or "survival gear" is emergency stuff that we don't use regularly. In many cases I am willing to go without much of it.
As long as I can get warm, get shelter from the elements, get water and signal I am happy. Maybe it comes from the climbing ethos but gear does not always replace skill and knowledge.

I have to agree with you. Rather then carrying a PSK, I put a lighter in one pocket, a knife in another, and carry a whistle and a handkercheif. Dedicated survival kits, with the exception of my car kit, don't really make much sense to me. For hikes I carry more gear, but I'm more likely to use it in the normal course of as I am to need it in an emergency. For example, I carry a brew kit with a steel cup that fits over a Nalgene bottle and a stove so I can make a quick cup of hot chocolate. In an emergency that could be critical for getting or staying warm, but mostly I just like to be able have hot chocolate if I stop for a break. I do carry dedicated emergency gear (like the whistle), but I don't carry survival kits. I find it better to distribute things around my person and pack.

There is potential for nalgene kits.

First read this article:
http://www.alpharubicon.com/prepinfo/disposablecachelrrp.htm

Now, how about someone who frequently backpacks to some favorite spots and wants to be prepared? I guess a few Nalgene bottles filled with extra (seldom used) survival items can be cached along the way and around those favorite camping/fishing/hunting spots and they can make a valuable asset in case something happens like losing your gear or whatever.