I found this at my mom's house last week, left on top of the back of a shelf in the basement. My dad (who died about 4 years ago) was alway one to have some extra "stuff" around, and here's one of several bare bones survival kits he'd keep in a trunk or sitting around for when we went camping or whatever.





This thing is at least 30 years old, as evidenced by it being in a one-pound Kroger's coffee can. Dad made his own wire coat hanger bail handle. There's the residue of a strip of duct tape that held the lid on - that stuff never dies. Then there's the contents: Four paper cups, a plastic bag holding several tea bags and two books of paper matches, a broken plastic spoon and fork, two candles and a large rubber band. I'm sure there had once been a few other odds and ends in there - a can of sterno or a can of sardines. Those were the kinds of things my dad kept around.

Finding it was a real blast from the past - took me back to summer days canoeing or waiting out a tornado warning in the basement with candles, the radio on and playing a card game.

So - proof that I come by this packrat/low budget survival kit habit honestly. :-)

Dave