Opinions on my kit

This is my survival kit:

1 heatsheet space blanket
12 ft. of paracord
1 Fox 40 micro whistle
1 Rescueflash signal mirror
1 Mini magnesium firestarter
1 spark-lite firestarter
12 tinder-quick
1 bottle of potable aqua tablets
1 brunton mini compass
1 photon mini light
1 mini first aid kit
1 razor blade that folds into its handle

This is all packaged in a 1/2 qt. "lock & lock" rubbermaid dish. The dish has markings on it for a 1/2 qt. to measure water to purify.

A few things to consider. I am carrying this kit while hunting and covering a lot of ground. I have tried carrying more, but I have found I am way more likely to leave the kit behind if its any bigger. I also carry a K&M matchcase loaded with 30 matches, a good fixed blade knife, a gerber telescopic saw, Fenix L1D light, two more compasses, and a 16. oz nalgene bottle.

What do you guys think? I know it lacks, but at least it will be carried. Thanks

Good! The space Blanket is a good idea but I prefer the bivy from the same company. And why 2 more compasses?

I have 2 compasses. As long as they both point the same direction, I know neither one is broken. Might be a good idea to get a third. That way, if one breaks, I'll be able to tell which one it is.

Add a Bic lighter (protect the button so it doesn’t leak out all of the butane) while it’s nice to play with fire steel (and I like doing it as much as anyone) and other fire making things, it’s also nice to just flick your Bick and have instant fire.




And 12-feet of cord is not enough, I would have at least 50-foot.

I would take a second knife, shaving a magnesium stick is very hard on a knife a small knife just for it is nice to have. I take the back of one of my knifes and file it to a flat edge, this helps with the magnesium shaving while saving the edge of the knife. I also use a small keychain pill bottle that I full with pre-shaved magnesium. Trying to shave this stuff in a high wind sucks, it’s nice to have it done already.

Also a package of dental floss (the military kind as there is a lot in the package) and a sewing kit. Dental floss is amazingly strong stuff, great for sewing and lashing things. It will work well for lashing a knife to a stick to turn it into a spear if needed.

A bivy and more cord would take up too much space, resulting in my kit not being carried.

I sometimes end up 5-6 miles of the road while tracking deer, so I really feel that having a few compasses is a good idea. Normally I would carry two, one pinned to me, and one in my pack, but I wanted my kit to have one as well.

I like the mag. stick because its versatile, and the spark-lite is good one handed. I usually have a bic in my pocket anyways to check wind direction.

Thanks

Look at a smaller diameter cord, such as a 2.7mm cord. A little more expensive than 550 cord, but you can carry more in the same space.
You may not be able to strip the lining from it though.

There is a lot of truth in what you are saying about shaving magnesium in wind. Living in Wyoming it is a constant force to be dealt with. Ranter and I took a drill with a 3/8 bit to a fire stick and got a LOT of shavings in about 5 seconds. Do that numerous times and stash them in a pill carrier like you said and wah-la lots of fire starter!

I realalize you are trying to keep it light and small, but I would change out the 16 oz. nalgene for a 32 oz. now you don't have to measure when you have to use the pills to purify the water.

How cold is it where you hunt?

It can drop down to below zero.

As far as the 32oz. nalgene over the 16, the Potable aqua pill bottle says two tablets per quart. 16oz. is 1/2 a quart, so one pill should do it. Am I wrong?

Thanks guys for your opinions.

Glad to hear from another hunter! I chose rubbermaid because its quiet and the size was perfect for what i needed. I thought about snarewire, but my kit can't hold another item. Thanks though.

I have also magnesium firestarter (but I don´t use it at all, I have casted it aside). But there was a warning that you should not shave the magnesium in advance and carry it like that. I guess the warning is there for a reason but I don´t know what exactly would be the problem.

As for the Spark-lite I don´t trust it at all - but that´s just my experience and personal opinion. Anyway you have a backup. See my review on EDC forums http://edcforums.com/index.php?topic=17216.0 (my nickname there is "vfx", "raptor" had been already taken).

I would also add some small candle to your kit.

" so one As far as the 32oz. nalgene over the 16, the Potable aqua pill bottle says two tablets per quart. 16oz. is 1/2 a quartpill should do it. Am I wrong?"


No, I frogot some require 2 pills per quart, I use the type that only require 1

Because it's not flammable as long as it's in bar form. If you have a bag of magnesium shavings and somehow it gets ignited, nothing is going to stop it from burning.

Swap the razor for a SAK or multitool. If you take the SAK, a small pair of needle nose pliers is a great thing to add, particularly if they have GOOD wire cutters. You can find barbed wire in the darndest places.

Bigger water bottle, maybe even a pair. I really have come to like having a Gouyet stainless steel bottle in my gear, just as much as I like have a GSI/Olicamp cup on the bottom of my lexan bottle(s).

+1 on the dental floss. It's tiny and darn useful.

I know people like their Fenix's, but a headlamp is so freaking useful. A year ago, I would have said "well, their OK", then I got a good one. It's been in my EDC since the new year. :P

And the reason some people don't suggest pre-shaving the magnesium is that it will oxidize. IIRC, the oxidization reaction is largely self limiting, so it is only the surface, but a spark or even a match won't light it at that point.

As mentioned in an earlier post, Best Glide has some neat tins for storing equipment. Another site you may consider is bepreparedtosurvive.com. They have lots of interesting items and storage containers of various sorts that might be of interest.

An additional storage container for treating water might be something to add to you small kit. A large oven bag for roasting a turkey packs down really small. If you cut it in half it'll compress to the size of a condom, but much more durable. You can pre-measure it and mark it with a Sharpie for convenience.

Never thought about this. My pill storage container has an o-ring seal, I wonder if this will prevent the oxidation?

Doubt it. Probably plenty of air in the container.

-john

I’m going to leave the shavings in it all winter long, have to see what it looks like this spring.

Just fill the container with an inert gas.....

:-)

-john

My thoughts (which are worth exactly zero, but still...)

- Well done for carrying a kit. It looks quite well pur together. If I were carrying it I would:

- swap the sparklite for a bic. Much easier to use, and the mag bar is back up (and you have matches) You can get a lot of improvised tinders lit with a bic that won't with a sparklite

- I'd add a tiny pocketknife rather than the razor (a mini-SAK perhaps) - still sharp but easier to use. If there was room, I'd add thin SAK with a blade and a saw

- I'd add more cord - needn't all be thick like paracord

- I'd also add a bag for water carry (just a decent plasic bag that would carry 16 oz for your purification tabs to work with) and either foil or a loaf tin to make a cooking pot with (because these are really hard to improvise) Add something like a bouillon cube and you can get a hot drink together - real morale booster

- BUT don't let this swell your kit to the point you won't carry it!