You reminded me that I have meant to publicly thank Barry for going the extra mile. I needed some hard to find stuff in a hurry before I went over the pond to London and Barry got the goods to me super quickly and very inexpensively. I have absolutely no financial interest in Blueline, but this is a resource that we can't afford to take for granted and really need to support. Whenever I buy anything from now on, I am going to first see if Blueline has it, or can get it. His profit margin for these items can't be much, especially in that he breaks it up and sells us individual items we would otherwise have to buy in bulk. We need to keep this guy in business.<br> <br>By the way, if you are like me and have trouble getting started on putting together a decent psk, Blueline sells a "combat survival kit" made by B.C.B. International (Doug has reviewed it). They are very inexpensive (I think about $20) and Barry sends along a page of suggestions on how to improve it. If you follow those suggestions and Doug's, you very quickly end up with a serviceable kit to use while you are trying to learn the ins and outs and assemble your own "perfect" kit (which may NEVER happen in my case). This isn't very meaningful to the pros out there, but a great help to those like me (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE) who are the "survival illiterate". <br><br> Robb<br><br>

Robb, "survival illiterate"? The day I have the hubris to call myself literate old Mother Nature is going to backhand me. Anyone who becomes cognisant of being prepared is literate. The first book of matches and SAK in the pocket 24/7 is a kit. Perhaps not all the whistles and bells we would like, but light years ahead of the herd. Barry is indeed a valued resource and friend to this forum. The "pros" would be cobbling together pop bottle and old boot sock water filters without Barry and his peers. Looking at my socks, Id rather drink downstream from a drowned steer that is slipping it's hide :O(

I bought a bunch of things from Adventure Tools in December and had no problems. I bought boxes for six kits, and ran them out of some things like esbit stoves.<br><br>I got them at sales@adventuretools.com, you might also try:<br>negrino@adventuretools.com<br><br>Good luck.<br><br>P.S. I am now a happy Blueline customer.

I too would like to thank Barry for his help. I've been struggling for a couple of years to improve my survival kits. I contacted him through the EQS listing and my kits are a finally a few days away from completion. (until I improve them again). He has a great selection and next time I will go through him before I run to the local outdoor store. If everyone who is looking at completing kits here would use him first, he would greatly appreciate it I know and might, just might, be able to keep this great thing going.<br>IMHO :v) 9-fingers

Well, I've asked around at the local sushi establishments and the chefs do regognise the beaten-up former box that I have--- btw, It's not able to seal at this time-- I'm too sentimental to toss it though---I used to keep cigarettes in it back in my smoking days, and it went through its final beeting at the fire academy in my bunker coat....<br>They referred me to the local asian stores and to chinatown in Seattle-- where I couldn't find any help. So far the writing on it is a mystery-- I'll have to ask my Chinese-American neighbor and my Japanese mother-in-law. Also, I've got relatives in-law in Japan so I'll attempt to see if any might be avail. Thanks for all the posts.

My mother-in-law from the "old" country of post WWII Japan says the boxes used to be used for warming up a meal on the wood stove. Since that isn't done much anymore they aren't made apparently. Plastic is now used to heat up leftovers in the microvave, much as we typically do. I'll quit this discussion for now-- and will re-post if I find out something new. tx, 9fingers