This may have been covered here, but I couldn't find it if that's the case.

Field & Stream How To

John D. McCann (Are you a member, John?), has a photo guide to building an Altoids kit, and a couple of different sized larger kits. At the end where he lists his resources I thought I would definitely see ETS or Doug Ritter acknowledged, but it wasn't so. I know survival preparedness and mini kits weren't invented by the members here, or Doug, but I can't help but think the author did some research here. I guess things get passed around and nobody knows where the info comes from. I do notice that he his selling a book on the subject, so how many books would he sell if people found this site?

I saw the article, but I will stick with this site for recommendations on good survival gear : ).

I am not going to get into a pissing match over McCann or what influence this site may have on his equipment choices. You can draw your own conclusions by simply looking at the evidence. He's been successful at promoting himself and his book and more power to him. If it encourages one extra person to be better prepared than the ultimate objective is served. I do this to save lives. The karma will take care of itself. <g>

OTOH, I suppose members here could mail the editors of F&S with their suggestion of ETS as a survival kit reference...perhaps they'll even publish one of the letters.

Regular magazine readers know when a' contributing editor' needs a new differential after the 4WD trip a 2WD operator is smart enough not to attempt. In firearms, it's; .22 most usefull cartridge? 30-06 most usefull cartridge? The 'survival industry' is a very small economic pie of wild gathered berries and freeze dried # 10 cans of flour. Thats why everyone is 'the worlds recognised greatest expert' sells a knife that predicts high tide through calibrated holes and, confronted with a technical question either A. tells the poser to seek the answer from their assigned spirit animal guide, or B. discretely consults the USAF survival manual hidden inside their blanket coat. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I just looked at the slides. That's not bad advice he is giving. Only quibble's I have are no Spark-lite and I would bin the Pure tablets in faviour of MP1's.
If he's making money off his book, so what? We all have to earn a living.

Totally true. There are plenty of "experts" out there. I found this site because of another site's Altoid Survival kit pictures and descriptions. It's hardly a patented item! But, like the article, it doesn't necessarily explain the whys or the hows. I came here for that, and I agree with Doug. A letter to the editor isn't amiss here.

One thing is for sure, it will get some people interested in the gear they carry and survival. Both are positives. The fact that some guy makes money off of it? Well, there are plenty of people here who make money off of it! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I have a beef with a number of items he selects. I asked him, some time in the past, about the inclusion of the StarFlash instead of a good glass mirror. He responded that he is giving an example of the kind of things one should carry not specific brands or models.

Sorry mate, In the nicest possible fashion: I sometimes get the impression that you belong to the "Thou Shalt Have A Glass Mirror All The Days Of Your Life And Non-other" school.
The problem with a glass mirror, as I understand it, is that they are:
1) Expensive.
2) Breakable.
3) Difficult to obtain.
4) Heavy.
In an ideal world we would have a mirror that has the optical purity of glass with the durability of the Star Flash.
There is also the issue of range. If it's for use at sea, Yes. For use on land, No. Range is comparitivley short on land. Unless it's a desert or arctic enviroment.
I would be inclined to beg, borrow or steal a copy of his book, read it and then pass judgement.
I wonder if he would be willing to have the book peer reviewed before publication?

I need 25 kits for my scouts does any one pre-build these or would it be cheaper to DIY?

there are manufacture thar make pre-made PSK (personal survival kits). Many of them are reviewed in the survivalkit section of this website

On the question of price, it really depends on what you put in such a kit. If you put simple and easily availible things, you can buy them in bulk and thus cheaper. If you need specialized equipment, which are hard to get and pricy. Than some pre-made kit are cheaper. Although i don't own the PSP survival kit. It does appear to have good price/quality ration.

If nothing else it would be more FUN to build it with the scouts!

The ETS PSP is pretty nice, and you get a lot of high quality for the price. Plus it gives some money back to this site. There are some posts on here where people tried to create their own PSPs and spent a lot more money than they would have if they just bought Doug's kit in the first place.

That being said, you may not need everything that's in there or you can find alternatives. You can come up with different fire sources (flint, mini bic, matches), and make your own PJ Cotton balls, and I've converted hard drive platters into very effective and cheap mirrors. I think it would be interesting to see what you come up with for the lowest cost and it would certainly be an educational exercise and team building for the scouts (put them in groups of 5 to see what they come up with for alternatives, etc.).

If you buy a bunch, I'd see about getting a bulk discount from a retailer.

Ouch! <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

I enjoyed the article. Thank you.

-- Craig

Been debating how I wanted to answer this....

He is a member, and no he isn't me. He's mostly a lurker, I don't remember his handle, *something*fox*something* I think it was.

I do have his book. It isn't bad. He comes across as credible, but as for his organazational schema looking like Doug's.... I'm going to be nice, and say that parallel invention is a well documented thing.

The book itself has some interesting ideas in it, and is fairly well written. But I there isn't much in there if you've printed and bindered hard copy of Doug's writtings. I think the big and vehicles kits that McCann built work better for my enviroment than Doug's, but that's because he's about 150 miles almost due west of me and he thinks in terms of being on foot. (Sorry, Doug.) But that's just a matter of a more similar set of location and circumstance. The walking stick kit is kinda fun, but the rifle kit is a little silly (and scary) and the microkits made me laugh.

I would say the best thing McCann has done is set up his online store, which has all the little stuff in one place, rather than paying five or six sets of shipping. But it isn't quiet ready for primetime yet, IMHO.

i have to agree with Doug ... members should write to F&S (especially subscribers) and point out the ETS site and it's contribution(s).

Also, that some of the items in the PSK are now being replaced by better or more practical/engineered. ie

Storm Matches
Arc Lites
Better Photons
Erbwurst
water purification
etc etc

point some of the obvious too