An Altoid tin can't contain bulky items such as a shelter, food and drink. Part of the idea is that the tin provides tools to help you acquire those things from the environment.
The emphasis is on items which are hard to improvise. For example, there's no real substitute for light, and if it's pitch dark it's hard to improvise a torch from found materials, or to do anything else, really. Hence a small photon light in the PSK. There should also be a knife, cordage, something to start a fire, and means to carry water, because those things, while possible to improvise in the wild, can be really tricky or time consuming.
True. But I often fold a space blanket or disposable poncho up - and guess what - they fit in a pocket that would take an altoids tin. And wrapping yourself in a space blanket is a lot easier than trying to whip up a lean-to under pressure.
Shelter is the big short coming in most psks, but actually, the bare minimum is easy to take.
(As an aside - I use my edc odds and ends all the time - not to survive airplane crashes or teotwawki, but the more usual mini-crises that plague us - a snapped bootlace out walking or a gashed knuckle at work. Survival doesn't have to mean disasters, and a stitch in time....)
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