I think someone has to chime inhere and point out that every piece of gear you stuff into or onto a life jacket is going to make the life jacket heavier, bulkier and less comfortable. While a lack of comfort and extra bulk and weight may be an acceptable if your a parajumper diving in after drowning boaters on a stormy sea the biggest problem for most people is not a lack of gear in their life jacket. It is simply getting ourselves and others to wear a life jacket.

Load a lifejacket down with a bunch of gear may end up being counterproductive simply because the weight and bulk make it too uncomfortable to put on and wear every time your on deck.

Also it should be pointed out that if you fall over twenty miles offshore most of that gear is just extra weight and an impediment. A mirror, a small combination flare/smoke signal and a knife may come in handy but the compass, candle, firestarter and blanket are useless.

On the other hand if your failing to claw your way off a lee shore in a storm and the rocks and wilderness shore is close enough to have some chance of getting to in one piece. The land oriented survival gear may prove useful if your forced to jump and swim for it.

The wider point being that the selection of survival gear to carry varies widely depending on the situation your in.

For every-day generally mild condition sailing close to a well populated shore the biggest obstacle is simply getting yourself to wear a life jacket. Everything else is secondary.

Offshore your concern is first simply wearing the life jacket and, if you get separated from your boat, getting spotted so you can be rescued. The weight and bulk of the fire starting kit would be better served including something to help you get spotted. And none of the gear will help you if the life jacket isn't comfortable enough to wear so you have it on when that boom sweeps you over the side.

Faced with a lee shore too bloody close for comfort, help hours away ,and nothing but rocks and bears ashore the survival on land gear might come in handy if you make it to shore alive. Of course, for me, a question is if the best place for this gear might not be in a Ditch bag. Hopefully one that you can use as a float as you fight your way ashore. Ashore it might be nice if the stuff was in a small backpack.

Instead of loading down your life jacket all the time the better course may be to keep all but the most light and basic gear, useful in all situations; perhaps just a small light, whistle, and knife; and keeping other gear in separate small bags that can be attached to or stuffed in the life jacket to optimize the kit to the situation.

In fair weather close to an occupied shore you just have the jacket and the few basic pieces. Offshore you add a packet of distress signals. With that lee shore coming up fast you go with that and extra survival gear you may want if you make it to shore.