It's important to reiterate that a mini-knife in a mini-kit is part of the last ditch "I've lost everything but this" effort.

I understand Doug's logic with the scalpel blades. IIRC, he states that he's assuming you've got a decent pocket knife or fixed blade knife on your person at all times. The scalpel blade can be lashed onto a stick (there's wire in his kit) if all else fails. My own thinking is that adding something like I have now to each PSP, the little Buck 283, the Gerber LST Ultralight, and a SAK Classic are all better choices than simply a blade (although in my Altoids tin kit, I have a single edge razor as that's all I could fit and what I had on hand). The reason I don't like the Classic or other small non-locking blade for a PSK is the risk of accident with the blade closing. It's not a good time for that to happen. While there's no first aid kit in Doug's kit, there is some duct tape and most of us carry a hankie or kleenix (or a shirt) so a bandaid can be fashioned. I stuck a couple alcohol wipes in each kit for wound cleansing or back up tinder.

From what I've seen to date, the little Gerber LST Ultralight is the most compact of the designs that fit's a PSK well although the slightly thicker Buck 283 has a better, more ergonomic handle. I imagine the blades would be of similar quality. A small knife like this could safely fuzz a stick, sharpen one, and with good knife technique probably do more. The new Ritter PSK fixed blade knife will likely be better still and only slightly more dough. I'll get one to replace the Classic in my last PSP.

One last thing, all of us know better than to think that a little PSK is a great solution to being stuck out on an unplanned overnight, especially in cold, wet, or snowy weather. However, I reject the notion that a small, *well-designed* kit has poor or useless components of low quality. Everything in Doug's kit and my own home-assembled PSK in an Altoids tin are of good quality and will not likely fail you in dire circumstances.

I think the main thing one has to do in a survival situation, depending on weather, is find shelter. Depending on where you are, that may be easy or hard (woodlands are easier than desert) and that's the one thing these kits don't address. However, the firestarting equipment is good as is the signaling equipment in the PSP. The cordage and wire can help with shelter building. The fishing kit is pointless but the additional heavy thread is not. A few other items are nice to have but maybe not as important as others. The fresnel lens could be a godsend to those of us who need reading glasses and don't have bifocals. Can start a fire when the sun's out too.

Most of us put foil in a kit like this but for fashioning a water container or cookpot, it's a poor choice. For a large, reflective signaling device, it might be pretty good as well as a wind break or base for a fire. The inclusion of a condom or, perhaps better, an oven bag for water gathering is doable (I've added an oven bag to each kit. There are no water tabs or any meds because he states he didn't want a kit with things that will expire but I've added 4 water tabs to mine. The knife was just really the last item I though should be in the kit. If we were smart, we'd clip the kit to a Heat Sheet or fold a 45 gallon yard bag over it and secure it with a couple of rubber bands. Then, we could even add shelter to a shirt/pants pocket kit!