Survival kits? Not really. Making a dedicated survival kit was quite a bit of a stretch for me because there was absolutely no way to cram the survival item I consider most important into one: A shelter. I avoided the survival-in-a-tin-can concept for years, it didn't fit the way I did things.


That doesn't mean I wasn't prepared going outdoors. In between boy scouting, our own wilderness family trips (day hiking, day skiing) and most importantly: The mountain code which has been repeated on national public television ever since I was born. For years, I've been carrying a bivy bag and similar stuff around whenever I'm off the pavement.


Fitting the PSK into my mode of operation was quite a journey, but I finally got there. You can follow the process starting here (PSK sharing thread), with additional posts later in that thread. Come to think of it, I should make some updates to that thread, it doesn't deserve to die.

I still carry the same emergency stuff as before, but now in a much more organized manner. In particular, my small and large PSK is a huge improvement in my ability to repair and improvise stuff. And it is valuable backup for some vital items. And it makes packing for a trip much easier: It's much easier to remember PSK (big or small) than the sum of individual items.

Funny thing is, I carry less than before. Being more organized means I'm better at cutting away stuff that isn't really needed.