I'm not certain about others, but for me socially it can be rather difficult to carry around a hip pack and certainly a man purse is out. Sure, if I'm going out hiking or biking, a backpack, fanny pack or Camelbak isn't a big deal. But just walking through the mall or going out to eat?? Nada. I try to wear Cargo pants and carry a fair amount of equipment, but even that's not always possible.

My point is that the only equipment you can use is that which you have with you, and in some situations you can't have anything larger without looking the fool. I think that for the smaller kits like an Altoids tin, it's a safety net. They aren't an end-all to survival kits and I think everyone here would agree with you that more is better. There are times I could see a small kit in a pocket being useful, but more importantly, I'm worried about the times that I can't forsee. Plus, you can split up that fanny pack into a couple of large mint tins and put them in your pockets - much easier to get away with.

Just because it's a hobby (as you say - may never get used) for some it doesn't mean that it's any less important for us. I'd probably include myself in that since I don't go in the bush or fly my own plane, etc. Normal people find themselves in emergency situations all the time. Knowledge is most important, but even a tiny little kit can save your tail.