[Congo]

Everyone has a vehicle.
Everyone has a boat.
Everyone has a backpack.
Everyone has a buttpack.

...and all of those can get separated from your body.

There are plastic/alum containers the size of a cigarette pack that can fit in your front pocket. Almost no matter what happens, you'll still be wearing your britches.

So....construct a "survival pack" that will fit into your front pocket.

 

[Kiwi_Bowhunter]

It's not a survival pack. It's some last ditch equipment.
Maybe a small knife,
Roll of cordage,
Compass,
Firesteel,
Survival Blanket,
Small Sewing Kit,
Water puritabs,
Platypus Bottle.
But you'd be having a hard time for an extended stay if you lost everything except what you had in your pockets.

 

[Dougzilla]

20 Fishing Hooks (for fishing)
Fishing Line (for fishing)
45 Pound Fishing Leader Wire (for snares)
Gerber Multitool (for multiple uses)
Band Aids (for first aid)
Neosporin (for first aid)
Mylar Emergency Blanket (for element protection)
Emergency Poncho (for element protection)
Small Compass (for navigation)
Magnesium Firesteel (for fire)
Dryer Lint (for fire)
Plastic Bags (water collection & storage)

I could probably get more in there if i took care packing it up tight.

 

[twyggy]

Ferro rod, lighter, compass, sewing needles, thread, tweezers, razorblades, SMALL fish hooks, 20 yards of 2lb test, superglue, iodine, matches, and maybe a small powerful magnet if it wouldn't mess the compass' bearing up.

I reckon I could fit all that in a pocket tin. Fun exercise! Thanks!

 

[haha49]

Knife... magnisum firestarter few matchs.. and some fishing line and hooks and some snare wire.. other then that you dont really need much more you can make most of other things it just takes time..

For knife it would have to be a swiss army knife because it would have to do more then 1 job..

 

[haha49]

20 Fishing Hooks (for fishing)
Fishing Line (for fishing)
45 Pound Fishing Leader Wire (for snares)
Gerber Multitool (for multiple uses)
Band Aids (for first aid)
Neosporin (for first aid)
Mylar Emergency Blanket (for element protection)
Emergency Poncho (for element protection)
Small Compass (for navigation)
Magnesium Firesteel (for fire)
Dryer Lint (for fire)
Plastic Bags (water collection & storage)

I could probably get more in there if i took care packing it up tight.

Id like to see that packed up

 

[Dougzilla]

Id like to see that packed up

I'll do it tomorrow :

 

[twyggy]

I'll do it tomorrow :

It's gotta be packed up AND in your front pocket. :

 

[needlepimp]

good quality Pocket knife
Fishing line / Hooks
10 feet type 1 cord
6 feet type 3 cord

 

[rapiddagger]

A key,the one to the lock on the Conex box door hidden on my BOL. The box that contains all of my survival gear and weapons that were not in my pack,boat,or truck.:

 

[Congo]

Id like to see that packed up

That's it. The multi tool alone wouldn't fit. I needed to be a bit more specific in the parameters. Seeing as we're all outdoor types, assume we have a belt knife on--as no one should ever be outdoors w/o one, IMO.
It can be whatever flavor you want, but folders aren't something one wants to bet their life in in the boonies.

Back to your front pocket lifesaver...

A good way to conceptualize this--if you don't have a front pocket container is to get a bar of dial soap and make it no bigger than that. Even the plastic soap containers that are rounded on top would be too big as everyone has to remember, you're going to have this in your front pocket all the time, walking, sitting, climbing, and yes, wading/fishing, etc.

A lighter and a compass would about take the whole thing also.

Any rope/cord would take the whole thing up also. One can bypass the cord option by wearing a military belt....and do a quick wrap the container itself with some thin nylon "tape" like on one of those rectractable dog leashes.

Here's my Sig's.
You can see a multi-tool next to it. That's the length. Width is about 2 1/8 inches, depth is about 3/4 an inch.

One can also cut a metal signal mirror down and put it in the back of it. Won't take up much room.

Now, back to your project.... :

 

[Enscheff]

Can I assume that everyone is carrying a multitool or pocket knife in one pocket and is always wearing shoes with laces?

Bic lighter (can light many more fires than matches)
Purification tabs (you can likely find a bottle to hold water anywhere)
Emergency blanket
Signal mirror cut to the size of the back of the container
Duct tape wrapped around the container to hold the mirror in place

I imagine that is about all you could fit in something so small.
You could make fire, make drinking water, and have something to keep you somewhat warm and somewhat dry if worse comes to worst.

I wouldn't waste space on things like cordage and FAK supplies. Those are the kinds of things that take up a ton of space to have enough to be useful, and the space simply isn't there. A few bandaids would not be worth the space since any cut that would be fixed by one would pretty much stop bleeding on its own. You would not be able to carry enough cordage to be more useful than just using your shoelaces.

As far as things like fishing kit, I don't see the point. With that small amount of gear, catching fish would be a waste of time. You would never sit to fish because you would constantly need to be on the move.

 

[Rascals]

our assuming that it does? My wife wounders all the time if it does.

 

[Congo]

Can I assume that everyone is carrying a multitool or pocket knife in one pocket and is always wearing shoes with laces?

Sounds reasonable.
But if you remove your laces, how are you going to walk on rocky/hot/thorny ground?

Bic lighter (can light many more fires than matches)
Purification tabs (you can likely find a bottle to hold water anywhere)
Emergency blanket
Signal mirror cut to the size of the back of the container
Duct tape wrapped around the container to hold the mirror in place

I've been to a lot of places where there weren't any bottles or cans to hold water. I had my Sig place here pocketpack in a gallon sized HD freezer ziplock bag w/the idea that she could use that to hold water.
Good call on the water tabs.
Why not just cut the metal mirror to fit inside the container?
I've never used an emergency blanket. I figure if I could get a fire going, that'll do or I'll keep moving to keep my furnace going.
She also has a bic for the reason you said, not counting "strike anywhere" matches are cheap nowadays and those PC tip can come off/aged, so they don't work.
But if you also see in hers, she has one of these, string removed.
http://www.rei.com/product/737335
and a few waxed jute strings. Both are waterproof and neither break.

She also had one of these firestarters, where it promptly broke.

No biggie tho as I now have that flint to use in my front pocket pack.
And this is why I don't recommend folders for survival use.

She ignited the waxed jute string like that. Gotta love such a woman. :thumb:

A few bandaids would not be worth the space since any cut that would be fixed by one would pretty much stop bleeding on its own.

Nope, but she has a gauze pad and a partial roll of smashed down coban.
http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/...E3E02LECFTDQGKG4_nid=RMTKDJPQGBbeB385P3RT67gl

Also, a few vicodin/percocet, some anti-diarreah, and said water purifcation tabs.

As far as things like fishing kit, I don't see the point. With that small amount of gear, catching fish would be a waste of time. You would never sit to fish because you would constantly need to be on the move.

I agree.
Plus, how many people have fishing tackle, rods, bait and still never catch anything? If I were to do anything like that it'd be building a fish trap.

 

[Ali Legend]

A bigass mother****ing gun to shoot ****

 

[Texas Patriot]

It's true, you can be separated from your butt pack, back pack, kit , and be left with what is on your person. But who says you'll have your clothes on? You may be bathing in the river, when a big, mean , nasty,( and impolite) saber toothed raccoon charges you! You take off, running through the woods, screaming bloody murder, then quickly climb a tree. Only to find raccoons can climb trees as well ! Oh, the horror! Jump from the tree , roll out and keep running! Ah, you lost him! But you also left all your gear in the Altoids tin in your shirt pocket! What to do?! No worries, you have cleverly packed a mini survival pack in a water bottle and created.... THE SURVIVAL SUPPOSITORY!!! Now you can always have a kit with you! To use the survival suppository, you first..... TP

 

[WILL]

I've heard this concept before. Some call it a BOAT. Bug Out Altoid Tin.

 

[Enscheff]

Sounds reasonable.
But if you remove your laces, how are you going to walk on rocky/hot/thorny ground?

I've been to a lot of places where there weren't any bottles or cans to hold water. I had my Sig place here pocketpack in a gallon sized HD freezer ziplock bag w/the idea that she could use that to hold water.

Why not just cut the metal mirror to fit inside the container?

I've never used an emergency blanket. I figure if I could get a fire going, that'll do or I'll keep moving to keep my furnace going.

Also, a few vicodin/percocet, some anti-diarreah, and said water purifcation tabs.

I like this thread, so I will keep playing...

I would estimate that 90% of the things you would want cordage for, you would be setting up camp. Making a shelter, hanging something for some reason, etc. In those situations, you could easily trudge around camp with your shoes on loosely. If you make your laces long enough, you could cut pieces off and still have enough to keep your shoes tied.

There is probably no chance I would ever be stranded somewhere with only an Altoid tin of gear that I wouldn't be able to find some old junk bottle or can to hold water in. You can walk up and down any river in the world and find 20 plastic bottles every 100 yards. Any urban, suburban, or rural area will have trash littered everywhere. Finding a bottle or can will not be a problem unless you are stranded in a life raft.

The mirror would be on the outside of the tin because it was a good excuse to wrap the tape around the tin and mirror. I guess it really doesn't matter, but it would save a small amount of space to have it on the outside of the tin.

The emergency blanket would come in handy if you can't light a fire for some reason. Or if it is raining. Or if you want to make large signal to summon help form the air.

I really like the idea of some pain killers (though probably just Advil in mine) and Amodium AD. Those are most certainly small pieces of FAK that could provide immediate benefits that could make a real difference if you had to use this kit for a day or two.

Let's face it, any gear in a kit like this geared towards several days (fishing gear) is pretty pointless.

 

[harlequin]

in a cigarette pack sized container?

not for "end of the world" survival, but "back country things go wrong" survival, i'd put a lighter and bullion cubes in it.

bullion has lots of salt, which you need, and is slightly more nutritious than just water, and they are small, light, and don't go bad.

 

[Congo]

I've heard this concept before. Some call it a BOAT. Bug Out Altoid Tin.

I got this idea after seeing one of those "i shouldn't be alive" or similar show. Two people were dropped off in alaska and while floating down a river, the canoe capsized and all their gear went off into never never land. IIRC, then were shot under an ice shelf and when they came up on the other side, they had nothing but what was in their pockets.

Granted, for most, they are near other people/places, so they're never more than an hour or two from safety. However, not all are. Vast areas out west are like that and if you don't have a cell phone (or one that works/that's in range w/a GPS), you might just die before someone finds you.

If one RV/Car/Truck camps or does the campground thing, one really needn't worry about this. We go into wild/high areas of unpredictable weather and not a lot of people--the further and less, the better. We could be come separated; packs can fall off cliffs, people can steal your gear, etc.

Last fall, I even realized how close this could hit home for me when I had to leave the area further and further to get wood for fuel. That's an ideal situation for the front pocket pack as all my gear would be back at camp without me. I could get lost in BFE in daytime wear, no gear, nothing.