# Need some ideas



## Genevieve (Sep 21, 2009)

I came across some small metal tins like altoids that have/had mints in them. I'm hoping to find more somewhere. I don't even know where I got these. I found them in the junk drawer

I need some suggestions as to what kinds of things to keep in them in my bob and ghb.

I was thinking maybe keeping fishing line in one and using the hole in the corner of the plastic cover that snaps in to feed it out. the tin would fit in the altoids tin I have set up with the emergency fishing gear in it.




























any ideas guys?


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## bigg777 (Mar 18, 2013)

Mini fire starter kit, pack of matches, a birthday candle or 2, and some dryer lint in a small plastic bag.

How about a small sewing kit.

A benadryl or 2 & some nsaids + a couple of band-aids.

Wrap a magnifying lense in some t-shirt material, so it doesn't get scratched for a back-up fire starter kit.

Keep mints in one, for your big, bad, bug-out breath!


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

Mini first aid kits for your purse/edc or the kids' backpacks.

Mini sewing kits

Storing push pins if you have a bulletin board

Tinder or char cloth

Mini edc water purification kit 

Mini 'outdoors' kit with a small knife, signal mirror, a few yards of paracord etc for your edc

Pill case


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

Meds inside sealed pieces of plastic straws,


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## jimLE (Feb 25, 2015)

extra 3A and 2A batteries,just make sure the ends of them dont touch the sides of tin,to make sure nothing goes wrong..


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## SwordsandSaddles (Mar 14, 2015)

I pack fishing kits in mine, plus a firestarter, a blade, and some coiled wire for trapping and whatnot. As the saying goes, if it fits, it ships.


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## Genevieve (Sep 21, 2009)

all good ideas.

thanks guys!


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

*Why I am hesitant to do this*



TheLazyL said:


> Meds inside sealed pieces of plastic straws,


I read that illegal drugs are often packaged this way.


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## Starcreek (Feb 4, 2015)

Fire starter -- flint, char cloth and a few shavings from a pencil sharpener. Use your knife to start the fire.


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## Viking (Mar 16, 2009)

weedygarden said:


> I read that illegal drugs are often packaged this way.


I was just thinking of this when I saw the Altoids tin in the tray below the glove box in my Samurai. My son had his Geo Metro broken into in Portland, OR. a number of years back and they stole his cigarette lighter, police told him that drugs are often hidden there.


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

*Check out Pinterest*

There are so many ideas on Pinterest. https://www.pinterest.com/search/pi...tocomplete|2&term_meta[]=ideas|autocomplete|2

I posted in Craigslist a year ago asking for them. A man contacted me who had 140 tins! He sold them to me for 10 cents each. Did I need 140? No, but I craft and there are many ideas for children's gifts in addition to BOB and GHB kits.

I have made some kits with mine and I label the edges because it is easier to stand them on their side to store a group of them and to see what each one has in it.

I have many more to go, and I am thinking I will make some Christmas gifts with some of them.

The possibilities are only as limited as our ideas!


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## Genevieve (Sep 21, 2009)

Excellent! Thanks millions weedy!


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## azbison (Jul 21, 2014)

I made beeswax candles in three or four, made sure each car had one. During the winter, it would provide enough heat to keep you alive overnight inside a car.


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## Wikkador (Oct 22, 2014)

If this is crisis prep .. I would say that actual "starvation" is typically a distant threat as opposed to other basic issues. I dont get into the whole fishing thing but a fire starter, small sewing kit would be my first inclination for a tin that size. I have a altoid tin at work that contains boo boo items, needle thread and a couple of buttons.


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

*Tin seed vaults*

http://thesurvivalmom.com/create-altoids-tin-seed-vaults/

Survival mom had a post for using altoids tin seed vault

The Survival Mom



> Survival Mom DIY: Create Your Own Altoids Tin Seed Vaults!
> 
> October 2, 2015 by Beth Johnson
> 
> ...


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## Plainsman (Nov 29, 2013)

Excellent post weedygarden! I'll absorb that information methodically.

But here's an item that I'd have in an altoids tin emergency kit: a tiny flashlight, keychain sized or slightly bigger, that wouldn't get left behind 'cause it was so compact it's always there.

I once had a minor nighttime emergency in my pickup and the flashlight batteries were dead.....Bad Prepper!.....but my passenger had a teeny tiny little light that lit our way to the spare batteries in the knapsack in back. Lesson learned.


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## HardCider (Dec 13, 2013)

Great post. Love my seed banks. I agree about not doing a tiny fishing kit. That's what several hundred yards of gill net and a couple dozen crab pots are for.:laugh:


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## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

bigg777 said:


> Mini fire starter kit, pack of matches, a birthday candle or 2, and some dryer lint in a small plastic bag.
> 
> How about a small sewing kit.
> 
> ...


I keep this kit in my truck dish, but I use tea candles, size a half of dollar.
My question is How do you keep the wax from melting & running out on a hot day?
I wonder if tin foil with rubber band will do the trick( they could be a + in the kit too).
It is too cool to test now, I will try it in the Spring.
But I think maybe you have work this one out.
So what would you do?


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

crabapple said:


> I keep this kit in my truck dish, but I use tea candles, size a half of dollar.
> My question is How do you keep the wax from melting & running out on a hot day?
> I wonder if tin foil with rubber band will do the trick( they could be a + in the kit too).
> It is too cool to test now, I will try it in the Spring.
> ...


When the wax gets hot, it liquefies. I have a candle that I bought 30+ years ago for my car. It was made for emergency purposes. I need to melt it down and redo the candle. It must have been sitting on its edge or off kilter at some time, because the wax is not on the bottom of the tin. I think the thing for candles in cars is to find a place to set them where the wax will stay where we want it when it gets hot. Maybe under a car seat?

As someone who likes to have some emergency items in my car, I have had other things melt. Maybe someone else would take their bag in and out of the car as they come and go. I just can't because my hands are often full going to and from my car.


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## tmttactical (Nov 23, 2015)

Weedygarden: That was an excellent post and will be the first post I print out and insert into my "Prepper Reference Manual". Thank you for sharing so much knowledge.


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

*Survival Mom*



tmttactical said:


> Weedygarden: That was an excellent post and will be the first post I print out and insert into my "Prepper Reference Manual". Thank you for sharing so much knowledge.


Thank you, but I was just passing on good information. If you do not follow Survival Mom, check her out. I think she moved from Phoenix to the northwest, maybe Idaho in the last year or so.

The thing about seeds is that we could starve waiting for something to produce. I have been thinking about his recently and wanted to add this information to a post somewhere. The fastest growing vegetable is a radish. It is ready to eat in about 3 weeks. Of course, they are not the most desirable vegetable and many children really hate them. A couple years ago, we got a large Asian radish, cut it into strips and fried it in butter. It was completely different that way. I think that is how the French eat their radishes.

I also think that radishes produce seeds fairly quickly and easily.

I think radishes could be a great survival food from seed. I have no idea how long a seed lasts, or if we could grow a radish plot that keeps reseeding itself and goes on forever. It would be a good experiment.


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## melleigha (Feb 24, 2016)

medications you might need, such as allergy medicine, advil, mucus medicine, stool softeners, laxitives, etc. Just make sure they are labeled!


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## jimLE (Feb 25, 2015)

My question is How do you keep the wax from melting & running out on a hot day?

some vehicles,if not most now a days.has plenty of places to keep one.the car we now have.has a glove box between the front seats.and then there's two glove box's in the very back.one on each side.then there's storage compartments between the back seats and rear hatch.there's 2 middle seats and 2 back seats.the areas below them when seats are folded down makes good storage areas as well.but only if said items aint to large..


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## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

jimLE said:


> My question is How do you keep the wax from melting & running out on a hot day?.


I have the same question.
My tea candle melts in the heat of Summer.


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## jimLE (Feb 25, 2015)

the areas i pointed out about the car we have.keeps the direct sun light off of the candles.yes their still liable to, at least soften or melt.but the candles can be kept level if in the compartment between the front seats or where ever..and that means less chance of any wax or what ever getting onto carpet or something else.and if some does leak out while in one of the storage compartments or glove boxes.then it'll be easier to clean up..might even try keeping them in a small tote or something else.that way you not only have them in one location.any mess you end up with,is in the tote.one great thing about Altoids tins.is you might be able to use a food storage container,of some kind..and if i remember right.the compartment between the seats and glove boxes don't get as warm/hot as the rest of the vehicle..


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

jimLE said:


> the areas i pointed out about the car we have.keeps the direct sun light off of the candles.yes their still liable to, at least soften or melt.but the candles can be kept level if in the compartment between the front seats or where ever..and that means less chance of any wax or what ever getting onto carpet or something else.and if some does leak out while in one of the storage compartments or glove boxes.then it'll be easier to clean up..might even try keeping them in a small tote or something else.that way you not only have them in one location.any mess you end up with,is in the tote.one great thing about Altoids tins.is you might be able to use a food storage container,of some kind..and if i remember right.the compartment between the seats and glove boxes don't get as warm/hot as the rest of the vehicle..


I have some in jars with tight fitting lids. I have some in jelly jars. I am wondering if carrying the contents to make an oil light might be better? Of course, leaking and rancid oil would be one of the worst so again, maybe using a bottle with a screw on lid to store it, a wick with something to float it on the top of the oil and keep it in at least one zip bag, and maybe two or three layers of zip bag, or other leak proof container?


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## jimLE (Feb 25, 2015)

yeah weedy..that sounds like a good idea.lamp oil and/or something else in a jar,if not what it came in to begin with.and keep a oil lamp that the oil can be used in.poor whats needed into said lamp..and poor whats not needed back into the jar,when it comes to whats not needed when the time comes..hopefully the windows will be closed..so having the hurricane shade off of it,for the heat might work..


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## gilacr (Dec 30, 2013)

I use one for my flint and steel. It has a small hole in the lid so that I can use it at the camp fire to make char cloth.


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

jimLE said:


> My question is How do you keep the wax from melting & running out on a hot day?
> 
> some vehicles,if not most now a days.has plenty of places to keep one.the car we now have.has a glove box between the front seats.and then there's two glove box's in the very back.one on each side.then there's storage compartments between the back seats and rear hatch.there's 2 middle seats and 2 back seats.the areas below them when seats are folded down makes good storage areas as well.but only if said items aint to large..


I am not sure where I read this, but someone posted about making sure his children had kits in their cars in case they were ever stranded. It seems that his two girls, young adults, were both caught in winter weather and had to hang out in their cars for a few hours. One of the things that they had set up was 4 candles in a number 10 can. I thought it was a great idea.

I have some number 10 cans, with plastic lids and slightly used candles that I have acquired for free. I had not really figured out how to use them well, after the food has been used from them. In fact, I had them in the recycling bin until I read this idea, after trying to keep them for a few years. I thought that was an excellent way to store candles and to make sure every vehicle has a can. The cans are stored in a tote or plastic bin, along with other basic survival supplies, such as drinking water, t. paper, short term food, sleeping bag and more. I would make sure the kit sets flat and the number 10 can rests flat, for when the candles melt. I think it is a great thing to have in a vehicle but is not meant to be a get home bag, but in case a person gets stranded.


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## mosquitomountainman (Jan 25, 2010)

weedygarden said:


> Thank you, but I was just passing on good information. If you do not follow Survival Mom, check her out. I think she moved from Phoenix to the northwest, maybe Idaho in the last year or so.
> 
> The thing about seeds is that we could starve waiting for something to produce. I have been thinking about his recently and wanted to add this information to a post somewhere. The fastest growing vegetable is a radish. It is ready to eat in about 3 weeks. Of course, they are not the most desirable vegetable and many children really hate them. A couple years ago, we got a large Asian radish, cut it into strips and fried it in butter. It was completely different that way. I think that is how the French eat their radishes.
> 
> ...


In an emergency sprouting seeds will get the most food in the shortest time. Seriously though, there would be better things to pack or have on hand in an emergency.


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

mosquitomountainman said:


> In an emergency sprouting seeds will get the most food in the shortest time. Seriously though, there would be better things to pack or have on hand in an emergency.


You are so right. Thanks for the reminder. I haven't looked at sprouting lately, nor done any.


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## jimLE (Feb 25, 2015)

yeah,weedy..i think there's no sure fire way to keep the candles from softening/melting,during the heat of the day..but yet.there's always a way to keep them in place where they don't make a mess of things and all.totes sounds like a good idea.on account the candles can be placed in them where they stay up right.the #10 cans and plastic lids is a good idea..


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## jimLE (Feb 25, 2015)

i just read a blog about using corn oil and olive oil that had gone rancid,to make floating wick candles.it looks like that's a good idea.


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## behindprepper918 (Nov 3, 2014)

weedygarden said:


> I have some in jars with tight fitting lids. I have some in jelly jars. I am wondering if carrying the contents to make an oil light might be better? Of course, leaking and rancid oil would be one of the worst so again, maybe using a bottle with a screw on lid to store it, a wick with something to float it on the top of the oil and keep it in at least one zip bag, and maybe two or three layers of zip bag, or other leak proof container?


There was a news story today about a person who had a container in their car where the fumes leaked into the car. When they lit a cigarette the inside of the car shot into flames. I would be careful trying to carry oil in any container for fear it would also leak fumes. better to be careful.


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