# EDC Altoids tin survival kit



## oif_ghost_tod

These 65 items could save your life someday.

First, a quick tutorial on waterproofing the vital contents. As a former amphibious warfare specialist, I place a heavy value on dry gear.

Take a plastic drinking straw and cut a small piece to the size you need.

View attachment 4390


Hold in place with needlenose pliers or a Multitool, leaving about 1/8" of straw outside the pliers. Using a bic lighter, melt the end (don't burn it, just takes a second or so) until it fuses together. I check each of mine for leaks after they cool by simply blowing into the open opposite end.
Now add your contents, for this post I put dryer lint in a couple as dry emergency tinder for firemaking.









I also put 2 matches and a small piece of striker into one (I trimmed the matchsticks to save space). Then once the straw is filled, simply seal the other side same as before.
Voila!
I have several variants of this technique in my EDC altoids kit. I have salt, pepper, sugar, tinder, water tablets, matches, even small single use Neosporin, all bone dry for when I might need them.

View attachment 4393


The list of contents are as follows:
1 small trash bag, (rolled tightly)
1 sq ft heavy duty aluminum foil.
2 fishing lures
6 fish hooks (in masking tape to keep organized)
2 straight pins, 3 needles, 2 safety pins (also in tape)
2 aspirin 
2 matches w/ striker and 2 tinder packs 
4 water purification tablets
4 sugar packs (approx. 1 tsp each)
2 single use neosporin for wound care.
1 salt pack and 1 pepper pack
1 sterile scalpel blade
3 toothpicks
2 packets asst. tea
2 boullion cubes
1 cough drop
6 asst. size bandaids
3 butterfly closures
2 antiseptic wipes
1 keychain knife *freshly sharpened* with nail file and scissors
50 yds. of 10# test fishing line (sewing or fishing)
2-3 ft 100mph tape or duct tape wrapped around 2" piece of #2 pencil
4 asst. rubber bands (wrapped around outside)
1 qt. sized and 
1 gal. sized Ziploc bag (outside tin held by rubber bands)









I placed all the contents into the tin and after a little Tetris-like creativity, was able to squeeze it all in there.









I wrapped the rubber bands around it and tucked the folded Ziploc bags into the bands. 
Then, because I require everything to be watertight, I vacuum sealed the whole package! Wrap the other two rubber bands around and its done! Make sure to date it when packed so you can judge how old the contents are and replace accordingly.









Now before anyone hits me on not including cordage with this, I need to explain that my belt and wallet chain contains about 250-300 feet of paracord, so I didn't feel the need to add any to my EDC kit. If you want to, wrap the kit tightly with paracord prior to vacuum sealing it or simply make or buy a paracord bracelet, because cordage is important. I also have a gerber Multitool/firesteel/flashlight with me always so the matches in the kit are more of a redundancy thing. I have also seen where people have put a mylar emergency blanket in the rubber bands, again, do what works for you.

I hope you find this useful and with a little free time on a snowy day, you can build a compact but very comprehensive EDC kit! Put one in your kids backpack or wife's purse or stash one in your hubbys vehicle! Teach them about what the kit contains and how to combine the items with their own ingenuity to keep themselves alive in a crisis.

Til next time....

- ghost


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## ras1219como

Great idea and great pics! I'm definitely going to use the waterproof straw containers!


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## camo2460

I second that. A survival kit in your back pocket or glove box or both. No need to ever be without.


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## swjohnsey

Yep, we carried these in the Rangers, called 'em SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape) Kits. On your person at all times when were were in the field.

Mine: 

Gerber LST knife
Striker w/sharpend and shaped piece of hacksaw blade as steel
MOD (Ministry of Defense) brass button compas
Tiny (food coloring) bottle of bleach
Mini Bic lighter
Condom (water container inside sock or in case we get lucky)
4 small fishhooks on monofilament leaders
4 splitshot weights
Spyderwire fishing line
Lomotil (anti-diareal)
Amoxicylin (broad spectrum antibiotic)
Vaseline soaked cotton balls used to keep from rattling and as fire starter

Mine was cool, in a Sucrets metal box, sealed with camo duck tape, starting with a thin wrap around the edge and then full width wraps in both directions to seal and also as storage for duck tape.


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## BullDozer

I have an instructable on mine also a YouTube video.

YouTube:themightydozer
Instructables:" ditto


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## swjohnsey

No video on mine, not even pictures but it is 100% Ranger approved.


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## BullDozer

swjohnsey said:


> No video on mine, not even pictures but it is 100% Ranger approved.


Rangers lead the way!


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## swjohnsey

Absolutely! We were know to say "Rangers need more pay! When no one was paying attention. The SAS boys said "Who dares wins" when folks were listenin' and "Who cares who wins" when they weren't.


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## oif_ghost_tod

swjohnsey said:


> Absolutely! We were know to say "Rangers need more pay! When no one was paying attention. The SAS boys said "Who dares wins" when folks were listenin' and "Who cares who wins" when they weren't.


We had a gunnery sergeant one time who would would bark, with a straight face "shrimp or fries, cream corn!" Instead of "Semper fi, Marine Corps"
He would wait for someone to smirk then that guy got put on watch duty. Clever fella...


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## mpguy18

GREAT post Ghost!


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## Magus

Wrap it in a few more Ranger bands.yup,you'll live!


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## WeekendSurvivalist

I just got an empty can and I was wondering if I took the part where you strike a match off of a matchbook would I be Abel to glue it on the side? Is it practical ?


Sent from my iPhone using Survival Forum


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## camo2460

I would glue it to the inside of the tin, I used to have one that I made when I was a kid, before there were Altoids, Only mine was a band aid tin. The point is that these are, make them your own way, kind of things. Do what works best for you.


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## Grimm

camo2460 said:


> I would glue it to the inside of the tin, I used to have one that I made when I was a kid, before there were Altoids, Only mine was a band aid tin. The point is that these are, make them your own way, kind of things. Do what works best for you.


I have about 4 old metal bandaid tins. Maybe I should pack a small kit into them... Or just sell them on ebay for the extra cash...


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