1920s Old School Survival Kit [ Tobacco Tinder Bag ] 

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At 82 years of age, I am no youngster; but, James, this video took me on a trip down Memory Lane. As the oldest great grandchild, I was very privileged to know & live for several years with 2 of my great grandparents who were born shortly after the Civil War. Both of their dads were Civil War veterans. I have seen those leather tobacco pouches, but more common were the small, lightweight cotton drawstring Tobacco bags. I was taught that moistened tobacco was good for Bee & Wasp Stings. Most of the items, which you illustrated, were common among older generations of our family. I still have the hand-sewn patchwork quilt that my g-grandmother made for me. I was privileged to see some of the letters they had received from their Civil War dads. Thank you for such a meaningful video which refreshed precious memories of times spent with my loved ones who are no longer with us, but whose legacies continue to bless our lives. God has given you a gift of relating so personally to persons of all ages whom you have never met. I enjoyed this video so much & I am so emotional that I can hardly type my comments. Thank you, & God bless you, dear friend. The Old Preacher

I never knew that tobacco had healing properties. That's good to keep as part of a first aid kit. My grandfather (a WW1 veteran) always carried a multi blade knife and a small stone to keep all the blades razor sharp. We need to remember the ways of the past.

Our ancestors were super tough compared to nowadays. I get pretty frustrated sometimes, because almost everyone I know can’t handle an inconvenience that is just so small compared to back then. I’m talking about something like a camping trip, where not all the comforts of home are available, and people get so upset. I guess it’s because I go to be in a situation where I don’t have much on purpose, and I guess I can’t ask everyone else to feel the same. But still, we’re capable of so much more.

I have no doubt that civilization 100 years ago would have been much better prepared to survive a catastrophe than we are today. Technology has a way of making us stupid. Thanks for posting!

These old kits are a reminder that the more you know, the less you need to carry. I’ve been working on a pocket kit that fits in a cargo pocket, and am pretty happy with the results. Very similar to your own belt pouch kit, but I was able to fit it into a maxpedition micro, all 10 Cs.

What a great kit. As a child my grandma had a similar kit back in the 60's. She chewed tobacco, so there was that in it. Her pouch also had what I thought was odd stuff, candle, sewing needle, thread, buttons, cotton,.(cotton farmer.) etc...Wish I paid more attention as now I realize this was her everyday survival carry! My grandma always had a knife on her too. I watched her whittled my first crochet hook from a tiny tree branch to teach me how to crochet...fond memories.

This is pretty cool, my great grandfather was a hobo of sorts and worked on the railway and probably carried something very similar to this on his travels around the country and I’m glad to see that someone is teaching all of us about the old ways… thanks so much 👍🏻😁

Quite interesting. In today's world many "survivalist" want a survival kit so large you need a pack horse to carry it. This and many of your 'hobo' videos teach how little you actually do need. I appreciate much of what you do to try and keep us level headed. Thanks and God Bless.

James this is a great kit. I love when you do these old school kits and how to’s. Please keep em coming!

The funny thing is, I had 7 other videos before yours, but, I clicked yours first, I appreciate what you do and for the teaching you do! God Bless You Sir!

The old timers were stronger than we are and learned from their old timers. Today a lot of us stick our nose up at those that came before us and dismiss what they have got to say. You get real smart when you have nothing or you perish. Great video, thanks.

Thank you for this video. I grew up using this type of gear. I was lucky enough to have had Grandparents, who used these types of items on a daily basis, and taught me how you use them, years ago. 👍

Makes me think of the Prince Albert can, its paint long worn away, in which my mother's papa carried all his "possibles" -- he was about 80 in the 1960s, but he refined his choices on two trips up the Chisholm Trail as a teen.

I have carried an old Italian military surplus sewing kit for years. It has served me well in several ways.

I love that leather pouch James! My "emergency" kit with my fire starting, fish hooks & line, bandaids, a cheap mylar blanket, etc. is in an Altoids Tin. However, using leather, would make it quiet, and I could add a simple spice collection, if I ever caught food. The more you can keep on your person, and not in a backpack, the less likely you are to lose it...

So much great kit available these days, but there is something especially pleasing in seeing the old school/hobo style gear. It makes you feel much more connected with nature to use these items rather than the fancy brand name equivalents.

James, at 82 years old now I can attest that when I was a wee boy my grandmother often blew cigarette smoke in my ears when I had an ear ache. It was very welcomed. Thanks for another great video and the reminder of the many uses of tobacco.

The best part of this video is the reverence for our forebears. Our social media-fueled "look at me" society favors snark and hot takes--there's no regard for the past. We owe thanks to the generations who came before and built what we now enjoy.

Amazing amount and variety of items in such a small pouch. Thank you for showing us.

A few years ago I bought 2 stockman’s style folders. A Case and an Old Timer. Although the Old Timer is made in China (sigh) it is also approximately .5 inches larger than the Case and was half the price. Those Old Timer blades snap shut with a satisfaction so big it’s from another era. I take the Old Timer everywhere as the backup folder to my trusty Buck 110 (that rides surreptitiously under my pocket T on my belt). As a small boy I spent a lot of time with my mom’s father, a WW2 veteran of the Pacific. Papa Weaver. He carried: a stockman style knife, small pair of chromed slip jaw pliers (they look almost like a shrunken dental tool) 2 handkerchiefs (one for gentlemanly offering, the other for personal use). He carried one of those compression-opening, hinged, mens coin purses. A wallet. Small pad & ballpoint pen. A pack of cigarettes and a lighter. An old school black Chapstick. When I was a baby, a church key. Lastly he carried a little pop-tin of Buffrin that he refilled, along with a few Tums. Even as a child I always lamented that they didn’t sell flashlights in the 70’s that were appropriately sized for pocket carry. Penlights existed but they were wonky and put out 5 lumens. Many reading this will recall the palm size plastic Energizer flashlights that were molded at a 30 degree angle. Those were considered “small” in 1977. It is worth noting that many men from the WW2 /Depression generation didn’t grow up with denim “blue jeans” It was the war that brought a ton of surplus Navy dungarees onto the civilian market. So many in Papa’s age group wore polyester/cotton blend or polyester/wool blend “dress trousers” with a polo style pullover or shirttail style collared shirt, untucked, as casual wear. Papa always wore a belt and occasionally he, too, wore a Buck 110. I mention the trousers because the hip pockets were tailored much larger and hung like internal bags. Eliminating the feeling of “pocket claustrophobia” so many of us abhor in today’s disposable menswear. The back pockets typically had a single button closure to secure items as well. Papa Weavers pocket dump circa mid-70’s would’ve required two pair a cheap Walmart jeans to carry. Heck I feel suddenly rueful and circumspect writing this. It’s also worth mentioning that this is Papa Weaver’s second appearance on the Waypoint comment board. Ironically he’d have watched this video, lit a cigarette (they did him in) and he’d have quipped “I can’t for the life of me figure why you kids want to watch a thing about what bits men carry out of the house.”

The biggest part of this isn't so much the amount of gear our forefathers h carried or used but the SKILLS to use them! That is how they could survive with so little.

Top shelf James, absolutely top shelf! Enthusiasts of the antique smoke pole and mountain man lifestyle will be giving you an AMEN for this video. Good memories of trekking the White Mountains of northern New England come to my mind. Multiple thumbs up for this one.

That is a very interesting kit. Always like seeing how they did it years ago. No fancy stuff, just plain and simple.

This was wonderful to see. They did do with so much less than people could today. My grampa use to ride the rails, complete hobo. But he always found Grama after his wander years.. we have no idea how. Since she's pack up the kids and move

Hi, Ilove it. I'm into Primitive skills and the old days pioneers knowledge . A storm, a disastrous situations could turn our modern day to prehistoric times in 5 minutes. This type of knowledge is worth more than gold. Thank you . BTW, a cigar can also be used to transport your fire from one place to another (from Survivorman Show) Again Thank you for sharing.

Love your videos James. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with the world. Also tobacco is great for bites and stings.

I like all of your uploads,but really enjoy the ones detailing preparedness that doesn't require a USB port,battery or charger,keep going in reverse JB in will work when the battery stuff wont..love the channel!

the jacknife candle in fantastic, i would never have thought of that in a thousand years

super interesting video, all these years carrying multiblades and I never thought of using one as a candle jack! the sewing thread card is nice and compact, better than the usual card with different threads... the lead sheet for the fishing kit would fit easier than all the split, at first i thought it would be difficult to find but google says otherwise.. I have trouble finding a conventional thimble that fits, I have a couple fingers from a leather glove with a piece of belt leather glued on with my leather kit

Another great vid about early times,I am 76 and enjoy seeing these,reminds me of my grandparents,they seemed to be able to do everything,and enjoyed teaching me❤😂

Very comprehensive and compact kit, kudos to you and your team for coordinating on such an amazing project. This is one I have to do. Take care, God bless, and stay safe.

A lot of good survival things in a small package !

Great show James! Really enjoyed it! That silver box looks old! I'm gonna make a version of it. Thanks!

We have a poor-man's fishing kit in an Altoids containers in each of our cars gloveboxes. In case we end up somewhere and want to fish. ALL you need is a 10 foot stick or sapling. Alotta fun in those little boxes. It IS kinda funny though when a police officer looks inside. They smile and tell you to go. Thx for a great video. You have a new subscriber.

Putting light on these forgotten items and skills is a great reminder that we can do a lot with a little practice. Great job.

Every time I pack for a bike trip I put a lot of thought into the utility of the items I take. The goal is to keep my total load at or below 20 pounds. Your videos are helpful in reducing that even more.

That was cool, James! I really like the vintage kit. Simple items with multiple uses. Take care till next time, buddy!!

Hi. Newbie guy from England here of Irish descent. 2 things I remember someone telling me about, probably an uncle? 1, When going camping, always bring a metal pencil sharpener in your kit. You can skin the bark off of the little twigs with your knife, and then twist them in the pencil sharpener to make instant dry kindling. 2, If working in the fields or garden, always have a large garden fork with you. Even if you don't need it, it is something to hang your coat from when you get hot. Ha ha!

Reminds me of my small ammo can stash on river trips

Really dig the old timer methods man, great video thank you James!

Thank you for doing so much research to demonstrate antique survival gear and techniques. It really is amazing how little people could survive with. Technology has spoiled us.

This makes me wonder if anyone from this era left their knowledge in book form. To me, that would make absolutely fascinating reading.

James, on behalf of many fellow viewers of your channel, we are most grateful that you have preserved & with excellence teach many of the historical & Old School values which are excluded from modern day educational curriculum. I enjoyed watching this one even more the second time. Modern survival gear can never replace the Old School woods wisdom of our ancestors.Thanks again! And as always, may God bless you, your family, & your extended family of WayPoint viewers!

Thanks for the great video , awesome history lesson as well. Keep the great videos coming .

Really nice kit James . Matchbox was neat but the fishing kit was outstanding. Thanks for sharing it . Have a great day

Thanks James, I love these vintage videos, great job of putting these together

That is a pretty awesome kit. I put together "kits" because I'm insane 🤪 so now I need to make one of these. My favorite kits goes in a small tin box and contains - a button compass, fishing hooks, cotton balls (very small), a ferrum fire striker, what we in Sweden call a "Jukkasticka", brass wire, steel wire, a mirror, a tweeser, nylon cord, a very small folding knife, a diamond sharpener, the flat type, thats about all. I usually make my survival kits around Eectric - battery bank, small solar cell, and a BioLite CampStove, emergency radio, the one with solar cell and hand crank, and rechargeable flashlight, lighter, etc Basic without chargeable things. Often as the one above and where shelter, warmth, rest and water purification as well as cookingshelter, warmth, rest and water purification as well as cooking is included. These are of course rather big ones but pretty light. And I'm a smoker so tobacco and lighter is always included. _(Might I recommend Ray Mears good friend _*_Lars Fält_*_ who is a world-renowned survival expert and outdoorsman. His career in the outdoors began in the Swedish Army, where he eventually founded the Swedish Armed Forces Survival School and was the Chief Instructor there for many years.)_ _Edit_ I made a small one for surviving terrorist attacks. Flashlight, gloves, mouth cover, torniquet, Swedish army first aid bandage, protective eye wear, a small folding knife, and a compass. I educated my colleagues on terror attack survival especially on underground/subway survival. _Tip_ 50 meter away from a tube/underground/subway station in Stockholm there's a blue light. There you will find an emergency phone. And then every 50 meters.

Hello 👋 James, thank you for sharing another fine video. I enjoyed this one. Always stay safe out there. 🤗

That's a great little pouch when your friend gets his made let us know I'd like to have one God bless you brother stay safe

James, love the old ways, this is a great kit, also blackie and Jaimie are also a couple of guys with a lot of info, that they pass on..

James, I am 57. Growing up tobacco was used on me as a medicine. When you are poor, you make do with what you have. Tobacco smoke was blown into my ear for earaches, small amounts were chewed and the saliva swallowed for worms, and finally a small pile of chewed tobacco was put on bug bites and stings. Also spot from the stove or crushed charcole was rubbed in cuts or spider bites.

Thanks so much for all you do.

Spectacular look into the past brother thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise and GOD-BLESS

My granddad, that went from Estonia to Brazil after the WWII, carried a very similar kit during his fishing trips. He used the tobacco specially as insect repellent. His favourite knives were a Finnish Puukko and a German Mercator pocket knife, both small, light and robust.

The perfect tinder pouch and more ! Thanks old timer. Lol

Old school awesome james thaks for sharing 😀

Thanks for showing this off. Compact and easy to carry...EDC.

Thanks for the pep talk. Perfect timing.

Thank you, very insightful.

Great little kit.

I've really really been enjoying this hobo series of videos, helps me refine my travel kit!

I LOVE that little match box!

Thanks so much. Going back in time is fun.

Great info. Thank you

Nice little old school kit excellent

This is fantastic

A fascinating history lesson. Many thanks

I'm putting a few sturdy nails in my kit. Makes so much sense.

Great kit James, thanks for sharing, God bless brother !

Excellent my friend, thanks

Please keep these awesome videos coming please…. Thank you

Thanks for sharing and caring James. You truly are a great wealth of information. All your videos are inspiring to get this old guy off his duff and out into the wild. God Bless and Hope to see you soon!

Good knowledge by you james keep it up.

Nice educational video. Sweet saddle too.

Awesome video like always thanks for your time and sharing your knowledge 👍🏻

Now that's a neat kit. I appreciate your videos and God bless. Godspeed.

Nice little bit of kit!

I like the old ways and vintage gear.

Just lovely. Too nice to use

Thank you for this Video...these are the things to have when the grid goes down!🥰

I like the pouch thing, very cool.

Excellent and well researched kit.

Good stuff, thank you.

Another great video. Congratulations

A very cool video and reminded me of a lot of things I was told as a kid

This is a very cool video! Informative, nostalgic and interesting. Thanks for sharing James.

thank you. very informative

Your personal kits and small kit are outstanding and give many ideas to add to my own era “pocket litter” ideas. Many thanks.

Love this kit. These ideas will help in refining my hobo impression.👍👍.

Excellent video! I actually carry certain old timer kits with me during our archery seasons. I'm 54 and learned to make kits like that when I was a boy. Though I still practice these things...it was nice trip down memory lane!

Love these videos

Love it 👍

😮😊that’s an interesting kit there. Thanks for sharing this James😊

Good morning James! This was awesome - you had some great items in that little pouch. I loved how you used the knife for a candle stick. Also, the information on tobacco was very interesting. Thank you for what you do...and as always...take care!

Yes! Great vid! Actually I'm surprised at how much you had in there and the absolute functionality of each piece. Modern-day Bushcrafters strive for such effective simplicity. Just a couple comments: I love Jute, it's my favorite tinder and was pleased to see you included it. I'm surprised you didn't have some sort of sharpening stone or whetstone... perhaps our ancestors just didn't bother with that and used nice smooth river rocks to sharpen their knives? Thanks James - an especially enjoyable and interesting episode!!! ❤👍

Of All of these survival kit videos this is by far the coolest!!!!

Cool kit!

Love the video, very cool.

Great video, thanks