Pocket hiking survival kit perfection. Better than Altoids tins! My 1 year review of my pocket hiking kit which includes a water filter. Perfect for edc, bushcraft, or the outdoors.
Very good little kit. I'd like to see which pocket of yours fit into, LOL. If I may make a few easy and affordable suggestions for additions: add a one gallon Ziploc bag somewhere to the kit. Why? To dump the contents of your kit into if you need the tin to cook in or make char cloth with. The Ziploc acts like a back up water container as well, secondly place a few strips of long lasting glow-in-the-dark tape on the inside of the lid, even over your nails already taped. You can charge up that glow in the day, and use it as a way to light up the contents of your kit at night just by cracking open the lid. I'd also add a whistle, and some kind of signal mirror even if it is just a broken or cut rectangle of CD material. Might want to add some aluminum foil for cooking, signaling, making a lure with. A fresnel lens can help make a fire as well as aid in finer field of vision for find small splinters, they're flat and flexible. The last 2 suggestions are simply sanding down and polishing the bottom of the tin itself as that could also be used as a signaling mirror, and pre tying at least one fishing hook with a little bit of a leader as threading the eye of a hook can be nearly impossible to do when cold, malnourished, shaky, etc. These aren't additions to the kit, but something easily done with what you already have available. Great video, thanks for sharing. I have a few other tips and tricks, but I think you're well covered.
Thanks for your good ideas. The ziplock idea is good. I had just assumed if I had to empty it quick, I could put the contents in an aqua pouch or loose in my pockets, but a ziplock or produce bag might also fit too.. I am not trying to make a bunch of excuses, but here goes.... I have a whistle on my keychain and a mirror in my wallet( we have avalanches here sometimes and I figured it might be handy someday. On my wallet I also have a magnifying glass too, more for reading than solar ignition, but I have one,lol.That is why I didn't really include them in the kit figuring I already have them on my person and I can include some other gear by not duplicating them. The idea about the fish hooks is great and could also be used for my needles.Thanks for your thoughts and watching.
The glow in the dark tape idea is also good. As far as foil, it is handy also, but not sure it would fit without taking something out. Maybe worth reconsidering though. I haven't really worried in the past much about it figuring I have a filter and tabs for purification, but it might make a good backup if space permited.yhanks again.
@@thinkingsurvival As long as you've got some kinda signaling devices on you, then you're fine. I suggested the Ziploc bag just so you'd have both of your dedicated water bags available for water, and a Ziploc bag would also keep the contents of your kit dry if you had to dump the contents somewhere so you could use the tin itself for something. A shopping bag wouldn't be waterproof and they easily tear, and like I said the Ziploc could also be used as a back up water bag.
Awesome, thanks for watching and subscribing. I do appreciate you taking time to watch the channel and comment. Hope to hear from you again in the future.
I did a similar thing with my Altoid tin kit. What I found was a small camera bag just a bit bigger than the tin. (It also has a belt loop which is helpful) It holds a few items such as cordage and water containment that wouldn't fit otherwise. Altoid tins are just too small for me to provide a minimally acceptable survival kit. Nice video. Cheers.
basp 2005, I'm glad you have a good system that works for you to carry decent kit with you....I wish more people did. Thanks for watching and have a great night.
Best Glide makes some excellent pocket tins that are bigger than Altoids tins but fit in a pocket too. Great video, very practical and well thought-out kit! Thanks!
Glad you liked the video. I am not very familiar with their products other than what I've seen online.I may have to check them out again. If you enjoyed this video, please check out some of my other content and consider subscibing if you like what you are seeing. Thanks again.Have a great day.
johnny gamble, you are absolutely right! Now that I think about it, that was quite a bit undervalued compared to what it actually means to me. I appreciate the more accurate appraisel. You sound like you know what is really important in this world, Thanks for the great reminder. Also, I would feel very privileged if you might consider checking back in from time to time and say hello and if you haven't already subscribed , please consider it. ( I didn't see you on my subscriber list, but it only shows people with public profiles.) Have an awesome night.
johnny gamble, you are absolutely right! Now that I think about it, that was quite a bit undervalued compared to what it actually means to me. I appreciate the more accurate appraisel. You sound like you know what is really important in this world, Thanks for the great reminder. Also, I would feel very privileged if you might consider checking back in from time to time and say hello and if you haven't already subscribed , please consider it. ( I didn't see you on my subscriber list, but it only shows people with public profiles.) Have an awesome night.
Hi, I have made improvised lures by shagging out pink or black paracord with good successe on our pond. I trie them on to fish line though. Have a great day.
garyjohnson, thanks! I fell in love with it years agp. I also really like the carbon v stuff from back in the day. Thanks for watching and the comment If you would consider subscribing and maybe checking out some of my otjer videos, I would really appreciate it. Thanks again for saying hi. Have a good day.
You made me realize I should put 200 dollars in all my survival kits. I think your kit is better than my pocket kit because it looks like it covers survival plus food gathering with the fishing kit.
Hi, I'm sorry, I think I just saw your message. Sorry I'm late responding. Thanks for comment. Ya, honestly, under normal circumstances ,200 dollars can go along way in solving problems in a pinch. A ride to the nearest town, a vehicle part, or extra lunch money...I think it is an underrated tool. Thanks alot for watching. I plan on probably putting out an update to my current kit soon and hopefully some more content. I would appreciate it if you would consider subscribing if you find value in this video. My goal is to have some good kits and ideas online others can see, and maybe get ideas to build more efficient kits to stay safer also. Thanks for watching and have a great day.
Christopher Hall, thanks alot! I really appreciate the friendly encouragement. If you enjoyed this video, would you would consider subscribing and maybe check out a couple of my other videos? I'm trying to grow my channel and I'm just really getting started. I am looking forward to putting up some good and original content. Thanks again for watching and any help you can give with growing the channel. Have an awesome day.
Couple ideas or changes u should do.. 1 is that knife u had. There's those knives like that. With the 3 blades.. possible better idea. A 150 desables whistle. And the flash light. The NANO lights are bad ass. I have one. Love it. And agree with the batteries thing. I jus buy dollar store lazors. And use those batteries. Works. Haha. But the small maglite flight lights that are Single AAA batterie. Work jus as well and has a long battery life. And a p51 can opener. Never know when u'll really need it.. And the pink lighter for some reason remind me of the cat in the hat book with the pink snow. When u mentioned if u were to lose it in the snow.. haha. I think I had a few other adjustments but those were most important.
Thanks for your thoughts. I dont include a whistle because I have one on my keychain, also ,I don't include a p51 because my main knife is a leatherman wave in my pocket.Those are good ideas but I kind of already met the needs on my layering system so I didn't duplicate them. I am not sure exactly what you were recomending changing on the tin knife though. Thanks for your thoughts. Have a great day and consider watching some of my other videos and subscribing.
I think it's a great kit. Very good for that size. I would have no meaningful suggestions other than what others have said... for that size of kit. Funny you asked me to take a look cuz I've been rethinking some of my old kits. Working on a hiking waist pack right now. I have more thoughts than I dare take up so much space and time but here are the highlights. Everyone should have a kit like this on them cuz it is better than nothing and hopefully it will be there. I would also always recommend a full sized kit be carried and relied on in the appropriate pack. I always have the full sized stuff one way or the other cuz I know me and I may have trouble with just the small kit. These days no one thinks twice about the bag you are carrying so why not go bigger. You could become separated from it I know but your tiny kit may leave your person also. I think flexibility is key cuz the situation may dictate changes in what's in your bag so time to think before each trip, hike or emergency is time well spent. I also try and think bigger than just wilderness stuff. If I rise in the morning from my mountain top cabin and my vehicles are on fire, gunshots can be heard and smoke is rising from the direction of the park shop I'll probably leave my bushcraft pack behind. If I know the fishing will be great in the area I'm going I may take a rod and reel also. If I'm on a bush plane I would have a nice chest rig strapped on just in case... remember the movie "the Edge" with Alec Baldwin and Anthony Hopkins lol! But I think the bottom line is to have something that works for you in your area and situation if known. I usually have something larger than a tin kit though, at least medic pouch/sling bag sized. I Like to have a small tarp, trash bag, gloves, hat, more cordage, bigger knife, maybe a metal water container etc. I would also think rescue and like a powerful whistle on board. I also like 3 compasses if possible. We had a women twist her ankle on a park trail last year and she had nothing but a phone with no signal. Luck would have it that someone was out surveying our water tributaries and heard her cries. I will get out my small kits and take another look at them for sure. Thanks for the motivation!
Thanks for watching and commenting. I have been reworking it some and hopefully will post an update in the future. It is not a full size kit, but beats nothing in your pockets if you cant get to a better day bag for some reason. Waist packs are great too for sure. Have a great night.
Thanks, I used to try to keep some red worms and grasshoppers in it, but need to get some more. I am not a great fisherman by any means so most people could pick out better tackle than myself. If I'm out fish ing and it seems to work well ,I just put one in my tin. Thanks for watching and commenting. If you would consider it ,I would really appreciate it if you would consider subscribing. I plan on putting out more videos shortly including an update on my current tin. Thanks for watching and have a great day.
The trapper style knife is ok, they are a favorite pocket knife of mine. but a Victorinox Swiss Army Tinker would be more effective, two blades, standard and Phillips head screw drivers, can and bottle openers, wire stripper, sewing all, tweezers and tooth pick. It can be carried around you neck on a boot lace length piece of para cord. I have never lost a swiss army knife carrying it around my neck, tucked inside my under shirt. I worked as a mountain guide.
That would be a great choice also. I really just went with that one because it was a little narrower than some of my others.,includeing the SAK I currently have. I used what I had that would fit and be usable.By all means though, carry what you think would be best that you have.Anything with a lanyard ring to me would be a little better choice if everything else was equal. Anyway, have a great day, thanks for watching ,and please consider subscbing.
You can survive on fire and water . Keychain light and a razor would be next . You can do it with an Altoid Smalls tin . Those produce bags at the grocery store will hold water and they fit .
You can do a good job taking care of those needs out of an altoids tin for sure. I've had an altoids tin or something comparable since the 90's myself. I think I also have an altoids kit on the channel with checking out. Because of the remoteness of the area where I live though, I've chosen to go with a little bigger kit with better(more and tougher) resources should I need it during a longer duration, just in case. We have had everything from avalanche evacuations here on property, to area wild fires, backcountry breakdowns, lost hikers and even had a helicopter land where we live to take someone to the nearest significant hospital( a 3 hour car drive away.) To me it just made sense to bulk my kit up a bit . For example the produce bags do work well, but aren't as tough as the aqua pouch should I need it for several days or longer and while a few purification tabs are good in some areas, if it took a few days and I was with anyone a filter might be appreciated too. Anyway, Thanks for checking out the video and taking time to comment. Have a good evening.
Why no mention of that plastic handcuff key? ;) I'd keep the cash and key on top, you will likely never need that key but if you do need the cash it is nice not to have to risk dumping all your survival gear to get to it.
James Smith, good eye. I didn't mention it because it was an afterthought that I didn't think most people would care about. Good idea about the cash on top. Thanks for watching, did you like the video? I plan on doing alot more in the near future. If you think this is a good tin would you consider subscribing to my channel? Thanks for the view and your comments.
@@thinkingsurvival I try not to watch too many tin videos because I have my own tins set up; 1 survival, 1 water, 1 fishing, 1 fire. I can layer these in various pockets to spread weight. I do like your videos on your thinking and tricks like firesteel inside a SAK. I subscribed.
Hi XY, it is an aquamira frontier straw. Not the absolute best or sturdiest filter on the market, but in my opinion it becomes the best because it can ALWAYS be with me in a pocket when I'm playing in the backcountry. It is also super affordable although a little more fragile than I'd prefer.I'm glad you liked the video! Please subscribe and hit the like button if you enjoyed it and want to see similar videos. Also check out some of my other stuff. Thanks for viewing and the kind words.Ps, I have a video on ideas for making similar kits on my channel you should definately watch for tips on making a better tin....maybe check it out. Have a good night.
For your cordage that you’re swapping out, would you think about replacing it with paracord? Even some inner strands would be good, easily broken down and still really strong.
I am thinking about a smaller diameter bankline maybe, but I might relook at a short spot of paracord instead. I just don't want alot of space taken up by my cordage yet want 5he ability to break some down for finer tasks like sewing or fishing if possible. Did you watch my backpack food video? What did you think?
@@sparrowflying864 , thanks for the suggestion. I am looking at a few of those also. Spectra cord is one I have used, but I would prefer a darker color than I found. I would really be appreciative ,If you enjoyed the video , please consider subscribing and maybe check put some of my other videos. Thanks for considering it and watching my video. Have a great day.
@@thinkingsurvival I haven’t been on RU-vid for a couple days. I’m going to watch your backpack vid today. I really like your ideas and difference of opinion when it comes to survival.
While I'll stick with the Altoids tin, I have to say, you've some nice stuff in there. What's wrapped around the cig lighter? Don't think, you mentioned that. While I'm not really big on putting stuff outside the tin, might I suggest a space blanket?
Hi Jaybird196, on the lighter I have some extra fishing line. I have been known to keep dental floss or wire from time to time also.As far as a space blanket, that is a great idea, but I would need to thin some of the other stuff off the outside to keep it small enough to keep in a a pocket. I do often keep a space blanket or something similar (maybe a mest tarp) in my coat pocket though. Thanks for the suggestions and comments. Please consider subscribing since you think it is a good kit and it might be a good example for others to see. Also, consider watching my video ''if you carry an altoids survival tin you must watch this'. Thanks alot for watching, have an awesome day.
@@thinkingsurvival Thanks, for the explanation, and well-wishing. And, you're welcome, for the comments/suggestions. As to the mentioned video, I've already got it lined up, in my queue :) . I'm always on the lookout, for cool survival tin ideas, and tips.
Hi garenkaraetian. It is the Aquamira Frontier. Honestly, I have not used it, but it comes with good reviews. It is intended as my last ditch option, so it either works or I end up with a water illness I probably would have anyway if I drank untreated water in a short term scenario. I think it is good for around 30 gallons. I personally always boil my water whenever I'm out. Similarly, I have the sawyer mini , so I'm guessing I would use the other more proven filter before I went to the aquamira frontier unless all I had was my mini tin. If I had to use it though ,I would be comfortable with the frontier and I also have a few days worth of purification tabs also I could use first. In any case, it would seemingly be better than if I didn't have any purification options at all and I was forced to resort to stone boiling water or improvising a container. Here in the area I am ,nearly all the hikers carry the sawyer mini or squeeze. Anyway, I do hope that helps a little. Please consider subscribing if you found value in any of the information I put out in the videos and thank you very much for watching.Have a good day friend from over here in the states.
@@thinkingsurvival Thanks! I don’t subscribe to many channels, but since you’ve written such an elaborate response, I just had to :) I only saw that 1 video of yours about the Altoid Tin. I saw your comment on Andrew’s video where he tries to “survive” on an Altoid Tin in a lovely location by clean creek with fish, in the warms of summer/spring, and then the condom burst and he boiled and drank the water from Altoid Tin without burning the paint off first (who ever said that SERE instructors got it all figured out) - and that’s how I found your channel . I don’t really view Altoid Tins as anything more than a good thought experiment (how many and which useful things I can take in a least amount of space?). And based on that thought experiment, I’ve devised a system of what I permanently have in my pockets (a heavily modified BiC lighter with tapes, dental floss, dynema and waxed wick, a whistle with torch and mini-compass, and an EDC (street legal) knife - all on a beaded paracord lanyard. In smaller shin pockets I keep a Mylard, poncho, couple of paracords, and a bin bag (I might add a mini Kochanski Scarf), a rubber glove, a condom, a bottleneck with cap, a couple of rubber-bands, and a couple of aquatabs. Sawyer Mini is too bulky for those pockets - but the Aquamira like yours might just do the trick. So, in a way, with EDC items I have spread around three pockets and clothing in general, I have more functionality than what can fit inside an Altoid Tin. All 5 “C”s covered , and some of the 10 “C”s. I’m thinking of making a “go for a walk” belt pouch with some additional nik-nak to fit a Crusader cup, a brew kit, a mini-multitool and such.
@@garenkarapetian709 , thankyou for subscribing. Ya, I cringe a bit seeing people use condoms as water containers because they are so fragile and a good aqua pouch or even heavy plastic bag is so much better for durability. Now days even a small kit can have a tough container and a small filter straw. The hydrablue filter is another small filter that is great for some larger kits. The main reason I wanted to do this channel was to show people they can carry everyday a very small container that can go a long way in keeping them safer in an outdoor emergency. Too many people think a small kit is useless, but normally it is because they are filling it with lousy gear. I did a video about how to choose good gear for a tin somewhere on my playlist. I just really think if more people had a good small tin as a backup plan ,they would be safer and always be able to make fire and have clean water in any emergency. Anyway thanks for watching and saying hello.
@@thinkingsurvival Like Mors Kochanski said, "The more you know, the less you carry". Totally agree about the idea behind your channel. There's a lot of ignorance out there. An Altoid Tin gets one thinking, and researching, and re-thinking. Also, it's a low cost entry into the outdoors. By the way, as a "last frontier" water container in one of my shin pockets I do carry a rubber glove, a condom, a cola bottleneck+cap and two rubberbands. The whole setup + aquatabs is 17g. (I haven't seen anyone do it - the bottleneck thingie is one of my inventions). A condom can take 60L before it bursts, but it will easily burst even with 2L if you don't stabilise it with a bini-hat or a sock or a t-shirt or shemagh.
Did you check with survival resources? They are where I get them. If not let me know and maybe I can see when they might have more.Thanks for watching.
