My "Ultimate" Altoids Tin Version 2.1! NEW and IMPROVED!

[motard58]

Nice kit. Obviously the tins are not water proof, but while assembling mine at the kitchen table today one of my wife's cork coasters caught my eye. Now I am gluing one on the outside of either lid, cut to match, as a buoyancy aid. Depending on the final weight it should be enough to keep it out of the bottom of a deep lake, stream, etc. without adding much overall mass to the unit.

Dood, if your wife catches you, don't blame us.

She was sitting across the table from me! Thanks to the baby boy tearing them up when he gets ahold of them it wasn't a big deal. I just have to get her a new set.

[alanmexico]

OK, I'm liking this setup and have my Altoids tins jb'd together and painted. Can you tell me the model number of the condor pouch. Looks like the MA45?

Thanks!

[ODA 226]

I believe that is it in Coyote Tan.

[alanmexico]

Thanks!

[angelofwar]

Awesome stuuf here ODA...I have the egar for the most part, just haven't gotten around to putting the stuff in a tin...thanks for the little "push".

[ODA 226]

Awesome stuuf here ODA...I have the egar for the most part, just haven't gotten around to putting the stuff in a tin...thanks for the little "push".

How's it coming along?

[angelofwar]

Awesome stuuf here ODA...I have the egar for the most part, just haven't gotten around to putting the stuff in a tin...thanks for the little "push".

How's it coming along?

Well, My main camera is busted, but I'll get some shots with my Ipod...gimme a few minutes. Got most of the stuff in there though.

Alright...got some pics. Gotta look through some more threads and get a few more ideas to top them off. Had a pack of instant coffee in here the other day, but had to use it at work the other day when we ran out off coffee for the pot.

Tin #1:
-MRE Gum (Laxative)
-Leatherman Micra
-Bic
-Small Compass (Made in Japan :0))
-2ea. Band-Aids
-2ea. Razors (First Aid, Animal Dressing, etc.)
-Alcohol Pad (Also have some moist wipe for field showers, not shown)

Going to add some 220# Cords



Tin #2:
-Fishing Line
-Tinder Quicks (3ea.)
-Inova Microlight (Red)
-P38
-NATO Storm Matches wrapped in snare wire
-3' Duct tape with fishing hooks inside
-Spare Battery for Inova hermetically sealed in tan foil
-Compressed Wash-cloth (white "pill" in green packing); For filter, washing, first Aid, Sweat Band, etc.
-MRE Matches



I'm using magnetic tape right now, but may have to re-think it, if it will mess up the compass long-term???



Plans to add small packet of salt, small packet of sugar, and a small packet of dairy creamer for sustenance uses. Also working on putting a "strike surface" on the top inside of both lids, for lighting the matches...will post once I get those done up.

Any other ideas for what I can squeeze in here???

Again, I had seen these before, and always had the stuff to get one put together, just had other priorities...thanks again for the push, ODA!

[angelofwar]

Good News ODA...the two Altoids tins fits PERFECTLY (with enough room for some cordage as well), in the USGI MOLLE-II Grenade pouch, expanding your carry options!





Seen here on my Spec-Ops Brand over armour vest



Now, to grab a few more grendae pouches and attach them to my packs, etc., so I can get my "Essentials" kit where-ever I need them!

[Necrodamus]

I was just going to mention that you can fit two in a frag pouch!
You can also fit one BOAT in the pocket on a MOLLE II canteen pouch. (there are two pockets so two tins along with a canteen)

Also check out these tins...

Photo credit: www.bepreparedtosurvive.com
They are a little better than an Altoids because they do not have a hinge and do have a seal so they are much more water resistant.

[NorthernAlpine]

This thread is absurd...when I get home I'm going to have to rethink my altoids cans. Thanks for all the indepth photos. This sight is one of the ones that never ceases to amaze me with the ingenuity level.

@Necrodamus - ordered some fresh tins with the seals tonight, thanks for the link!

@ODA - From a tan beret to an ol' green beret: outfuckingstanding.

[angelofwar]

I was just going to mention that you can fit two in a frag pouch!
You can also fit one BOAT in the pocket on a MOLLE II canteen pouch. (there are two pockets so two tins along with a canteen)

Also check out these tins...

Photo credit: http://www.bepreparedtosurvive.com
They are a little better than an Altoids because they do not have a hinge and do have a seal so they are much more water resistant.

Awesome! Definitely gonna have t ohook one of these up when I get some extra funds!

[TXwaterdog]

I have a few altoids fishing kits but no altoids BOB tins. Sounds like a good list there, may I make a suggestion. I have found some locking microwaveable/stove/dishwasher/freezer safe Rubbermaid containers in my area for about $10 each. They are awesome and clear. A clear container will help purify water in itself so the ability to use fire is negated. You might want to add a larger clear bag to your tin or upgrade to a water tight tin to something like I have found at the grocery store. It was with the pots and pans.. rubbermaid brand, has a colored gasket and locking tabs (make sure to lock all tabs down and inspect the gasket if you decide to purchase one).

http://www.rubbermaid.com/Category/Pages/ProductDetail.aspx?Prod_ID=RP091259

[WhatThaFrig]

Gonna start assembling one tomorrow. Thanks for the ideas.

[weiss27md]

OP, look at this Altoids survival item. http://www.etsy.com/listing/67605845/altoids-solar-usb-charger

[Mr_Sheesh]

Hi - Neat EDC tins I was going to ask the OP though, why the rubber bands, twist ties, small plastic bag, and finishing nails? (Certainly no criticism! I just want to make sure I get any relevant reasoning; I've been dealing with work stuff for some years then with a personal injury for a while, not really "in the loop" on survival thinking / tech in some ways. Knowledge changes as does reasoning.) I'm guessing they're for "whatever happens" and misc. fixes, maybe for a frog gig etc. on the nails? (The OP is in Germany IIRC, and I'm not, I'm in a sort of similar climates but not identical, maybe it's that.)

Thanks!

[Cheapshot]

This looks like a good way to organize the small stuff in my BOB. Looks like I have a project for the weekend.

[majorhavoc]

Hi - Neat EDC tins I was going to ask the OP though, why the rubber bands, twist ties, small plastic bag, and finishing nails? (Certainly no criticism! I just want to make sure I get any relevant reasoning; I've been dealing with work stuff for some years then with a personal injury for a while, not really "in the loop" on survival thinking / tech in some ways. Knowledge changes as does reasoning.) I'm guessing they're for "whatever happens" and misc. fixes, maybe for a frog gig etc. on the nails? (The OP is in Germany IIRC, and I'm not, I'm in a sort of similar climates but not identical, maybe it's that.)

Thanks!

OP posted in 2010 so s/he might not be around any longer. I'll gladly eat my words if s/he appears out of the woodwork and responds with something different, but rubber bands and twist ties are wonderfully useful for temporary repairs, creating closures, affixing things to something else or creating attachment points to clothing, packs and other gear. A small plastic bag can serve as anything from an emergency water container to protecting gear from rain to creating a dry spot to sit down on the damp earth.

Finishing nails? In addition to the normal uses, they can be bent to form hooks, attachment points and small specialized tools. Clipped down to size and/or bent to shape, they can become emergency replacements for pivot pins or custom hardware in all kinds of mechanical devices and gear.

For all of the above items, there are about five million more uses than what is currently coming to my mind.

ETA: I think a lot of the personal choices about what to include in these kinds of kits boils down one's mechanical aptitude/skill set. Some people are really adept at fashioning all sorts of useful times and/or effecting emergency repairs with just a few multi tools and a few throughtfully selected items. Other people are probably better off choosing single purpose, functional items that don't require any jury-rigging skills. Seeing what other people are chosing to include in their kits is valuable, but the important thing is not to robotically copy someone else's ideas if they aren't going to work for you.

[ODA 226]

Hi - Neat EDC tins I was going to ask the OP though, why the rubber bands, twist ties, small plastic bag, and finishing nails? (Certainly no criticism! I just want to make sure I get any relevant reasoning; I've been dealing with work stuff for some years then with a personal injury for a while, not really "in the loop" on survival thinking / tech in some ways. Knowledge changes as does reasoning.) I'm guessing they're for "whatever happens" and misc. fixes, maybe for a frog gig etc. on the nails? (The OP is in Germany IIRC, and I'm not, I'm in a sort of similar climates but not identical, maybe it's that.)

Thanks!

OP posted in 2010 so s/he might not be around any longer. I'll gladly eat my words if s/he appears out of the woodwork and responds with something different, but rubber bands and twist ties are wonderfully useful for temporary repairs, creating closures, affixing things to something else or creating attachment points to clothing, packs and other gear. A small plastic bag can serve as anything from an emergency water container to protecting gear from rain to creating a dry spot to sit down on the damp earth.

Finishing nails? In addition to the normal uses, they can be bent to form hooks, attachment points and small specialized tools. Clipped down to size and/or bent to shape, they can become emergency replacements for pivot pins or custom hardware in all kinds of mechanical devices and gear.

For all of the above items, there are about five million more uses than what is currently coming to my mind.

ETA: I think a lot of the personal choices about what to include in these kinds of kits boils down one's mechanical aptitude/skill set. Some people are really adept at fashioning all sorts of useful times and/or effecting emergency repairs with just a few multi tools and a few throughtfully selected items. Other people are probably better off choosing single purpose, functional items that don't require any jury-rigging skills. Seeing what other people are chosing to include in their kits is valuable, but the important thing is not to robotically copy someone else's ideas if they aren't going to work for you.

I'm still around, but I have moved to Germany. I chose the smaller nails for weight and portability. But the "small plastic bag" is actually a clear emergency poncho. Not the sturdiest, but is good enough for an emergency shelter or solar stove and that is why I chose it, for weight and portability. The utility for the "Ranger Bands" and the rubberbands pretty much speak for themselves.

Craig

[Mr_Sheesh]

I'll gladly eat my words ... ETA: I think a lot of the personal choices about what to include in these kinds of kits boils down one's mechanical aptitude/skill set.

I'm still around, but I have moved to Germany. I chose the smaller nails for weight and portability. But the "small plastic bag" is actually a clear emergency poncho. Not the sturdiest, but is good enough for an emergency shelter or solar stove and that is why I chose it, for weight and portability. The utility for the "Ranger Bands" and the rubberbands pretty much speak for themselves.

Craig

majorhavoc: Hope those words taste good with ketchup :p I agree mostly, but it's not JUST skill set/aptitude; the climate you're in counts a LOT (Jungle vs Desert vs Arctic vs Rainforest vs Swamp EDCs would make most of us carry different contents to SOME extent of course )

ODA 226: Aah, TY I'd use a large plastic garbage bag here, maybe contractor grade, but a clear poncho works; Maybe 2, in the brush here, you can get awful wet from the legs up, walking in soaked brush. Hmm, clear plastic does offer use for a solar still too, though. Just trying to understand - Understanding why people choose something, for their circumstances, can help grow one's skill set Thanks again!

[majorhavoc]

majorhavoc: Hope those words taste good with ketchup :p I agree mostly, but it's not JUST skill set/aptitude; the climate you're in counts a LOT (Jungle vs Desert vs Arctic vs Rainforest vs Swamp EDCs would make most of us carry different contents to SOME extent of course )

MMMM...crow!

[smiffy]

An improvement I can see, is if you have that much container, can you use something different that you could boil water in?
For example, what does a British mess tin look like?

http://www.karkeeweb.com/patterns/1937/ ... mpare.html

Full, and I mean *full* history and discusion here:
http://www.karkeeweb.com/patterns/1937/ ... other.html

Because they're a rectangle, they pack into a webbing-pouch or rucksack side pocket with very little wasted space.
The interior of one tin can be packed with food and/or survival kit, similarly with not much space-wastage.
They fit (AFAIK) into one of the slightly larger ammo-pounches now being used (5x 30rnd).

The wide-flat cuboid design is a compromise between being a good vessel for boiling water over an open flame (like the Swedish or German Kits are, being an oval-sectioned pail deeper than it is wide, but these are a slightly awkward shape to pack into a belt-pouch) and being a good plate/meal-tray in a chow-line (like the US-Army's pre-MRE "Meat can" mess tins, which I'm told are rather poor at being a boiling pot, actually because they're so shallow.).

P.S. Edited to a add, I now see I answering a question that's still several years old. I hope this is still relevant.

[ODA 226]

I'll gladly eat my words ... ETA: I think a lot of the personal choices about what to include in these kinds of kits boils down one's mechanical aptitude/skill set.

I'm still around, but I have moved to Germany. I chose the smaller nails for weight and portability. But the "small plastic bag" is actually a clear emergency poncho. Not the sturdiest, but is good enough for an emergency shelter or solar stove and that is why I chose it, for weight and portability. The utility for the "Ranger Bands" and the rubberbands pretty much speak for themselves.

Craig

majorhavoc: Hope those words taste good with ketchup :p I agree mostly, but it's not JUST skill set/aptitude; the climate you're in counts a LOT (Jungle vs Desert vs Arctic vs Rainforest vs Swamp EDCs would make most of us carry different contents to SOME extent of course )

ODA 226: Aah, TY I'd use a large plastic garbage bag here, maybe contractor grade, but a clear poncho works; Maybe 2, in the brush here, you can get awful wet from the legs up, walking in soaked brush. Hmm, clear plastic does offer use for a solar still too, though. Just trying to understand - Understanding why people choose something, for their circumstances, can help grow one's skill set Thanks again!

I'd like to use a large contractors bag too...but the damn thing just won't fit in an Altoids tin! It took me 20 minutes to fold and secure the poncho to the point where it could be packed into the Altoids tin. I intend to use the poncho as an expediant shelter to sleep under, not for general wear, as it won't go 5 minutes in the bush without becoming full of rips and tears and that would render it virtually useless.

[Mr_Sheesh]

I'd like to use a large contractors bag too...but the damn thing just won't fit in an Altoids tin! It took me 20 minutes to fold and secure the poncho to the point where it could be packed into the Altoids tin. I intend to use the poncho as an expediant shelter to sleep under, not for general wear, as it won't go 5 minutes in the bush without becoming full of rips and tears and that would render it virtually useless.

LOL good points, I was thinking maybe in the outer enclosure the Altoids tins fit into? I'm doing a total re-rig myself, LONG story that I'll post elsewhere LOL - I may use a "sling bag" or butt pack for mine, I tend to collect those often (I "do" computer stuff and I have cats, so I am ALWAYS looking for zipping cases to seal my external hard drives / cables / adapters / whatever away from inquisitive paws and fangs, zipped cases are "No FUN!" I'm told, cables now, those look like string LOL

I have to agree on the thinner Ponchos shredding, the old Mil Surplus ponchos were pretty rugged, in the drenched brush here you'd be dry above the waist - and still get wet from your legs up wearing them; could wrap your legs with "gaiters" made of contractor bags and duct tape if needed? The cheap "one size fits all" rain suits shred nicely in brush, too. Rubberized rain suits or (if you have the budget) the Gore-Tex pricy stuff do a lot better, except in Devils Club or Blackberry Brambles etc.

[ODA 226]

I'd like to use a large contractors bag too...but the damn thing just won't fit in an Altoids tin! It took me 20 minutes to fold and secure the poncho to the point where it could be packed into the Altoids tin. I intend to use the poncho as an expediant shelter to sleep under, not for general wear, as it won't go 5 minutes in the bush without becoming full of rips and tears and that would render it virtually useless.

LOL good points, I was thinking maybe in the outer enclosure the Altoids tins fit into? I'm doing a total re-rig myself, LONG story that I'll post elsewhere LOL - I may use a "sling bag" or butt pack for mine, I tend to collect those often (I "do" computer stuff and I have cats, so I am ALWAYS looking for zipping cases to seal my external hard drives / cables / adapters / whatever away from inquisitive paws and fangs, zipped cases are "No FUN!" I'm told, cables now, those look like string LOL

I have to agree on the thinner Ponchos shredding, the old Mil Surplus ponchos were pretty rugged, in the drenched brush here you'd be dry above the waist - and still get wet from your legs up wearing them; could wrap your legs with "gaiters" made of contractor bags and duct tape if needed? The cheap "one size fits all" rain suits shred nicely in brush, too. Rubberized rain suits or (if you have the budget) the Gore-Tex pricy stuff do a lot better, except in Devils Club or Blackberry Brambles etc.

I agree but please take into account that this thread was about an improved Altoids tin and not an improved buttpack.