Small last ditch survival kit project, needs reviewed

[Showtime]

I am putting together a emergency supply pouch. The idea behind this pouch is to be a small e&e bare minimum essentials that can be tossed from a pack to vest and back again as needed. I'm using a pouch 9x5x3 inches deep. Additionally this doesn't include food, water, or a knife as those will always be elsewhere in the pack/vest regardless of what system I am using.

This is what I have so far and do have some more room, what else am I missing or should I replace?


Signaling - Glow stick, Mirror, whistle
Shelter - SOL Bivy, Paracord and 2 figure 9 carabiners
Fire - lighter, fire steel, 9 hr candle, fire starters
Water - Potable Water tablets, Water Filter straw, 1L platypus fold-able bottle
Other - Bandanna, Duct Tape, hand saw, compass, plastic bag (fire stuff in this)

What do you think I am missing? Again knife/multitool, flashlight, food, drinking water will all be accounted for seperatly and this is designed to be literally a last ditch pouch. Thanks guys!

[Woods Walker]

Maybe consider the following.

1. Fenix E01 or other type of single celled flashlight that uses the same batteries as your primary flashlight/headlamp. Or at least a key chain light.

2. Small Mora #2/0, #1/0 or 511/546 etc etc.

3. Some kinda small poncho or heavy duty trash bag. The best thing would be a sil poncho with tie-offs for setting up as a tarp.

I understand you have a knife and light in another bag and this is a last ditch thing but do you really want to be without that kit in a last ditch situation? Just something to think about.

[74 or more]

I second Woods Walker's keychain light idea. I just bought the Stream Light Nano and i love it. Its really really small and puts out 10 lumens (although to me it seems like more). Its about the size of your knuckle.

Also, something i always keep with me is a pair of nail clippers. Youd be surprised how handy they can be.

[bltjr1951]

Also, something i always keep with me is a pair of nail clippers. Youd be surprised how handy they can be.

Doesn't TSA nab them?
A P38 is a dangerous weapon to them also.

[M40HOG]

Food or ability to obtain? Snares, brass wire, fish hooks, fishing line

[74 or more]

Also, something i always keep with me is a pair of nail clippers. Youd be surprised how handy they can be.

Doesn't TSA nab them?
A P38 is a dangerous weapon to them also.

Ya TSA will take them. I wasnt aware this kit was going on planes also.

[jehicks87]

Tweezers. Money. I agree with WW's post as well as the one below this one... yes, this is edited.

[omega_man]

I agree with WW. Especially a HD trash bag--lots of uses. I'd ditch the glow stick entirely. A small flashlight is a better option along with spare batteries. If it's last ditch gear, I'd have some extra neosporin JIC.

[Showtime]

Thanks for the responses everyone. You all are probably right, a small knife, a small flashlight and a large strong garbage bag are destined for the kit now.

The fishing kit/snares are an interesting idea. I have fishing gear but have never put together a survival fishing kit, I'll look for threads as I think I've seen one or two around here. I don't have any snares so that is something to look into. Any other ideas?

[ghost792]

Handiwipes (can double as TP if needed)
Sharpie, grease pencil, or chalk for marking a wide variety of surfaces

[towm8er]

Id go with a small head lamp sou you can keep your hands free for other tasks

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[tookieblueeyes]

Go with a small flashlight or other light source other than a glow stick.
Small knife.
Alcohol Prep Pads - They can be used to start a fire or clean wounds or your hands in a pinch. They are really good to have for lots of reasons.

[M40HOG]

Also recommend some medical basics. Gauze, Tylenol, Benadryl, ect....

[2now]

Nice kit and a great idea.

here are some ideas;
needle and threat
safety pins
6" of cotton string [makes a great wick for what ever burnable fluid you might find.]
How about canteen cup? take up very little actual space, but provided lots of flexibility.
A piece of tubing for reaching water, if you have room you could make it large enough to fit your straw filter. use latex tubing if you want some jorge style options, or hard plastic tubing if you think you might have to siphon gas or other liquid.
if you might not be in the woods, cash or ID are worth the weight.

I agree that some OTC meds are a good idea.

Two of the things that seem to be very flexible are a large tyvex envelope and a painters tarp.

you might also want to consider some nylon webbing and a buckle to make this into a fanny pack or shoulder bag if needed.

[sarky]

For a last ditch E&E you should have a knife, whistle, compass(with mirror), fire starting device (I prefer a fire steel), a light(very basic like the micro lights), and a map. A couple of hanks of 550 cord to help in shelter building etc. and you shoud be good to go.

[KnightoftheRoc]

I agree, ditch the glow stick. I'd also ditch the potable water tablets, and replace that bottle with a dropper bottle of chlorine bleach, with drops/liter labeled on the side- it's better than the iodine is, and a dropper bottle isn't that much bigger than the pill bottle is.

I'd add a poncho to your shelter list, even if it's at the cost of the bivy. You can't walk in a bivy, but you can sleep in a poncho, use it for a ground cloth, tent, water gathering device, etc.
I agree on the canteen cup- something metal to boil water in. To go with that, what about a wing stove and a capsule of fuel tabs for it? I have both in my PSK, and they don't eat up much room, but man, are they useful!
Change the handsaw for a GOOD cable saw? This may take some time, because finding a GOOD cable saw is pretty tough- I've been looking.
I'm not seeing the value in the 9 hr candle, given the fact that it's wax- melts in the heat, easily broken, and drips hot wax onto your hand if you're moving. Maybe drop that, unless you have some driving reason behind it?
Look at replacing your existing whistle with one that has a compass on it- I've got some from Walmart that have a thermometer, compass, match case, and whistle all wrapped up in one small package, which would free up space as you removed duplicated items. Think of it as a signal/nav oriented multi-tool. The compass you are currently showing is only marginally better than what's on the whistle, so no losses there, really.
I know you have a knife, but- since you have the mirror, what about a razor blade, or a trimmed down disposable razor? Since E&E sometimes means "seen, but not noticed", the ability to NOT look like you've been sleeping in the woods for a week or more would be good, not to mention a good morale booster. Shaving can also help reduce stress and take your mind off of other problems- and if you're using a single edged blade, concentration would be KEY.

Quick question for you- the case appears to be MOLLE compatible- is the Platy bag? Are you storing it inside the case, or on the outside? Shifting the Platy bag to the outside could be a good idea. I'm thinking that alone could give you the room available to put in a Mainstay ration package, which would give you food where you currently list none. Just an idea.

[Doctorr Fabulous]

Is this a minimalist survival kit, or an E&E bag? An E&E bag is about sustaining a silent, running evasion of a known, pursuing hostile force for as long as possible, and for me that means a suppressed pistol, a good knife, a spool of fishing line, some high-calorie/low bulk foodstuffs, and a couple means of signalling.

Now, a bare-bones survival kit is a little different.
-Metal bowl and spoon (tada, water purification!)
-shemagh/bandanna (1001 uses, including stage 1 filtration)
-good knife (mora?)
-fishing line
-flint'n'tinder
-extra cellphone battery
-signal mirror
-Izzy bandage
-high calorie/low bulk snacks
-appropriate dosage of medically necessary drugs (life threatening meds only)
-Mylar blaket

And that's it. This isn't a sustained kit by any means. It would be a stretch to go longer than 3 days on it, but that's all this is. It's something to get your ass out of the fire in two days or less. Any longer, or other use, and you're describing a BOB. The kit I just described could easily fit in a small buttpack, such as the top pouch/lid/buttpack off the ILBE main pack. I carry this rig on patrols all the time, because it's exactly what I need incase everything goes all BHD on me. So far I've mainly been using my knife, and occasionally the bandanna.

To head off questions:
1. Doc! You Bastard! There's no flashlight in that kit!
-Exactly. Survival, not comfort. Sleep at night, make a torch if you need light.
2. No benadryl? No poo pills?
-72 hours or less
3. NO SAW!
-get a good knife, and learn how to baton and carve. What do you need a saw for?
4. One of each item?
-Bare bones
5. Cellphone battery?
-I don't plan for a PAW. I don't carry a cell battery in my rig here, because cellphones are verboten and don't work without the world plan. However, stateside, an extra cell battery might make sure that this kit is only needed for 12 hours instead of 48.
6. No flares?
-Signal mirror. You have fire to make fire, and during the day a nice smokey fire is bigger/better than a flare. At night, sleep.
7. [other kti item that is a "no duh" in a BOB] isn't in here!
-Bare bones. Smallest possible pouch, so that you never forget it. With some mods, this could to in my EDC man-bag, in which case it'll be supplemented by an SS canteen, a pistol, a multitool, and a host of other goodies.

[DeadCanadian]

You do know what E&E means right? You are military?

If not you are looking at standard survival gear

Who are you E&E from with a BLAZE ORANGE plastic crinkle bivy bag They are a great product (I own it and several other products from the same company) but they are bright orange and noisy plastic. The closest you can get is a OD version of the emergency bag but it makes even more noise. Look into less noisy nylon and maybe make yourself a a Mors' Survival Scarf (I hate the scarf part of the name but that is what Mors calls it): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LG7WPDmy0AU

[Boondock]

The linked thread, and the others like it on the forum, have some great examples of tiny kits.

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=6863&hilit=bug+out+altoid+tin

The range of creativity is impressive.

[Woods Walker]

I don’t think it maters what the OP calls his kit. If you want to know what it is just look at the photos and read the post. On a side note I can think of real world situations in which a bright orange thing and a mirror would sure come in handy.

First thing, I prefer tabs over bleach in a dropper because those can leak and destroy gear. I had it happen to me in the past. It only takes a faulty bottle or a second of inattention for someone to be without the purification method and damaged kit at the same time. If there is a desire for pills that don’t taste like iodine Micropur are a good option.

http://www.katadyn.com/usen/katadyn-pro ... n-tablets/

Here is a trick I do in my smaller kits. I take a Ti metal cup (2oz in weight) and toss gear like that bivy inside. This way the cup takes up very little room. A metal cup is a nice thing to have. So is Aluminum foil so maybe consider adding some. I always carry a packet or tube of anti bacterial cream, heck even have some in my altoids kit because it’s so useful. Tinder, cuts and even chapped lips. Remember the stuff in mostly petroleum jelly. For your fishing kit get.

1. At least 20 feet of 8-10 lb line. More line the better because its multi use.

2. 2-3 Green Woolie bugger flies.

3. A few #12 and #10 hooks. Remember you can catch a big fish with a little hook but it’s harder to catch smaller fish with a bigger hook. Smaller fish like panfish are more abundant.

4. Maybe a small bobber and some split shots.

You don’t have to over do a fishing kit as just a few items can get the job done. After the kit is setup make a copy and test it out. All gear items should be tested before fielded.

[ROCK6]

I don’t think it maters what the OP calls his kit. If you want to know what it is just look at the photos and read the post. On a side note I can think of real world situations in which a bright orange thing and a mirror would sure come in handy.

First thing, I prefer tabs over bleach in a dropper because those can leak and destroy gear. I had it happen to me in the past. It only takes a faulty bottle or a second of inattention for someone to be without the purification method and damaged kit at the same time. If there is a desire for pills that don’t taste like iodine Micropur are a good option.

http://www.katadyn.com/usen/katadyn-pro ... n-tablets/

Here is a trick I do in my smaller kits. I take a Ti metal cup (2oz in weight) and toss gear like that bivy inside. This way the cup takes up very little room. A metal cup is a nice thing to have. So is Aluminum foil so maybe consider adding some. I always carry a packet or tube of anti bacterial cream, heck even have some in my altoids kit because it’s so useful. Tinder, cuts and even chapped lips. Remember the stuff in mostly petroleum jelly. For your fishing kit get.

1. At least 20 feet of 8-10 lb line. More line the better because its multi use.

2. 2-3 Green Woolie bugger flies.

3. A few #12 and #10 hooks. Remember you can catch a big fish with a little hook but it’s harder to catch smaller fish with a bigger hook. Smaller fish like panfish are more abundant.

4. Maybe a small bobber and some split shots.

You don’t have to over do a fishing kit as just a few items can get the job done. After the kit is setup make a copy and test it out. All gear items should be tested before fielded.

Good feedback! I agree about bleach…although both it and iodine will destroy gear if they leak; both also break down over time/ repeated exposure causing a decrease in their efficacy (except the sublimated iodine crystals such as Polar Pure). For small kits, I like the idea of Katadyn’s Micropur tablets, the 1-liter “Aqua Pouch” or Platypus bottle and if you have room, Aqua Mira’s Frontier Pro water filter (Mini-Mag sized).

For my mini-kits, I like adding a small Photon-sized LED to zipper on the pouch.

ROCK6

[TheLastOne]

I'm with Kotr and others, poncho over the bivy.

I just got this golite for 45$, it's light and would fit fine in your size requirement

http://www.golite.com/Poncho-Tarp-P885.aspx

[ForgeCorvus]

1 oz Salt.......Trust me on this, you'll need it

[Blitzen2k5]

The glowsticks are a great evasion tool IMHO. Here is how they are useful.

Your being chased by a person or persons threw city streets. You pop one of these out and snap it on. Then if you can get just far enough out of sight or around a corner you toss it in a different direction then you are heading. Like down between two houses or in an alley. Then you quickly hide. Guess where the chasers are going to go? Down that alley. Because you must of went that way and ditched the light. Then you beat feet quietly and get away.

Another thing you can use it for is faerie fire. (For the D&D fans out there)... You got someone chasing you and you got a bow or throwing weapon. So you pop one and snap it on. Then when you turn a corner you toss it on the ground right there and hide. Wait for them to come along and pick it up (Not guaranteed). Now they are bathed in beautiful green, yellow, red or blue light and make a damn good target.

Blitz