Keychain survival gear.

[Woods Walker]

The gear you have on hand in an emergency is far better than the stuff left at home. There are several good threads on Every Day Carry items. I hope this has not been talked about already as a standalone topic. From experience some of my EDC things don’t make it on my person all the time despite my best attempts. One thing I am never without is my keys. So as part of my layered approach to preparedness I have gear attached to the keychain. I have the following preparedness items on my set of keys.

1. Fire steel.
2. LED light
3. Very small Swiss army knife
4. Bottle opener. Not a true survival item but sometimes sure feels that way.



Having too much junk on the keys is a pain. Over the years items got added and removed due to bulk and weight concerns. In the end I settled with these 4. Just wondering what others put on their key chains for preparedness or just plain convenience.

[Flea]

I keep one of those photon lights, a small swiss army knife and a small flint rod on my keychain. I always have my Benchmade Griptillian on me...it's part of my routine grab wallet, cellphone and knife...

[mpi]

i have a light [victorinox] a swiss key tool and a steel whistle/pill capsule combo.

[Gunny]

All I've got on my keychain is a handcuff key.

Hrm.

[mpi]

i never tell where my cuff keys are.

[AltimGXE]

I have some braided paracord with a monkey's fist knot on the end. Good emergency cord, and it is easier to pull the keys out of my pocket.

[JIM]

For me it's a Photon II microlight, Leatherman Squirt, pair of Uncle Bills Silver Grippers, pair of folding scissors and last but not least...keys

[airballrad]

I have a Photon Freedom (in yellow, for when I drop it).
I have had a knife/Micra off and on over the years, but my keys generally get too huge that way. I also have a carabiner that I often end up using to temporarily join/secure something...

[Politenessman]

A whole bunch of keys, and a couple of those store rewards cards.
Bottle opener
inova led light
mini sharpie (probably the most useful thing I have ever carried)

[Murph]

+1 for bottle opener!

I have a "Bev-Key" round bottle opener on a pear-shaped 'beaner with 10 keys and my car remote. Wowzers!

If I could get away with not having so many keys I would, but that's not going to be an option anytime soon. I'd rather be carrying the more useful stuff listed above.

And don't you guys with the photon lights worry about them activating in your pocket and killing the battery? I have one, and I think I'd be concerned.

[airballrad]

And don't you guys with the photon lights worry about them activating in your pocket and killing the battery? I have one, and I think I'd be concerned.

It sucks when that happens. Mine is a Freedom. I leave it in Demo mode so that it is just a squeeze light. When I need it to stay on, I hold it for about 10 seconds, and then the switch works as on/off. I put it back in Demo when I'm done. It's a pain, but better than having a dead light that needs $8 of batteries. Some people will put it in the bracket holder backwards, to keep the button from being pressed in a pocket...

[Murph]

And don't you guys with the photon lights worry about them activating in your pocket and killing the battery? I have one, and I think I'd be concerned.

It sucks when that happens. Mine is a Freedom. I leave it in Demo mode so that it is just a squeeze light. When I need it to stay on, I hold it for about 10 seconds, and then the switch works as on/off. I put it back in Demo when I'm done. It's a pain, but better than having a dead light that needs $8 of batteries. Some people will put it in the bracket holder backwards, to keep the button from being pressed in a pocket...

Shoot I think I ditched my packaging... I know mine has a push and a switch, but I don't know if it has a demo mode. I'll have to check. I know it didn't come with a holster.

[airballrad]

Ah. Switch means Photon II.

Put some duct tape on it to keep the switch from moving. You can still press to activate it, or remove the tape to switch it on.

[Murph]

Ooops, I have a Inova microlight

http://www.inovalight.com/micro.html

The switch is tough to flip, but I could see accidently hitting the push button and draining the battery. Far as I can tell there is no way to turn it off.

[Jamie]

keys
atwood tool
usb drive
led light

[Nilsson]

Victorinox SD
Fenix P1
Sinnet
Bottleopener
Keys
And two other things that I dont know the English word for.

[JIM]

I just screw the Photon light open and put some plastic with a pull tab between the batteries. Prevents the light from going on, yet easy to remove with the pull-tab.

[sheddi]

Keys
Supermarket loyalty card
Mini SAK
Generic microlight (with flat batteries - must fix that)

As/when I find a small firesteel at a sensible price I'll probably add one.

[maddmatt]

do i spy with my little eye a prybaby?

[ironraven]

Keychain- LM Micra, Photon II (white), metal whistle (tube type), fob made from about 10' of paracord

unkeychain- Victorinox Nomad, Gerber Infinity, boy scout firesteel, small pill vial with immodium, excedrin, two aspirin and cotton balls.

[SilentVectorX]

I keep the important stuff with my dogtags, it's very low profile and convenient. I'm less likely to loose them, and they aren't going to make a funny buldge in my pocket.

I only have a Gerber Ridge neck knife and Inova LED light (the newest ones have a digital switch; demo/squeeze only mode, and click-to-select Full/Half/Strobe/Off). That's supplemented by my EDC and PSK.

[Toad704D]

That is one kickass paracord keychain!



Keys for stuff
Bottle opener
Real climbing Carabiner (Very useful sometimes.)
One of these:
http://www.swisstechtools.com/productdetail.aspx?PID=hePIwuKh%2br8A

Wish it was one of these:
http://www.swisstechtools.com/productdetail.aspx?PID=fp7HfyV%2f%2feEA

And I'd like to go on record saying that I also carry a Leatherman Surge, even though that's not what this thread is about.

[milesdzyn]

Woods Walker...OMG...20 replies and no ones asked why you don't have a P-38/P-51 on that key chain.

Here's a quick project: Get a P-38 or P-51 (I like the larger P-51 for this). Take a triangular file and score the back edge of the P-38 to create a section of teeth about an inch long. Now you can replace the striker/scraper that came with your Fire Steel.

Miles

[Woods Walker]

My fire steel never came with a striker. I was thinking maybe the little SAK would work. One of these days I will cut a small section of Hacksaw blade and make a striker that I know will work. But then I worry that it might damage my pockets. Don't know.