Survival "Tin" - Do you carry one?

reply to post by ImaginaryReality1984


That's what I have done, like you have an emergency kit on my belt that if I have to dumb the bob I still have the basics.

The kits on ebay are not great but fall into the category of something is better than nothing and once brought can give a great idea of what is needed and can be upgraded when money permits.

Buying the best you can is great but if you have to wait 4-5 months to buy that bit of kit it would be pointless if a major sitx happened tomorrow.

my advice is buy what you can and upgrade when you can. SOMETHING IS BETTER THAN NOTHING.

Just wanted to say that I just recently added one of these to my knapsack.




8 inch long pen, extends to 37 inches with a mini reel.

It's pretty sweet no? Definitely a survivalists best friend right here.

[edit on 25-9-2009 by DaMod]

Love this - thanks!
I am chocked full of emergency stuff IF I stay here - or can bug out in a car -
but this isn't even something I ever thought of.
Cool.

[edit on 25-9-2009 by spinkyboo]

I dont mess with these minimalist kits. IMO they are way too small to do much good.

When I go hunting or sometimes fishing, I use a AR mag pouch attached and dummy corded to my belt. You'd be surprised how much you can fit in one, especially if you place things under the top flap and make the most use of the space you have. And it stays out of the way. Just remove the dividers and grenade holders with a very sharp knife.

I usually include a contractor grade trash bag, a small 1st aid kit, water tabs, small stove with fuel tabs inside, a extra lighter, sometimes a fishing kit, coffee, paracord, bug repellent, toilet paper or a couple heavy duty paper towels, bug net, etc. It depends on where I'm going.

That, a canteen(s) w/cup, leatherman, and a knife and I'm set.

There is a time and a place for tins but for many of us tins are not particularly practical.

The majority of us reside in urban areas and will rarely travel to the back-of-beyond.

In an urban setting a much more useful set of items would be walking boots at the office, bottles of water, street maps, small pry bar and spring punch (for open lift doors and breaking bus windows in the event of an "emergency exit".

Basically, assess you needs and equip accordingly.

To be truthful I do usually carry a tin while at work, alongside my EDC. This is just in case I need to high-tail it, at least I will have bare minimum.

reply to post by Nirgal


Good post!

Finally someone who has hit the nail on the head.

But don't jump to the conclusion that survival tins are all about "wilderness" survival - that was exactly my point when I started this thread (ie. They're not).

Survival tins are a great size so are good because you can have one with you all the time but it doesn't have to be wilderness stuff - as you rightly said, many carriers would be in urban situations.

So, that being the case what would you put in it???

I've heard that some people polish the inside lid or the bottom to use as a signaling mirror. I plan on getting a phone calling card and etching the PIN and card number into mine. I used to have a prepaid VISA gift card in mine, but ended up needing it to make ends meet.

The wilderness isn't the only place you might find yourself stuck.

What are some good items to put in a "city" survival tin? A can of pepper spray and a wad of money?

reply to post by mattifikation


What about over here in the UK?

We're not allowed pepper spray.

And if you just put money in it would be called a wallet!

I know. I think pepper spray would be too bulky anyways. The thing with "urban survival" is, the most you're going to need is a map, enough money to get you home, and something to deal with muggers.

reply to post by mattifikation


You are assuming you can get home and that it's safe to do so.

A good "legal" weapon for anyone else in he UK is a Cold Steel "Sharkie" or something similar. Whether you'd want to put it in a survival tin is another matter and I'm probably going off topic but worth a look anyway.

Cold Steel Sharkie

reply to post by Stanton Dowd


Absolutely not, do NOT carry such an item. By carrying an item that is designed around self defense you could easily be arrested if you used it. If you used a normal pen for self defense you could argue that you just had it on you, the pen you linked is bought by those who want a weapon they can legally carry and that will be argued in court.

A standard ball point or rollerball pen is absolutely lethal if you know what you're doing. If you don't know what you're doing it can still inflict some very nasty puncture wounds. It doesn't really matter where you hit someone, if they feel a pen plunged into an arm they'll back off 9 times out of 10.

Just stick with standard things you can carry. Pens, pencils, an umbrella, a rolled up magazine, hair pins, or a torch. There are more items of course that could be suggested. Use the appropriate item for the situation and if anything ever happens you can easily argue that you just had it on you at the time.

Well nice topic. right up my ally. I am and have been set up for for whatever is coming for a few years now. I have a years worth of food and water containment for each member of the household. back up electricity(solar) to run the well for water, and many of the Items you would carry in your "Tin".

reply to post by Stanton Dowd


Ummm.... Cold Steel Sharkie?.........

You can borrow my SKS if you want............. I have a couple back ups......

So what happens if a Brit decides to go hunting somewhere? Still not allowed a gun? What about a Compound Bow... Brits allowed bows? Lemme guess you can have a bow but no razor tips.....

And they say Americans are under TPTB's control..... At least we can still have a firearm....

[edit on 5-10-2009 by DaMod]

Originally posted by DaMod
So what happens if a Brit decides to go hunting somewhere? Still not allowed a gun? What about a Compound Bow... Brits allowed bows? Lemme guess you can have a bow but no razor tips.....

And they say Americans are under TPTB's control..... At least we can still have a firearm....

You are allowed a gun if you are licensed. Handguns are completely outlawed other than air pistols. Air rifles don't require a license but you do have to register them. Rifles using standard rounds (.22, .308 etc) require a special firearms certificate. Anyone can apply but only some are granted, you have to show a reason to have it, like a farmer. Shotguns are easier to get you simply have to join a shooting club and again you will require a special license.

You need permission to shoot on someones land and then you can happily walk around with your gun, however on numerous occasions the police have been called when i've been out shooting, go figure.

Bow hunting is illegal in the UK but owning a bow is perfectly legal.

I found a site that sells tins just for survival kits. LEGAL blib. I have nothing to do with this site I only heard about them thru a survival podcast and thought it was good enough to pass on.

Survival tins

reply to post by angryamerican


That's superb.

Thanks for the link I've been looking for something like that for ages.

reply to post by DaMod


SKS? What's one of those??

Yes, here in the UK we have it pretty crap as far as firearms go.

You can have "air guns" and I have a Russian one, it's just below the legal limit (feet per second).

I started looking into crossbows recently and suprisingly there aren't many laws that cover them, for a change.

So yes, here in the UK TPTB really have us where they want us.

So in supressed countries like this we need to work out what weapons we can have and probably as importantly what weapons we can improvise. But that's another thing.

Back to the survival tins...

reply to post by Nirgal


Part of me agrees with your post and part of me doesn't. Most stuff in the little kits can also be used in the the city/urban areas.

Snares can be set for rodents in the city for food. and that's right off the top of my head. There isn't going to be a huge call for the fishing gear for fishing. The hooks can still be used in your snares to make sure that nights dinner does not escape. if I had more time to think about it I am sure I could think of a use for every item in the small tins in a city setting.

Originally posted by Stanton Dowd
On my continuous search for the best bugout/EDC, I have to consider the "survival tin" (survival kit that fits in a tobacco/mints tin).

This was first (to my knowledge) introduced by John "Lofty" Wiseman in the "SAS Survival Handbook".

He suggested the following contents (in a tobacco sized tin):

Matches - Candle - Firestick - Magnifying glass - Needles and thread - Fishhooks and line - compass - Beta light (light emitting crystal) - Snare wire - Wire saw - Medical kit (pain killers, antihistamines etc) - Surgical blade - Butterfly sutures - Plasters - Condom (for water carying... and presumeably the odd unexpected sexual encounter).

Wow great idea, I think i need to think of making one of these myself.

There are a few of these tins available commercially but I find them a bit "novelty" - in the sense that they contain superfluous sub-standard kit, such as very small badly made lock knives and so on.

I've considered buying a ready made kit but would have to heavily modify it (of which I'll post about when I've heard your thoughts) and in the end have probably decided it's necessary to make your own from scratch to make it worth while.

So... Do you carry one?

What's in yours?

What would you add/subtract from the "Lofty Wiseman" survival tin?

And anyother thoughts on this?

Thanks

Do you or would you include other items that are more suited to EDC or urban needs?


[edit on 20-9-2009 by Stanton Dowd]

[edit on 20-9-2009 by Stanton Dowd]

reply to post by Stanton Dowd




we have three ..all are the same and have pretty much the very same things you listed in them..... with one exception.... each has a small beretta in it with an extra clip....

1 for my pick up, 1 for sharons blazer, and one on the motorcycle...


good post... most people do not think of these things.....