Sarge47

I received my USMC F.R. S.K. today and was debating weather to go ahead and open it up or just leave it in it's tough, original packaging until I needed it. Logic swayed me as I figured that if I waited what would I do if the items were broken or missing, so I went ahead and opened it. The following is my review of the items:

Side A: Shelter and Food Gathering Side:

Fishing Kit, Emergency 4220-00-244-0764: Well made with everything you might need to catch fish or even small game or birds in an emergency situation. Since the military has to assume that many soldiers may never have caught a fish in their life, and that "one size must fit all," They've even included a small booklet of instructions.

Saw, Finger Ring 5110-00-70-6896: This is packed with the fishing kit and is a really cool item! Much stronger than the civilian models you might find at the store as well!

Survival Blanket 7210-00-935-6666: Similar to the mylar blankets found elsewhere, but it appears to be a bit stronger.

Plastic Bag, Zip-Lock 8105-00-837-7755: Yes it is!

Candle, Votive 9925-00-202-4417: For light, fire-starting, etc. It's very small so I added another regular-sized candle to the package.

Snare Wire 9525-00-59-63498: A nice size hank of brass snare wire.


Side B: Escape and Evasion (E & E) Side:

Fire Starter, Magnesium 4240-01-160-561: Made by Doan, the best type of mag block on the market and the supplier of them to the military.

Knife, Pocket 5110-00-162-2205: This little baby is sharp! It's also as tough as a Duece and a half! These were originally believed by many soldiers to be made out of anti-magnetic steel, and therefore able to deactivate magnetic land mines, but that's not true! You just have to wonder how many soldiers found that out the hard way!

Signalling Mirror 6350-00-105-1252: Yes, it's a Star-Flash mirror, but a lot better than it's civilian counter-parts! The reflective surface is made out of tempered glass, not plastic, therefore impervious, mostly, to scratching! It's also heavier than the civilian model. I had read that the mirror did not come with a lanyard, but this one did!

Compass, Smoke Chaser 6605-00-553-87-95: The reason they called the Brunton Compass the "Smoke-Chaser," was because it was initially issued to Forest Rangers that would also work as fire-fighters! This is a very professional compass, albeit it's low cost assembly. It points to North super-fast, no matter which way it's pointed, and also came with a lanyard, though I'd read that, like the mirror, it didn't come with one.

Plastic Bag, Zip-Lock 8105-00-837-7756: The 2nd zip-lock bag wasn't in there. However I have a ton of these around the house so adding one was no problem!

Whistle, Extreme Cold 8465-01-278-6982: A rugged, plastic, 2-tone whistle.

Water Bag, Drinking 8466-00-634-4499: I love this item! It's a lot tougher than a condom or a water balloon, and even has a fastener to close it up after filling it as well as an attachment on the side to fasten it to your belt or something.

Matches, Waterproof 9920-01-191-3434: These came wrapped in plastic, I didn't open them up so as to preserve them better. They're advertised to even burn underwater!

Over all the components look as new as if they just came off the shelf! They're all top-quality and I may be buying up more of these for the family! I've already ordered 3 more of the water bags that were listed separately! If you're ever considering buying a "ready-made" SK, this one is top-notch!