Personal Survival Kits

[Rick]

We post a lot about how folks find themselves in dire straights; getting lost while hiking for example. We also say, in almost every post, that you should leave your itinerary with someone responsible. What we don’t talk about is a Personal Survival Kit (PSK). So I thought I’d do a post on PSKs and list out some of the items your kit should not be without and why.

There are only three rules you have to know about PSK’s. 1. Make certain you have one. 2. Carry it with you at all times. You never know when you are going to need it. You might even need to rely on it at home. And, 3. know how to use every item in the kit before you need it.

You can spend a lot of money on a pre-packaged kit or make one yourself out of the very best components. But not knowing how to use it can cost you your life even when you have the means to save it.

On to the kit!!

I’m going to suggest you build your own since you can control not only cost but quality in the process of putting your kit together. If you absolutely must buy a pre-packaged kit then may I suggest Adventure Medical’s Pocket Survival Pak. It was designed by Doug Ritter so it does contain good quality equipment.

Remember that you will need to fulfill the basic human needs of Water, Shelter, Fire as well as Signaling and to a lesser extent Navigation and Food. All of which is very dependant upon where you are lost and how long you will need to survive. In most cases, rescue will be within 48 hours. But examples abound of having to survive longer.

Kit Contents.

1. Fire tinder: There are a lot of fire tinders on the market. Most are quite adequate for a kit. Some examples are, Sparklite, Esbit, WetFire Tinder, cotton balls impregnated with petroleum jelly, fatwood, wax and sawdust balls. Firestarters are a must have to ensure you can get a fire started when wood and tinder are wet or when you have very cold hands and have trouble with motor skills because of it.

2. Firestarters: In conjunction with fire tinders, fire starts are a requirement. Again, there are a lot of commercial products available. Sparklite, Blastmatch/Sparkie, BIC lighters or just the sparker from a lighter, mish metal and striker. Shy away from matches of any type. With matches, you are only going to have as many fires as you have matches. With sparkers and Fire Tinder you can have hundreds of fires. Since size is a consideration for a portable kit, leave the matches at home.

3. Whistle: Find a good quality rescue whistle like the Tornado, Howler, Storm or Windstorm. There are others. Just make certain they are pealess, SOLAS and/or Coast Guard approved. You can blow a whistle all day long. You can only yell for an hour or so before you become hoarse and irritate your vocal cords. Remember to blow the whistle in a series of three bursts, the International Distress Signal.

4. Rescue Mirror. Being seen is paramount to being rescued so a signal mirror is indispensible. You will read that DVDs can work or anything shiny but in test after test a true signal mirror far outshines any other device for signaling. They aren’t that expensive and are well worth your life. Starflash by Ultimate Survival Technologies is about the best on the market. They are made from Lexan, are scratch resistant and they float. In addition, they are almost foolproof to use. In any case, know how to use a signal mirror before you need it.

5. Button compass: One could make a case for leaving the compass out of the survival kit. The best rule when you are lost is to stay put so a compass should not be a vital piece of equipment. However, there could be times when you have to move for safety reasons so I will include a button compass here. Look for one that is liquid dampened.

6. Duct tape: 2 feet by 2 inches. Undeniably one of the best all around tools in the kit. You can use duct tape for repairs or for medical care. Use your imagination and it’s uses are limitless. Lot’s of manufacturers and almost all are good quality. Find a brand you trust.

7. Brass, Copper or Stainless Steel Wire: Six feet of 24 gauge. It’s lightweight and can be used for lashing, to improvise a cast or use as a snare.

8. Paracord: 10 feet, seven strand. Commerical paracord is perfectly fine. It has the very same feature as Mil Spec. Limitless uses. Disassembled you will have 80 feet of cord.

9. Small fishing kit: 4 medium fish hooks, 2 split shot and one swivel. Use the inner braid of the paracord for line.

10. 4 safety pins: Repair of gear, improvised fish hook, first aid.

11. Heavy Duty Aluminum foil: 3 feet folded. Can be used as an expedient pot, to contain body heat, fire reflector, wind screen. Impromptu signaling.

12.Pencil and water proof paper. To keep or leave notes or to keep log.

13. knife or scalpel blade. There are some very good, highly quality, small knives on the market that would fit very well into a small PSK. Some examples are Swiss Army, Kershaw Onion, Buck Mini Buck, Benchmade Griptilian. There are a lot of good knives that can fill this role. A folder is going to be smaller than a fixed blade but will have the weakness of a hinge.

14. Fresnel lens. While it can be used to start a fire in sunny conditions. However the main roll of the Fresnel lens is to assist eyesight with close up work like splinter removal. Can be invaluable if glasses or contact lenses are lost or broken.

15. Breast milk storage bags. Heavy duty LDPE, food grade plastic that is 3 mil thick. Used for storing water. Look for bags made by Gerber or Lansinoh. Found at most grocery stores or pharmacies.

16. Water purification tablets. Look for free iodine and/or hypoiodous acid based products. They typically only require 30 minutes to purify water compared to 4 hours for Chlorine Dioxide. Alternately, you can use a portable purification device such as a water purification straw. Potable Aqua is a good choice for water purification tablets. There are a number of good quality water purification straws available.

There you have the basics of a good Personal Survival Kit. There are certainly many other things you could add and some may find my choice of individual items debatable but they will fulfill basic human needs and, combined with good wilderness knowledge and a smidgen of common sense keep you alive long enough to be rescued. Good luck!

[crashdive123]

Nice post - good list.

[sjj]

Rick,

Most excellent component list. I have ended up putting together my own kits with personally tested components, to include what I believe I most need, and which I feel are of the best quality.

[Sam]

I too have the AMK kit shown above. I have found room in it for a leatherman multi-tool, a mini bic, a mini ferro rod and a few water tabs. along with the gear already in the pouch. I taped a cheapo poncho that I added an oven roasting bag to the packaging of. with out adding noticable size or weight. This addressed the two biggest (for me that is) short commings of water carring, and protection form the elements. This pocket kit goes most every where.
-Sam

[Rick]

I'm a fan of building your own, sjj. The main advantage to doing that is making it personal because all of us live in different environments and climates and at different elevations. Building your own kit addresses those differences by building it with the items specific to your needs. That's something a commercial kit will never be able to do unless you have the maker customize it just for you.

[Sarge47]

I really like your post Rick, it's a very good list. However I disagree with the "button Compass." It's way to small & you cant read between the lines to get the "degrees." There's nothing wrong with carrying a regular compass on your belt aside from your PSK! I really like the method shown by Bob Newman in his video: "The Ultimate Outdoorsman!" However, you are absolutely right about building your owe as better than "pre-packaged." Who knows what a person would need more than the person involved! :cool2:

[sjj]

A previously mentioned, like others, I prefer to put my own kits together rather than buy pre-made kits. A person must be willing to spend the time and money to learn what they need and then determine what they like best. For some, a good quality pre-made kit may be the best option; however, they still need to thoroughly understand the function of all components and have the skill to use them.

It should be acknowledged that determining for oneself the best kit components can be a task. For example - in the search for the best whistle I got 10 of the most commonly recommended whistles, took them out with a group and testing them at different distances, tried it again after dunking them in water, dropped them on the concrete, and tried to pull the lanyard attachment apart - then tried to decide which to include in which kit :)


Survival Kitty says if he never hears another survival whistle - it will be too soon !!

http://i953.photobucket.com/albums/ae15/sjj_bucket/W2.jpg

Notice the big orange world's loudest "Storm" whistle - the little yellow "Fox" whistle contained in Adventure Medical Pocket kit - the black "Jet Blast" from Ultimate Survival Technologies - the REI combination pee and pee-less - the stainless "Police" whistle, etc.

http://i953.photobucket.com/albums/ae15/sjj_bucket/W1.jpg

[justin_baker]

I always carry a stainless steel water bottle. It allows you to boil water and its a lot lighter/more convenient than carrying a plastic water bottle and a steel cup.

[oly]

Excellent post Rick, depending on your location your in or going to dictates what you need to concentrate on the most. My #1 concern is the amount of water needed and the weight.

[Rick]

Sarge - I encourage folks to put in a PSK whatever they feel fits them the best. The important thing for all to remember is to address the basic human needs. As I said in the post, I don't put a lot of stock in a compass in a survival situation since your best overall bet is to stay put and let help find you. Make every effort to improve your visibility if you are physically able but stay put. A downed aircraft, a stuck vehicle, even a snow machine or ATV is larger than just you alone on foot. Remember that from the air you generally look like a shadow cast on the ground unless you are wearing some high visibility clothing set against a flat background like a red jacket on a snow field. Even then, depending on altitude of the search aircraft and sun angle, you might still be just a shadow (you pilots feel free to chime in). That's why it's important to have the signal mirror or a smokey fire. Anything that attracts attention. Survival situations aren't just about hiking.

My list isn't meant to be the definitive list either. It's just a list to help newcomers see what kind of things they need to consider and why. And remember, if the PSK gets too large you will not carry it with at all times. You want something small and compact that can fit, ideally, into a pocket so you WILL have it with you. In my opinion, the items of a PSK should be all together in one kit.

[Rick]

Sure - sure - easy to say. I think you owe it to people to explain what actually happens in reality when you start searching for the perfect kit components.

I read and re-read your post and I think you are spot on. It is difficult to build a kit from scratch and know what brand of item to include. That's one of the reasons I tried to list out some examples. That's all they are and folks should feel free to use whatever they are the most comfortable with.

First, a couple of obvious things about commercial kits. The company is selling it to make a buck. They may be very altruistic but the bottom line is they want to make a profit. In order to do that they have to keep the price as low as possible. So you have the conflicting needs of providing the best individual pieces and keeping the price low. More often than not, those two needs can't be met in the same item so there is generally a trade off between quality and price with price usually winning out. Let's face it, not many folks are willing to pay $100 for a pocket size kit that won't get much use. But we are talking about something THAT CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE if you do need it. Hard to put a price on that.

The second thing is there is generally a lack of redundancy. One way to make fire for example. You have to take into consideration that your hand(s) may be injured or you may be suffering from hypothermia and shaking like mad or not be thinking straight because of a head injury, heat or cold or exposure. So having a couple of different ways to do a given task as intuitively as possible pays huge dividends in my book.

Finally, what a commercial kit boils down to is one person's opinion trying to cover all geographic areas, climates and elevations (as I mentioned above). So that company is trying to provide a "be all, end all" in a single kit and that's pretty hard to do.

However, you can be faced with a pretty daunting task of find high quality, lower cost items to put into your kit so here's a challenge to the pack. Let's put together some options for each item in the kit. I don't want to get crazy with this and we all need to recognize that opinions very wildly so let's set some ground rule.

1. The items must fit in a pocket sized kit to keep it small enough to carry with you at all times.
2. You must like the brand and model number (if it has one) and the cost as you found it.
3. No comments about someone else's choice. If they like it and it adheres to the rules then fine.
4. No debates on how well on whether a fixed blade is better than a folder or lifeboat matches are better than waxed covered home made matches. Just list it.
5. We'll take one item at a time in order to keep some structure and to gather up all the possibilities. Once we have exhausted a category I'll move on to the nest and at the end we can open the debate to items that weren't discussed.
6. Since I'm the OP I'll judge if you cross the line or failed to adhere to the rules.

If you don't want to participate that's fine but no comments from the peanut gallery if you choose not to participate. Finally, I'll keep the list on this post much like Phil is doing with the stoves.

First category is fire tinder. Something that can be ignited/burned to start a fire. Not a device for producing spark or flame.

Fire Tinder:
Tinder Quick Tab - $4
Esbit tabs - $6 to $8
WetFire Tinder - $6 to $10
100% cotton balls impregnated with petroleum jelly - $5 to $6 for 100% cotton balls and about $2.50 for PJ.
Fatwood - Free in the woods. $15 to $20 commercially for a bag of Uniflame, Copperfield or Minute Man International.
Wax and sawdust balls - Gulf canning wax $3.50 to $4.00
Dryer lint - Free
Sisal rope cut into 2 or 3 inch pieces;(coating them in paraffin is a good idea as well.) - 10' section $1.00 - Look in pet and craft stores.
Candles, such as tea candles (50 count - $4.00 at pharmacies) or "Pink Lady" candles for drying out wet wood ($4 for 5).(One person I heard of carried a little ole' Birthday candle. box of 12 - $4)
Trick b-day candles that re-light themselves - $2 for 8 candles.
Char Cloth - make your own - $ Cheap
Solid Magnesium Rod - $3-$6
Steel Wool in OOO - $ Cheap
Coghlan's Emergency Tinder - Similar in size and shape as Tinder Quick Tabs but more soft wax in them. They burn longer but not as easy to fluff up and start. $5 for pack of 10
Tinder Tube - similar to sisal rope and char cloth, but includes short piece of metal tube for ease of use - see video for explanation - make your own: http://www.youtube.comwatch?v=ztixHvyV0nU (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztixHvyV0nU)
Light my Fire Maya Dust: Flat wood dust – similar to flat wood, but already processed into easy to light/use dust. $6
Doan’s Magnesium/flint bar - combination fire starter and tinder - does it all. $7

[Sarge47]

I understand what you're saying Rick, & I'm putting my duos Centavos in. Another point, I NEVER would leave the matches at home. Lighters can fail and fingers may not work good enough to get a blaze going from flint & steel. However, a couple of "Strike Anywhere" or "Lifeboat" matches can save the day getting that 1st fire started! (Cody & Dave used a flare gun!) When I was in the Explorer group in Wisconsin the goal was no more than two matches to start the fire, then, using hardwoods like hickory &/or Walnut, build up a good bed of coals to keep the fire going the entire duration of the camping trip. We would take turns being the "Keeper of the Flame," & it would then be up to the appointed individual to make sure that the fire never went out. We would keep it going through heavy downpours!

Rick, you make many good points, one great one is to know how to use your survival equipment BEFORE things get bad! Also the fact that the companies that put together the SKs are trying to make a profit. The cost of those kits would probably be a third of what you'd pay for it! I'll not weigh in on the Compass as you know where I stand on this. Also, everything being put into one small container can be easily lost; that's like putting all of your eggs into one basket, so I'll shy away from the "small package" kit idea as well. I trust that former Marine Bob Newman knows what he's talking about. :cool2:

[sjj]

Rick,

You know we completely agree on putting together our own kits and my post on the whistles was all in good humor :)

Great idea on the project kind sir. For me, the recommendation for specific components that go into a kit all boils down to the exact size, weight, and dimension of the final package. I also need to know the complete list of minimum "essentials" that must be included. Just a note - I consider a mini-flashlight and some form of waterproof material for shelter/rain - essentials in the smallest of kits.

[Rick]

sjj: It's all in good fun. Even this whole exercise!!

1. The items must fit in a pocket sized kit to keep it small enough to carry with you at all times. I know some folks use survival vests and that's fine. Those vests have pockets on them as well so don't let the fact that you use a vest slow you down for this exercise.

2. I started with the list in the first post. I know other items can be included and we can do that at the end of the list where we can we can open the debate to items that weren't discussed.

Sarge - I recognize everyone will have their own ideas about what they should include. That's fine. As I said...There are certainly many other things you could add and some may find my choice of individual items debatable but they will fulfill basic human needs and, combined with good wilderness knowledge and a smidgen of common sense keep you alive long enough to be rescued.

Since this is for newbies and for rescue I chose to add only those items that would provide the best chance of staying alive with the least weight and bulk. The matches were left out to reduce overall bulk and because you are only going to have as many fires as you have matches. With sparkers and Fire Tinder you can have hundreds of fires.

The danger with NOT having your PSK in one kit is that you can get tired of picking up individual items and might stop using it. Having all your eggs in one basket is certainly a risk but the same can be said for having items scattered around on your body. And you could forget to pick up or pack a specific item with you. It's just a list. A starting point for newbies. A way to get them started and to understand that the kit is designed maintain specific aspects of human survival and that's what they should think about when purchasing or building one. Fire, water, shelter, etc. Everyone should do whatever works for them but newbies need a starting point and I was hoping to provide something easy for them.

[Mischief]

Carry a black Sharpie pen,it will write on wood,leaves,rock,and any injured victim,including yourself.

Mischief

[Sarge47]

While Rick & I agree to disagree agreeably, I hope, I will say that any Newbie IN MY OPINION, should carry some water-proof matches as you might have trouble starting out trying to start a fire with a flint rod & steel. Even lighters can fail. Once you get that 1st fire going you can warm up and should be able to use other methods as well. Also, if you know what you're doing, you can even keep that 1st fire going and won't need to start another one.

Also, I think a compass is very important, but only if you have some sort of idea where you are and can identify landmarks. Knowing which direction North is does no good if you don't know what lies North. So include a Topo map of the area you expect to be in. Now, on to the exercise as I do want to support Rick on this...I think it's a great idea! :clap: :clap: :clap: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

FIRESTARTERS:

Dryer lint, of course;

Sisal rope cut into 2 or 3 inch pieces;(coating them in parafin is a good idea as well.)

candles, such as tea candles or "Pink Lady" candles for drying out wet wood.(One person I heard of carried a little ole' Birthday candle.) :cool2:

[Rick]

I added them in, Sarge.

[welderguy]

Great post very informative, Thanks

[Sarge47]

I have several "personal size" packs of Hand Sanitizer. Since H.S. is mostly alcohol it burns quite nicely.

If I was to pack stiff into a metal container I have one that I picked up at a yard sale for 10 cents; it's about 4 times larger than an Altoids tin. It will also slide right into my front pocket quite well as is equally at home in a Cargo pocket.

However, a nice-size Fanny Pack is pretty good for carrying things also! Wouldn't carry this on the job though; don't want to go to jail! (Different jobs have different rules!) :cool2:

[Sarge47]

Front shirt pocket? Cargo pants pocket? Need clear size/weight parameter's.Pants pockets, however, I use all of my pockets if I'm out and about. Hang things from my neck on a lanyard made from braided 550 cord. Hang things from a belt that I made by braiding 550 cord as well. If I have it, I use it! :cool2:

[Ken]

Okay, time for me to chime in. :)

First, about this fire controversy we have going on here....... :innocent: I carry at least 1 bic and a few waterproof matches in all of my PSKs. I like having options.

Options - the same thing goes with the PSK I happen to be carrying at any given time.

I have several (about 20 :blushing:) different PSKs of all types, shapes, and sizes in my inventory. Some are as small as an altoids tin, and others are as large as 7"x5"x3" and are worn on my belt. If I'm in the woods, I have the largest one with me. I never use it's contents, because a larger/better and more durable version of everything in it is also carried in the contents of my pack. If I'm in town and not wearing a suit, I often use a small belt-worn camera pouch PSK, a jacket, a ScottVest, or a money belt converted for PSK use.

Several camera pouches also have multiple zippered sections, and hold a .32 quite nicely when summer wear (shorts and a light shirt) don't lend themselves to CCW - unless I'm wearing cargo shorts, which I often do.

In the woods, my PSK is the LAST alternative I go to. If I'm leaving my main pack behind at camp, I still carry my PSK AND a fanny pack that can see me through pretty much anything. Depending on the season/weather, I'll also be wearing either a vest with loads of stuffed pockets or a coat/jacket with loads of stuffed pockets.

I consider the environment where I'll be, and pack approriate contents for the trip. Naturally, given what I do for a living, I'm often quite limited as to what I can carry in a suit - and that's why I carry a briefcase with a few extra items inside. :) The worst place to go is into a federal court building. There, EVERYBODY has to pass through screening similar to an airport, and that's when most of the stuff has to get left in the car.

[pete lynch]

I have one PSK with a few of those trick b-day candles that re-light themselves. I figure they're going to get burned up completely anyway so no danger of an accidental fire.

[Rick]

sjj - Yes to all of the above. Whatever pocket you want to put it in. It really doesn't matter what the size is. If a newbie wants to add a 4 Bics to their kit then they can certainly do that. They'll just have to use a bigger kit. I only chose pocket size because I thought it would be convenient to carry all the time that way. If you wear cargo pants all the time and want to use a cargo pocket that's fine.

Ken - There really is no controversy. Folks can pack whatever they want to pack. It's not for me to say what's right for them or their environment. If folks think they can light a match with cold hands then go for it. I don't think I can. I don't think I'd possess the motor skills necessary but that's just me. Compasses are the same way. In an effort to keep the keep small enough to be convenient to carry I chose a button compass. Unless you are on the open ocean or under heavy canopy like Mac there isn't a need to be orienteering in a survival situation. Just stay put. If you must leave you can check the sun, the stars, use a compass stick or your watch to determine direction. You really don't need even a button compass. Still, if you want to carry one, then by all means do so. I would also assume that all your other gear is probably with you and that would include all the things that have been mentioned above BUT a pack could slide down a cliff, get washed away crossing a creek or be lost when a canoe overturns. That's why it's important to have a PSK on your person, in my opinion.

To all - My only goal here was to help Newbies determine what basics should be in a PSK. There's nothing at all that prevents them from improving on the contents. But having less than the basic essentials could pose a risk to surviving or being rescued. Add to that sjj's point about the difficulty in finding quality items for a kit so I thought the list would be a handy reference for them in both ideas, brands and price.

I certainly didn't intend for a debate or controversy to ensure. Perhaps I mis-communicated my intentions. If so, I apologize. Perhaps it was just a misguided idea.

[Rick]

Pete - I added the trick candles to the list.

[pete lynch]

...

I certainly didn't intend for a debate or controversy to ensure. Perhaps I mis-communicated my intentions. If so, I apologize. Perhaps it was just a misguided idea.

Not misguided at all; I for one am glad you started this thread. I have a kit of one kind or another just about everywhere but not one I can always carry on my person. I need to do that, so thanks for the nudge. :)

[Quigley]

Thanks for that. Very good post.

[Batch]

Rick great post.

You know what I would like to see? What about breaking down the components one by one as listed in separate threads and discussing what we use and why?

I had a tinder I swear buy fail me last weekend in the rain. The kit made fire where I failed to provide with just a knife and ferro rod.

I put a much greater emphasis on signaling over navigating in kits. Either your navigating sucks with a good compass and map or your in a situation where navigating out is not an option.

Over and over folks that almost die repeat how they could see planes, boats or other people. But, they had no way to signal. For this reason I think signaling is very important.

Signal mirror, flashlight, reflector, whistle and fire making ability.

Anyway, this is a real good thread Rick! :)

[Rick]

I'm probably not following you. I thought that's what I did in Post #1 so I must be misunderstanding. Sorry.

[Batch]

Another words a separate thread for fire tinders and each respondates reasoning and experience with its use.

Why is this tinder in your kit.

Best with photos or video of the respondants using the tinder in harsh conditions.

Next thread, firestarters...

And follow your list. Listing what you use and why. But, with photos and plus and minus reports.

Each piece of kit in its own thread with merits weighed and usage shown...

[Sarge47]

Rick I think that this thread was a great idea & here's why. When I 1st saw this I questioned it because of the "Survival Kit Sticky" & my blog: "For the Newbys." I thought it was overly redundant. But upon further thinking I realized that you were pumping fresh air into a stale forum. Most of the threads on here have very little to do with what this forum is about. Every so often I think it's good that somebody here do something like this to get us "back to basics." Yes, we "more experienced" ones will probably look at it & think how much more we'd do, but that ain't what it's about, is it? So maybe you should get a fourth "Green Twinkie" for coming up with this idea, huh? :sneaky2: :cool2:

[Sarge47]

Oh, BTW, I have a new Blog entry on my idea of a real Survival kit if anyone's interested. :cool2:

[Rick]

You're right. I apologize. I should have done a search first.

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1256

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/blog.php?b=29

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/blog.php?b=47

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/blog.php?b=294

[Sarge47]

Rick, relax, sit down, calm down, & have a Twinkie. :) It's STILL a great idea! It seems like no matter what we do to keep things in the "forefront," they still seem to get lost. I think you did great! :cool2:

[finallyME]

Here is my PSK for hiking and backpacking. Basically it is what I carry in the woods. After reading this thread, I probably need one for my car and office as well. So, now the list.....Oh yeah, it fails Rick's first requirement of being small. But it is what I carry.

1. Fire kit
2. Mora 780
3. small ceramic stone for sharpening
4. small mirror
5. Chlorine Dioxide tabs (I don't like Iodine)
6. Victorinox multitool
7. baby wipes (trust me, these are essential :ohmy: )
8. First Aide kit (mine is kinda large because I am usually with clumsy 12 yr olds)
9. 20 ft 550 cord
10. head lamp
11. emt scissors
12. dry ducks rain suit
13. 26 oz stainless water bottle
14. Military Compass (acquired from Uncle Sam)

I think that is it. I should go look to see what else I forgot to mention. I have a button compass on my watch, along with a whistle. If I am day hiking, I have a lunch. If backpacking, then I will have food for however long I am planning.

Here is my fire kit:
1. NBC container. It is the practice one that goes in the side pocket of the gas mask bag. I bought one at a surplus store for less than $2. Everything goes into this waterproof container.
2. Waterproof matches in an orange match container.
3. lighter
4. light my fire rod
5. handless fero rod
6. small lipbalm container refilled with petroleum jelly
7. the remaining space filled to capacity with dryer lint