Quote:
Originally Posted by Razor
In addition to the Mg block, I'd recommend a bagful of Bic lighters, and a bunch of cottonballs saturated with petroleum jelly (the cheap alternative to commercial tinder wads).
For the price and utility, the Adventure Medical Kits Pocket Survival Pak is a handy little survival kit. Add water purification tablets and some matches and you have a kit with all the basics (supplemented by what you carry in your pockets, such as a good knife, a lighter, an LED light and a bandana) that's small and light enough to make it likely you'll carry it with you.
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I added two rolled up Breast Milk bags to my AMK in addition to the water tabs. They're tough, roll up small and you can buy a pack of 20 or 40 for less than $8. Sizes are all about the same 6-8 oz. Gerber is supposedly the toughest of the brands if you can find them. Now I don't have to worry about carrying what to carry water in. That and a space bag, knife, Doug Ritter photon and a lighter are my minimal carry.
I believe in a modular system that builds on the smaller kits as you go up (more economical for those with less money). When going on a trail or bike ride I add the above carry to a molle ACU pouch with a AMK ultralight .5 FAK, suscreen, bandana, rolled up platypus 1L platypus water bottle, 20 ft 550 cord, petzl e+lite headlamp, and hand sanitizer.
I usually have a full water bottle/camelback. If I'm expecting a longer outing I'll add on another molle canteen pouch with canteen, cup, cup-stove, more water tabs, magnesium fire starter and a 35MM film canister packed full of the cotton swabs soaked in vaseline.
As distance or expected time increases I add onto the kit with other items (poncho, liner, MIOX, food, leatherman, etc)
PSM I like your idea of the foil with an X. I'm going to have to try that now. Usually I scrape the magnesium into the vaseline-cotton swab and light from there. Perfect in windy conditions as the vaseline traps the magnesium shavings.
On the EDC subject. I've been doing some experimenting. The Ritter Photon I ordered came with two mounts that are very handy: a neck cord with a clasp that the photon easily attaches to, and a magnetic hat clip that it attaches to just as easily. The clip has little magnets that make it easy for attaching to a bunk, vehicle or metal object increasing the useful factor. However don't try to squeeze the clip so much to get it onto a kevlar as the metal in the spring might break.
I also shelled out $10 for the Gerber Artifact tool. Which is really handy if you travel and don't like checking a bag and don't want to go without a tool. The blade is an exacto blade and can be switched out or removed without any tools. It is surprisngly sturdy and has all the tools one would need on a daily basis. A leatherman it is not however I have only reached for my leatherman once in the last three weeks since I got the artifact. I usually keep the photon clipped to the artifact and those to my meager set of keys.