DIY The Ultimate ALTOIDS Survival tin

Lots of great ideas. One thing to consider adding is a small plastic pencil sharpener. They don't take up much space and you can sharpen stick to make stakes, traps, weapons, etc in a matter of seconds without dulling your knife. And the shavings make excellent tinder

Decent little kit, although it'll change quite a bit once you start to use it. Some things to consider: Don't tie knots in your bankline when wrapped in that manor, it'll be next to impossible to remove cleanly with cold fingers. Don't wrap multiple things on top of one another for ease of access. I'd suggest painting the tin with black high heat paint, so you can use it to make char material. Put your glow in the dark tape on one side of a sheet magnet and your reflective tape on the other side then stick the reflective side to the top of your tin in order to protect the reflective side and allows you to pull it out to use. Plus you might be able to magnetize your needle in case your compass fails. Trick birthday candles work better than the regular ones in windy conditions. Get a small button light instead of the chem lights, it'll last you longer and gives you the ability to turn it off when not needed. Zip tie under the button on your Zippo; nothing worse than having a cramped tin and having something depress the button and let all your gas go. Position your striker against the floor or side wall to prevent the matches accidently rubbing against it.

I would rather have a ferro rod than matches, and add in a $10 bill for emergency meals /gas money. You might also need a second or third fishing hook.

I've been using my own zippo tin fire kit since I was a teenager. Trust me one of the last things you want is small but vital kits to blend in with your environment. I put hi-vis reflective tape on mine and also wrap a wide rubber/silicone bracelet around the outside of the tin covering the lip of the lid and hinges for descent waterproofing. Great ideas and video for sure. I highly suggest adding these two particular details to any small tin kit. You can see it day or night and reduces the chances of stepping on or kicking it, scattering and losing important items of your kit and it's waterproof.

“The rubber’s not allowing me to push it in…it’s a little tight”...that’s what she said! Not a bad effort, all around. It’ll get you by in a pinch. Here are my thoughts as I watched: 1) The glow tape is an interesting idea, but I don’t think it will serve in the manner you intend. If the tape is closed up in the kit, in your pocket, how is it charging? It’ll be dead when you open the lid. Your only other light source is the tiny red glow tubes. Better to get an LED flashlight, like a Thrunite Ti3 (one AAA) or a Streamlight Nano (four LR44). The Photon Micro-Light Freedom II is a good choice, too, and comes in a variety of beam colors, including UV and IR (takes two CR2016 or one 2032, depending on beam color). 2) You’re right that the mirror tape is NOT a signal mirror. Would it do in a pinch? Maybe, but the UST Micro StarFlash is 2” X 1.5 “ and is the real deal. Do you want to trust your life to a piece of shiny tape that will probably be scuffed and scratched by the time you need it? Or use a purpose-built tool? 3) The Fresnel lens is a natural choice for an Altoids kit, because it’s so thin. Protecting it in its sleeve is crucial because scratches can impair its optical properties. I store mine in the lid; I didn’t have to trim it, either, as it fits nicely as is. By the way, it was invented by the French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel and is pronounced “fray-NELL”. 4) Utility blades and razor blades are designed to be used with handles, for a reason. They are unwieldy and dangerous when used in the fingers without some larger handle. I don’t use them in my kits. In fact, my Altoids tin kit includes a full-sized Victorinox Farmer-X SAK, with large blade, saw, scissors, awl, and the can and bottle openers / screwdrivers. Real tools. And it fits perfectly on one side. There are smaller SAKs with great tool sets that will serve well, too. See the YouTuber MeZillch’s channel for several ideas on how to safely carry blades, including how to strip and modify a SAK for use in an Altoids kit. 5) The P38 can opener is a classic item to use in a survival kit; however, I typically don’t carry canned goods, I have never stumbled upon an intact canned product in the wild, and unless you imagine raiding someone’s hunting cabin pantry, I don’t see the need for it. 6) The Portable Aqua tabs will kill bacteria, viruses and cysts, but will not purify against heavy metals or industrial chemicals like pesticides, just so you know. Choose your source carefully. Also, remember that they take four hours, out of direct sunlight, to work. There are better options. And you might want more than two quarts. Check out YouTuber Gear Skeptic’s channel for an in-depth three-part video series on water purification…outstanding! 7) Birthday candles will deteriorate over time, stick together and to everything else, and create a mess. If you are going to carry them, seal them inside of a drinking straw (go back to MeZillch’s channel for this methodology). Personally, I don’t use them. I prefer to use the space for a ferrocerium rod, my second option for fire after the Fresnel lens. 8) Are you embarrassed to say “condom”? LOL! These are typically not very tough. Hell, I’ve had them break during their intended use (no brag, just fact!), never mind out in the woods among rocks, sticks, thorns, etc. At the very least, you’d want a sock or a bag of some kind to give it added protection. I prefer to use CryoVac 1 quart bags. They roll up nice and tight and fit well, or fold flat, and are way more durable. Supermarket produce bags are a good option, too, and even Ziploc brand 1 quart freezer bags work better than a condom. 9) Suunto is the most reliable small compass. Their Clipper style can be taken out of the case for an even smaller form factor. 10) The Bic lighter is overkill, and a waste of space. First, it’s of limited use because it will run out of fuel, probably by leaking unless you protect it somehow. Second, practice making fire with a Fresnel lens and a ferro rod, until it’s second nature, and you can get flame 99% of the time with natural tinder. In my Altoids kit I carry a lens and a ferro rod, with two storm matches and a Tinder Quik plug as backup in wet conditions. 11) Wrapping the bank line, fishing line and thread around the lighter seems like a good idea, until you need the bank line first, or the fishing line. You’re going to end up with a tangled mess for sure. Store them each separately. The thread and fishing line can be spooled onto small sewing bobbins, and the bank line can be hanked. Coil what you want, and wrap it in a similar fashion to what you did with it on the lighter. Heavy duty carpet thread, Kevlar thread and even dental floss is a better choice than that cheap sewing thread. 12) I carry a sail needle, which is bigger and stronger than a regular sewing needle. I prethread it with carpet thread, and store in a sealed drinking straw. 13) I found it ironic that you stuck a single fish hook onto the lighter, then later showed us several pre-rigged hooks with leaders on the side of the frame at the end of the video. THOSE are what you should pack! Clamp some split shot sinkers on them, coil them and slip them into a small ziploc bag. Three or four should do the trick. Remember that you can potentially catch a large fish on a smaller hook, but you are unlikely to catch a small fish on a bigger hook. I carry three #4 and three #8 in my Altoid kit. 14) Safety pins ARE great. Get good sturdy large ones, like 2” brass ones. Four is a good number if you want to use them to rig a tarp or Mylar blanket into a shelter. There is a way to interlock them to save space (MeZillch again!) 15) I have some tiny glow sticks. I suppose they can be useful in certain circumstances, but I wouldn’t depend on them for illumination. I carry a couple of tiny green ones to mark my shelter at night if I have to leave it for any reason. To me they’re all but useless. Get a flashlight. 16) I’ve never been a big fan of wire saws. They break. Never had one that didn’t. ASE Best Glide sells a mil spec version that I’ve never tried, so maybe that is a good choice, but I have my SAK if I need a saw. Plenty of firewood laying around in most woodland settings that doesn’t need to be sawed. 17) As noted above, I carry two NATO storm matches, a strike pad and a Tinder Quick plug, sealed in a drinking straw, as a backup to my lens and ferro rod. The straw helps protect the matches from being crushed, and keeps the strike pad and tinder dry. 18) I would rather have a couple of large Bandaids (the ones with Neosporin already on the pads) than gauze. But I already carry a small IFAK with some state-of-the-art, hospital grade wound dressings and medications, so I don’t need first aid items in my Altoids kit. I get that the gauze can be used for other things, like filtering, or char cloth, but I don’t carry it in the Altoids kit. 19) Duct tape can be stuck onto waxed paper and this will preserve its adhesive better than rolling or folding it onto itself. I carry a 18” X 2” strip on waxed paper, folded flat. 20) Stuff I would add: 10’ of stainless steel wire (24 AWG) A slim titanium whistle An 18” X 12” sheet of HD aluminum foil A slim micro pencil and/or a space pen cartridge Three 3” X 5” sheets of Write In The Rain note paper 21) YouTuber MeZillch is a master of miniaturization and innovative storage and carry solutions. YouTuber Gear Skeptic has an amazing set of videos on water purification and another on the lightest, most calorie-dense trail foods…GREAT analysis! Andrew of Ranger Survival and Field Craft is a former Ranger who teaches skills better than anyone I’ve found online yet. Having said all of this, yes I have made an Altoids kit, and yes I carry one occasionally when I’m in the woods. My preferred kit, though, is to use a Maxpedition Mini pouch, because it’s roomier than an Altoids tin, and I can comfortably get all of the above in it, with room for a few extras (bandana, Mylar blanket, small water filter, etc.), and because it fits neatly in the cargo pocket of most of my hiking pants and shorts. The other pocket always holds the aforementioned IFAK, along with a 6” Israeli bandage and a CAT tourniquet. These items are always securely on my person, so that in the event that I get separated from my main bag or other gear, say by a flash flood, a raging river, a landslide, an avalanche, a tumble off a cliff, a rampaging moose…yeah, good luck!…at least I have some basic items on me to build a fire, erect a shelter, purify some water, maybe get some food, and signal for help or navigate out. I hope that even one sentence of what I’ve written helps you, or anyone else. I spend a lot of time thinking about this stuff, researching this stuff, playing with this stuff, and practicing with this stuff, and I hope you do, too. Good luck to you Sir! Keep on the sunny side of the street, and keep on keepin’ on!

Dental floss makes for all-purpose cordage/thread/suture/fishing line.

Using the glow-in-the-dark and mirror tape was an awesome idea. Really good video.

What a great and well thought out kit! If I'm going to be in hot weather I always put the candle in a small ziplock or something because it will melt all over everything in there. Good balloons also make good water containers or to keep small things dry. Thanks for the great video!

A couple of the single packs of Alcohol wipes, as emergency tinder, and maybe a foot long x 1/2" strip of gorilla tape. Even without those, one of the best Altoids kits I've seen... and I've seen a few !

HINT : at your grocery store in the vegetable section there are thin but very strong plastic bags.. I have tested the ones from my grocery store.. and they fold up very thin.. and can be used to hold water..

12:30 in: wrapping the lighter with layers. Tip... start with the hook and needle. Hold against the lighter, & secure with at least one layer of gorilla tape. Then wrap cordage and fishing line. This does several things. 1. Secures sharp tools so you don't lose them. 2. Protects hands from sharp tools 3. Offers a textured area so you cordage doesn't slip off the end. 4. Gorilla tape also may be used for a fuel source to prevent wasting lighter fluid. As a good rule of thumb is if you have to hold the lighter lit for 3 seconds, you are wasting precious fuel. Light the tape instead if you can't find other dry tinder in nature.

i always had the idea that this was just a gimmick but i really enjoyed the way that you went through every single item and i am amazed how many items fit in there. i now totally believe that this is a great idea to have it on the backpack or on your jacket or cargo pants. you never know when you might need them!!! thank you for the video!!!

Pine needles are great for making a tea, they are full of vitamin C, keep you going

I've done testing with both tea light candles and birthday candles, and I've come to like the birthday candles more because you can actually do more with them. You can hold them at angles for fire making and I've noticed they tend to be more reliable then tea light candles and my theory behind that is because you have much more wick to work with then tea light candles.

Love the paint job an first two steps

I've done similar kits. I tend to magnetize the needle as an emergency compass, and pre-thread it in case you're unable to do so under those conditions where you might need it.

A derma-safe razor might fit in there vice the box cutter razor. a little safer to use and transport once you start using the kit. Also, you could put a couple of "trick" Bday Candles (they have a little bit of magnesium in the wick) in there vice the normal Bday candles.

NOTE : I use a old gift card or one of those sample credit cards that come in the mail.. take some orange duct tape.. in wrap it around the card.. amazing how much duct tape you can put on without being too thick.. good for repairing things but also good to use as trailblazing/ marking tape.. Stick it to a tree or onto a branch to mark your path so you don't get lost

Absolutely love this mini tin kit. Very well thought out!! Love what you did with the lighter!

A simple like for the fact OD green is the best color for anything