Some people think Altoids kits (tin can kits) are useless or inadequate. I won't argue with that because a PSK should be tailored according to your needs, skills and environment. I won't go into the jungle without a machete and a big pack but for just a casual hike on a high volume traffic trail in the suburb, I just carry a mini kit. As always my kit contains somethings to make fire because the greatest threat if you get lost where I usually hike is hypothermia. Remember the rule of 3's - 3 hours of exposure to elements, you die.
Altoids Tin (small) - PJ coated cotton balls, Firesteel
Leatherman Squirt PS4.
That's all folks! Thanks for reading.
I ordered online a replacement flint for my flint & steel kit. I was wondering if this kind of stone can be found in my country, the Philippines. Maybe there is another kind of stone with similar characteristics that I can use instead.
1 of the 2 English flint I ordered online for $5.
The Hudson Bay Flint & Steel Kit. Highly recommended kit.
That's all folks! Thanks for reading.
After the chilly winter-like temperature of spring, we finally got a bright sunny weather these past few days. At 70F to 80F range, everybody is out in the park playing baseball, biking, walking or just sitting on the bench and enjoying the warm weather.
For me, it's tennis time. I have been grooving my strokes on the backboard for 2 days in a row and these past few days, I played with my friend on the court.
With the high temperature comes the danger of heat stroke so I always carry with me a bottle of water, juice or an oral re-hydration fluid like the one pictured above. And of course, my EDC stuff is always at hand wherever I go.
That's all folks! Thanks for reading
Most knives I bought are sharp out of the box and all I need to do is to strop them to make them razor sharp. Others, I have to sharpen on the stone and then strop them afterwards. Here is my simple sharpening kit.
I'm not an expert on sharpening but I am able to make my knives really sharp using this kit. As shown above, I have a sharpening stone which I bought from Chinatown for about $3. It has a fine and coarse surface.
I have a strop that I made out of an old and unused leather belt tied to a piece of wood by a rubber band. For removing nicks and chips on the blade and sharpening my axe, I use a small Nicholson flat file.
The tape on the picture, I can't remember what it is for. Maybe, if I cut myself while sharpening or maybe to put on the blade to prevent the coating from being scratched.
For stropping compound, I use rubbing compound, the type used for removing scratches on paints of cars. That's my sharpening kit, it works for me pretty well.
That's all folks! Thanks for reading.
I have a new website for the Personal Survival Kit that I assembled. If you want to buy one you can go to there. The site is not quite finished yet because I still have to set up a way to pay by credit card or PayPal but you might want to browse the site to learn more about the kit. The site is just one long page. You can see almost the entire page below.
For those who will buy online, I'm giving a discount of $1.50 - that's why the price for the PSK is only $13.50 whereas it should have been $15.00. But I have to charge $3.70 for shipping anywhere in the US. I know I said I would donate $1.50 to the church or any charitable organization but that is if you buy in person and I don't have to spend for the shipping.
I have 15 PSK at the moment, quite a few because this is just a hobby and a test on selling online. I might give a bonus gift to the first 3 buyers, so visit the site frequently for new updates.
That's all folks! Thanks for reading.
I think I have been bitten by PSK in Can mania. Ever since I made my first kit in can, I have made another two versions, a bigger one and smaller one. Here's the bigger one version.
More items added.
Clockwise from top, left: Firesteel, petroleum coated cotton balls, char cloth, whistle, petroleum jelly coated cotton balls, SAK Gardener knife, candle, duct tape, band aid, twisty, button compass, BIC sparky, whistle, fishing kit and LED flashlight. You know what, I forgot to wound the fishing line in the credit card. Rest assured I would do it.
There you are, I added a fishing kit, band aid, twisty, candle, BIC sparky, duct tape and char cloth. I could add some more items, I guess. Very appropiate kit with my neck knife.
That's all folks! Thanks for reading.
I have been contemplating on building a Personal Survival Kit for quite sometime. A kit that would contain the basic items that would help your effort to get out of survival situation alive, a kit that would grow to suit your needs, experience, and environment. A kit small enough to carry in your pocket or tossed in the glove compartment of your car so it will always be with you.
The blizzard that hit our area made me really think hard about winter preparedness. My brother told me that he was stranded in his car with his wife for 2 hours at Lake Shore Drive. Some motorists have to spend longer than that in their car before they were rescued. Who says you have to be in the wilderness to be in a survival situation?
The blizzard of 2011.
But what about when you got stranded in a remote area and help cannot get to you at once. What about if you have to spend the night in your car or it would take days before you can get rescued? Are you prepared to survive?
This Personal Survival Kit can save your life.
Tin can and its contents.
Clockwise: Firesteel, whistle, petroleum jelly coated cotton balls, knife, LED flashlight and button compass.
Firesteel and petroleum jelly coated cotton balls for starting a fire. Remember the survival rules of 3's, 3 hours of exposure to elements - you die. A lot of people during winter succumb to hypothermia. Just read the news.
Small utility folding knife.
LED flashlight. For finding things in your car at night and for signaling for help.
Aluminum whistle. Better than shouting or yelling and exhausting yourself. 3 short burst is universal sign for help. The sound from a whistle reaches farther that a shout or yell.
Button compass. It is not advisable to leave your car because it would be easier to find you if you're in or near your car than when you are wandering about not knowing where to go. But if you really have to leave and look for help, this compass will give you the general direction.
I made several PSK because I plan to sell them for $15.00 each, 10% of the gross sales will be donated to the church or charitable organizations.
That's all folks! Thanks for reading.
I promised in my previous post that I will be showing you my possibles pouch. So here it is:
I carry my possibles pouch, together with my PSK, when I go hiking or biking on trails, when I'm out into the woods for a day or when I go for a long drive.
I googled for the definition of a possibles pouch and this is what I got: A “Possibles Pouch” is possibly, “Whatever you want to carry in it”. I don't know if that is an accurate definition or not, but its good enough for me. Therefore, these are what I want to carry in my possibles pouch.
From left to right:
1. Bic lighter
2. Petroleum jelly coated cotton balls
3. Magnesium and flint fire starter.
4. Compass
5. Heavy-duty garbage bags, safety pins, band-aids, rubber bands and duct tape.
6. SAK Hiker
7. LED flashlight
8. String
SAK Hiker.
I chose this knife because it has a long saw that is good for cutting small branches and the price is just right for me.
With these, I've about covered everything, except for the fishing kit which I wanted to make.
Fire: Bic lighter, magnesium and flint fire starter and the ferrocerium rod in my PSK.
Shelter: 2 heavy-duty garbage bags, 2 knives.
Food: Improvised fishing kit using safety pins and string.
Navigation and signaling: 2 compass, 1 whistle, 2 flashlights
First-Aid: Band-aid, duct tape.
Repair: Safety pins, duct tape.
Of course I carry other items such as water, food and extra clothing in my pack but in this post, I am focusing only on my possibles pouch and its contents. I know through time, what I carry in my possibles pouch may change.
That is very possible!
That's all folks! Thanks for reading.
Hello everybody.
Since this blog is about survival, I think it is appropriate that my very first post would be about survival kit.
My PSK is the outcome of the many articles I have read and videos I have seen and of course is also highly influenced by factors such as where I live and where I usually go. This is the kit I always carry whenever I go to church, mall, park, work, almost anywhere even around the house. I do have a bigger kit though when I go traveling, hiking or camping but this is the very basic kit that I carry.
1. Whistle with compass, thermometer and magnifying glass
2. House keys
3. Ferrocerium rod
4. LED light
5. Knife
6. Container for petroleum jelly coated cotton balls.
Firemaking:
The knife serves as scraper for the ferrocerium rod and for opening boxes and letters. The red tube is a cigar container that I cut to 3" length and contains 5-6 compressed petroleum jelly coated cotton balls.
Light, signaling, and navigation:
The LED flashlight is a company giveaway, the whistle with compass, thermometer and small magnifying lens is from Walmart for $4.
This kit cost $10 more or less.
That's all folks! Thanks for reading.
