No Nonsense Survival Kit

Most survival kits I have seen contain lots of unnecessary junk that will do nothing to keep you alive. I have created this kit through my own experience and testing. I feel this kit has everything you would need in a survival situation and none of the junk. It is jam packed with items to keep you alive longer. For this kit you need an altoids tin, preferably one with an awesome paint job, and seven feet of paracord. Enjoy :)

In this instructable, I will be covering 6 categories: fire, water, food, medical, signaling, and some other necessary items. Everything I have packed into this kit is extremely valuable in a survival situation.

- One SOL flint striker
- Three weather-proof matches (any brand)
- One match striker
- Two small pieces of tinder (use one that works for you)

In my experience an SOL fire striker works well to ignite tinder. Weather proof matches are a great back up if the striker fails. I use regular tinder you can get in any store bought kit. The important thing is that it works well for me. Find tinder that you like and works well in your situation.

- Six water purification tablets

In a survival situation, the last thing I want to happen is to get a waterborne illness. These are six small packable tablets that will allow me to drink even the dirtiest water safely.

- Two mid to large sized fishing hooks
- Fishing line and some weights
- Fairly thick string
- Two razor blades

It is smart to have several ways of obtaining food in your survival kit. I have included hooks and fishing line to catch fish. The string is for making a snare to catch small game. If I manage to catch some small game I can skin it with one of the razor blades. The blades can also be used to clean fish.

- Five butterfly bandages
- A small roll of duct tape
- One surgical blade
- One safety pin

Butterfly bandages will allow me to close up fairly large cuts in a pinch. Duct tape can also be used for sealing wounds. A sterile surgical blade can be used for many things, as can the safety pin.

- Folded square of aluminum foil
- Flat whistle
- Small model rocket engine

The aluminum foil has multiple uses, one of which can be a makeshift mirror for signaling. A whistle is a necessity in any survival kit. The model rocket engine is my personal preference for signaling. I believe it would be very useful because it is bright, loud, and produces a lot of smoke.

- Zip lock baggie
- Needle and thread
- Duct tape
- Aluminum foil
- Safety pin

Some of these items were already in previous categories. I have included them in the "other" categore to show that they all have a very wide range of usages.

The first things you want to pack are the flat items. Arrange them in a way that takes up the least space possible.
Next pack your semi-flat items. These can include fishing hooks and safety pins.
Now pack in all of the soft items on top of the semi-flat items.
Lastly, arrange your largest items in a way that saves the most space possible. It will take a few tries to get them all in tightly.

Please check out stannickel's Solar Powered Flashlight that he kindly made just for this kit. He did a great job making a clear and simple light to make the kit better. Thanks!

Now that your survival kit is backed to the brim, it will probably not close on its own. This is where the paracord comes in.
First, close the lid on the end of the paracord. Wrap it loosely around the tin. Pull the end back through all of the loops. When it is all the way through, keep tightening it until you have a long piece at the end.
Wrap the end back around the loops. When it is tight enough to hold itself together, you are done!

**Disclaimer**

I expressly disclaim any responsibly what so ever in regard to the use of items in this instructable.

If you enjoyed my instructable, please feel free to vote! Thank you for your time and have a good day!