How to Build an Altoids Tin Survival Kit

I’ve always been fascinated by the mystique of a miniature survival kit. Imagine being transported to the desert and having to survive with only the equipment that fits in an Altoids can! If everything is packaged correctly, you can build a shelter with sticks and leaves, start a fire with waterproof matches, and catch fish to fry with hooks and dental floss! (Don’t ask where the frying pan comes from.)

In a real survival situation, things may be a little different. Firstly, you probably somehow made it to the forest and thus it was time for you to pack your gear. This means that you had some context for packing your kit: an understanding of what you might need, how long you might be out in the woods if something goes wrong, and what hazards or problems you might encounter.

To create the optimal survival kit, you’ll need to think about the following things: Where will you be and what will you already have with you? For example, the survival kit guide at Man Made DIY does not include a knife. They point out that if you’re the kind of person who carries a survival kit, you’re probably also the kind of person who won’t go into the woods without a knife.

So let’s look at survival kits from the perspective of the Ten Essentials – a time-tested guide to packing gear for a backpacking or camping trip.

10 Essentials

All of these items should be kept in stock somewhere , and some of them are great candidates to pack into a mini survival kit. Let’s go through the list and think about which ones might fit into our kit:

• Navigation : Your kit may include a small compass, but remember that it is useless without a map.

• Light : It is advisable to have a headlamp or flashlight with extra batteries. If you find a flashlight small enough, be aware of the trade-offs: it probably isn’t very bright and/or it probably doesn’t have great battery life.

• Sun Protection : Sunglasses, hats and protective clothing will not fit in the Altoids can. But you can take a couple of packets of sunscreen with you.

• First Aid : If space is limited, attend to the highest priority items. One patch will not affect your survival. But you may want to include bug repellent wipes , Benadryl or other allergy medication, and foot care products in case you end up walking much longer than you planned.

• Repair of knives and equipment . If you don’t have a knife with you, a blade of some sort will do the trick—try this tiny pocket knife . To repair your gear, take sewing needles , dental floss (which can be used with needles, but is stronger than regular thread), and a rolled or folded piece of duct tape to make a makeshift patch.

• Fire : A pocket flint and steel (or better yet, a magnesium fire starter ) works great, or you can carry a mini lighter . If you want to go old fashioned, waterproof some matches by dipping them in wax. You can also carry tinder or homemade fire starters , such as cotton balls soaked in Vaseline, but in many places it’s easier to make your own tinder from dry leaves or use a knife to make feather sticks .

• Shelter : You won’t be able to fit a whole tent in there, but a tent or space blanket is small enough to fit side by side.

• Extra Food : Nothing that fits in a jar of Altoids will last you very long, but if you have some extra space, you can keep one of the mints.

• Extra water : Water won’t fit, but you might consider using water purification tablets and a durable zip-lock bag to store the water. (Or upgrade to a collapsible water container .)

• Additional clothing : Sorry, I think we don’t have enough space. (Though this space blanket would be nice to have if we’re cold.)

How to Pack a Can of Altoids

With those needs in mind, here’s what I’d bring if I were packing for a hike or run and wanted to prepare for the possibility of getting injured or lost and having to spend the night there:

• Mini compass for use with a map, packaged separately.

• Whistle . It’s not on the list above, but places where I might get lost are most likely within earshot of someone who can rescue me. If I have a broken ankle and the phone doesn’t work, I’ll blow the whistle three times and keep repeating until someone comes.

• Mini flashlight – like a keychain. It may not provide much light, but I would still prefer it to none.

• Sachets of sunscreen and bug repellent , which I’ll probably need often since I always forget one thing or another and don’t notice until it’s too late.

• Allergy medicine . Be healthy.

• A tiny knife or scissors, sewing needles and dental floss.

• Maybe a little roll of duct tape

Packed separately:

• A printed or published map of the area.

• Space blanket

I’m not counting fire supplies as my goal would be to survive the night somewhere warm enough for me to go on a happy little day hike at all. I don’t take any water supplies with me because I’m unlikely to be gone for so long that water will be key to my survival. I already have extra water and snacks as part of my normal backpack for a hike or run. I’ll check the weather and bring appropriate clothing, but it’s a good idea to have a space blanket with you just in case.

But that’s just me. With these considerations in mind, what will your mini survival kit include?

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