reThinkSurvival.com

38 Item Sardine Can Survival Kit

Although you can certainly do better putting together your own pocket survival kit (and probably save a few bucks too), the Coghlan’s Survival Kit In A Can is an interesting idea. I can say that there are several items I wouldn’t be interested in (such as the bubble gum, tea bag, and nails). In addition, I don’t particularly like the fact that once opened it can’t be sealed again but for the price and if you’re looking for something to toss in a small survival kit then this could be an option but I would strongly encourage you to try to put together your own kit even if in nothing more than an Altoids tin…

Posted in

by

Damian Brindle

Discover the 5 Minute Survival Blueprint course and get yourself prepared fast, easy, and inexpensively! It’s my gift from one prepper to another. 🙂

Comments

11 responses to “38 Item Sardine Can Survival Kit”

  1. undeRGRound

    Right now, I have about 6 of the big plastic “coffee cans” with bulk survival items in them. I need to divide it up, in 2-3 I have like 15 Bic Lighters, a bunch of FAK items, and quite a few other things. It is a HUGE “Prep Kit” size, but more like what you would hand to a group member if you had to split up or came across someone who needed some items to finish a journey or something like that. Holds nearly a pound of coffee, which is a fairly bulky item. Like 1/2 gallon or so. I plan on wrapping the lids with electrical tape once I get them filled, and a desiccant pack. Great Seal with the tape, air tight and waterproof. I got 100 space blankets from Amazon about 2 years ago, they are the 1 person size, maybe 2… I think there is room for some food, fuel (gel packs) and a lighter, space blanket, everything that sardine can had, but in Real Quantities. Family Survival Pack 😉

    Reply
    1. Damian Brindle

      Sounds like you need to super-size your kits into 5 or 6 gallon buckets… plus they come with convenient carry handles. 🙂

      Reply
      1. undeRGRound

        :p
        😛

        lol

        Reply
  2. undeRGRound

    Altoids tins are a good base also, and I saw a very good kit made in
    one of those small zipper packs like small screwdriver assortments come in.
    The key is getting small but usable amounts of important items packed tightly
    and efficiently. Bubble Gum is funny, better to have a small candy or something
    of similar caloric value. Great Find, Damian!

    Reply
    1. Damian Brindle

      Getting everything to fit is always half the fun! The problems I noticed when making my own is (1) getting a container small enough that I’ll actually carry it and (2) I always want to add more stuff no matter what container I use. Ultimately, it’s really just a fun exercise for me but probably not one I’ll choose to utilize any more simply because it’s just one more item I have to remember to take with me. Like I mentioned in another comment, I’ve choose to just add the critical items to my EDC keychain and bolster them with more equipment, such as that which I keep in our vehicles.

      Reply
  3. Irish-7

    I agree with his assessments that this particular kit is more a novelty item, but that having one is better than nothing at all. Since retiring from the U.S. Army and joining the “Prepper” community, I have taken up building survival kits as a hobby. After purchasing a few of these pre-made kits, I came to the conclusion that the container holding the items needs to be larger than an Altoids tin, mainly to hold 4 items: pocket knife, space blanket, small flashlight and mini lighter. I realize that a bigger container will not always fit in a pocket. However, most of my kits are merely a component of a Get Home Bag, which is built around a weapons system. Being a military guy, I like to take of the security aspect first. I have used both a Cabela’s wallet tin and a Naruto card tin for the mini-kits. Here are the contents of a Naruto Card Tin:

    1. NARUTO CARD TIN
    2. ALCOHOL PREP PADS
    3. EMERGENCY (SPACE) BLANKETS – 2 EACH
    4. SWISS ARMY KNIFE – (Huntsman)lg & sm blades, SAW, scissors, can/bottle opener
    5. TIN FOIL – 12” by 12”
    6. BAGGIE WITH BANDAIDS & GAUZE PADS
    7. PARACHUTE CORD BRACELET
    8. LED FLASHLIGHT (+3 AAA Batteries)
    9. WATER PURIFICATION TABLETS – 1 bottle of 50
    10. COMPASS/WHISTLE/MIRROR
    11. FIRE KIT – Contains 2 mini lighters, 1 candle, box of matches, dryer lint
    12. FISHING KIT – With line, hooks, bobber, etc
    13. PACK OF JOLT CAFFEINE GUM
    14. WIRE SAW

    The tin goes in a backpack with a Henry AR7 .22 Rifle, four 7-round magazines, 200 rounds of .22 Long Rifle ammo, an All Weather Blanket (for shelter), an SOL Bivy, male & female travel kits (hygiene items), roll of toilet paper, first aid kit, Sawyer water filter, Frontier filter straw, DATREX food bars, 2 bottles of water and sawback machete.

    If you want, I will gladly copy and paste the Cabela’s wallet tin contents list (which is smaller). I have that in a Get Home Bag that holds my Smith & Wesson Governor .45LC/.410GA/.45 ACP revolver. I feel a little guilty taking up this much space!

    Reply
    1. undeRGRound

      Great Setup(s)!
      I have looked at this a lot, but need to build some.
      I am GHB (get home bag) oriented, so I will study your
      posting in depth. Cut and paste, documented and archived! 😀
      I have gear, just need to build. How big are your biggest?
      Thinking overall size, and I’d love to find some good pocket
      packs for glovebox stashing, then goes in the pocket. Thanks
      for the “expanded view”! That’s what is great about Re-Think,
      D gives us a nudge, and off we go!

      Reply
      1. Damian Brindle

        I wouldn’t emulate this video too much… it was, as you say, a “nudge” to get you going.

        Reply
      2. Irish-7

        In addition to the “Survival Tin” concept, some vendors make “Survival Canteens”. They hold considerably more supplies than an Altoids can! I purchased a few cheap ones from BUDK/CH Kadels and a few upgraded models at Cabela’s. Actually, if you are planning on building something similar, a 1 quart Nalgene water bottle with a wide mouth is a great starting point. You’ll need a freezer bag to put the contents in, once you fill the canteen with water. This container easily fits vital components that won’t squeeze into a mint can. As previously mentioned, I like to have additional space to hold a full sized pocket knife (or multi-tool), space blanket or two, flashlight and lighter. These bottles won’t fit in conventional trousers, but can be carried in a cargo pocket. I gave a bunch of these Survival Canteens away to family and friends that are not “Prepper-minded”. Works well in a vehicle glove compartment or desk drawer at the office.

        Reply
        1. Damian Brindle

          This is such a good idea that I did this myself once upon a time: http://rethinksurvival.com/how-to-make-a-water-bottle-survival-kit/

          Reply
    2. Damian Brindle

      Sounds like you’ve got it covered as usual Irish-7. 🙂

      Personally, I’ve gone away from carrying small kits like these and simply preferring to add items to my EDC, such as a lighter, flashlight, and whistle to our car keys. Yes, it’s a bit bulky but works for us.

      I used to keep a pocket kit similar to what you list in a plastic waterproof case but I can’t for the life of me remember what it was called.

      Thanks for the good info and there’s no need to copy the contents. The idea in this post was just to get people to think about it.

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *