What’s in Your Altoids Tin?
Using an Altoids tin to hold small survival items is one of the most popular and widely-discussed tricks out there today. There’s no doubt that it is a very practical resource to utilize, and everyone and their brother has their own version of what items could and should go inside. Whether or not you have an Altoids tin or plan to use one, it illustrates a very important underlying principle that all of us should be following: Space matters.
Everything in Your Pocket
We often lose perspective when we start gearing up for a survival situation. We think in terms of bug out bags, survival kits and well-stocked shelters. We like to think large and complex, and there’s nothing wrong with that. In ideal situations, when we have the luxury of space and a stability, having lots of stuff can make life during a survival situation a lot easier. On the other hand, sometimes it’s easy to forget that we may end up in a situation when we don’t have access to our gear or supplies.
One real important thing to ask yourself is whether or not you are prepared to survive with only what is in your pocket. The Altoids tin is the perfect way to make sure that you have almost everything you need, and it fits neatly in your pocket. This is unlike pill bottles, canisters or lanyards that may not be as secure or as compact.
What to Put Inside
There really no right or wrong answer in terms of what items you should stuff inside your tin. The trick is to think small. If you were to remove all of the bulk that a lot of things are stored in, and lay the items themselves out flat, you would be amazed at how little space they take up. For example, pull out the string of dental floss from the box or some fishing line or thread from a spool. Peel off a few strands of duct tape and wrap them around a plastic lighter. Take a few bandages out of the box or throw in some wax-coated matches or cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly. You get the idea. There are all kinds of things that you can downsize simply by taking them out of their packaging.
Put it to the Test
Think of all the basic things that go into a survival kit. Water filtration tablets, some basic first aid material, maybe a needle, fish hooks, some fire starting items and so on. Chances are that once you downsize and package all of these things, you can fit them into an Altoids box with room to spare. Then you can also add some individually-wrapped medications, a compass, maybe a whistle and a whole bunch of other odds and ends that may come in handy as well. While this can not compare to a full-fledged bug out bag, it may be just what you need to get you through the first couple of days if you don’t have anything else at your disposal.
Try a few different combinations and experiment. Remember that an Altoids tin survival kit is supposed to be an emergency back-up that you can bring with you almost anywhere and utilize at your disposal. Not only will you discover that you don’t need a lot of space in order to have some basic gear and tools, but you have a lot of flexibility as well.
