Most essential survival tools to carry in your wallet just in case?

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not_a_virus.exe

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I'm an urbanite, and don't travel out into the great outdoors as much as most men should, so I have very little chance of ever getting lost in the woods, but for fun, and practicality, I want to hear from some of you survivalists what someone should carry just incase your situation goes FUBAR.

I keep thinking back to survival movies like They Grey, Castaway, 127 Hours, Into the Wild, The Road ect. and think if shit hit the fan, and I was on a plane and it crashed, and by some miracle I survived, what should I have with me to prolong my chances of survival/search and rescue that I could carry with me 24/7?

The one thing that every man has with them, is a wallet. I have a full sized Spec Ops THE wallet that a carry with me every day. It's huge with lots of compartments and card pockets. Right now I carry a Victorinox Swiss card classic, a couple of ban-aids, some rite on rain paper and have attached a fisher trekker to one of the loop holes.

I want my wallet to be my go to resource center for things I would need in an emergency so I'm always prepared. Obviously this would not be an ideal survival kit if given options, and if venturing outside of the grid I would need a full sized bug out bag filled to the brim with supplies and such things, but the idea here is not to have options. This is a basic, minimalist set of supplies that someone would need just to get by until they could manage to find help.

I want as many suggestions, ideas, and even photos as you can come up with if you wish to share.

EDIT: Also, suggestions for keychains can be mentioned also. Right now I have a CRKT lil' Guppie that I use for my primary carabiner/key carrying tool and attached a Photon freedom to it.
 
Fire, man.

Tuck a stub of a small ferro rod in there, or at least a book of paper matches (you could shrink wrap it).
 
Cash , one of three things that can help with most jams & the only one that will fit in a wallet.
The other two being lawyers & guns.:)
 
older pic, the Fenix E01 has been replaced by an E05... water carry bag is from vacuum seal bag

 
Unless you can get into the luggage compartment of your "wrecked" plane, don't figure on having access to a lot of survival tools. Water bottle, purification tablets, chocolate bars, flashlight, iphone (cellular data enabled), solar charger, bandana, first aid kit, etc. come to mind. If the phone is working, it will give you your exact location which you can call in.
 
tiguy7 said:
If the phone is working, it will give you your exact location which you can call in.
Click to expand...

Perhaps - or not.

Knowing as little as we do about where your survival moment will occur, only very basic answers can and are being given.

Fire is a most useful tool: warmth; signal; purify; light; protection; morale-booster. So something(s) to start a fire like a ferrocerium rod as foilist suggests plus some really good tinder.

A knife - especially because it helps with making fire.

Essential personal meds (if any).

A flat whistle.

Something that works to reflect sunlight for signaling.
 
I carry three things in my wallet that get used quite a bit.

Bandaids are one.Me or someone else always need a band aid. Im constantly replenishing them.

String. When my sons snowboard boots were ready to pitch I kept the laces. They are extra small in diameter and really strong.I repaired a lawn chair with some one night at the drive in.

A couple of diaper safety pins. Numerous times , Ive been cold while camping on summer nights and turned a blanket into a hooded cloak by using a large safety pin.

Those three items take up little space and actually get used.
 
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With the following I can get myself out of most jams an urbanite might encounter. I leave out the bushcrafting gear because I don't see it as a realistic urban scenario. I'm not going to start roasting squirrels in a downtown park.

Wallet:
Cash money. Enough for a taxi home at least.
Debit/credit card
ID
Health insurance cards etc
Bus card
Gym pass (You are in shape right? if not get off the computer and fix it.)

Keychain:
Keys to your home, vehicle, backup location, and backup vehicle.
Flashlight
Vic classic

Phone:
Phablet with internet connection (fully charged with an offline map of your city)
Second prepaid dumb phone
Charger

Bonus:
MicroSD card/ usb stick containing important information for when you house burns down (insurance info etc)
Backup plan(s)
Comfortable shoes
Season appropriate clothing

As a rule I do not venture into the wild places without some sort of fairly extensive kit handy. The hiking day pack contains stuff to see me through 3_ish days. Both my home and vehicle are stocked. Home stuff is designed to hunker down for winter storm or power outage. Car stuff is designed to get me and my vehicle to my destination. The only time I am without a decent kit is when I fly.
 
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I have a tiny Max pedition micro wallet. In it I have my Visa card, Driving licence, some cash(never coins), a small plastic toothpick and most importantly a card with a couple of feet of duct tape. I think it is the easiest way to have some duct tape on person at all times.


A few more examples how to edc duct tape:
EDCgaffertape.jpg





PS: I also carry a small multitool/prybar called Wrench That Fits(not in the wallet)
 
Sounds like you have a good start on this :thumbup:

I'd suggest adding a Photon Mini flashlight to your keychain . One of those polished metal mirrors , a few chlorine tablets to purify water and one of those small (about 4") pry bars , a few winds of duct tape around an old credit card , and if your work place and lifestyle attire will allow it I would make a 550 paracord bracelet and or lanyard on your wallet so that they could be undone giving you some lengths of cord in a pinch .


...............................................
HOLD MY BEER AND WATCH THIS !
 
secte said:
I have a tiny Max pedition micro wallet. In it I have my Visa card, Driving licence, some cash(never coins), a small plastic toothpick and most importantly a card with a couple of feet of duct tape. I think it is the easiest way to have some duct tape on person at all times.
Click to expand...

I always have ~6ft of duct tape on me like that. Sorry for hijacking the thread but how do you like the micro, and is there Velcro on it? It seems perfect but Velcro is usually a deal breaker for me.
 
A couple of things come to mine for me in an urban situation. Knife, fire steel, a couple water purification tablets, large needle and some thread, maybe a couple large bandaides, and MONEY. You can't depend on your credit or debit cards to work. Cash is king. I carry about $400-$500 with me all the time usually in large bills. I'm assuming you know your directions (north-south etc) and have a good feel for getting around in the city on foot.

I would also add a multi-tool to your list of useful items as when you have no other way of turning a screw or tightening a nut, they are quite handy to have with you.
 
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Lots of good suggestions. Here's what I typically carry. Need to refill the duct tape though but that just goes to show how usefull it is. ;)
Wallet:
Duct tape-on fake credit card as shown above:thumbup:
Few bandaids
1 fire straw with PJCB inside
Cash is king. Various denominations. Not everyone can break a 50. In this day and age most people don't even carry cash. Plan accordingly.

Pockets/Keychain:
Flashlight-I think it's important enough for a tactical light but a photon is a very good option for going minimal.
Firesteel-A bic would be a better option if you're unfamiliar with firesteels.
Whistle-IMO extremely underrated for edc. If you're under rubble, what's the best way to tell someone where to dig you out?
Knife-multitools are infinitely more practical than an UBER bomb proof tactical folder IMO. If you need to carry one of those carry it in ADDITION to a multitool. Even a 2 layer sak is more practical than a single bladed folder IMO.
 
list of phone numbers/emergency contact, since thats the thing that will most likely help you out.
Other wallet size things that are very helpful, fresnel lens and mirror. maybe a pair of sliver-grippers, a big safety pin.

keychain stuff, I like having a light. anything is better than nothing. the car keys have a micro-light, a fenix e11 lives on the man-bag and I keep an E05 in my work multitool sheath.
 
One item that is great for a wallet kit is a small Fresnel lens. Probably one of the most important things I carry in mine is 50lb test Spiderwire and with the small test diameter you can carry a good amount wrapped around one of the credit cards. My kit is two old credit cards on the outside, one with duck tape and one with the fishing line. Small fishing hooks but you may not be able to get those on a plane but substitute them with any kind of wire or metal clips that you can bend into a hook like pen clips. You can always fashion a small hook out of just about anything easily anyway but the line is a must and multi purpose.
 
LG&M said:
Cash , one of three things that can help with most jams & the only one that will fit in a wallet.
The other two being lawyers & guns.:)
Click to expand...

ID and Drivers licence
Cash
Credit cards
Lawyers card
Health Fund card
Mirco drive with a copy of all my major papers
 
As a joke, I was going to say condom. Maybe carry H20. I have seen where a fire is started by putting water in it and in sunlight, using it as a magnifier to start a fire. Tourniquet for a bleeder. Emergency fire starting fuel. Could you make a low power sling shot out of it? Spring tension for a snare. For a sucking chest wound, you could open it up to seal the hole. I know, I just had to ramble on.
 
A condon or two is not a bad idea. The right STD could seriously impact your long term survival. That is assuming that condoms can survive in a wallet. The heat and stress might degrade them. If you decide to use a condom for water make sure it isn't coated with spermicide.

How about a cell phone connector cable? It is quite easy to find a powered usb slot (wall warts, 12volt plugs, laptops, desktops, etc) but getting the right connector cable is not always easy.

usb-charge-card-1.jpg


A spare battery for your phone is another option, though I opted for a second phone as my backup.
 
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