PSK tin opinions

j williams

j williams

Joined
Nov 14, 2005
Messages
11,135
Are Altoids tin sized PSK tins really usefull, or do you think you carry enough to get by w/o one?

I look at the mini kits, and then I look at what I carry in my bag and on my person, and I begin to wonder if its pointless to carry the thing. I think with a knife/firesteel on my belt, and my K&M matchcase, and my SAK Farmer in my pocket, and I add a condom to the pocket with a spycapsule full of water tabs, Id be covered fine if I was seperated from my bag, which has the "good stuff" in it.

Yet I still carry the thing.

Lets debate the topic. I know some of you minamalists Ive read on here dont like em, and some of you are die hard PSK supporters.


Small tin kits. Yay/Nay?
 
Big nay for me. I don't like the weight or bulk. More to the point, I feel any outdoorsperson should already have such essentials on their person in 'full size' form. Meaning your fixed blade belt knife versus a razor in the tin, a firesteel versus a few matches taped together, or a role of jute versus a few feet of fishing line.

I say ditch the weight, carry the basics on your person in a layered manner. Also (and maybe most importantly) you'll actually be using the gear if its not in the tin. You'll know what works and doesn't, and nothing will sit in a little case for 2 years and then be expected to work perfectly.
 
i say nay..:o i usually have the vast majority of that stuff, either in my pockets or in my pack..

i have made a few mini/altoid kits in the past... i think they definately have their place.. i just don't carry one...
 
I just made up one the other day. While it's got a whistle, Bic, Spark-Lite, TinderQuik, water bag, MicroPur tablets, button compass, razor blade, wire, cash, note paper and pencil, safety pins, cash, foil, and a couple other minor items, I'd hate to be in the middle of nowhere with *just* that. Oh, it also is wrapped with a few feet of duct tape and 10' of 550 paracord. Still...

I built it up for fun and to see what I could stuff in a little tin. There is never a time I would venture offroad carrying only that vs. a small, more complete pack.

I have been carrying it in a jacket pocket in town though the last few days. At the least, I could make fire, collect and purify water, find direction, and blow a whistle.

I always have a Vic Classic and mini-Grip on my person as well as a handkerchief.
 
i carry a tin, but mine is strictly a fire kit. trying to cram a whole survival type kit in about 6 cubic inches is quite an undertaking.

so, nay on the psk in a tin. however, i think that carrying a tin with a firekit in it is a good idea.
 
Jake,

Well, I dunno! :D

I think you and I are basically going down the same road, as it were, according to what you just wrote.

I have a VIC-SAK Hunter and generally have another folder with me that is clip carried. The K & M (over-length model) filled with REI matches. Then, several items ganged together: a very large pill fob container (tinder - #0000 steel wool and cottonballs), Swedish LMF Ferro Rod, P-38, Silva Zipper Pull Compass, FOX-40 and a Photon Microlight.

In a Tactical Tailor E & E Pouch, I have an Izula as well as AMK Heat Sheet, signal mirror and water purification items along with other survival equipment.

I love the concept of a survival tin and I have not given up on them, but if I want to carry stuff that is really practical, I think you're going to end up carrying more than a small Altoids-sized tin. That doesn't mean I want to carry a shoebox full of stuff on my belt either.

I guess there are times when I would prefer the tin, I don't know at this time.
 
While I do enjoy reading the Altoid PSK threads I don't carry one either. I prefer to have what I consider to be the essentials on my keyring , pockets or belt.
 
Thats exactly how I am feeling Don.

I just dont see that the tins do anything well. I mean, if thats all you had on you, then ok. But who the hell would go out in the bush with just that? Kinda like what has been said about the Tom Brown Tracker by some. It does alot of things, but none of them super well. ( I am not bashing the Tracker, just using the opinions Ive heard as an example)
 
I think the common wisdom when it comes to stuff like this is that they are for last ditch overnight type of survival. No experienced woodsman would likely traipse in to the bush with only an Altoids tin for gear and that's not the idea behind them. Now, if you carry a proper small kit *and* one of these, that's another story. Any of these little pocket kits are designed to be a no-matter-what I'll have at least this on my person along with my knife.
 
It's fun to build them! They could save your life! Err...if you want something off of the shelf, get Doug Ritter's PSK or, in tin form, a Penrith (NOT a BCB) Kit.

Just because it has to be said, there is something very true about the whole John Wiseman angle on these things. If it is small enough and convenient, you are more likely to carry it. I think there are people out there that just don't want to carry stuff loose in their pockets - even if that is a better way to go. They want that small box or heavy duty vinyl ziplok bag or perhaps a small Pelican box full of the absolute essentials for whatever they think they are going to encounter.
 
I first came across the idea of survival tins when I was a kid, reading some 'army' comic or something... It showed hoe to put one together in a tobacco tin.

I tried, and quickly outgrew it, and threw out half of the recommended items... found that a 8"x6"x4" British Army webbing pouch was more useful!

The idea behind the tin though was to have a self-contained kit with some bare essentials that could be put in a pocket, any pocket, and always carried because it's small. That's still a good idea.

I still sort of like the tin idea to keep things together, and have them there in an emergency, but not a full survival kit really. I keep a belt pouch for that. Which can hold a tin...

I understand about having things in pockets, but I personally don't like having much in my pockets; I find it uncomfortable and annoying. A SAK Farmer, bit of paper money and my keys is about all I'll stand.

Things like a firemaking tin (as already mentioned and I think an Altoids is perfect for this), fishing kit, sewing and repair kit etc are good ideas to me.
 
Yeah, I know what the thought behind them is, I just think anyone with a sense of preparedness, will have these bases covered already.

Part of me thinks these things were thought up for the layperson who might not be as survival orientated as we are. The person who goes out w/o a knife or more then one way to light a fire. You know the type I mean?

Not tryin to bash those types. I used to be one, untill I got learned on these things.
 
The smaller the better. Otherwise I wouldn't carry it. I never plan on opening mine. It's just something I'll pack into whatever bag I'm using at the time.
 
I carry a tin, but it only has tinder and other fire starting materials in it. I'd probably be better off with the stuff just in a zip lock bag. It would be more water proof and would take up less space.
 
Its not really that I dislike them, hell I still carry one. Just have been going over these things in my head the last couple days.

A firekit is a good idea in one, but not what I am meaning. I like the size of the altoids tin, but just am rethinking what is really nessisary. I dunno, I am having a hard time putting together what I am meaning to say.
 
Hassilov said:
The smaller the better. Otherwise I wouldn't carry it. I never plan on opening mine. It's just something I'll pack into whatever bag I'm using at the time.
Click to expand...

Why the tin in the bag, and not just full size gear in the bag?

If they are meant to be carried on the person, then why bother if your not gonna carry it in your pocket? Not bashing, just trying to get my head around it, and figure out what I have been feeling lately.
 
I'll say this, I'd rather have the tin I just put together in one pocket than all of this stuff strewn through all my pockets. I tend to carry a small firearm in one pocket, and my sharps in the other. While I do wear cargo pants or shorts most of the time while hiking I hate filling the pockets up with all sorts of crap. I only carry a small flashlight on my keyrings too rather than a whole survival kit. Nor do I want anything around my neck other than the religious pendant I wear.

No, the tin or a pocket pouch like Ritter's PSP makes sense to me as a last resort backup to your regular kit.
 
I am not completely supportive of them, as the smaller gear would tend to fail more, or be much harder to use. However, I do still carry one.

If I am going out I actually usualy have cargo pants, and I will have 3 small tins on me. One is a regualar PSK, while one is a fire only kit, and the other is food/water only. The reason is because I have everything I should need on my person at all times. However, it is always nice, in my opinion, to have a little more than you will really need for a particular item. (Especially fire/water purifying)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top