Survival Capsules and such.

mymindisamob

mymindisamob

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I have been really thinking about matchcases and different capsules for matches, firesteels, compasses, line, etc.. TAD Gear has a really cool and expensive one, and I know about K&M. I have been checking out McMaster Carr online for parts to possibly make some for cheap out of brass or aluminum nipples, but am not really sure about it turning out inexpensive. I have even thought about sweating some 1/2" copper and using some plugs. Anyhow, anybody else have some cool ideas to try for these tiny tubular kits?
 
How about the tube valults from Countycomm.com?
http://www.countycomm.com/tubevault.htm
They are two liter soda bottle blanks before they are blow molded to full size.
They're cheap, about a buck each, tough, (they have a video of one being run over by a full size SUV) and clear so you can see what's in them.
For size reference, three CR 123 batteries will fit in one with some room to spare.

Bruceter
 
I have some of the tube vaults and they are very good. They are also a little larger than I was thinking.
 
I use , uh.... unused..... specimen tubes from the vet.

lemme snap a pic, be right back.

here we go:



DSCF4602-1.jpg
 
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TALFUCHRE, if you saw my old toast/cracker and cookie crumb, dirt filled, beer soaked keyboard you would understand why i wrap the keyboard in plastic..... :D:D:D



Containers! take a 2" PVC pipe and cap it off at one end with PVC cement, then put a cap on the other end snug fit . Cheap $$, size is custom, and pretty damn tough
 
I have two of the early "Survival Capsules" from TAD Gear. Coincidentally, I just secured a TAD Gear Life Capsule "IMPACT" Model in a trade the other day. I have not received it yet but it is going to have a lot more storage space than the originals because it's longer and in the form of a pen.

With the original "Survival Capsules" from TAD Gear, you're talking about a smaller storage space than a hollow handled knife. They are interesting for neck or keychain carry, you can get some essentials in there but for what they are...they are rather expensive. I have to admit, I would not pay anything approaching the $100.00 price tag for the "pen" type models TAD Gear is designing and having produced now. The Gucci Factor is high but it's a lot of money for not being able to carry very much...

I have two of the NATO Brass "Peyser" Button Compasses and the early TAD Capsules were designed specifically to hold that compass in one end. The "Pen" version I just traded for also has that capability. I like the idea of having something that looks like a writing instrument but it has a mini kit in it. Not really a mini kit but a micro kit actually. But I would not pay a C-note to get one, that's for sure.

In another direction, the new "Fire Kit" from RAT Cutlery is an excellent piece of gear and holds more stuff than the TAD-variants. It's tough, it has the Misch Metal Rod on one end of it and provision for the more common and inexpensive 20mm BCB (liquid) or SUN Brand (dry) button compasses and the thing is under $30.00 and I don't think you can beat that price.

Really, the K & M Matchsafe and the RAT Cutlery Fire Kit are two fine examples of how you get taken to the cleaners by some folks. If you can make these two excellent pieces of gear and sell them for under $30.00 and in the case of the K & M you get a Suunto compass with it, just who is taking people for a ride charging two, three and sometimes four times that for a machined piece of aluminum...for a "survival capsule?" Anyone that has already obtained the RAT Fire Kit or perhaps a K & M Matchsafe will know what I am talking about immediately, they are tough-as-nails pieces of gear.

As a side note, I carefully considered some of the criticisms of the K & M Matchsafe's non-threaded design and I am going to go to a boating store this week and see if I can purchase some shock cord that is about 1/16" diameter, I think that will solve the potential pitfall of the cap coming off if the Matchsafe is banging around in your pack as one person has reported...although I tend to secure my gear better and have not had that problem. I'm just going to replace the fine, thin cord on the K & M and run shock cord straight down both sides of the Matchsafe to keep the cap on as opposed to the press-fit and twist to twist the cord on the body of the case with a spiral motion...
 
Thanks Don. That's some great info.
valcas1, I am really in experimental stage , but am thinking around 1/2" ID and 3"-4" long. Similar to the TAD Gear in the OP.
 
Bushman5 said:
TALFUCHRE, if you saw my old toast/cracker and cookie crumb, dirt filled, beer soaked keyboard you would understand why i wrap the keyboard in plastic..... :D:D:D
Click to expand...

You know you can disassemble most modern keyboards and put the top/keyboard part in the dishwasher, right?:p
 
I have several of these plastic match cases http://www.rei.com/product/678278 that work very well for storing small items, PJ/cotton ball tinder, charcloth and even matches ! LOL
They also have a small piece of ferro rod attached to the bottom so you are never without a firesteel.
Marketed by a local company (well local for me anyway :D ) but are available through many outlets.
 
I think I wrote this on here before on another thread or maybe it was on another forum. Anyway as nice a bit of kit as that capsule from TAD Gear is a cheap way to recycle old broken torches is to remove the bulb end, seal it and hey presto instant capsule. I've seen a thread where a guy did this with a maglite. It worked very well but you would possibly need a soldering iron to get a really solid end cap. With the plastic torches it's as easy as using some super glue.

Here's the maglite solution:
http://www.britishblades.com/forums/showthread.php?t=60837&highlight=capsule
 
Why not ABS pipe and end caps? I still think a simple lock tight rubbermaid or a little otterbox does everything needed though. Not sure why every single kit item needs its own unbreakable container.

DSC_0069-5.jpg
 
CanadianWolf said:
I have several of these plastic match cases http://www.rei.com/product/678278 that work very well for storing small items, PJ/cotton ball tinder, charcloth and even matches ! LOL
They also have a small piece of ferro rod attached to the bottom so you are never without a firesteel.
Marketed by a local company (well local for me anyway :D ) but are available through many outlets.
Click to expand...

Plus one one this. Many uses and I have taken the striker side off a box of matches, superglued it to the side, soaked in water and still worked.
 
hows about a double threaded length of Brass pipe, with threaded caps with hose washers underneath?



i cant remember what i made this for.......I think it was for a tiny rare radio tube storage for a buddy

:D
 
CanadianWolf said:
I have several of these plastic match cases http://www.rei.com/product/678278 that work very well for storing small items, PJ/cotton ball tinder, charcloth and even matches ! LOL
They also have a small piece of ferro rod attached to the bottom so you are never without a firesteel.
Marketed by a local company (well local for me anyway :D ) but are available through many outlets.
Click to expand...

Who is the supplier on these, if you don't mind telling? I had a bunch, but ran out, and was looking for a new source.
 
The K&M is nice for the money, decent compass, the lid doesn't "fall" out, and it costs no more than the little Pyser compass the TAD one is made for.

I don't use a match case so really don't care to much, but if I were to switch back to matches for "easy" situations I'd buy a K&M. I carry a lighter for when things are good and a magnesium bar with a ferro rod for the bad times. A Tru-Nord compass and a good knife to boot and you'd be surprised at how well off you actually are.
 
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