Great kit, I really like it. Now I have to get one for myself, if nothing else, just to add to my collection.
You will love that saw. I picked up my first one in 1983 or 84 and I still have it, and it has been used a lot. I haven't built a log cabin with it, but I know I have used it at least 50 to 100 times anyway. Get the ones made in England and you won't ever go wrong.
The only thing I would suggest about your saw is it looks like BOTH split rings are the same size??? If so, I would swap one out so that one is smaller or larger so it fits inside the other. This way you can make a VERY quick trigger for a trap. I posted how I did it here a few months back, and RAT showed me a better way to do. I think it is posted on their site now.
The braided cord doesn't look like 550 to me. Then again in a small kit, I wouldn't carry 550 anyway, as it is to big and takes up way to much room. Yes you can gut it, but for what? How many have ever made anything from the guts? You are not going to carry enough to really make anything from it. Yes, you have more twine if you tie it together, but why not just start out with braided fishing line to begin with and avoid the knots? Then again, what the hell do I know?
What I carry is something very similar to what you have in your kit. I carry 200lbs test braided Dacron fishing line. It is very very good for a kit like this. It is about twice the thickness of one strand of 550 guts just to give you an idea, but five or six times as strong. Just something each person has to figure out for themselves.
The fishing kit I would add some smaller hooks, but that's just me. Again what the hell do I know, but I do do a lot of fishing.
Something else I would add is a small amount of duct tape. The good stuff, like Gorilla Tape. This works great for repairing your water bag if a hole developes in it.
It looks like that orange packet is a bug wipe?? What I did was take an empty iodine tablet bottle and filled it with bug juice and resealed it with wax. That is a lot more bug juice for a few nights outside, at least on your hands and face so you can sleep. In an Altoids tin, I use MRE Tabasco bottles for this as they fit inside the tin.
I would also add in something to treat water. I am not a big fan of iodine or prepackage tablets for small kits because they take up to much room and provide you with too little water in my opinion. Again, I use an MRE Tabasco bottle and fill it with bleach. That bottle holds over 70 drops which will treat damn near 5 gallons of water for you. Dip the cap in wax, and wrap the bottle in aluminum foil to keep light out as I have heard light breaks down bleach, and you are good to go.
I like bleach better than iodine, because I can replace the bleach every six months to a year and it doesn't cost me anything as we always have a fresh bottle down stairs. I know bleach or iodine is not the best choice here to make drinking water, but in a small E&E kit, it is better than nothing, and space is limited. For me, I want to treat as much water as possible and have my method take up as little space as possible, and be as cheap as possible to replace every year if I do not use it. Again, something for each person to figure out for themselves.
I would probably get rid of the gum and paper and pencil and replace it with a space blanket and NoDoze. Again, this is my opinion, but I will trade the few calories I get from the gum for the space blanket and save 2000 calories of shaking and freezing and needing to building a shelter each night. NoDoze speak for themselves if you need caffine. Maybe I am missing something, but I have never needed paper and pencil in a kit. I am not writing my last will and testament, I am not staying in an area long enough to keep track of wild plants, and I am not worried about documenting enemy movement, and I have alcohol pads for tinder if needed. So for me, the paper and pencil go unless someone can give me a really good reason to have them or I have the extra room. This is just me though and I am a civilian. You military people should have a pen and pencil as well as a little green note pad on you when you put on your BDU's.
I would add in a couple MRE salt packets though. A rule of thumb I was taught in survival school down in Central America was that, if salt taste DAMN good, your body really needs it. I am not sure this is 100% true, but I know when I am really sweating, I do crave salt much more than normal. If you are sweating and going through a lot of water, you need salt more than you need anything else. Again, my opinion and figure it out for yourselves.
I am not sure what all you have in your first aid kit, but mole skin is something I would make room for no matter what.
I want to write more, but this is turning into a book. I am sorry for the long post. You do have a great little kit there and I am not in any way knocking it. I am only trying to make a few minor suggestions and explaining my reasons for them. I am sure that is what RAT had in mind all along, a good base kit for each person to bring up to speed for themselves. I am going to get myself a couple of these. One for my collection and one to mod a little and carry.
