Compact survival kits are somewhat of a popular item in this day and age. The most common one you probably hear about is the Altoid tin survival kit (common among the bushcrafting community). This is a great concept, but the issue I commonly have is the size of the tin and the quality of the materials inside the tin. Altoid tins work great for fire kits, but for a compact survival kit I tend to go in another direction. There is also another compact survival kit that is marketed as the kit used by SEAL Team 6 (I was not able to confirm this). Either way, I like the concept of having a smaller “last ditch” type kit to fall back on. They are nice to keep in the bottom of your hiking pack, EDC bag, or inside the glove compartment of your vehicle. If you ride motorcycles then this type of kit is ideal to keep on the bike somewhere.

Indy Hammered Knives makes the Ultimate Compact Survival Kit that is contained in a custom leather pouch. Inside the pouch is a decent sized stainless steel tin and a slip pocket to keep flatter items secured. The custom leather pouch is worth the price alone.

Kit Contents (courtesy of ihknives.com)

• Premium Leather Pouch – 6” x 4.25”
• 1.25 oz GI Milpak Fuel Gel (Diethylene Glycol) – Burns clean and odorless for 12-15 min)
• 4.5” x 3.25” Steel “Antiqued” Tin (ideal for making char cloth with)
• (2) #420 Stainless Steel Surgical Blades
• Mini Fire Steel – Ferrocerium Rod w/ Striker
• Small Water Proof Bag of Cotton
• Safety Whistle w/ Emergency Medical Identification Card (inside)
• 24” Key Ring Saw
• 3 Feet of Copper Line
• Magnifying Lens
• (1) Wound Pad
• (2) Adhesive Strips / Band-aids
• Pocket Fishing Kit (3 Hooks, 2 sinkers and (2) sets of fishing line (13 Feet ea)
• Aluminum Waterproof Medicine Capsule
• Pocket Sewing Kit (2 Needles – 16 Feet of thread)
• 5 Safety Pins
• Candle
• Stainless Steel Multi-Use Survival Tool
• Available for $65 direct from Indy Hammered Knives

After Action Report:

Obviously from the video you watched the MikPak Fuel Gel wasn’t a success. Not only did it not work for me, but it left a mess in the tin (I would not want to put my contents back in without washing it out). Maybe it works for others, but for me I will be replacing that with the Mini Inferno Disks. I will also be adding a small folding knife to the kit. The small surgical blades that are included are great, but in an emergency survival situation I’m going to want an actual knife (especially if I lost my primary blade). All in all the kit is a great starting point. Depending on your skill level you may want to modify the kit contents (to fit your personal needs), but for your weekend hiker or camper, this kit as-is will be a great addition to your loadout.