DIY Altoids Tin Survival Kit

Survival kits are a must have for any outdoor adventurer, or even just the common hiker. Anything could go wrong, so it's always better to be prepared than not.

It's also not convenient to carry around a huge bag with you everywhere. So what's the solution? The Altoids Tin Survival Kit, a multi-use, compact survival kit that will help you stay alive in times of need.

It costs less than five dollars, with some things around the house, so next time you hit up Starbucks to get that latte (or frappe, or mocha, or whatever you get) think twice and spend the money to make this kit so you'll be prepared.

A lot of the items on the materials list can be had from the dollar store, so think about going there for your first shopping spree.

Warning! Make sure to never bring the kit on airplanes or to events. The knife and the matches are both considered hazards and will not be allowed in. Don't bring the kit inside!

This is the materials list for the entire kit:

- A container (I used an altoids tin, you can use a bag, a different container, pill bottle, etc)

- A tea bag

- A piece of paper (about 1/3 sheet of 8.5 x 11)

- 2 bandaids

- Paper matches

- 2 small birthday candles

- A light (I used a laser pointer that came with a light function, just try to keep it small)

- A small knife

- A bandana

- Duct Tape

- Scissors

There's a reason I told you to read this step: It's very important how you put everything in. You've got to put it in in a way that it will all fit, and also in a way that the most important things are at the top.

The order of images is the order that I put the items in. For some reason my camera switched to vertical view on three of the pictures, but it's still easy to tell what's being put in.

I started with the tea bag at the bottom, then the paper, then the bandaids, then the candles, then the matches, then the light, and then the knife. We still have the bandana and duct tape to do so I'll cover those two in the next two steps.

Cut a piece of the bandana off, about 6 inches by 6 inches. Then fold it up and put it on top of everything.

The next step is to close the lid. Does it fit? You might have to rearrange your items to make them fit as they might not be the same as mine.

Finally, cut a 2' length of duct tape and wrap it around the altoids tin. Duct tape is useful for many situations, such as holding things together, burning it for fuel, etc. It also helps to keep the kit in one piece.

The last step is to find a place to keep the kit. Some examples are:

- Glove compartment

- Side pocket of a backpack

- In your pocket

- Somewhere easily accessible in a hiking/camping backpack

Some of the items are unclear on how to use them. Here are uses for each of the items:

- Matches (starting fires)

- Bandaids (bandaging)

- Birthday candles (used as a light, helps to light multiple fires)

- Tea bag (to help make the water taste better)

- Paper (writing notes, burning)

- Light (light)

- Knife (cutting, hunting weapon, etc)

- Bandana (water filtering - solid junk, NOT bacteria, burning, bandage)

- Duct tape (burning, holding things together, sling, etc)