I grew up in a family that camped at least 1x a year and sometimes 2x a year. My parents rented camping equipment from the local Army/Navy surplus store, we never owned our own camping gear. As a young adult, once I left home, I didn't camp much due to low finances and no gear, but by the time I was in my early 20's, I started improvising. My first tents were comprised of cotton clothesline and small mil plastic tarp. I'd string the clothesline between two trees, as high as I could reach, and drape my plastic tarp in a triangular shape, with the ground ends held down by rocks or pieces of wood. These tents kept me dry, if not warm, but they got me back into the woods again, which was all that mattered. In 1988, when I was 34 years old, I took a week's vacation from my job and went camping in Yellowstone National Park. A friend loaned me a 2-man pup tent, my first actual manufactured tent. He eventually gave me the tent, as I was at that point camping 2-3x a year and he wasn't camping at all. I used that tent for almost 30 years. But when age started catching up to me, using a pup tent became more than a bit unfeasible, as did sleeping at ground level, regardless of any kind of mattress beneath me. Long story shortened just a bit, I am now 70 years old and while I don't camp several times a year anymore, I still do camp and have some pretty nice gear to ensure it's a comfortable experience for me. I subscribe to a number of camping channels, ranging from bare bones minimum bush craft to high end "glamping". I don't have the $$ for the high end "glamping" (although I wouldn't mind trying), what's most important to me is to just get "out there" into nature. Love your channel.
Having a candle in a survival kit is an old school rule. I'm referring to those recommendations for making a homemade survival kit dating back to the 1950's.
I made my first survival kit when I was nine years old. When I was a teenager I bought a box of candles from a joke shop, the kind that look like birthday cake candles but which can't be blown out, and added a small bundle of them to my kit. They came in useful, lighting fires in windy conditions. I still have the last two candles from that box, almost fifty years later!
I mean, they're useful for all sorts of things. There's fire lighting, there's portable light if you don't have anything electronic, there's time keeping that's accurate to about five minutes or so on a candle that lasts an hour, which is probably good enough for timing things like boil in the bag food and the like, there's signalling at night in combination with a mirror, and there are probably other things I'm not thinking of.
I usually add one or two of those small birthday candles that relit when you blow them to my kits. They weight basically nothing and they're perfect for what we've see in the video
You don't need tie/peg out points on those Mylar shelter tents. Cut two long straight sticks and place one each side along the edges inside the tent. Then, peg down each end of the sticks, keeping the " Floor" of the tent stretched taught. 👍
Tip: twist the middle of the surgical tape so that it sticks to the skin either side of the wound. Makes it a lot easier to remove when the time comes without it opening the wound.
Its almost exactly 50 years since I hitchiked from London to Barcelona in mid December 1974. Sleeping in woods, hedges and anywhere that i could, using a plastic survival bag, cheap foam mat and summer sleeping bag. Ate cold food, but made hot drinks on a tiny solid fuel stove. Took me over a week to get to Barcelona, due to my lacking decent map, but I made it.
Sounds like my ex (great guy). He hitched to Tunisia in the 1970s with a couple of mates and a sleeping bag each. Slept on the beach and got robbed. Except he had stashed some cash in his underwear. So that was all they had to live off!
I found that a very cheap, and easy to get, is a pencil sharpener, that you just stick a stick into it, and twist, like your sharpening a pencil, it makes perfect dry wood curls, to be used as a fire starter, you can make a massive pile of shredded wood, in just seconds, its great to have, where everything is water soaked wood and tender, this is a cheap readily available item, that should be part of EVERY bug-out bag.
I've always have one in my bags, purse, first aid box and tool box. Not only can you use shavings for fire, u can also make metal shavings for firestarter, or sharpening stick, toothpic or my a tool to kill fish or make a stab fort to eat food And so much more....
I have used one of those survival tents in the past, I was camping out in the snow and I put one of those up inside my tent, it definitely made life more comfortable in the colder weather.
Just two things that came to mind while watching: The sewing kit is possibly a better way to seal a (bigger) wound. The small tin with the fishing kit, could be used to hold bait. The local grubs, insects, seeds etc. the fish are used to.
£9.99 is $13.36 USD. I suppose that little kit is better than nothing but I’d argue that a few bits cross loaded into one’s pockets could be more utilitarian. Part of my EDC is a 3” by 4” zipper bag that includes a mini Bic, waterproof paper, pen, 30 feet of 3 strand power cord, 2 needles, 20 feet of kevlar thread, 2 large thick gauge safety pins, a few bandaids, ibuprofen, Benadryl, Immodium, aspirin, 2-3 prescription pain pills, a Ziplock bag, a binder clip, duct tape and a mini Sharpie. Added with my EDC folder knife, Gerber mini matte and Leatherman I’m covered for just about anything. Here’s where my philosophy veers from many youtubers: when I travel or set one toe into greater outdoors I plus up my gear significantly because I’m headed into potentially more austere areas where emergency shelter, a compass, thermal blanket, sheath knife and multiple fire options are needed. I don’t usually carry water purification vessels to fill up the Jeep at the gas station or buy groceries down the street . I do stash a few of the 2 packs of H20 tablets here n there with the idea being that there are discarded plastic bottles EVERYWHERE on the West Coast. Great video. Well done 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
I think the price is finally right on this one. We can always do them better and cheaper, but these exist for people who aren't into building the kits themselves. Would make a good gift for someone who is say, a hiker and not a survivalist like us crazy ones 😂 I don't think this kit can be beat for the price when it comes to a single kit. Building out two or more, maybe. But the big ticket items like the ferro whistle and keychain light, bought separately and you're probably up to ten bucks already! I really liked this one. Usually I think they are just way too expensive, but this seems reasonable.
The torch you were so impressed with is called a keychain light, they first came out with the about 25 years ago. It's pretty handy, innit? You might want to try putting it in that plastic bag along with that signal mirror to act as a reflector. And I really agree with you, that whole survival tin is a sweet piece of kit. Thanks for the video!
Just started watching your videos a few days ago, really enjoying them! I'm, by no means, any sort of survivalist. Recently I took my 10 year old son tent camping at a local state park for the first time. It was only for one night because I wasn't sure if he would like it. He's not used to the nighttime woods sounds. Sleeping was a bit rough but the rest of our trip fun. I would like to teach my son (and myself) some simple survival skills. I think that small survival kit is a great place to start.
It's definitely something that would hold my son's interest, too. Using a kit like that would be a fun way to learn some valuable skills. I clicked on the link for the kit but unfortunately it's not available in the U.S. I may have to find something equivalent or make our own with similar items.@@TAOutdoors
While it’s not going to beat a head torch, the great thing about the little light is you can hold it between your teeth and use both hands - no fun doing first aid on yourself whilst having to also hold a torch, same for putting up the shelter
In the States those striped bandages are called "butterfly stitches", also the bandage should be flammable and can be used as a fire extender like the candle or duck tape. Just use 1 strand out of the 7 in the paracord to make the whistle/ferro rod or torch/flashlight neck cord. Less chance of choking or strangling if caught on something, also conserves on cordage. It seems it would be good to open up the tent and reinforce the the connection points with duck tape (allong the ridgeline and 4 bottom corners), maybe split it, and use it as a tarp. Just some thoughts or ideas. Great video, keep it up.
the butterfly strips are $1.97 @ walmart for a package and work great. i also get there ..new skin wich is like super glue that helps close the cut and speeds up healing.thats around $ 3.98.
I've always called them butterfly stitches here in the UK too. When they're pre made (like the ones they use in the hospital) they are narrow in the middle and flaring out at the ends and look a bit like a butterfly wings. I guess that's where the name comes from! First time I encountered them I was about 14 and my cousin threw a frisbee which I decided to catch with my eye...... One visit to A&E with a split eyelid later and they sealed it up with butterfly stitches.
Another good item to include in any survival kit is a 20 yd. spool of artificial senew. It is cheap, strong, and waxed for preservation. A spool is actually quite small. Also, to compliment this, a small kit of sail needles are very handy and take up very little room. Great video with some good info.
Thank you for your warnings! I have a dog, so I can quickly reduce the volume. If you could maybe wait a second or two longer, that would be perfect ;) But also so great that you think of the animals!
@TAOutdoors Absolutely and so long as you keep making them I'll keep watching. Your reviews are very informative, Easy to follow and understand and as always a pleasure to watch 💯
@@BecauseWeCan1I was really impressed with this kit for the price. I don't recall seeing any water purification tabs though? Would be a great addition. A spare battery for the light would be a good idea too.
I have had a candle in my survival tobacco tin for years. I also have a few matches (and a ferro rod) so, if I want, I can light a match, light the candle first then try to light the fire with the remainder of the match. If that fails, I have the candle as a backup
If you had any emply space you could make a survival candle from vegetable shortening. Vegetable shortening candles are reportedly capable of burning much much longer than a standard candle. You could easily make two or three that would fit in that size tin.
The Mylar blanket reflecting heat is often quoted but misunderstood. Heat is transferred in three ways. Radiation, Conduction, Convection. I'm going back to school physics lessons here. The only way a reflective surface can send heat back is if there is a visible radiant heat source. The best use of that shelter would have been to drop it to the ground at one end to trap warm air inside. Pile small brush under and over it and you've got a comfortable bed for the night but possibly a wet morning due to condensation.
An added advantage of the tiny flash light would be the ability to flash an SOS to search and rescue, either on it’s own, or in the plastic thingy you put it in to diffuse the light. Flashing short, short, short, long, long, long, short, short, short would let most people know you need help. If you have it in the diffuser, just cover it with your hand in the same pattern. In daylight, the mirror can do the same.
The red torch light thing you had before was red most likely because it does not reduce your night vision when you turn it off. I find a uv blacklight torch works the same, where it does not affect your night vision. A warm or cold white torch is obviously much better for seeing what you point it at. Personally I like to do without a torch unless I really need to use it. There is something very comforting and soothing from walking around at night in the "dark" without a torch or streetlights. I say "dark" like this because it doesn't matter how dark a night it is, I can always see a bit though the darker it is, the less detail and the lower definition what I see is. Real darkness is being deep in a cave and turning the torch off - you truly cannot see a thing.
Thank you for showing us everything in that survival kit. This is very good information. It does bring back a memory for me. We had a hurricane in my area in the US with power out for 5 days. One of the local churches was giving out MREs. We brought a few of them home and tried to use them. They were just one meal kits and, having seen all these videos about camping and MREs, we were excited to try them. There are no words to express how horrible those things tasted. My hat is off to you for being brave enough to keep consuming MREs. Again, thank you for what you do.
20 year's ago i published a pdf survival manual , in it i had a section on emergency winter heating that included a foil tent that should be used on your bed in the bedroom by fixing a rope between 2 walls to hang it from over the bed so when you get inside with your duvet the foil would keep off the frost and reflect the heat to keep you warm . See too many vids on here where idiots go out of their way to trash them and declare " they are rubbish " . At last an actual common sense orientated review of one . Personally i see them as an underrated essential in any home or vehicle , as you can even rip one along the seam and open it out like a sheet so some can be pushed out a car window a little and the window closed up to hold it leaving the side hanging lower than the glass - pull it across the roof and do the same at the other window to form a insulated heat reflecting barrier between you and the freezing window glass if your stuck in a snow storm . Could use a couple of the blankets if you don't carry the tent version - my vehicle first aid set has 6 of the blankets in just incase i come across an accident with a few people stuck out in the weather . But my carry bag has a foil tent in it as well as 2 blankets as they are so light , though my tent is flat packed so it sits up the side of the bag taking up no room either .
The candle is something I've kept in all my camping/survival kits for ages. Every year our church does a candlelight service for Christmas Eve and leftover candles are collected at the end of the night, but the church can't reuse them for the service the next year, but they normally get used for other random things. I asked if I could take some and they gave me a box of about 200 partially used ones. Not only am I reducing waste, but pre-used candles are easier to light in an emergency situation
@@nickchap probably the tiny candles about twice the diameter of candles used in birthday cakes. At least that was the size used at my church. Twice the diameter, maybe 3x that of the small birthday candles and maybe twice the length. If you are thinking those number candles maybe the thin width and maybe that length prior to burning
I once had a friend who used to camp by Velcroing 2 picnic blankets with the reflective backing and sandwich himself between them and used to claim it worked a treat. Would love to see what you think. Much more durable than the milar tarp.
I've been using the same small hibachi bbq since the late 90's that I bought from a car boot sale for £1 lol. It's a great sturdy little thing. You can fit 4 burgers on it. I don't go camping nowadays, I'm not in good health. But I used it for many years and took it all kinds of places. And the grill for it has had a lot more use than the bbq itself, as I used to dig a rectangular hole in the ground, out a stick at either end and rest the grill on top. I would take embers from the fire with my camping shovel and put them in the hole and it was a fantastic bbq with the flavour from the hot embers. Where I am in Romford, the ground is very much clay soil and not peaty at all - so it aint gonna catch fire or smoulder. A bbq on legs like mine, can also be good for having a small fire in for warmth.
I find your posts very informative ! I love how you went through each item in the kit and also the type of fire you used . Great voice . You are so easy to follow ….I think you are brilliant Mike ! 🇨🇦👍
Surprised none of these kits include a Mylar blanket, to me that's pretty much a no-brainer for a survival kit. Obviously wouldn't be as big as the one you used as a tent, but a personal one you can wrap around you to keep warm is worth the small amount of space it'll take up.
I really enjoyed the video. I was surprised what I learnt by watching..We were without electricity for six days in winter time I was surprised how difficult it was. I ended up buying a pop up tent and put it up in living room. Now i think maybe upstairs would have been better. I often think that we may on been better off in the garden . I never forget how long it took to heat the house up once the electricity restored. good review Thank you
Good video as always. Regarding the “water carrier”, I saw a video recently where someone used it to collect the runoff rain from the corner of a tarp. You’d be surprised how much was collected. A great addition to a survival kit imo.
Mr. " Lofty " Wiseman kept a candle in his SAS Survival Tin . I still keep a 2 ounce tobacco tin filled with his recommendations from The SAS Survival Handbook and a second tobacco tin with the meds he recommended , because it doesn't all fit in one 2 ounce tin no matter how hard you try .
This is the best kit (two kits) so far. I would press the limits of the tube tent by trimming and cleaning so light saplings to spread the base out a bit.
Thanks Mike , interesting and fun. Really like the upcoming ideas you mentioned. Your beloved demeanor and style of presentation always brings me back to see what you're up to next! As Always Pal, Blessings to you and yours, ... thank you.
If you wanted that shelter to maximize its heat retention even in higher winds, a lower profile would be better. That would also give you some excess to close one end if necessary to help control that dead airspace. Balling up some of that fluffy material and wraping it in your corners and securing it with a slipknot would help improvise a tie out that wouldnt stress the material so much in regards to tearing.
one thng to point out with the necklace knot is that if you pull the overhand knots together they sinch down on eachother. this is super useful when you want to make loops out of coordage to later use as prusiks on your ridgeline for example
I bought a sixpack of those mylar tents from wish. Flexsealed one to a flannel sheet, worked a few times, was a little heavy but was definitely stronger. Usually have 2 mylar blankets or sleeping bags in a FAK as a shock cover. Trying to stick a mylar sheet to a tarp to make a modern cowboy bedroll. Great vid! Thanks!
In my emergency tin, I have a spool of waxed non flavoured tooth floss. 50m in a spool tensile strength is above 10kg. Ok it isn't great for guy lines, but good for tying together things. I have tried floss as a bow string for a bent birch bow. Worked ok up to 20m+/-.. it can also be used as fishing line. Unfortunately it floats
I think floss is the best way of cover the cordage part of the 5Cs without having to carry a lot on yourself. I myself also do carry a small 50m packet on my work trousers.
Good video. I have a few 3x3 meter UL tarps that pack down to the same size as that emergency tent. They weigh in at around 300g and are way, way more practical than those mylar "tents".
Not only is that smaller tin, a wise idea for packing a fishing or sewing kit, but I was moved to find out if there’s a formal name for it, so I could look into buying one for my own kit! (So far, something called a “lip balm tin” is the closest thing I’ve found.)
That's a nice little survival kit. I've seen a homemade one with those joke candles that re-light after you try to blow them out. They're actually a handy little item I'm on a windy day, lighweight, and easy to fit a couple into a tin.
Hmmm. Surely, if it is a survival kit, it would make more sense to have certain items high visibility. For example, the tent outer would be bright orange, not green.Paracord, whistle, and torch likewise in bright orange in order not to be easily lost on the ground. Or is it a covert survival kit? 😅 Just a health and safety tip. Paracord necklace around the neck with no quick or easy break knot can end in tragedy. Standard Paracord has a break strain of 550 lbs. You slip when climbing and it gets caught around an object or branch, you can end up strangling yourself to death if you don't get any firm footing. Love your videos though, been watching for years. 👍
For those survival tent it's best to tie your ridge line lower so that if there was another person you could both fit. But if you where by your self you'd have room to place any gear you had with you.
Inflation here in the U.S. is skyrocketing. The ten kit had a decent button compass and nice flint and striker. With small ice fishing gear. NOICE for the price
For deep wounds I do have a couple of suture needles and horse hair and sachets of salt... always works... many times I've had to stitch not only myself up but a couple of dogs too..... can't be having them nagging continuously.... 😂
May I suggest something that I’ve done to my own kit to make it a bit more sturdy and reliable. Where the edges of the tent are. I’ve added a strip of duct tape to the edge of the tent folded in half with half inside and half outside. Prevents from tearing easily. Also using a small button on the inside, gathering the material around it and tying a length of #12 bank-line around it gives you a tie line to help steady it in a wind.
Best kit so far. Excited to see what you can do with the fishing kit. Really dig the wool sweater I've been struggling to find good wool products in Canada.
I think as a idea if you had the same shape made with a tarp over the milar material and closed off at the foot end you'd get more heat retention and better weatherd 👍🏼
those tents are handy for sliding over a hammok in the winter keep it up one end and slide it over the hammok and underblanket keeps the wind out of the top
hello sir. i do really love the small survivor kit segment on this channel and get hooked up because of that. hope to see more videos like this segment and maybe the most ultimate survival kit every years that you've compile yourself. plus versus videos between ready made kits with your diy kits perhaps. have a great day sir. 👍👍
The torch is a key torch, you put it on your keyring with your house keys then when you get home in the dark you don’t have to faff about seeing the door lock
Thanks for this informative and entertaining video, Mike. I'm looking forward to watch the new building video with your dad, it's always great fun to watch you together. Greetings from Germany.
Hello from Oklahoma! Good Video! I went to the amazon link and it said the mini survival kit could not delivered to my area. 😢 Enjoyed the video as usual. Thanks for all U do! God Bless!
Looks like a well put together kit for an off the shelf purchase. However, the lack of any type of cutting tool was a bit of an overlook. One of the very small Opinel knives would have been a good addition but we could always add that ourselves.
The fishing kit - it would be much better to have a (expensive but reuseable) tritium glow stick which gives off light for a few years. I've found that those starlight glow sticks tend to not work after a couple of years. Just an idea for anyone thinking of making their own similar kit
Please could you put a link to where you get the MREs from? I keep a mylar blanket in my car first aid kit, but also a separate one in my car that I use when I fall asleep in my car by accident and get cold, but am not awake enough yet to drive. I have a rare neurological sleep condition, so often when I'm parked up for lunch break etc, I will fall asleep. Having this is so handy, especially living on the border of Dartmoor. I've seen the 2-person survival tent used with one end scrunched together and tied with cord, and the other end open. You can adapt it to have a line through the apex still, but scrunch most of the sides and the bottom and tie them, so there's more air flow to reduce condensation and the longer apex prevents rain ingress. Without a cord through the apex, in the rain, you can sit inside with the wind and closed end to your back, pull the floor inside a little to stop water dripping in, and just use it resting on you to keep you dry and warmer. Yes, there's more condensation, but it's better than masses of rain coming down.
I am really glad you are doing these test videos… awesome to see the many different types of survival kits available on the market… too bad they can’t seem to make 1 with ALL of the BEST components… !
Don't you have any spruce, pine or juniper in there, dry branch of those will get fire instantly, birch small branches will burn fresh also. In Lapland only thing is birch and smallest fresh branches will fire up after 30sec of heating.
Another great episode in the series Mike. At the fear of repeating myself, I am loving this particular series. That said, the promise of another build video (which is what originally got me hooked to the channel), is something I'm looking forward to. Shame about the draw at weekend, deserved more, bring on Twente tomorrow night...
Keep up to date with every episode of the series: ua-cam.com/play/PLxnadpeGdTxAlCaBs5MW8cLSbRp8OFcO1.html&si=a7gz8izxKSMoz46R
Love this series! French mre coffee is decent btw
I was impressed with the tin, but I was more impressed you managed to get the tent back into it's pouch! 😂👍
You should have done a real gash on your hand ,then shown the first aid .
Bleeding for the viewers shows commitment .
😂😂
I grew up in a family that camped at least 1x a year and sometimes 2x a year. My parents rented camping equipment from the local Army/Navy surplus store, we never owned our own camping gear. As a young adult, once I left home, I didn't camp much due to low finances and no gear, but by the time I was in my early 20's, I started improvising. My first tents were comprised of cotton clothesline and small mil plastic tarp. I'd string the clothesline between two trees, as high as I could reach, and drape my plastic tarp in a triangular shape, with the ground ends held down by rocks or pieces of wood. These tents kept me dry, if not warm, but they got me back into the woods again, which was all that mattered. In 1988, when I was 34 years old, I took a week's vacation from my job and went camping in Yellowstone National Park. A friend loaned me a 2-man pup tent, my first actual manufactured tent. He eventually gave me the tent, as I was at that point camping 2-3x a year and he wasn't camping at all. I used that tent for almost 30 years. But when age started catching up to me, using a pup tent became more than a bit unfeasible, as did sleeping at ground level, regardless of any kind of mattress beneath me. Long story shortened just a bit, I am now 70 years old and while I don't camp several times a year anymore, I still do camp and have some pretty nice gear to ensure it's a comfortable experience for me. I subscribe to a number of camping channels, ranging from bare bones minimum bush craft to high end "glamping". I don't have the $$ for the high end "glamping" (although I wouldn't mind trying), what's most important to me is to just get "out there" into nature.
Love your channel.
💗🙏
Great example, very inspiring.
Great story, thanks for sharing. 🙏🏻
Having a candle in a survival kit is an old school rule. I'm referring to those recommendations for making a homemade survival kit dating back to the 1950's.
I made my first survival kit when I was nine years old. When I was a teenager I bought a box of candles from a joke shop, the kind that look like birthday cake candles but which can't be blown out, and added a small bundle of them to my kit. They came in useful, lighting fires in windy conditions. I still have the last two candles from that box, almost fifty years later!
I mean, they're useful for all sorts of things. There's fire lighting, there's portable light if you don't have anything electronic, there's time keeping that's accurate to about five minutes or so on a candle that lasts an hour, which is probably good enough for timing things like boil in the bag food and the like, there's signalling at night in combination with a mirror, and there are probably other things I'm not thinking of.
I usually add one or two of those small birthday candles that relit when you blow them to my kits. They weight basically nothing and they're perfect for what we've see in the video
You don't need tie/peg out points on those Mylar shelter tents. Cut two long straight sticks and place one each side along the edges inside the tent. Then, peg down each end of the sticks, keeping the " Floor" of the tent stretched taught. 👍
Tip: twist the middle of the surgical tape so that it sticks to the skin either side of the wound. Makes it a lot easier to remove when the time comes without it opening the wound.
that is genius
Its almost exactly 50 years since I hitchiked from London to Barcelona in mid December 1974. Sleeping in woods, hedges and anywhere that i could, using a plastic survival bag, cheap foam mat and summer sleeping bag. Ate cold food, but made hot drinks on a tiny solid fuel stove. Took me over a week to get to Barcelona, due to my lacking decent map, but I made it.
Sounds like my ex (great guy). He hitched to Tunisia in the 1970s with a couple of mates and a sleeping bag each. Slept on the beach and got robbed. Except he had stashed some cash in his underwear. So that was all they had to live off!
That sounds like an incredibly fun adventure. Love both these comments haha
@@dawnmoriarty9347damn wow that's a smart tip, thank you
I found that a very cheap, and easy to get, is a pencil sharpener, that you just stick a stick into it, and twist, like your sharpening a pencil, it makes perfect dry wood curls, to be used as a fire starter, you can make a massive pile of shredded wood, in just seconds, its great to have, where everything is water soaked wood and tender, this is a cheap readily available item, that should be part of EVERY bug-out bag.
Been there, done that. Great tip for beginners
I never thought of that. I'll have to try it out!
One of the ones that has holes both a standard pencil and the thicker pencils is idea as it gives you more options as to what sticks you can use in it
Would make great wax curls from the candle too
I've always have one in my bags, purse, first aid box and tool box. Not only can you use shavings for fire, u can also make metal shavings for firestarter, or sharpening stick, toothpic or my a tool to kill fish or make a stab fort to eat food
And so much more....
Multi-day kit sounds fun and interesting.
I have used one of those survival tents in the past, I was camping out in the snow and I put one of those up inside my tent, it definitely made life more comfortable in the colder weather.
Really very useful idea! Thank you for sharing, and all the best!
I haven’t seen a video I didn’t like from you or your dad. Keep them coming. I love them all. So informative and entertaining!
Thanks!
The ribbed "water carrier" and then that little pink "worm" thing in the fishing kit! Priceless! 🤣
Testing kits is a great idea, and you do an awesome job. Thank you
Cheers! more to come.
Just two things that came to mind while watching: The sewing kit is possibly a better way to seal a (bigger) wound. The small tin with the fishing kit, could be used to hold bait. The local grubs, insects, seeds etc. the fish are used to.
£9.99 is $13.36 USD. I suppose that little kit is better than nothing but I’d argue that a few bits cross loaded into one’s pockets could be more utilitarian. Part of my EDC is a 3” by 4” zipper bag that includes a mini Bic, waterproof paper, pen, 30 feet of 3 strand power cord, 2 needles, 20 feet of kevlar thread, 2 large thick gauge safety pins, a few bandaids, ibuprofen, Benadryl, Immodium, aspirin, 2-3 prescription pain pills, a Ziplock bag, a binder clip, duct tape and a mini Sharpie. Added with my EDC folder knife, Gerber mini matte and Leatherman I’m covered for just about anything. Here’s where my philosophy veers from many youtubers: when I travel or set one toe into greater outdoors I plus up my gear significantly because I’m headed into potentially more austere areas where emergency shelter, a compass, thermal blanket, sheath knife and multiple fire options are needed. I don’t usually carry water purification vessels to fill up the Jeep at the gas station or buy groceries down the street . I do stash a few of the 2 packs of H20 tablets here n there with the idea being that there are discarded plastic bottles EVERYWHERE on the West Coast.
Great video. Well done 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
I think the price is finally right on this one. We can always do them better and cheaper, but these exist for people who aren't into building the kits themselves.
Would make a good gift for someone who is say, a hiker and not a survivalist like us crazy ones 😂
I don't think this kit can be beat for the price when it comes to a single kit. Building out two or more, maybe.
But the big ticket items like the ferro whistle and keychain light, bought separately and you're probably up to ten bucks already!
I really liked this one. Usually I think they are just way too expensive, but this seems reasonable.
The torch you were so impressed with is called a keychain light, they first came out with the about 25 years ago. It's pretty handy, innit? You might want to try putting it in that plastic bag along with that signal mirror to act as a reflector. And I really agree with you, that whole survival tin is a sweet piece of kit. Thanks for the video!
Just started watching your videos a few days ago, really enjoying them! I'm, by no means, any sort of survivalist. Recently I took my 10 year old son tent camping at a local state park for the first time. It was only for one night because I wasn't sure if he would like it. He's not used to the nighttime woods sounds. Sleeping was a bit rough but the rest of our trip fun. I would like to teach my son (and myself) some simple survival skills. I think that small survival kit is a great place to start.
My eldest is 4 and she loves trying out some the items in the survival tins. Particularly the firesteels and whistles!
It's definitely something that would hold my son's interest, too. Using a kit like that would be a fun way to learn some valuable skills. I clicked on the link for the kit but unfortunately it's not available in the U.S. I may have to find something equivalent or make our own with similar items.@@TAOutdoors
While it’s not going to beat a head torch, the great thing about the little light is you can hold it between your teeth and use both hands - no fun doing first aid on yourself whilst having to also hold a torch, same for putting up the shelter
I did this once while cycling on a highway at night, since I didn't had any lights and there was no moon. 🤣 Fun times
Great little light. I'd include a spare battery in the tin, seemed like there was room enough.
In the States those striped bandages are called "butterfly stitches", also the bandage should be flammable and can be used as a fire extender like the candle or duck tape. Just use 1 strand out of the 7 in the paracord to make the whistle/ferro rod or torch/flashlight neck cord. Less chance of choking or strangling if caught on something, also conserves on cordage. It seems it would be good to open up the tent and reinforce the the connection points with duck tape (allong the ridgeline and 4 bottom corners), maybe split it, and use it as a tarp. Just some thoughts or ideas. Great video, keep it up.
the butterfly strips are $1.97 @ walmart for a package and work great. i also get there ..new skin wich is like super glue that helps close the cut and speeds up healing.thats around $ 3.98.
@@leeburke4060Pine sap works well as new skin too.
I've always called them butterfly stitches here in the UK too. When they're pre made (like the ones they use in the hospital) they are narrow in the middle and flaring out at the ends and look a bit like a butterfly wings. I guess that's where the name comes from!
First time I encountered them I was about 14 and my cousin threw a frisbee which I decided to catch with my eye...... One visit to A&E with a split eyelid later and they sealed it up with butterfly stitches.
@@Bridgercraftsame here, growing up 80’s/90’s we always called them butterfly stitches (UK) 💕
@seaside_rambler everything has got a real name and a common name tbh. My hoover is not a hoover but I still use it to do the hoovering :P
All those items in that small tin, that’s awesome 🤙💯
Another good item to include in any survival kit is a 20 yd. spool of artificial senew. It is cheap, strong, and waxed for preservation. A spool is actually quite small. Also, to compliment this, a small kit of sail needles are very handy and take up very little room. Great video with some good info.
A candle can be used for heat if you have a blanket to drape over your head and body
Thank you for your warnings! I have a dog, so I can quickly reduce the volume. If you could maybe wait a second or two longer, that would be perfect ;) But also so great that you think of the animals!
ive used a pound shop version of that shelter loads of times, i just tape one end shut . enjoyed the video 👍🏕
Yes, I bought a Poundland mylar shelter/tent a few years ago.
Its only been since watching your reviews of the budget survival gear I've considered getting some myself. Another great video 💯
Glad you are enjoying them!
@TAOutdoors Absolutely and so long as you keep making them I'll keep watching. Your reviews are very informative, Easy to follow and understand and as always a pleasure to watch 💯
@@BecauseWeCan1I was really impressed with this kit for the price.
I don't recall seeing any water purification tabs though? Would be a great addition.
A spare battery for the light would be a good idea too.
Survival kit. Always a must have, in Surrey, 10 mins from Greggs.
I have had a candle in my survival tobacco tin for years. I also have a few matches (and a ferro rod) so, if I want, I can light a match, light the candle first then try to light the fire with the remainder of the match. If that fails, I have the candle as a backup
If you had any emply space you could make a survival candle from vegetable shortening. Vegetable shortening candles are reportedly capable of burning much much longer than a standard candle. You could easily make two or three that would fit in that size tin.
Candle can be used to waterproof clothes and shoes ,great kit
The Mylar blanket reflecting heat is often quoted but misunderstood. Heat is transferred in three ways. Radiation, Conduction, Convection. I'm going back to school physics lessons here. The only way a reflective surface can send heat back is if there is a visible radiant heat source. The best use of that shelter would have been to drop it to the ground at one end to trap warm air inside. Pile small brush under and over it and you've got a comfortable bed for the night but possibly a wet morning due to condensation.
An added advantage of the tiny flash light would be the ability to flash an SOS to search and rescue, either on it’s own, or in the plastic thingy you put it in to diffuse the light. Flashing short, short, short, long, long, long, short, short, short would let most people know you need help. If you have it in the diffuser, just cover it with your hand in the same pattern. In daylight, the mirror can do the same.
The charred wick will also now take a spark. I carry lamp wicks for this reason.
The red torch light thing you had before was red most likely because it does not reduce your night vision when you turn it off. I find a uv blacklight torch works the same, where it does not affect your night vision. A warm or cold white torch is obviously much better for seeing what you point it at. Personally I like to do without a torch unless I really need to use it. There is something very comforting and soothing from walking around at night in the "dark" without a torch or streetlights.
I say "dark" like this because it doesn't matter how dark a night it is, I can always see a bit though the darker it is, the less detail and the lower definition what I see is. Real darkness is being deep in a cave and turning the torch off - you truly cannot see a thing.
Fishing line also comes in handy if you have a deep gash and you can stitch it 👍
He's very positive, makes you happy too
Thank you for showing us everything in that survival kit. This is very good information. It does bring back a memory for me. We had a hurricane in my area in the US with power out for 5 days. One of the local churches was giving out MREs. We brought a few of them home and tried to use them. They were just one meal kits and, having seen all these videos about camping and MREs, we were excited to try them. There are no words to express how horrible those things tasted. My hat is off to you for being brave enough to keep consuming MREs. Again, thank you for what you do.
20 year's ago i published a pdf survival manual , in it i had a section on emergency winter heating that included a foil tent that should be used on your bed in the bedroom by fixing a rope between 2 walls to hang it from over the bed so when you get inside with your duvet the foil would keep off the frost and reflect the heat to keep you warm .
See too many vids on here where idiots go out of their way to trash them and declare " they are rubbish " .
At last an actual common sense orientated review of one .
Personally i see them as an underrated essential in any home or vehicle , as you can even rip one along the seam and open it out like a sheet so some can be pushed out a car window a little and the window closed up to hold it leaving the side hanging lower than the glass - pull it across the roof and do the same at the other window to form a insulated heat reflecting barrier between you and the freezing window glass if your stuck in a snow storm .
Could use a couple of the blankets if you don't carry the tent version - my vehicle first aid set has 6 of the blankets in just incase i come across an accident with a few people stuck out in the weather .
But my carry bag has a foil tent in it as well as 2 blankets as they are so light , though my tent is flat packed so it sits up the side of the bag taking up no room either .
Wheres your PDF Link/ book.. and where is the safety tin / tent sold
I was discussing with my wife how useful it would be to have one of those tents or two space blankets in the car's trunk for these cases.
The candle is something I've kept in all my camping/survival kits for ages. Every year our church does a candlelight service for Christmas Eve and leftover candles are collected at the end of the night, but the church can't reuse them for the service the next year, but they normally get used for other random things. I asked if I could take some and they gave me a box of about 200 partially used ones. Not only am I reducing waste, but pre-used candles are easier to light in an emergency situation
Hello, Are they big fat church candles, the tea light type or finger sized? That's a result for u, good night and God bless
@@nickchap probably the tiny candles about twice the diameter of candles used in birthday cakes. At least that was the size used at my church. Twice the diameter, maybe 3x that of the small birthday candles and maybe twice the length.
If you are thinking those number candles maybe the thin width and maybe that length prior to burning
They're exactly the same size as what was in that kit, just about 1/4-1/3 burned down
Doesn't matter what good deed you ever do, your church nullifies that. Don't be stupid, lose the religion.
My car kit came with tea lights in a baggy. they're all melted inside the baggy now but i could still pull it out and light it lol.
I once had a friend who used to camp by Velcroing 2 picnic blankets with the reflective backing and sandwich himself between them and used to claim it worked a treat. Would love to see what you think. Much more durable than the milar tarp.
I've been using the same small hibachi bbq since the late 90's that I bought from a car boot sale for £1 lol. It's a great sturdy little thing. You can fit 4 burgers on it. I don't go camping nowadays, I'm not in good health. But I used it for many years and took it all kinds of places. And the grill for it has had a lot more use than the bbq itself, as I used to dig a rectangular hole in the ground, out a stick at either end and rest the grill on top. I would take embers from the fire with my camping shovel and put them in the hole and it was a fantastic bbq with the flavour from the hot embers.
Where I am in Romford, the ground is very much clay soil and not peaty at all - so it aint gonna catch fire or smoulder.
A bbq on legs like mine, can also be good for having a small fire in for warmth.
I find your posts very informative ! I love how you went through each item in the kit and also the type of fire you used . Great voice . You are so easy to follow ….I think you are brilliant Mike ! 🇨🇦👍
Surprised none of these kits include a Mylar blanket, to me that's pretty much a no-brainer for a survival kit. Obviously wouldn't be as big as the one you used as a tent, but a personal one you can wrap around you to keep warm is worth the small amount of space it'll take up.
The best survival kit is the one you make yourself .
I really enjoyed the video. I was surprised what I learnt by watching..We were without electricity for six days in winter time I was surprised how difficult it was. I ended up buying a pop up tent and put it up in living room. Now i think maybe upstairs would have been better. I often think that we may on been better off in the garden . I never forget how long it took to heat the house up once the electricity restored. good review Thank you
I bought the little folding stove. Absolutely love it ❤❤❤❤❤
Good video as always. Regarding the “water carrier”, I saw a video recently where someone used it to collect the runoff rain from the corner of a tarp. You’d be surprised how much was collected. A great addition to a survival kit imo.
I been watching this dude for almost 10 years. Thanks Mike
You're doing the overnighter with the kit in the tin the right way, bringing your regular gear and using the tin as a supplement.
Mr. " Lofty " Wiseman kept a candle in his SAS Survival Tin . I still keep a 2 ounce tobacco tin filled with his recommendations from The SAS Survival Handbook and a second tobacco tin with the meds he recommended , because it doesn't all fit in one 2 ounce tin no matter how hard you try .
This is the best kit (two kits) so far. I would press the limits of the tube tent by trimming and cleaning so light saplings to spread the base out a bit.
Thanks Mike , interesting and fun. Really like the upcoming ideas you mentioned. Your beloved demeanor and style of presentation always brings me back to see what you're up to next! As Always Pal, Blessings to you and yours, ... thank you.
If you wanted that shelter to maximize its heat retention even in higher winds, a lower profile would be better. That would also give you some excess to close one end if necessary to help control that dead airspace. Balling up some of that fluffy material and wraping it in your corners and securing it with a slipknot would help improvise a tie out that wouldnt stress the material so much in regards to tearing.
Another way to ensure a fire doesn’t ignite further from under the bush box is to wet the soil underneath. You could urinate on it.
one thng to point out with the necklace knot is that if you pull the overhand knots together they sinch down on eachother. this is super useful when you want to make loops out of coordage to later use as prusiks on your ridgeline for example
I bought a sixpack of those mylar tents from wish. Flexsealed one to a flannel sheet, worked a few times, was a little heavy but was definitely stronger. Usually have 2 mylar blankets or sleeping bags in a FAK as a shock cover. Trying to stick a mylar sheet to a tarp to make a modern cowboy bedroll.
Great vid! Thanks!
In my emergency tin, I have a spool of waxed non flavoured tooth floss. 50m in a spool tensile strength is above 10kg. Ok it isn't great for guy lines, but good for tying together things. I have tried floss as a bow string for a bent birch bow. Worked ok up to 20m+/-.. it can also be used as fishing line. Unfortunately it floats
I think floss is the best way of cover the cordage part of the 5Cs without having to carry a lot on yourself. I myself also do carry a small 50m packet on my work trousers.
Good video. I have a few 3x3 meter UL tarps that pack down to the same size as that emergency tent. They weigh in at around 300g and are way, way more practical than those mylar "tents".
Not only is that smaller tin, a wise idea for packing a fishing or sewing kit, but I was moved to find out if there’s a formal name for it, so I could look into buying one for my own kit! (So far, something called a “lip balm tin” is the closest thing I’ve found.)
Of you search out - craft tin. You will find a large variety of time you could use to make your own.
That's a nice little survival kit. I've seen a homemade one with those joke candles that re-light after you try to blow them out. They're actually a handy little item I'm on a windy day, lighweight, and easy to fit a couple into a tin.
Hmmm. Surely, if it is a survival kit, it would make more sense to have certain items high visibility. For example, the tent outer would be bright orange, not green.Paracord, whistle, and torch likewise in bright orange in order not to be easily lost on the ground. Or is it a covert survival kit? 😅
Just a health and safety tip. Paracord necklace around the neck with no quick or easy break knot can end in tragedy. Standard Paracord has a break strain of 550 lbs. You slip when climbing and it gets caught around an object or branch, you can end up strangling yourself to death if you don't get any firm footing.
Love your videos though, been watching for years. 👍
Yay, a build is coming!!! The condensation is reason enough to cut it into a tarp. Retain the reflective quality while getting ventilation.
This is a great series of videos, some of your best. Thanks.
Cheers!
I noticed your camera lens seemed better this time. Then you said you were using a new one. I like it.
For those survival tent it's best to tie your ridge line lower so that if there was another person you could both fit. But if you where by your self you'd have room to place any gear you had with you.
You should make a video about what you would include if you were to make your own survival kit in this style
Thank you! just got 2 neck knives and will re-tie to follow your model for begin adjustable.
Good video as usual 😊 thank you for sharing your experiences.
Inflation here in the U.S. is skyrocketing. The ten kit had a decent button compass and nice flint and striker. With small ice fishing gear. NOICE for the price
Great series Mike! I’m really enjoying it.
For deep wounds I do have a couple of suture needles and horse hair and sachets of salt... always works... many times I've had to stitch not only myself up but a couple of dogs too..... can't be having them nagging continuously.... 😂
Always take a Toppitz freezing bag if you can, they are much stronger and resuable. Instead of a condome.
May I suggest something that I’ve done to my own kit to make it a bit more sturdy and reliable. Where the edges of the tent are. I’ve added a strip of duct tape to the edge of the tent folded in half with half inside and half outside. Prevents from tearing easily. Also using a small button on the inside, gathering the material around it and tying a length of #12 bank-line around it gives you a tie line to help steady it in a wind.
Really like your ideas for your videos.
Rather than just reviewing kits, the mix and matching, then adding your own additions sounds great 👍👍
cant wait to complete my level 3 in bushcraft and one day hopefully meet you
Best kit so far. Excited to see what you can do with the fishing kit. Really dig the wool sweater I've been struggling to find good wool products in Canada.
This lens is great. Good clear definition.
There is room in that kit for a small magnifier Lense that could be used for fire starting.
I think as a idea if you had the same shape made with a tarp over the milar material and closed off at the foot end you'd get more heat retention and better weatherd 👍🏼
I like the tip for diffusing the button light very handy, I’m looking forward to the rest of the survival vids
A couple of marbles or covered stones with some para cord can make some tie down points if you wrap the mylar around them.
those tents are handy for sliding over a hammok in the winter keep it up one end and slide it over the hammok and underblanket keeps the wind out of the top
hello sir. i do really love the small survivor kit segment on this channel and get hooked up because of that. hope to see more videos like this segment and maybe the most ultimate survival kit every years that you've compile yourself. plus versus videos between ready made kits with your diy kits perhaps. have a great day sir. 👍👍
The torch is a key torch, you put it on your keyring with your house keys then when you get home in the dark you don’t have to faff about seeing the door lock
Thanks for this informative and entertaining video, Mike. I'm looking forward to watch the new building video with your dad, it's always great fun to watch you together. Greetings from Germany.
Another great video Mike I really appreciate these survival kit video please keep them coming thanks
Hello from Oklahoma! Good Video! I went to the amazon link and it said the mini survival kit could not delivered to my area. 😢 Enjoyed the video as usual. Thanks for all U do! God Bless!
Looks like a well put together kit for an off the shelf purchase. However, the lack of any type of cutting tool was a bit of an overlook. One of the very small Opinel knives would have been a good addition but we could always add that ourselves.
The fishing kit - it would be much better to have a (expensive but reuseable) tritium glow stick which gives off light for a few years. I've found that those starlight glow sticks tend to not work after a couple of years. Just an idea for anyone thinking of making their own similar kit
Good trick with the torch in the bag!
Have 1 of those torches on my car keys. Really useful and very bright.
Great Videos, the Portuguese marine Mre is one of the best is the world, cheers mate from Portugal 🤩👌🙏🇵🇹 🏴
Please could you put a link to where you get the MREs from?
I keep a mylar blanket in my car first aid kit, but also a separate one in my car that I use when I fall asleep in my car by accident and get cold, but am not awake enough yet to drive. I have a rare neurological sleep condition, so often when I'm parked up for lunch break etc, I will fall asleep. Having this is so handy, especially living on the border of Dartmoor.
I've seen the 2-person survival tent used with one end scrunched together and tied with cord, and the other end open. You can adapt it to have a line through the apex still, but scrunch most of the sides and the bottom and tie them, so there's more air flow to reduce condensation and the longer apex prevents rain ingress. Without a cord through the apex, in the rain, you can sit inside with the wind and closed end to your back, pull the floor inside a little to stop water dripping in, and just use it resting on you to keep you dry and warmer. Yes, there's more condensation, but it's better than masses of rain coming down.
I advise a plug in seat warmer (I got one from Aldi) and a blanket. I fall asleep too much as well but seldom drive now
I would close that screw eye (fishing kit) so that the line doesn't get caught in the open loop - add a bit of glue or solder to the gap.
I am really glad you are doing these test videos… awesome to see the many different types of survival kits available on the market… too bad they can’t seem to make 1 with ALL of the BEST components… !
Don't you have any spruce, pine or juniper in there, dry branch of those will get fire instantly, birch small branches will burn fresh also. In Lapland only thing is birch and smallest fresh branches will fire up after 30sec of heating.
As usual, great video!❤
I have to give you props you teach us how to go to ground to survive
Another great episode in the series Mike. At the fear of repeating myself, I am loving this particular series. That said, the promise of another build video (which is what originally got me hooked to the channel), is something I'm looking forward to. Shame about the draw at weekend, deserved more, bring on Twente tomorrow night...
Loooking forward to both of your kits.
Keep up the good work.
Id be putting that little torch on my key ring straight away!
there are mylar survival tents that are considerably sturdier, nearly as light and almost the same packed size form factor. still not expensive too.
I have a similar version in my Amazon cart that has "doors' on both ends. They "close/fold up from the bottom.