9 Sewing needle. This large sewing needle can be used in conjunction with the strong nylon thread for gear or clothing repairs.
10 Grade #0000 steel wool. This very finely shredded steel wool makes an incredible fire starter. Whether with a spark from a busted lighter or short-circuited with a battery, it burns red hot and can be placed into a tinder bundle and blown into flame.
11 Hunting arrowhead. This small- or large-game-hunting arrowhead can be used as an arrow point, a spear point, or even a frog/fish gig. The edges are so sharp that it can also be used as a knife if necessary.
EDC ON A BUDGET KIT #2
EDC ON A BUDGET KIT #2: THE M&M’S MINIS CONTAINER POCKET STRAW KIT
This kit is unique in that every item inside (except three) is contained within sealed plastic straws. I’ve mentioned using candy tins in previous hacks (see Makeup Aisle to Fire Tinder and Wallet-Sized Fire Squares, both in Chapter 3), but here I’ve taken it a step further and used straws to contain every survival item except for the water bag, magnifying lens, and mini ceramic knife.
CONTAINER: EMPTY M&M’S MINIS CANDY CONTAINER
Like the Mentos container, this one is rigid, nearly crushproof, and waterproof. It easily fits in a jacket pocket, glove box, or purse. It’s lightweight, durable, cheap, and can be opened with one hand. It measures 4" × 1" in diameter.
CONTENTS
1 2 fire straws. These are plastic straws filled with petroleum jelly–soaked cotton balls. The straws are then welded at the end by heating the plastic and then squeezing with a pair of pliers. They can be cut open and used as tinder and will ignite with even the spark from a broken lighter.
2 Fishing straw. This sealed straw kit was given to me as a gift and contains spider wire, hooks, a sinker, and even a little bobber. It’s the most compact little fishing kit I’ve ever seen and fits perfectly in this kit.
3 Mini ceramic knife blade. This mini ceramic knife blade is rust- and corrosion-resistant and can be used for a variety of small survival cutting chores.
4 3 match straws. Three sealed straw containers with 1 match each. I have glued a match-striking surface to the underside of the container lid.
5 Water purifier straws. Two straws with 2 1-liter water purification tablets each.
6 1-liter water bag. This water bag can be used in conjunction with the water purification tablets to source and purify fresh drinking water.
7 Fresnel lens. Even though matches are included in this kit, a plastic Fresnel magnifying lens slides perfectly along the inside wall of this plastic container. It takes up hardly any space and makes an excellent fire-starting tool on sunny days.
8 Seasonings straw. One straw filled with a mix of salt and pepper. Every wild meal tastes better with salt and pepper.
9 Bouillon straw. One straw filled with a crushed chicken bouillon cube to make a wild stew, which can also be prepared in the 1-liter water bag. You can even hang the water-filled plastic bag over a fire and heat it (even boil in it if you’re careful).
EDC ON A BUDGET KIT #3
EDC ON A BUDGET KIT #3: THE $3 KIT
This is about the least expensive EDC survival kit you can make. It uses several repurposed pieces in order to save money.
CONTAINER: 1-QUART RESEALABLE FREEZER BAG
One quart equals almost exactly 1 liter (.94). This bag is plenty large to contain a variety of survival necessities. Even when stuffed with the following items it easily fits in a jacket pocket, briefcase, or vehicle glove box.
CONTENTS
1 Paper matches. You can still get paper matches for free at fairs, festivals, and many restaurants. Although they aren’t my top choice for a fire-starting tool, they work fine as long as you keep them dry.
2 HotHands Hand Warmers. Not only can one of these little chemically activated hand warmers help keep you warm in a cold-weather environment, but it can also be used to dry out wet matches in a pinch (see the Salvation for Wet Matches hack in Chapter 3).
3 Half-used spool of dental floss. To reduce bulk, a spool of dental floss was removed from the plastic housing. Dental floss has a breaking strength of around 25 pounds and can be used as fishing line, gear repair thread, or even as lashing cordage for camp craft and shelters.
4 2 alcohol prep pads. As mentioned in the Wallet-Sized Fire Squares hack in Chapter 3, these little alcohol prep pads make great fire starters. They could also be used to sanitize minor cuts and scrapes.
5 1 Emergen-C packet. This drink mix packet is packed with vitamins and minerals—all of which help keep you healthy in a survival scenario. It can also be used to flavor nasty-tasting wild water after it’s been filtered or purified.
6 BBQ wet wipes. As mentioned in the BBQ Spit Bath hack in Chapter 5, you can take an entire spit bath with 2 wet wipes. I grabbed a couple extra during my last visit to Buffalo Wild Wings.
7 Emergency survival blanket. This is the most expensive item in the kit at approximately $1. It is a multipurpose item and can be used for a variety of survival functions. It makes a suitable shelter canopy but serves best as a fire reflector when attached to the inside back wall of a lean-to. Because it reflects 80 percent of radiant heat, you can wrap up in it to conserve and reuse body heat. Following is a list of other uses:
Ground-to-air rescue signal
Parabolic lens for fire starting
Poncho
Waterproof gear cover
Emergency fire tinder. Yes, it burns like crazy.
Cordage. I once reverse-wrapped stripped pieces of emergency blanket to hold the weight of a 200-pound adult male.
8 Repurposed small loaf baking tin. Next time you’re at your grandma’s for Thanksgiving dinner, snag one of the small aluminum foil banana loaf tins before it gets thrown in the trash. They can be folded flat and make a great container for boiling (purifying) water, frying meats, or making stews in the wild. Even brand new you can buy 3 for a couple dollars. Besides a sheet of aluminum foil, these are the most compact metal containers I’ve ever seen.
9 Homemade energy bars. You can make some really cheap homemade energy bars with 4 simple ingredients that work perfectly for EDC kits. Mix the following together and smash into the bottom of a small baking pan: 3⁄4 cup rolled oats, 1 cup small chopped dried fruits, 1⁄3 cup peanut butter, and 1⁄4 cup honey. Once in the pan, freeze until solid enough to cut into small bar shapes. I package mine in sandwich bags. They only store at room temp for a few days, but I recommend eating them before that anyway. I make mine on Sunday and keep them in my EDC backpack to eat throughout the week. If you don’t want to spend the time making these, you can buy CLIF Bars, but they will blow your $3 kit budget.
10 Hacksaw knife. A great little knife can be repurposed from an old hacksaw blade. First, break, saw, or cut the blade in half. Then, using a file, sharpen the back edge (opposite the saw side) until sharp. Lastly, wrap a handle with duct tape. A piece of cardboard makes a suitable sheath for storage. You’ll be surprised at what this “free” knife can do! Of course, the back is a small wood and metal saw too.