# Uses for Altoid Tins



## MtnPapa (Oct 12, 2013)

I made some great camp stoves out of Altoid tins with my sons, they work great, and thought I would share it. If you have any other survival use ideas for Altoid Tins, post them here - thanks!

This video is not me, but it is where I got the idea....click the link.


----------



## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

Good size can for poking holes in to make charcloth. And without the holes storing charcloth.

Also would be good for cotton balls dipped in vaseline.

Probably the right size for a survival fishing kit.


----------



## MtnPapa (Oct 12, 2013)

Good ideas, fire starter kit...here is a link to an Altoid tin survival kit put together by Field and Stream magazine.

Click here to go the the Altoid Survival Kit.


----------



## pharmer14 (Oct 27, 2012)

MtnPapa said:


> Good ideas, fire starter kit...here is a link to an Altoid tin survival kit put together by Field and Stream magazine.
> 
> Click here to go the the Altoid Survival Kit.


I've been thinking of doing something like this with the plastic gatorade containers they put the powder in for you to mix with water at home. I'm fresh out of empties at the moment... maybe when I finish the one I'm working on now I'll finally get to it. It could become something that just stays in my car. I could make another one for work.


----------



## Operator6 (Oct 29, 2015)

Who has one of these last ditch survival tin kits and what do you have in it ?


----------



## GTGallop (Nov 11, 2012)

Don't forget coms!
The Rockmite: A 40 meters CW QRP Rig (in an Altoids Tin) :: Mike Gualtieri Homepage
N5ESE's Version of the Arizona ScQRPion's Stinger Singer (20050905)
A 'Mint Idea Tracker


----------



## AquaHull (Jun 10, 2012)

I tossed out all my tins. The dam things don't want to open and when they do the shat falls out


----------



## TacticalCanuck (Aug 5, 2014)

Last summer was the summer of the survival tin. Made them with my kids for camping. Turned my son into a campsite star when he whipped it out to help a little girl who had been hurt.


----------



## Targetshooter (Dec 4, 2015)

I use the small plastic pencil boxes they work great and don't rust .


----------



## Urinal Cake (Oct 19, 2013)

TacticalCanuck said:


> Turned my son into a campsite star when he whipped it out to help a little girl who had been hurt.


 You might want to keep an eye on him while he's whipping it out around little girls......


----------



## Operator6 (Oct 29, 2015)

I'm thinking fire,meds,insect control,knife,compass,whistle,reflective lense,water purification tabs,6 pack of coldies 

What else ?


----------



## M118LR (Sep 19, 2015)

Usually I use Altoids tins to store Altoids Mints. If I wanted a rubber sealed survival tin I'd just pony up the cash and get one of these: Survival Kit Tin - Best Glide ASE 
Then after I put together the items I'd want it to contain I'd seal it with a low cost moisture barrier like waterproof electrical tape and store it in a waterproof resealable lunch bag sized baggie. But I may consider the items in a container like this to be my last chance at survival, so at the cost of perhaps an hour of my labor I'd consider it money well spent; even a better investment if I never needed to bet my life on it. JMHO.


----------



## Grinch (Jan 3, 2016)

I only have 1 because I don't like Altoids but I keep it in my belt pack when I'm hunting, it's not much I got a little Bic lighter and pack of matches in a sandwich bag, then another sandwich bag with crayons in there and some regular cotton balls.


----------



## Prepp(g)er (Feb 18, 2014)

I got a tin on me at all times.basic stuff rly.but its like my last chance edc.in case i lose everything else.

Mirror, waterproof matches, small blade, line with hooks and sinkers, condom, pain meds, 1 soup cube and 1 piece of hard candy, some phone numbers and a bit of cash. 

Wrapped it all in 2 layers of duct tape to waterproof..


----------



## M118LR (Sep 19, 2015)

Standard Military Tin contents:

Military Scout Pocket Survival Tin contents:

(1) Weather Resistant Tin Container (Includes Rubber Seal)
(1) Mil Spec Outer Packaging for maximum protection of the survival kit (Mil-Prf-81705 Type 1)
(1) Adventurer Button Compass (NATO/U.S. Military Issue) 
(10) All Weather Survival Matches (NATO/U.S. Military Issue) 
(1) Derma Safe Razor Knife (U.S. Military Approved) 
(1) Sewing Kit w/6 Safety Pins (Assembled in USA) 
(6) MP1 Water Purification Tablets (U.S. Military Issue) 
(1) Adventurer Survival Whistle (SOLAS/NATO Approved) 
(1) Mini Survival Fishing Kit (Assembled in USA) 
(1) Vinyl Tape Waterproof Kit Seal 
(1) Type 1A Utility Cord (U.S. Military Approved) 
(1) Brass Snare Wire (Trapping and Equipment Repair) 
(1) Emergency Signal Mirror (Daytime Emergency Signaling) 
(2) Beeswax Candles (Made in USA) 
(1) Compact Flint Fire Starter w/Striker (Adventurer Series) 
(3) Fire Starter Tinder Tabs (Adventurer Series) 
(1) Adventurer Fresnel Lens Fire Starter (Adventurer Series) 
(6) Band Aids/Butterfly Bandages 
(1) Pocket Wire Saw (Made in USA) 
(2) Industrial Grade Tie Wraps 
(1) Water Bag 
(1) Survival Instructions (Made in USA) 
(1) Pencil 
(1) Silica Gel Desiccant (Moisture Absorbent) 

To which I would add 2 Mylar Space Blankets.


----------



## landshark13 (Feb 25, 2016)

Operator6 said:


> Who has one of these last ditch survival tin kits and what do you have in it ?


I have mine in a 3x5 ish candy tin i got from cracker barrel. Outside is decked out with Cobra Commander and kept closed with rubber bands. ive got some matches, lighter, flintnsteel, compass, extra knife, tinder, saw, water purification tabs, anti-diarrhea tablets and some other goodies. Keep it in the center console of my car with a glock 23, extra mag, sunglasses, extra knife, LED flashlight, and pad and pen. Should keep me alive long enough to get to whatever else I may need, and I generally am not farther than a day's walk from home. I live in rural MS though. Good folks if I ever get stranded, so this is really a kit to keep me alive for a few days just in case, not SHTF.


----------



## Sasquatch (Dec 12, 2014)

I have an "emergency" tin I keep in my desk at work. Easier than walking out to the truck for the real FAK when I need something. It holds a few bandages, butterflies, immodium, tweezers, lighter, antiseptic wipes.


----------



## Medic33 (Mar 29, 2015)

to store my scab collection in to gross out my sister when she is eating corn flaks maybe.


----------



## Sasquatch (Dec 12, 2014)

Medic33 said:


> to store my scab collection in to gross out my sister when she is eating corn flaks maybe.


That needs to be in a glass container so she can see it. I have mine up on the shelf next to my collection of toenail clippings.


----------



## Seneca (Nov 16, 2012)

I have the pouch and tin on my ESEE 5 sheath, it holds some matches, tinder ferro rod hooks, line and sinkers, a small Arkansas stone and a plastic survival card. A bicycle inner tube cut to the thickness of the tin and wrapped around the circumference keeps it sealed up and reasonably air tight.


----------



## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

I have one that's a work in progress. I keep it in my get home bag as an ultralight survival kit I can put in my pocket if necessary.

Nail wrapped in snare wire

Nail wrapped in 100 pound braided cord.

Nail wrapped in yellow duct tape

Button compass

1 liter stand up water pouch

Israeli water purification tabs

Micro sized ferro rod

Whistle

Credit card sized Fresnel lens

Full size bic


----------



## Operator6 (Oct 29, 2015)

Seneca said:


> I have the pouch and tin on my ESEE 5 sheath, it holds some matches, tinder ferro rod hooks, line and sinkers, a small Arkansas stone and a plastic survival card. A bicycle inner tube cut to the thickness of the tin and wrapped around the circumference keeps it sealed up and reasonably air tight.


I have the Esee 5 and 6 with the tin as well. I've decided to start carrying the 5. I like that 1/4" thick blade.


----------



## Seneca (Nov 16, 2012)

They are a beast of a knife!
The fire drill socket in the handle is a nice touch too. 


These are a couple of my older ESEE 5 pics I've added a few touches to the tin pouch and a bit of extra para cord to the lace holes in the sheath. It's been a while so I can't say for sure but I think both the MOLLE sheath backer and front pouch with tin are still available.


----------



## screwedby (Oct 21, 2015)

I lived, worked, flew, boated, hunted and fished in Alaska for 35 years.

I don't have enough fingers to count the number of survival schools I have attended.

It seems to me nearly 100% of the instructors are self-proclaimed experts. They always have some cute ideas which is how they convince the bean counters that control the training money to fund their classes.

Students come away with grand ideas of the survival kits they are going to construct.

Without fail, a few months down the road I would run into one of my fellow students who wanted me to look over his kit.

Fire starters would be everything from birch bark in a zip lock bag to steel wool and a D-battery to dryer lint.
Most times the instructor would mention these items as good starters but students came away thinking these are the BEST fire starters.

One instructor kept birch bark rolled up in a jar of water to demonstrate how easy it was to light. He would take out a piece, shake off the water then light it with a match.
One student had his bark stored in his kit in a jar of water!

I went to the local military surplus store and purchased a tube of energy pellets. 
Each waterproof pellet is about the size of a tums, lights instantly with a match, burns hot enough and long enough to boil a cup a water. 1 pellet will start a roaring fire in seconds.

My point is survival is serious business. I'm not sure a mint tin is a good place to keep essential items.

Even the Dollar Tree has small sealable containers for a buck.

I advise against manufactured survival kits. Most will have an impressive list of really crappy items.
Your kit should be tailored to you and your activities.


----------



## M118LR (Sep 19, 2015)

screwedby said:


> I advise against manufactured survival kits. Most will have an impressive list of really crappy items.
> Your kit should be tailored to you and your activities.


The basic Military issue Scout Kit is an excellent place to start. Most folks don't even bother to open their survival tins until they are needed. If you take the time to experiment with the basic Mil-spec Scout kit you may find items you want to upgrade, but most mint container Survival Tins lack many of the items available for emergency use. I even noted that I would include 2 Mylar Space blankets that aren't in the Mil-spec tin, but if you need a place to start at least include all the items in the Government Issue Tin. JMHO.

link: Military Scout Pocket Survival Tin Kit


----------



## screwedby (Oct 21, 2015)

Very good point.
And the military did not worry about costs.

I have tried to use some of those cheap pocket-size space blankets and was very disappointed not to mention wet and cold.

So I spend a little more for a larger better quality blanket. It takes up more space but when it's life or death....


----------



## M118LR (Sep 19, 2015)

Even the cheapest Mylar space blanket collects more dew/rainwater and reflects more heat than any camouflaged topographical map, not to mention that the shimmering silver side can be seen for quite a distance from the air. It's only the items you don't have that can't aid in a survival situation. JMHO.


----------



## GTGallop (Nov 11, 2012)

I found a deal on mylar survival blankets on Amazon a few years back. I thought I was buying a pack of 12 blankets for some ridiculously low price but it ended up being 12 packs of 4 blankets so I got like 50 blankets. Put a few in each car (now added a SOL Bivvy) some in my pack, some in my hiking gear, some in the trauma bag, gave some to friends and stuff. they are admittedly low quality but in a pinch they are damn fine. Only regret is I can't really get them into an Altoid Tin. As a matter of fact, if Altoids would make a slightly larger tin (meybbe a half inch in all three dimensions) it would make one helluva tin!

This thread has got me thinking about how to modular-ize my gear into several different tins. Then I got to thinking they would all look the same and I'd be forever opening tins to find the right one. Then I thought about labeling them but then you have to read them. So I thought about color coding them. And then I realized I would be putting a lot of work into a system that isn't right for me. A few small things in a tin (its where I keep my fire goodies) is fine but going tin crazy isn't near as effective as very sturdy ziplock bags for most of my goods. Only sharp pokey or crushable things get a tin.


----------



## M118LR (Sep 19, 2015)

The tins at ASE have different color survival instruction card which can be glued to the tin tops for ready recognition GTGallop. Just purchase one tin and see how it suits you. If you don't like it you can always turn it into a 3 wick beeswax candle. JMHO. I have only been an ASE customer, I have no other affiliation with ASE. Just for the record.


----------

