The previous three articles all regard survival.  The concept is a 72 hour survival kit broken out into three parts.  Part one weighs one pound and will see you through 24 hours.  Part two weighs a pound and will see you through 48 hours.  Part three weighs a pound, and will ultimately bring you to surviving 72 hours.  I have personally tested these kits for each of their rated times.  I will not guarantee in any way that they will work for you, your situation, or any specific situation.  They did work for me.  21 items, 3 pounds, $450.

I’ve seen many cute, trendy, neat Altoids tin survival kits.  Many of them are better than nothing, some are not.  Many of these kits merely operate off of the idea, “I need a fishing kit, a micro compass, and what will fit in the space that is left?”  The problem is the “fishing kit” often isn’t suitable, or the average person only THINKS they would know what to do with it.  Once you catch a fish, you still have to gut/clean it.  Consider that.

The amount of water you could collect in an Altoids tin (to set in a fire to boil), isn’t enough to make the energy worth it.

Many think they would do the survival knife/Rambo thing.  Okay, you take your kit out for 24 hours, I’ll take mine.  Let’s see who’s happier at the end of that time period.

Survival is not about gimmicks and toys.  It is about mindset, training, and equipment you trust your life with.  This 72 hour kit was designed with average Joe Public in mind.  There would need to be some basic instruction to go with it.  This, however, would not require Military survival training.  With all these things in mind, I recommend you steer clear of “magic” survival kits that fit in unbelievably small spaces.  The next series works to add comfort level to the kit provided.  It will grow from just a 72 hour kit to a true Ultralight Backpacking gear list.