Sealed into a sardine tin is a fantastic collection of the most bare-bones essential survival accessories.  So much is packed into this tiny can that this instantly becomes a must-have in my inventory.

This is the first item that we are examining on survivalsupplies.ca and it comes from the sponsor of the site: Forest City Surplus.  (If you would like to skip the review and go straight to the item, click here)
I’ll repeat the link at the end so you can read the review and not have to scroll back up.  I’m nice like that.)

Let’s just take a look inside:

Let’s see what we’ve got here.
There’s a booklet for helpful tips to survival in the outdoors which is great to have on-hand depending on what the survival situation is.  For some people, it can be difficult to know or recall what to do during a sudden situation and they may tend to freeze up with ideas.  This booklet can help inform you on outdoor survival.    (Of course, it is highly recommended to not only read-up on survival tips beforehand but to actually practice them.  Get familiar with how to use your tools so you aren’t caught for the first time facing a situation you haven’t prepared for.)

The kit (or, can, rather) also has a mini-compass, which always comes recommended because it might be rare to ever, ever use it…if you do end up in a situation where you need a compass, then your situation is pretty dire.  A compass will help you find your way.

Two fire starter cubes.  ANYTHING to help start a fire faster is a blessing.  Making fire without handy essentials to help you can be a long pain-staking task.

9.8-feet of multi-use cord.  Well, that’s almost 10-feet so it won’t help you repel down mountains, but it can help in hoisting your food into a tree,  help you in securing items or taking part in creating shelter.  Tons of uses for cord but my advice to you is to learn and practice making different knots.  Search around for creative ways people have used cord.  Especially in medical emergencies like securing a splint.

First aid instructions.  Hopefully, you already know what is in the instruction booklet but what if it’s been a while and you have forgotten or what if you were the one injured, incapacitated, and the people using this kit to help you didn’t brush up on their studies.

3 pieces of multi-use wire.  From snares to setting traps to an array of creative uses.  Wire can help where rope or cord just won’t do.

4 waterproof matches.  My 4 biggest concerns with the outdoors are food, water, shelter, and fire.   I’m sure you have seen how difficult and how long it takes to create fire with two sticks.  So the waterproof matches combined with the fire starter cubes will make things a little easier.

101-feet of fishing line (also doubles as sewing thread).   This is a very adequate length for nearby fishing.  It will still take some effort and skill using this with the fish hooks for a very basic fishing utility, but when it comes to survival, this can be a lifesaver for food.

1 bouillon soup packet.  I haven’t had the need to try it yet but I am glad to know it’s there.

1 tea bag.  Not every survival emergency needs to be a life-or-death situation.  But if you happen to be waiting for help to arrive; a spot of tea does the trick.

1 sugar packet.  Goes great with tea.  And it’s a shot of temporary energy.

1 book of matches.  You know my thoughts on fire by now.  Must. Have.

2 antiseptic swabs.   Hopefully when you are outdoors, you take even the smallest cut seriously.  If you know you are far away from medical facilities you need to treat every injury aggressively when it comes to sterilization.  Infection is difficult to treat without medication, so antiseptic swabs are a must if you happen to be far from medical supplies.

1 razor blade. I’m going to assume that if you have opened this can and are in need of a razor blade that it isn’t because of shaving (although it could be, nothing wrong with a clean shave).   Razor blades can assist in survival tasks involving cutting (assuming you don’t have another utility such as a knife on you.)   If you can avoid using it for menial tasks and save it for medical emergencies, it would be of better use to you.  Disinfect before using it medically to reduce any chance of infection.  Incidentally, this is where studying up on survival medical treatments beforehand would be an added benefit.

3 twist ties. Simple enough.  a bandana can become a carrying bag with a twist tie.

12-inches of duct tape. Everyone knows that duct tape is the solution to everything.  In fact, I am willing to bet duct tape could hold World Peace together.  12 inches of duct tape may not be the ideal amount but considering that all of this is packed in a tiny can, I’m sure you could make 1 foot of duct tape go a long way.

 

1 signal mirror.  I hope no one ever finds themselves in a situation to ever need to use this but even worse would being in that situation without having one.  Reflecting sunlight from the mirror into your signalling direction can greatly increase your odds of being spotted by rescuers.

1 zip-lock bag.  My first thought is “well, now I know what to put everything in once I have opened the can”.  But seriously, I use zip-lock bags all the time.  Not just in emergency kits but every-day carry kits as well; especially for holding loose items such as nails, screws, safety pins, and even batteries when I don’t want to risk a battery leaking onto everything else.

2 adhesive bandages.  While there may be creative uses for bandages, I’ll be saving mine for the obvious purpose of covering wounds.

 

2 nails. The kit doesn’t come with a hammer but in an emergency, even a rock can be your hammer.

2 fish hooks. Goes well with the fishing line and could be an emergency meal improvement if the fish are biting.

1 signal whistle.  Takes less effort than yelling and covers a great distance.

1 piece of chewing gum.  While I have seen creative uses in movies, I’ve never used chewing gum for anything other than chewing, but I am now interested in seeing other uses.  In the meantime, enjoy the gum.

1 sewing needle.  Useful in mending clothes, medical emergencies, and in building shelters (after all, you do have 101 feet of fishing line to help)

1 energy candy.  Energy boost until you can get to safety or forage proper food, this candy can help.

1 note paper.  Handy.  I’ve personally got a bad memory so crucial information needs to be written down.  I’m happy this is part of the kit.

1 pencil. For the aforementioned paper.

Plus the can that it comes in which by itself can have multiple purposes such as a drinking or cooking container.  For the size of a sardine can, it certainly packs a lot of stuff.

 

The best part about it is, it’s relatively inexpensive for everything that is included and for the novelty and convenience of having it in a can which takes up very little space.

 

If you are interested, you can get one at Forest City Surplus.