Anybody heard of S.O.L.?

[wingnuts]

As most have already mentioned, one can build a better kit! My wife in her best intentions bought me the knife whistle, light combo as a stocking stuffer.
I would not have wasted my money (would never tell her) It's neat concept and would be better than nothing but the functionality of any single component
is kinda lame! The whistle isn't loud (better than no whistle) the knife is sharp and does lock but doesn't look very strong (again better than nothing) and the flashlight would be better than matches but most likely is useless past 12 inches. All of these items are items I carry every day!!! So I'm guessing it will go into a kit somewhere!

[SwissArmyKnife]

I almost bought one of their two person survival blankets the other day but I remembered this thread and thought better on it. Still may as it is less than $3, but I'll simmer on that for a bit longer.

[cellis]

SOL is a brand from AMK. I carry one of their survival blankets and like it quite a bit. Same size as a cheapo space blanket that will rip on the first use and much more durable. I beat mine up a bit in this video and it is still perfectly fine. I have seen on here at least one guy who slept in their bivy overnight and liked it. Can't speak for the kits and things they all seemed to cheesy and cheap for me yes.

[cobra]

I'm with Cellis on this one. I think AMK is the originator and SOL is the name of a product line, but I'm not particularly fond of the SOL products - especially their pre-made kits. I do, however, like the AMK/SOL bivvy(s) and blankets.

[Lamewolf]

The sparker is halfway decent. One handed operation is neat.
The compass does its job, but so does the one on my wristwatch, it's identical.
The signal mirror is sheet metal and can distort the light.
The knife/whistle/light is a cheap stainless cutting tool, I rolled tghe edge on mine making curls with River Birch.
The cordage is the cheap 3 strand stuff you see in dollar stores.
Tinder is good, although there isn't much in the kit.
Silicone gasket is nice, but will also trap water inside the case. I wouldn't trust it for submergence.
ABS goes brittle in the cold.
Stailess wire is about 3 ft long. Again, not much there.
Buck's tips for survival are good points, but vaugely relevant to every environment out there.

All the reason you mention is the exact same reason I prefer to build my own kit - I can put in the quality and quanity of each item I want and my little Altoids kit never leaves my side.

[Roamer]

I agree that someone with the time and inclination can assemble a better "survival kit" on their own than most any storebought kit. But for people who are prone to buying pre-assembled kits (maybe the vast majority of consumers) the AMK/SOL kits seem better than most cheap kits. They were designed in consult with Doug Ritter, a noted survival consultant and knife designer. One of the kits includes the tiny PSK knife he designed, which is a pretty decent mini fixed blade.

http://www.dougritter.com/psp_index.htm

I have one of the AMK bivies and it's a decent product, useful as a compact warm-weather sleeping bag all by itself or a emergency shelter.

[santaman2000]

Don't know anything about the company or their products. But the name (S.O.L.) is likely a reference to the old military accronym which meant:

S**t Out of Luck

[Canadian Woodsman]

Personally I'd pass on the kits. Not only can you make your own kit with better quality stuff, but it's much more fun thinking about what to put in it based on your needs and collecting all the bits and pieces.

[SwissArmyKnife]

I admit, the biggest reason I wanted one was the cool factor. It was shiny and had lots of gizmos and I'm a bit of a sucker for that. Glad I didn't succumb to its allure. Thanks.

[chiefs50]

You could make a much better kit with stuff laying around your house. I'd pass.

Yup, make up your own.