Coin pocket kit


alukban

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I was just playing around with a lip balm tin that I use for carrying spare rimfire ammo in my jeans coin pocket. I'm one of those guys who could never see myself putting an Altoids sized tin in my pocket. I could carry this thing though. I already do. I'd still have some sort of pocket knife and a Bic somewhere on me, as usual, but a micro EDC kit in addition to that was what I was mulling over.

The tin I've got is about an inch and a half in diameter and carries 11 rounds of .22LR. It's a very nice size because it is so unobtrusive - really do forget that it is in my coin pocket. Aside from the little button compass and maybe four or five .22 Shorts I was thinking of adding: a spare button :), a small chunk of Mg, a short length of ferrocerium rod, a shortened but thick carpet needle, two #12 snell hooks, one Pb split shot, maybe 20' of 20lb braided fishing line, some small safety pins and maybe some brass wire along the inside perimeter. Maybe I'll glue some 600 grit sandpaper to the back side of the tin...

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Yeah, I figure I'd have to sacrifice a Swedish Firesteel to cut it to fit in there because those ones only need a short, controlled scrape. I was also thinking maybe a couple of small tufts of Tinder Quik could be stuffed into a cranny here and there to keep the thing's contents from rattling.

I bet I could still cram a Tic Tac in there somewhere too :59:
 
Alukban
Another idea for you is to look at the altoid tins that have been made into alcohol stoves and drill holes 1/8 has worked for me (info from forum brother) around the sides of the lid with a hole in the top center for breather (which may need to be bored slightly larger,least for me) Then you will have a stove,ammo can,and carry all right in your pocket.
 
Survival Resources http://bepreparedtosurvive.com/Misc.Conatiners.htm offers 'Slim Line Screw-Top Tins' in three(3) sizes that would work for this kind of kit. I have them on my list of items to get, along w/ some other neat stuff on the site. Jeff
 
My kit is a candle and a paper matchbook in the tiny altoids tin.
 
So I added stuff today.

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The .22 LR and penny are just there for size reference in the images. I now have in the lip balm tin:

  • a short needle, pre-threaded w/ ~4' of 50lb test, waxed polyester thread (the needle will be magnetized)
  • five rounds of .22 Short
  • a section of hacksaw blade, sharpened
  • a button compass
  • a misch metal rod
  • three snelled #10 with short leaders
  • two Pb split shot weights

Here's is a close up image.
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This shows it all packed up with room to spare :dblthumb:
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The smaller airgun pellet or tobacco tins would probably also work...just clean out the pellet tins really well, don't want to be ingesting lead if you use it to keep edible stuff in!


PMZ
 
Thanks guys :dblthumb: It's fun to do stuff like this - almost regardless of how useful the contents are in actual dire situations. Taking pics was just as fun. You sorta end up with a mini shadowbox display when the lid is open. It's a very personal thing. These things we put in little "man jewelry boxes" are, in many ways, like little charms and talismans which we compartmentalize on our persons only so that we may magically whip them out and suddenly be more protected when we perceive we are in danger. In many ways, it is the actual process of creating these kits in itslef which is probably what keeps one from danger - because we already thought "it" out two moves ahead in the chess game.

I do use the pellet tins too. I keep rimfire ammo in them also - stashed away here in there in my packs/bags. I'm like a squirrel preparing for winter when it comes to rimfire ammo :dblthumb:

PS. I almost forgot... S&W Model 17-8. It's just a rimfire.
 
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have you thought of using a Crosman 250 count pellet can? it's about the size of a dip can. i was able to fit short fero rod, wire saw, safety pins, water purify tablets, razor bades, tin foil, and 2 cotton swabs soaked in vaseline wraped up in tin foil.
 
thats a neat lil compass what brand is that?? where can you buy them?

I see them listed as "NATO SAS compass".

I like the tiny american surplus one more though. I recall reading here that Mr. Black swears by those also.

In my opinion, tiny button compasses should be air filled - no liquid - because the small length of the magnets in these things don't need the extra viscous drag of any damping liquid which is not to my liking in how it affects the time response in their sensitivity. When you have something like that in a little tin compartment like I have done, it pretty much pegs in one diection and is locked there (and thus safe from bouncing around) because it is attracted to the container.

I was actually going to see if I could just magnetize the tin lid itself and making a tiny divot at it's center of mass/balance point, marking the lid re: magnetic north, and then just use that as an impromptu compass by balancing it on the tip of a sharpened twig or floating it on a leaf, etc.

From what I have read, the British did this same treatment to actual buttons on their clothing in WW2.
 
PS. I almost forgot... S&W Model 17-8. It's just a rimfire.

Me likey...I am a big fan of S&W pistols. I have a small fishing kit I put together out of the Altoids Smalls tins. 5 egg sinkers, and 10 2/0 hooks hanging from a safety pin to keep them exploding out of the tin. I carry it when I'm catfishing at the local city park, or small stream.
 
re the NATO compass, I find mine is smaller than any of the plastic ones and agree with alukban that they are much better air filled. I have had several liquid filled mini compasses
that developed air bubbles that affected the rose. Plus the NATO one is over 20 years old and still going strong.
Great idea about the tin, I have a Vaseline tin about to be filled thanks to this thread.
Cheers, Riven.
 
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