BCB Military Survival Tin Review

[CanadianMike]

I'm still baffled by the laws over there......... should see the number of knives on my person and in my truck! Lol

[Marvell]

I'll add to the tin review to get us back on track.

Born from a military concept of "the kit and your knife is all you have left when you ditch your bergen and webbing when you run away", the unit has to be small and light enough that you'll carry it on your person comfortably (rather than in your bag) and large enough that it might contain all the useful kit you might need. This is very similar to the "possibles pouch" which neatly contains all of the kit you would carry around the woods or some gathering, giving you the opportunity to perform general tasks without having to grab something from your sack.

I find the BCB and other "tobacco tin" survival kits of a suitable size to be carried in a jacket pocket, thigh pocket, or in some old first aid or camera case on the belt. Contrastly, the larger Web-tex one is a bit big and not so robust; nor can it be used to boil water, for instance.

Again, similar to the possibles pouch, the survival tin is supplemented with other carried items such as a knife, steel, compass, whistle and first aid kit, which I tend to keep on me at all time I am hiking, camping, teaching or bushcraft socialising. To this end, it can contain smaller version of these items, which though useful, are not as good as the real thing.

The off the shelf survival kit should be seen as a starting point, to be updated and added to depending on your whim and the environment you are travelling to. Some things can't be sold with the kit, such as pain killers or other medicine you might take regularly. Some things you might like to add, such as a survival straw, heliograph, water bag, tinder card, or cotton wool, which also stops it rattling. Some people update the tin by replacing the electrical tape with duck tape, some wrap it with paracord. I've replaced the knife in the my BCB with the Web-tex knife, which is a slimmer, generally better knife; I've seen some with a mini Opinel blade. If off to the jungle, you might want to put a broad spectrum anti-biotic in it and some anti-malarial tablets.

Of course, there is the general debate about the need for such things, but having on in the car or one in my (hold) luggage on a plane or even a "non-sharp" version in hand luggage (please call your operator for confirmation), makes me feel confident that I have some useful kit should the proverbial hit the proverbial.

I don't tend to take them to bushcraft meets, but I do if I'm wild camping in the middle of Wales. I don't take one on the train, but I do take one on a plane.

Survival kits are, like first aid kits and flares, the sort of thing you carry around and never use, but can be life savers in situations where you needs their contents. It's all well and good knowing you can make a compass from a needle, fishing hooks from bones, cordage from nettles and a whistle from a reed, but how useful would it be just to not have to bother when you've got more important things to think about, like icy wind, water treatment and hungry children?

[jus_young]

That just about sums it up

[JEEP]

Quite so

[Martin]

Reading this brought this to mind:



Martin

[Silverback]

Reading this brought this to mind:Martin

or more appropriately.....this

[Martin]

Stop that! It's silly!!!

Martin

[paulthefish2009]

Well put Steve. Paul

[David_JAFO]

hello,
I came across this old chestnut had a read. I noted Since Lofty Wiseman's SAS survival guide popularised the Survival Tin there have been many pre-packaged variants on the market of varying usefulness and quality.. it was Eddie McGhee Para/SAS first 'then' Lofty Wiseman. Origins of the survival tin MI9 Escape & Evasion. SAS the original survival tin came about as the troopers carried tobacco tins 'smokes' & started to place items of use within such to keep the items dry. Used in SAS Selection to determine if the volunteer selection candidate could survive with the bare essentials contained within a tobacco tin the rest scavenged off the land. BCB were/are advised by Ex-SAS. During my service we were set a challenge to fill a tobacco tin with as many useful items, both with the US Rangers we came up with 49 items that were placed neatly into the tin removed & repacked time & again with a tight closing lid & sealed with inner tyre rubber tubing & extra Ranger bands. I still like placing together a tin & contents with the latest items. To think originally the E&E tin came only with matches, a wire saw, pencil, waterproof sheet of paper, E&E silk map, a razor blade, button compass, sail makers needle & thread, fish hooks & line, a cork, water purification tabs, & a condom. Later a few 10p pieces for emergency telephone call use.
Regards
David