A black hard case about the size of a small book, holding seven small tools you would otherwise scatter across a junk drawer, a glovebox and the bottom of a pack. A flashlight, a fire starter, a compass, a whistle, a multi-tool, a pen with a glass-breaker tip and a keychain light all lie together in the padded case. One latch closes on the lot.
No digging for a lighter that has run dry. No phone flashlight eating the battery you wanted for the map. Pick up one case and the small stuff comes with you.
The small things are the ones that get left behind
Most trips go wrong in small ways. The flashlight is in the other bag, the whistle is on last year's jacket, and the compass is somewhere in the garage. A kit fixes that by giving every piece a place in one case, so packing becomes one decision instead of eight.
A soft padded lining in the lid and the base keeps the tools from rattling, and with the lid open you can see at a glance that nothing is missing. A single latch closes the front, and a small loop at one corner takes a cord if you want to tie it to something. Keep it in the top pocket of a daypack, under the seat of the truck or in a drawer by the back door.
Light, fire, direction and a signal, all in one place
The flashlight has a zoom head you slide to go from a wide pool of light to a tighter beam, and a switch in the tail steps through high, low and strobe. It runs on one AA battery or a 14500 rechargeable, which you supply. The keychain light is the backup, small enough to live on your keys, and it comes with its batteries already in. Squeeze it for a quick look inside a tent pocket, or switch it on and leave it.
The fire starter is a 5/16 inch ferrocerium rod set in a ridged grip handle, with a flat steel striker on a cord. Scrape the striker down the rod and it throws sparks into dry tinder. Unlike a lighter, it has no fuel to run out. The compass sits on a clear baseplate with ruler scales in centimeters and inches along its edges, so you can lay it on a map and measure a route as well as take a bearing. The whistle is a twin-chamber aluminum design with no pea inside to stick, and at 11 grams on its key ring you will forget it is there until you need it.
Two pieces you will use long before any emergency
The multi-tool is a flat plate of black stainless steel, 2.8 by 1.8 inches. It carries a bottle opener, a can opener, wrench slots, a screwdriver tip, a ruler, a direction finder and a short row of saw teeth for cord and zip ties. It slips into a wallet as easily as it sits in the case.
The pen writes like any other pen and takes standard refills, so it earns its place on an ordinary day. The other end carries a hard carbide tip made for breaking glass, the kind of thing you hope stays in the glovebox and are glad of if a car window ever has to come out from the inside.
Pack it once, and the light, the spark and the bearing are already there on the evening you need them.
Specifications
Type: Everyday carry survival kit, 8 pieces
Case: Black ABS plastic hard case with a padded lining, front locking latch and tie loop
Case size: About the size of a small book
Flashlight: Black, zoom head, tail switch
Flashlight modes: High, low and strobe
Flashlight battery: 1x AA or 1x 14500 rechargeable (not included)
Pen: Carbide glass-breaker tip, diamond-pattern grip, pocket clip, takes standard refills
Multi-tool: Flat, black stainless steel
Multi-tool dimensions: 2.8 x 1.8 in (7 x 4.5 cm)
Multi-tool functions: Can opener, screwdriver tip, ruler, bottle opener, butterfly wrench, 4-position wrench, 2-position wrench, saw teeth, direction finder, lanyard hole
Whistle: Aluminum alloy, dual chamber, pealess, 0.4 oz (11 g), on a split key ring
Fire starter: 5/16 in (8 mm) ferrocerium rod in a grip handle, with a steel striker on a cord
Compass: Clear baseplate, dual scale in centimeters and inches, fixed declination scale, jewel bearing, neck cord
Keychain light: LED, 2 modes (on/off switch and squeeze), batteries installed
Color: Black, with a silver whistle
Package Includes
1x Hard Carry Case
1x Flashlight
1x Pen with Glass-Breaker Tip
1x Multi-Tool
1x Whistle
1x Ferrocerium Rod with Striker
1x Compass with Neck Cord
1x Keychain LED Light