Reader Reviews

Rating: 5 / 5

After years of assembling my own survival kits and trying out commercial kits, I found the pocket kit from adventure Medical to be the highest quality, most complete, and most compact of the small, "carry it with you all ways" kits. It is especially suitable to light weight backpacking and hiking. Weight is just under 4 oz. and cost is about $30.



There is nothing cheap about the components in the pack. The firestarter is the Spark-Lite probably the best there is. It can be operated with one hand, is tiny, and reliably produces sparks that will light the included tinder.

The whistle is not as loud as a large Storm whistle, but is one of the loudest of the compacts. The signal mirror is a quality Flash mirror designed for signaling, not a cheap piece of shiny metal.

The button compass is decent and usable and about as good quality as you can expect for the small size. It is liquid filled so it stabilizes quickly, unlike some cheaper alternatives that bounce around for a couple of minutes. I have not found any better compass at the same size, but have seen plenty of cheaper ones in other kits.

A small roll of duct tape is highly useful for patching equipment, could be used for medical tape, or a multitude of other uses. Few other kits include this item.

Complete list of Items:
------------------------
Fox Rescue Howler whistle
Rescue Flash Signal Mirror
20 mm Survival Compass (liquid filled)
Spark-lite Fire Starter
Tinder-Quick
Waterproof Survival Instructions
Duct Tape
Scalpel Blade
Stainless Steel Utility Wire
Fresnel Lens Magnifier
Heavy Duty Nylon Thread
Braided Nylon Cord 150# test, 10' ft
Fish Hooks
Heavy Duty Sewing Needle
Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil
Safety Pins
Pencil
Waterproof Note Paper

This is a lot of stuff. The foil is great as a base for a making a fire in damp conditions, or it can be formed into a cup, windscreen or reflector. The wire can be used for making equipment repairs or snares to capture small game. The magnifier can be used to assist when using the needle and thread, reading maps, or even to start a fire from sunlight.

The entire packet is enclosed in a heavy duty vinyl zip pouch which easily fits into most any shirt or pants pocket. It also allows adding or changing items easily.

For hiking I carry this in one of my pants pocket, and add just a few more items in my pack for survival purposes:
- 25 ft. Spectra cord (or similar) for larger tasks
- mylar emergency blanket
- Photon LED light (added in pouch)

Edited by jbryant on 09/12/2008 15:26:50 MDT.

Rating: 5 / 5

I agree that this is a great kit, even though I don't own one. I went the longer and more expensive route of acquiring all the components to assemble my own kits before I learned of the Ritter kit. This would have saved me time and money for sure.

All the components of this kit are top quality items that you will actually need and use. Besides adding the Photon light and rescue blanket already mentioned, I would think it wise to add a few foil wrapped Micropur tablets and perhaps a few smaller hooks or fishing flies suitable for your area.

The main idea behind a pocket-sized kit like this is to keep it small so that you will actually have it with you when you need it, instead of leaving it behind because it's too bulky or heavy. Anyone who might have to spend an unexpected night in the woods will be mighty glad if he has this kit with him. I think this is a no-brainer. If you don't have a kit like this, buy it now before your next hike. You might be glad you did!

Michael