Mini Survival Kit

Hello everyone. This is my very first instructable. I'll do my best. This is for a small, basic, survival container. I still need to waterproof the lid seal and apply lacquer. I made this small container before I decided to do an instructable so I have no photos of the process but I plan on making a second one which I will be sure to include all steps in. This container is made to house items necessary for survival that need to remain dry and organized. The container holds 9.3oz or 266kg. Items you might store in it are matches and fire starters, medication, first aid supplies, fishing gear, mini flashlights, important documents (IDs, birth certificates, dog tags), money, water filter, and more. Lets get started on how I did this.

Step 1: Getting the Container

This was easy for me because I already had a Nesquik chocolate milk mix container. You can use just about any platic or metal container with a lid as long as the lid snuggly yet easily remains on the container without the need for tape to hold it on. Milk jugs and juice containers would work well as an 'already waterproof' container but can be hard to store items in due to the mouth size. Larger openings make your items more accessible in a survival situation. You dont want to be struggling and making noise just to get your matches out when youre freezing or needing to cook some food.

Step 2: Camouflage

In order to be a truly functional survival container in multiple ways I decided to paint it in a camouflage in case I decide to attach it to the outside of my bug out bag or bike. I went with a typical brown, dark green, light green style. I used acrylic paints because they are durable and dry quickly, and are readily available to me since I am an artist. I used one small, soft brush to apply the base colors (black then brown). To break up the remaining colors (dark green, light green, and white) more naturally I used a rough, large, fibrous brush to blot the paint. I chose this camo style based on my location just as you should as well. White camo wont work in a green forest and green camo wont work in the snow. Choose your camo style wisely based on the vegitation in the area you'll be in.

First paint the entire container black. Dont worry about covering is so you cant see the container beneath. Allow to dry. Use the brown paint next making sure to cover anything the black didnt. By now you shouldnt be able to recognize the colors of the original container. Be sure to get the bottom and the seem that will be covered by the lid. You dont want a random strip of yellow showing when you have the lid off. Painting the inside isnt necessary. I chose not to since acrylic paint may stick to certain items and come off of the container.

Next you will need to blot on the dark green paint in light, leaf sized, patters all over the container and lid being sure to leave plenty of black and brown showing. Now blot on some very light, sparce, patches of white strips. Too much white will draw eyes to the container therefore rendering the camo useless. Before the white paint dries blot the light green paint over it and also over much of the remaining black and brown. Be sure to overlap all of the color throughout. Make sure little to no white is visible. The white was mostly to add an even lighter layer of green to immitate sunlight on leaves and other vegitation.

Step 3: Finishing Touches

After your container has dried you are ready to stock it and label it if desired. I chose to label it with "Mini Survival Kit" and my first and last name on the lid. This is not a necessary step. The container is not currently 100% waterproof as the lid will allow water in since there is no waterproof seal. My next container instructable will include how to make a waterproof seal using hot glue, and I will also include how to add an exturnal handle to attach a clip for tethering it on a bug out bag.

Thanks for viewing my instructable. I hope this was easy to understand and follow and I hope you find it useful.