This is my entry for the Lonely Planet Travel Tips Contest.

This is the Oh S..t Kit, or the "I have old Game Boy cartridge cases lying around, I think they can hold things" Kit.

My wife and I went on a two month backpacking trip around Europe, and having to live out of our bags was going to be a challenge. We were thinking about ways to compress all of our stuff without sacrificing items, and we were left with a few odds and ends that we thought would be helpful, they just had no place to go. Enter my Nintendo addiction.
 
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Step 1: Find a Game Boy cartridge case.

Remember those cheap clear cases that used to come with original Game Boy games? The useless and damn-near-impossible-to-open ones that hardly anyone used? Go get one.

You can find these for silly cheap on eBay if you must, or you can just go rough up some kids at a garage sale and get them for even less. Ask at your local EB or GameStop too, most places that take take original Game Boy games in on trade (if they still do, that is) don't want the cases.

Alternatively, you can make smaller versions of this using a Game Boy Advance cartridge case, but that is too small for most things I'm putting in here.
davethescubarock says: Jun 18, 2008. 10:07 AM
ahha!
a box for us people who cant find where the devil you buy Altoids from!!
nice instructable =]!
history323 in reply to davethescubarockAug 18, 2009. 4:53 PM
hmmm seems kind of extreme for mints but maby amazon grocery has them??
Bicyclette in reply to davethescubarockJul 7, 2008. 8:22 AM
Damn! You can't get Altoids? Were do you live?
davethescubarock in reply to BicycletteAug 16, 2008. 5:33 AM
Englandddd!! im sure you can get them in loads of shops really but ive never managed to find them lol
thefallenhero in reply to davethescubarockOct 16, 2010. 11:55 AM
Morrisons.
red-king in reply to davethescubarockOct 18, 2009. 12:18 PM
 aren't altoids made in Britian?

yep.... just checked the wikipedia article... they are, but they're less popular there apparently.


chicks dig me in reply to davethescubarockJul 28, 2009. 12:54 PM
bummer. i love altoids tins. there great rof holdin wut ever.
aiden120000 in reply to davethescubarockJun 15, 2009. 2:07 PM
M&S sell extra strong mints in similar tins
Derin in reply to davethescubarockDec 11, 2008. 8:07 AM
If you can get First brand gum,then look for Neogum.
paulocr in reply to BicycletteJul 17, 2008. 4:09 PM
What are 'Altoids'?
Bicyclette in reply to paulocrJul 17, 2008. 7:40 PM
They are mints. Very strong ones at that. They come in 3 by 1 inch aluminum tins that can be handy for various things.
Firebert010 in reply to BicycletteJul 19, 2008. 6:46 PM
The tins are three inches by two inches. Altoids minis come in three-inch by one-inch tins.
gamemasterful in reply to Firebert010Aug 17, 2008. 12:06 AM
I dunno, if we're going to get all technical, that's still a rectangle, not a 3-D object.
Add some depth.
spectral08 says: May 2, 2009. 6:51 AM
Great kit! You should also consider adding fishing line (possibly in lieu of a guitar string). It is extremely versatile and doesn't take up much space or weight if you just cut a foot or two; it's also fairly inexpensive. If you're outdoors, you could also consider iodine tablets or other potable water aids. Another item to toss in is a small square of foil, particularly useful for signaling if you get lost. Just a few things to consider, but otherwise nice kit.
d2j5 says: Mar 17, 2009. 2:30 PM
great instructable name lol the oh sh..t kit.
JamesRPatrick says: Aug 28, 2008. 6:44 PM
Wait. You're married, and gameboys came out tenish years ago; you are addicted.
AznPanda in reply to JamesRPatrickOct 26, 2008. 9:39 PM
Thats rude :O
JamesRPatrick in reply to AznPandaOct 26, 2008. 10:10 PM
That's Sparta.
AznPanda in reply to JamesRPatrickOct 27, 2008. 4:52 PM
Uhh?
zosobaggins (author) in reply to JamesRPatrickAug 28, 2008. 8:26 PM
? I'm 24, if that makes a difference. Oh well, I guess I am addicted (just bought Wario Land 3 for the Game Boy Colour...so excellent!).
JamesRPatrick says: Aug 28, 2008. 6:44 PM
Nice instructable, and I dig the title.
Grey_Wolfe says: Aug 27, 2008. 11:20 PM
Good use of space and materials.
Grey_Wolfe says: Aug 27, 2008. 11:17 PM
Ahhh, the good ol' days. lol
puffyfluff says: Jul 19, 2008. 9:14 AM
Very useful. Everything fits perfectly!
zosobaggins (author) says: Jul 14, 2008. 6:08 PM
Thanks for the good words everyone, and thanks to everyone who has voted :) I've been asked before why I don't just use an Altoids tin for this like everyone else. My reasons are pretty simple: the tins are too big (for what I needed), they're a bit more flimsy, and, well, I don't like Altoids! Plus they're like $3/tin or so here, I'll just get a pack of gum for a third of that.
Cheeseitman says: Jul 14, 2008. 10:24 AM
Love It! Awesome idea!
Aburame Shino says: Jul 6, 2008. 12:11 PM
Now to invent one that is smaller, but holds more essential things, like my 360 and all it's games. I'm saying this because we just got back from camping, we enter the house, and boom. We just found out we got robbed. My 360, every game, and more was taken. D: I'm staying elsewhere now, but it still sucks.
robots199 says: Jun 30, 2008. 6:45 AM
Those gameboy cases are huge! My game case that came with guitar hero on tour for the DS had such a small game case that held the game. Long live the Gameboy. :)
theknight says: Jun 27, 2008. 1:06 PM
Great Instructable, I'm of to tour Africa for a month so this will be perfect! 5*s!
emuman4evr says: Jun 17, 2008. 7:07 AM
Those cases were relatively easy to open, you just had to press the button the right way and it instantly popped open.
zosobaggins (author) in reply to emuman4evrJun 17, 2008. 7:36 AM
Most of them were easy to open, but I remember once in a while having one that was just bloody impossible to crack. Usually it was because the game was in upside down or backwards (making the button impossible to press), but that would have been my own fault.
jgodsey says: Jun 16, 2008. 6:56 PM
i like how you are thinking beyond the usual suspects for kit contents. guitar pick, cheapo tool, eyeglass repair, USB stick...all brilliant additions. thanks
joejoerowley says: Jun 16, 2008. 5:36 PM
Nice! I like the use of the transparent case!
bumpus says: Jun 16, 2008. 2:38 PM
Its refreshing to see a Title that's different than most ibles like this
Labot2001 says: Jun 16, 2008. 1:56 PM
Looks like the Altoids survival kits have a worthy opponent. Very nice.
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