Urban Traveler Survival Tin

I've been looking for an instructable for a Travelers Kit, all I found were instructables on "Wilderness Survival Tins". Well not all of us goes to the wilderness like me, I travel a lot for business. So I put together an "Urban Traveler Survival Tin" of some of the most common stuff that I might use when I'm out of town, small stuff that are really simple but when you are faced with a situation that you kinda need something and you don't have that small "thing" it's reall irritating. So I put together my first instructable.

Hope it helps fellow urban travelers out there.

My Urban Traveler's Survival Tin is basically
1. the Swiss+Tech Tin came with my Utilikey
2. T1 Business Card by Tool Logic
3. A Paracord Bracelet, made from 9 feet 550 Paracord
4. A Paracord Keychain made from 3 feet 550 Paracord
5. A waterproof Solitaire Flashlight by Maglight
6. A 8-in-1 Utilikey by Swiss-Tech
7. A pair of Nail Clippers

Step 1: Inside the Tin

Inside the Swiss+Tech Tin (I just removed the foam inside) are the following:
1. Paracetamol for fevers
2. Ibuprofen for pain relief
3. Amoxicillin for pain relief
4. Carbocisteine for cough (I already used them)

I cut the foil really close to the capsule to save space

5. Bandage Strips (used to be 5 of them)
6. Bottle of Betadine (Iodine for wounds)
7. Zipties (great for locking you luggage in airports, instead of using padlocks)
8. Large Safety Pins (great for repairing large tears in jeans or bags)
9. Cuetips (I heat-sealed them in plastic to keep them clean)
10. Loose cotton (also heat-sealed in plastic)
11. A small sewing kit I swiped from one of the hotels I stayed in
12. Microporous Tape
13. 2 x 2 Gauze Bandages (not here, used them for a buddy who tore his arm in the airport)

I taped two razor blades for precision cutting, on the inside of the cover tin

I also added a small Silica Gel packet to keep moisture out (you can get them from old medicine bottles or sometimes inside new shoes that you buy)

Comments

[dr_insane]

Anyone know a cheap alternative/ item similar to the Utilikey? Something like that could be very useful, but 10 quid is a bit much for it.

[gfxm]

Lifehacker suggests handy people could build one out of an old key... http://lifehacker.com/5901312/turn-a-key-into-a-10+in+1-tool

[Hippymike96]

There are two things that I would add (there in all of my survival kits). 1-Duct tape the good kind not the cheap kind and 2- fishing line. Yes, fishing line. Its great because you could use it to tie things together, and you could tie it to two ends of a biulding and put a tarp over it to make a make ship tent. Also there could be a deep puddle and you could fish. Hahaha.

[pdc4770]

Amoxicillin isn't a painkiller, it's an antibiotic. Use responsibly to prevent bacteria becoming resistant to antibioics. Pack soluble aspirin then use it dissolved in water as a painkiller for sore throats or mild toothache. Pack Imodium or Loperamide for diarrhoea.

[bettbee]

Thanks for pointing this out, if you hadn't I was going to.

I'll add that using it responsibly means getting a prescription for a specific infection, and FINISHING THE ENTIRE PRESCRIPTION. To fail to do so is to risk breeding antibiotic resistant microbes, and we all know we have enough of those in the world.

[frozenkamote]

Thanks, i'll update my kit with your tips :D

[Wazzupdoc]

If you don't have enough Amoxicillin for a full course of treatment, don't bring it at all. There is a huge risk of creating more disease-resistant bugs otherwise. If you must bring something "quick-and-dirty" as an antibiotic, ask your primary-care physician for a script. They won't mind, and you might help stave off a global pandemic of yet-to-be-known disease resistant bugs.

[DMOPC]

Great idea. I wouldn't recommend using a maglite for the flashlight, however. You can buy some LED lights that are actually smaller and brighter now...

Other than that I like what you have included in the kit!

[black hole]

Go for a small light that doesn't run on batteries; solar or hand crank. All you have to do is pull it out of your pocket anywhere with lighting and it'll charge. Hand crank lights are a little more bulky, but you don't need to rely on ambient light to keep your flashlight going.

[dll932]

Some dental floss along with a leather needle would help sew up rips in canvas, etc. I carry a tiny roll of duct tape and a couple micro tubes of super glue as well. You can really pack a lot of stuff in a tiny space with some thought.

I like the idea that one may need things other than those needed to survive in the wild-I rarely even am in a park! Http://www.countycomm.com has many useful things for this type of kit.

[Kikot]

can u tell me what's the paracord bracelet for? I really don't get it :D

[aseaheru]

tying things? think.

[Kikot]

tnx a lot guys

[frozenkamote]

I've used it a couple of times already, first, I was in the airport and the box I checked it burst at the seams, I unraveled the bracelet and used it to secure the box. Second, I ran out of clothes out of town, so I washed a shirt to get me through the day, unraveled the bracelet, tied a clothes hanger in one end, secured my shirt with the safety pins and I hung the whole thing outside my hotel window in the sun, just tied the other end on the curtain railing. Third, was traveling by land, we were rear ended and the bumper dislodged, took out the bracelet, unraveled it and tied the bumper back 'til we got to the city proper to get it fixed. Basically, it's 10 feet of 550 Paracord that you carry around whenever you need good string. Hope it helps

[sk8erdude]

i would guess it's so you can take it apart and have paracord to use to make shelter, or anything else you use paracord for :D

[strods]

Excellent kit. The only addition I would put in is a credit card wrapped in a few feet of duct tape. Especially in the urban world, it's very handy. Luggage latches, sealing boxes. Also, I've used it to temporarily replace the seam or rip in my slacks or shirt until I can get back to my office or hotel room to sew it properly. (tape on the inside of the outfit)

[Wazzupdoc]

It's probably most helpful to bring (1) Anti-diarrheal meds, and (2) glycerine suppositories for the opposite gastro-intestinal effects of travel. Long-distance travel often results in dehydration that is a prequel to constipation. Neither (1) nor (2) will make your trip pleasant (although memorable) so be prepared.

[frozenkamote]

Oh yeah, there was also a bunch of rubber bands wrapped around the tin, but kinda used them all @HarveyH44 - good thought, thanks for the tip, I'll put one in my tin right now.

[bruc33ef]

Very good kit but I'd worry that the TSA would confiscate it at the airport to add to their collection of "terrorist implements" before you ever got out of town.

[frozenkamote]

hello bruc33ef, thanks for your insight, I've actually travelled all over Asia and the Philippines with this inside my baggage, the keychain clipped on my belt and me wearing the bracelet, never had a problem with it. I was stopped and asked to open the tin once in Malaysia, they went through it and let me pass, that's it

[HarveyH44]

Pretty good, definitely more practical than most of the 'Wilderness' survival tins posted here. One item missing, and has several uses, other than the obvious... Condoms. Never know when the need rises, and sometimes hard to find. Makes for a quick rain jacket, for stuff you really can't afford to get wet...

[frozenkamote]

Also with the carabiner on the other end, you can use the Maglite as an overhead light by clipping it to something, used it once in the bathroom when the light went out. Just clipped it on one of the shower clips and viola! instant lightbulb.

[bombmaker2]

Cool idea. Too bad I'm allergic to amoxicillin.

[Aaronius]

Nice kit. I especially like the idea of the paracord bracelet as part of a survival kit. Makes good sense!