Survival Supply Keychain

Intro: Survival Supply Keychain

This is a simple key chain with a few supplies wrapped up in a small para chord key chain. The supplies could be used in a pinch when camping or hiking, although you hope you never need to! It contains a few feet of rope, a small knife, fishing line, fishing hook, and a  strike anywhere match.

STEP 1: Supplies

For this project you will need:
small pocket knife (I used a small swiss army knife that contains a small knife, scissors, file, tweezers and toothpick)
Fishing Line (I used about 10 feet)
Fishing Hook
Strike anywhere match
Sandwich Bag (not shown in photo)
Rope of your choice (Depending on the size of the knife you use length will vary. I used about 15ft, but had a lot of excess. about 6 ft would have been fine.)
Key Ring (not shown)

2nd knife or scissors (for trimming excess rope)
Lighter (to burn rope ends)

STEP 2: Step 1

Begin by cutting the corner out of the ziplock bag so that the match fits inside and can be wrapped up. This will help keep the match dry. Tie the fishing line to the fishing hook.

STEP 3: Step 2

Place the match wrapped in the plastic and the hook on the knife, and tightly wrap them both to the knife with the fishing line tied to the hook. The hook will act as an anchor. once wrapped tuck the end away so that the line does not come undone. I tucked the end of my line between the match and knife.

STEP 4: Step 3

Cut your rope to the desired length, I cut mine to about 15ft, and use the lighter to burn the ends so that they do not unravel.

Find the center of your rope by folding it in half. take the center and insert it through the small keyring on the knife. Then feed the loose ends through the loop of rope just created. Pull the loose ends until the knot is tight.

STEP 5: Step 4

If you have ever tied a para chord bracelet, than this step shouldn't be to hard. The same knot is used except the knife is now used as the center instead of rope.

Choose a front and back of your key chain, then choose an end of rope to be the front piece and an end to be the back piece. The first few knots are a little awkward to get started.

Hold the back rope to the back so that a loop forms. Feed the front rope through the loop. pull the front rope through, but leave slack so that a loop is formed by the front rope on the opposite side. Feed the end of the back rope through this loop created by the front rope. Pull tight so that the knot stays on the knife.

Repeat this knot down the knife. be sure to keep the knots tight, and be careful not to undo the fishing line as the knots cross over.

STEP 6: Step 5

When you reach the bottom, loop back to for knots back up the knife on top of your previous knots.

This step could be repeated multiple times to get more rope on the key chain. I chose to stop after going back up.
Be sure to keep all your knots tight!

STEP 7: Step 6

Once you have finished knotting your rope, cut the excess off, and burn the ends. the burnt ends will hold if your knots are tight.

STEP 8:

Put the keyring on, and put it on your hiking/ camping pack!

Please vote for this in the out doors contest and the weekend project contest, and let me know what you think! Thanks!

Comments

[Dawesome1]

Awesome! I only had some matches and string but cool nonetheless! Maybe a pocket saw could fit in there.

[Captain MacTavish]

you have used paracord instead of rope, it has many uses.

[wilf]

Great project - but have you tried to board a plane with it?

[CSI worker]

nice

[poofrabbit]

Hey congratulations on being a finalist in the weekend projects contest! This was a really neat idea, I've seen a great deal of survival kits but this I believe is the first key chain I've seen. Well done and good luck!

[darman12]

Neat idea, thanks.

[reallyreally]

Nicely done! I think I'll share this with my Scouts.

[cdveltri]

Thanks! this would definitely be an easy and useful project for a meeting.

[steveofthenw]

Think I'll crank out a few of these to give to my brothers at Chrstmastime. Good idea & execution.

[cdveltri]

Good idea! I'm all about making gifts for family!

[wobbler]

I like it!

Having gone out without any cash last week, I'd also suggest adding a folded up banknote for when you get lost in the urban jungle.

[cdveltri]

haha one of these could be easily tailored for an urban jungle as well! thanks!

[koehlerrk]

Not bad... but might I make one little suggestion? Instead of wrapping the match in a plastic baggie, why not dip it in melted wax to make the match truly waterproof. You can scrape the wax off the end with your fingernail to light it, and the wax will help it burn a little bit longer, giving you an advantage in starting a fire.

[cdveltri]

If I were to keep using the match that is a better way of water proofing it, but the flint rod that multiple people have suggested seems easier to me. Thanks for your thoughts!

[ecardinal]

Very nice neat package, well documented. It would be interesting to have a bit more cord (maybe continue the tie like a lanyard a bit further?) but kudos nonetheless.

[cdveltri]

Thats not a bad idea. Its possible to double over your knots more times as well instead of just going down then back up. Thanks!

[hawgnutz]

Very nice. I will be including a magnesium/flint fire starter to mine. It is not that much bigger and will allow me to start a fire much more efficiently than ONE match!

[cdveltri]

The flint is a good idea, a couple people have suggested it to me now. This first one I made was just some supplies I had laying around to get the idea out there. Thanks for your input though!

[sideswipe2]

i would add more fish line since it only covers half the knife,and a fire starter kit ,small rod with scraper would not make much more weight

[cdveltri]

Yea more fishing line would not have been hard to fit. The next one I make I plan to learn from my mistakes and everyones comments. Thanks!