Micro 10 C's Kit Version 2.0

So roughly a year has passed since I have made a major overhaul to my micro 10 C's Kit, so I thought I would take it out and make a few changes based on all of the testing I have done over the past year! Before anyone makes the comment.... "Why no Bic Lighter" Short answer I'm better at making fire with a ferro rod (watch my video using wetfire tinder i can barley get the thing to light with a Bic and get it to go with 2 scrapes of a ferro rod). I carry a Bic in my pocket fire kit (LINK- HERE) but haven't used one to  light a fire in the last year other than for a couple videos. You will probably notice I got rid of most of the "gadget" type stuff and went more traditional in my kit. Below I will put my new and old kit video overviews for your comparison, followed how the kit meets each of the 10 C's. 

Don't Miss These Other Micro 10 C's Kit Items In Action: Don't Miss the other Micro 10 C's Testing Posts:  (Pocket 10 C's Kit; Gorilla Tape Tinder Bundle-LINK; Gorilla Tape Container- LINK; Gorilla Tape Cordage-LINK; Produce Water Bag- LINK; Micro 10 C's Testing: Wire Saw- LINK; Mylar Space Blanet Testing- LINK; Lighting a Candle With a Fero Rod-LINK; 4x Fresnel Magnifier-LINK;
Improvised Container-LINK

New Kit Video Overview: 

Old  Micro 10 C's Kit:  

Need A PSK? Buy One Here:

Cutting Tool:

I disliked my cutting tool options in the original kit and have been looking for a multipurpose cutting tool that would fit in an Altoids tin ever since.  I recently picked up the striker knife that is on the top of the picture (and is featured in the video below) to act as a fixed blade knife, ferro rod scrapper and flint/steel fire starter. I believe this addition to the kit increases the kit 100x in efficiency as a cutting tool is what you need the most for long-term survival. Below the knife you will see a hunk of flint which can be napped into a sharp point, a wire saw (see me use it as a bow saw here- LINK) and a sterile scalpel. While its not as good as having a 4"+ fixed blade knife it's better than nothing and i have a fixed blade knife on me nearly 90% of the time. I did highly consider the CRKT Minimalist for this function but thought a striker knife was a better fit as it is more multipurpose and bomb proof.

Below is a video of the striker knife being used to get an ember in char cloth using flint/steel

Container:

You can never have a good enough container in a pocket tin, its just not possible to stuff a 32oz SS water bottle into an Altoids tin..... If you could I would in a heart beat! That said I go heavy on Aluminum foil (I'm actually down one piece from a recent trip) to make containers for boiling water if needed (see testing of this method here- LINK) as I don't believe that the minimal amount of water you get from boiling in the tin is worth while. I also have gorilla tape for making containers (See how here- LINK) and a produce bag which you can boil in or make a water filter (see the testing here-LINK) The clear plastic bag also offers the advantage of water collection through a few other mediums that harness the power of nature and the sun.

Cordage:

I also went cordage heavy as I would rather have more than less and ripping up roots is just a pain. Cordage wise I put in 4' of jute twine, 150' of spiderwire, 50' of mono-filament line, 12' snare wire, 15' bank line and gorilla tape (see how I make it into cordage here- LINK).

 

Combustion:

Combustion is another area I went heavy on as fire is your friend. Yes I know, no Bic lighter. So what did I add: One hunk of Fat Wood (How To Make A Fatwood Fire- LINK); 4' of Jute Twine (How to Make a Jute Twine Tinder Bundle- LINK); Survival Resources 4X Fresnel Magnifier (See how to make a magnification fire here- LINK); Swatch of 100% Cotton material for making char cloth (Learn how to make it here- LINK); One piece of flint to make a flint/steel fire; one ferro rod, ferro rod/magnesium bar and two tinder quick fire starters.

Cover: Aluminum Blanket

I kept my cover element the same and stayed with the small space blanket that has been used on multiple outings (see my testing of this product here- LINK).

Candle

So here is the one element I quasi left out. If needed I would gather pine pitch to make a torch like the one pictured below.

Cotton:

I would love to have a full bandanna in the kit but space didn't permit so I made a swatch big enough to use as a filter or as char cloth.

Compass:

A button compass and two magnetized needles seem to serve me well as far as pocket kit go and seem at least be reliable for generalized direction (all you would generally need when operating without a map).

Cargo Tape: 

This stuff is good for everything and I can make may of the elements of my kit from Gorilla Tape- cordage, container, f/a, sleep system, fix gear, fishing lures, etc. 

Canvass Needle:

I have two magnetized needles of the large and small variety to accomplishing a variety of gear maintenance, F/A and navigation.

Assorted: 

The majority of my assorted equipment is now made up of fishing supplies (jigs, eagle claw single hooks, treble hooks, and split shots) along with a few safety pins. I also keep my Radiation detector patch on the interior of this kit for wearing on major incidents with the fire department.

 

Conclusions:

I really like the latest changes to this backup kit and believe its a better fit to my survival skills, methods and general practices in the woods. I took out all of the little gadgets that didn't seem to get used and replaced them with a better knife, more cordage and was able to move the cotton and gorilla tape into the actual tin. While I would want a better knife and preferably my head lamp, grabber tarp and bacho laplander this kit would easily get me by for quite awhile without too many major issues. The addition of the cordage and striker knife are my favorite new aspects of the kit. While I wish could have found a way to integrate a Bic lighter into the kit, I take solace in the fact that I haven't started a fire in the last year with a lighter (other than two tests for YouTube videos), every fire for the most part has been started with my neck knife ferro rod. 

Have something outdoor/bushcraft/trapping/preparedness/hiking/camping/fishing/hunting related you want me to make a post about? Leave me a comment and I will see what I can do! As always feel free to leave your questions and comment below! Also if you enjoy the blog please vote for us on the following websites to help us reach a wider audience:

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