You can’t have too many survival kits. The biggest problem when building your survival kit is that you want to much stuff to fit into a too-small container.
This is where the pill bottle survival kit comes into play. this small container is ideal for an everyday carry kit.
These containers fit into any purse, bag or jacket and can contain many different survival items and are easy to make.
Contents of your pill bottle survival kit
You can put anything you want in your survival kit as long as it fits damaging none of the other components. Obviously, the bigger your pill bottle, the more stuff you can put in your survival kit. While it’s not a full-fledged bug-out bag, what you put in your pill bottle can help you in a dire emergency. Remember, knowledge is your ultimate survival tool – everything else is just helpful!
Here’s what’s in my pill bottle survival kit:
- Pill Bottle – I wrapped my pill bottle with 550 paracord. Believe it or not, that’s actually 10′ of cord! I also hooked a figure 8 key ring on the bottle so I can hook it to a carabiner on my bug-out bag. You could also put something like this on the bottle to serve the same purpose, though. Also, the lid is deep enough that I can epoxy a mini button compass in it.
- Matches – I sealed 2 matches and the striker surface from a match book inside a drinking straw to keep them waterproof.
- Birthday Candles – Once you light your match or lighter, you can use the birthday candle to hold the flame so you can get your fire lit. Dripping the wax onto the kindling will help it burn a little longer, too.
- Fire Straws – I made these fire starter straws with cotton and petroleum jelly. Simply cut the straw open, fluff up the cotton a bit, and a spark will set it ablaze.
- Button – Of course if your pants lose a button, you’ve got a replacement!
- Mini Red Finger Flashlight – Super bright red led gives you enough light to see in your general area without giving away your position if you’re worried about OpSec. I’m not totally sure where this little flashlight came from, but I think my kids got some and they gave me this one. It’s perfect for the pill bottle survival kit!
- Index Card – You can use an index card to help get a fire started, write a note on it, make a map, or tear it into pieces, attach the pieces to a tree at eye level to mark a trail so you don’t get lost.
- Safety Pins – Use to hold clothing together, hold a poncho or other material together to make a tent, or use as a makeshift fishing hook.
- Dental Floss – About 20′ of unscented dental floss that can be used for fishing line or to sew up torn clothes. Of course, you could always use it to floss your teeth – no reason not to practice a little hygiene while you’re surviving.
- Neosporin Straws – Seal some Neosporin into some bits of straw so you always have some for minor wounds.
- Tweezers – Good to get splinters out and assist with other small tasks.
- Ibuprofen – A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, ibuprofen is always good to have on hand to help lessen pain, relieve fever and reduce inflammation.
- Allergy Medication – In case you have an allergic reaction to a sting or bite, or to a plant, it’s good to have an antihistamine on hand. Not only will they help reduce your reaction, they could actually save your life! What more could you ask for from a “survival kit”?
- Cotton Balls – You can use these cotton balls as either a blood clotting agent, or as tinder for starting a fire (like with the fire straws, only without the petroleum jelly).
- Alcohol Wipes – Use for wound cleaning or needle sterilization if emergency stitches are needed. You can also use alcohol wipes for fire starting tinder.
- Band-Aids – Use for covering minor wounds.
- Money – You can put whatever denomination of money in here that you want, but I only keep a couple of bucks. I would hate to lose my survival kit with a $20 in it.
- Aluminum Foil – My piece measures about 12.5″x18″. Aluminum foil can be formed into a makeshift container to catch and hold water (as long as you press it tightly so there are no leaks). You can also use it as a wind break for your fire (which will actually double as a heat reflector).
Check out survivalathome.com for more survival kit ideas
