First of all I'd suggest a painter bow and stern. ALWAYS use one if not both. Always tying to a rock or a tree seems easier and wiser than an on person ditch kit. Never neglect your only sure ride home.

I always have a small knife, a lighter and cigarettes on me and can whistle rather loudly with my fingers. If I wanted to add something to that, I'd add an orange/silver space blanket. It adds comfort and signaling potential plus it's light. A compass might be useful if you also had a map in your head.

Over the years I have split up my "oh now what" items to various places. A painter is often in my lap or tied to me before I'll don the PFD that holds more serious emergency stuff like the space blanket. Add yes mom, my phone number is written inside.

That canoe is THE most important item yet I don't go anywhere in it without the day-food pack, day-pack, fishing gear.... On pre-season trips, there's a bivy sack in the day-pack too. To me, in BW/Q, the challenge is to be as comfortable as possible at all times. It takes a certain amount of stuff to accomplish that. I'd suggest putting more emphasis on how to avoid needing the Altoid ditch kit whatever is in there.

Hmmmm. One of the things I'd personally like to cut the size of is my FA kit. I've stopped carrying it in the day-pack only recently. I've just never used it and it's not like it's going to save my life or anything. An Altoid tin would be more fitting for that. Hmmmmm. Thanks DD!