db wrote on Apr 10^th, 2011 at 6:01am:

I debated about the cotton balls, especially the container.  It takes a lot of space.  However, the cotton balls are in the kit for 2 reasons.  One is obvious due to its placement--fire starting.  However, there is a reason the cotton balls aren't already coated with petroleum jelly.  The second use is medical.  Could be a pad for a larger cut (with duct tape to hold it in place).  A bit swirled on the end of a twig would be a reasonable substitute for a cotton swab (e.g., for removing something from my eye... another reason to have a mirror along).

As my more current series of trips have moved away from "just after ice out" launches, the need for a ditch kit is somewhat less critical.  Yet, having gone for unintentional swims last season (which were more refreshing than life threatening), it occurred to me that you don't decide when such things happen ... they just happen.  So if a little preparation gets me out of a tough spot, so much the better.

I'll have to see about the folding rather than rolling the foil.  (I was thinking more about wind screen/cooking for this, but you are right about wet ground sucking the life right out of an otherwise healthy fire.)

Now on to improving my skills at constructing deadfall and other traps.  Might even have to try my hand at making a solar still as well...I'm not ALWAYS traveling by/on a lake.  Jimbo's near dehydration experience on the Irvine portages with nothing but swamp water about got my attention (especially since I've been known to drop 5 pounds in under 2 hours...all water...when out for a summer walk, despite throwing down a whole nalgene of liquid).

dd

BTW:  I tried one of those ring saws years ago.  Total crap.  It would be quicker for me to gnaw a limb off a tree.  I did upgrade once to one that used a length of something akin to a chain saw blade ... had handles like the pull to start your manual lawn mower.  Better, but bulky and not as good as a "real" saw.

I have a ring saw liked dd, but have had a completely different experience trying it
Maybe there's a difference in brands?
I cut a small green branch with it and used my neck knife to whittle a notch on each end and made a Bow Saw out of it.
Obviously it's not comparable to a true saw, but it was serviceable.
I've had mine for years, I believe I got it it from a military surplus place. It's stainless and maybe was a part of some pilot's survival kit?
Might be foreign made as well. I've seen one that look similar but the saw part was different.
Mine was cheap, so If you run across one for a few bucks it might be worth buying and trying out? You might find one that works out for you.

db wrote on Apr 14^th, 2011 at 4:15pm:

I'd love to find one with the same kinds of properties ... light weight (I'm trying a plastic one that is lighter than the roughly equivalent Pelican case), waterproof, and rounded corners (to keep from wearing holes in my PFD or fanny pack).  The idea of having a container that could double as a small cooking "pot" has definite appeal.  

I'll have to keep my eye out for one, unless someone knows of such a box with those kinds of dimensions.  Altoid tin is just a tad too small for my kit now.  Maybe an older fishing fly box (most seem to be plastic these days)?

dd

I found these French Military Aluminum boxes here:
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A little bigger than you wanted, and not waterproof, but since your a dedicated " tinker" dd, you probably could make something out them

I wonder how much it would cost to cut one down and have it welded back together?

Old film containers...They are metal, but not waterproof.