35 Survival Items That Fit in an Altoids Tin

Each item plays a crucial role in helping you navigate survival situations, from medical needs to practical, everyday survival challenges.

GEAR & TOOLS

10/9/20246 min read

35 (Total Count) Survival Items You Can Fit in an Altoids Tin

An Altoids tin is a small but mighty container, ideal for building a compact survival kit. Here’s a guide to fitting 33 essential survival and emergency items into this tiny tin. Each item plays a crucial role in helping you navigate survival situations, from medical needs to practical, everyday survival challenges.

Here are some larger items worth carrying in a go-bag:

31 items to keep in a go bag or bug out bag - article

And get-home bag:

104 things to keep in your get-home bag - planner (printable pdf)

An Unarmed Person's Intriguing Survival Tale: The Altoid Tin

If you have ever spent time overseas unarmed, you realize that the second your Merrells hit the ground you need to make some homemade weapons and self defensive plans and items. The only problem is sometimes you can't depending where you are the time you have. That is where an Altoid tin or something similar comes into play. Repurposing everyday items for survival, things that someone, even with a trained eye, can look and not think twice. Here is a tale of survival in a dark time of capture...

The sound of boots crunching on gravel echoed in the narrow alleyway. Jason Palmer pressed himself flat against the cold, damp bricks, his breath steady despite the storm of adrenaline raging through his veins. He reached into his jacket pocket and wrapped his fingers around the small, unassuming tin. To any casual observer, it was nothing more than an Altoids container, its familiar red-and-white label scuffed and worn. To Jason, it was the difference between life and death.

Three days earlier, Jason had been trailing a rogue faction deep into hostile territory. His mission was simple on paper but infinitely more dangerous in execution: intercept critical intel and get out alive. But the mission had gone sideways. Someone leaked and sold him out... Lucky to be alive, Jason found himself disarmed, bound, and thrown into the back of a truck, destination unknown. His captors were thorough, stripping him of his weapons, comms, and any obvious tools of survival. They hadn't given the Altoids tin a second glance.

The beauty of Jason’s preparation lay in its subtlety. Inside that inconspicuous tin was a microcosm of ingenuity: a compact survival kit he had painstakingly assembled over months of trial and error. The lid popped open with a faint metallic click, revealing a tiny, curated arsenal. A piece of flint and a steel striker nestled against a cotton ball coated in petroleum jelly—a firestarter compact enough to hide in the palm of his hand. Tucked beside it, a single-edge razor blade gleamed faintly in the dim light, sharp enough to cut through rope or fabric. A length of Kevlar thread, strong yet nearly invisible, was coiled neatly, paired with a sewing needle that doubled as a lockpick. Even a few tightly wrapped water purification tablets found their place, alongside a small compass no larger than a coin.

Jason's captors had underestimated him. They assumed their prisoner was helpless, reliant on technology or brute force to escape. As night fell over the remote compound where he was held, Jason proved them wrong. With practiced precision, he used the razor blade to slice through the plastic zip ties binding his wrists. The Kevlar thread and needle made short work of the flimsy lock on the cell door. Every movement was calculated, every second a step closer to freedom.

Once outside, Jason crouched low, blending into the shadows. The firestarter came into play next. He struck the flint against the steel, igniting the cotton ball in a controlled burst of flame. The small fire distracted the guards long enough for him to slip past their perimeter. The compass guided him north, toward the dense forest where he knew he could vanish.

Survival wasn’t just about tools; it was about mindset. Jason had prepared for this exact scenario, not because he expected it but because he understood the nature of the world he operated in. The Altoids tin wasn’t just a container; it was a lifeline, a testament to the principle that sometimes the most powerful weapons are the ones your enemy doesn’t see coming. And as he disappeared into the safety of the trees, Jason knew he’d live to fight another day, all thanks to an unassuming little box.

Medical and Hygiene Items

Alcohol Prep Pad
- Purpose: Essential for cleaning wounds, sterilizing surfaces, and even removing dirt from tools. Helps prevent infections when dealing with injuries.
- Emergency Use: Can be used to sterilize a needle or prepare skin before applying a bandage.
Triple Antibiotic Ointment (Neosporin Equivalent)
- Purpose: Prevents infection and promotes healing of minor cuts, scrapes, and burns.
- Emergency Use: Apply to wounds before bandaging to protect against bacteria and germs in the wild.
Heavy-Duty Bandaid
- Purpose: Protects wounds from dirt, bacteria, and further injury.
- Emergency Use: For larger cuts or blisters, offering extra durability and staying power even in tough conditions.
Allergy and Hay-Fever Packet (2 Tablets)
- Purpose: Offers fast relief from allergic reactions, hay fever, or bee stings.
- Emergency Use: If you're exposed to allergens like pollen or insect stings, this can be life-saving.
Aspirin Packet (2 Tablets)
- Purpose: Helps relieve pain, reduce fever, and treat minor aches.
- Emergency Use: In case of a heart attack, chewing an aspirin can be a lifesaver.
Diarrhea and Upset Stomach Packet (2 Chewable Tablets)
- Purpose: Treats diarrhea and upset stomach, which are common in survival situations when clean food or water may be scarce.
- Emergency Use: Helps prevent dehydration caused by stomach illness.
Floss Pick (Individually Wrapped)
- Purpose: Dental hygiene to prevent tooth pain or infections in survival situations.
- Emergency Use: Can also be used as a makeshift fishing hook.
Nail Clipper with File
- Purpose: Essential for maintaining hygiene and preventing nails from becoming infected.
- Emergency Use: Can file sharp edges of broken tools or even assist in precision cutting.

Everyday Survival Items (mini)

Handcuff Key
- Purpose: A small tool for an extreme emergency, useful for unexpected captivity.
- Emergency Use: Offers freedom in kidnapping or unlawful restraint situations.
Matchbook (20 Matches)
- Purpose: Starting fires for warmth, cooking, and signaling.
- Emergency Use: Ideal for quickly lighting a fire in a survival situation.
Micro-Compass with Strap (Liquid Filled)
- Purpose: Ensures you maintain the right direction, especially in unfamiliar terrain.
- Emergency Use: A lightweight way to navigate when GPS or cell signals are unavailable.
Utility Razor (Individually Wrapped)
- Purpose: Cutting, slicing, or skinning game in a survival situation.
- Emergency Use: Precision cutting for first aid (splints, cutting cloth) or food preparation.
P51 Can Opener (John Wayne)
- Purpose: Opens cans for food or supplies.
- Emergency Use: Also doubles as a makeshift screwdriver, chisel, or knife.
Mini Carabiner
- Purpose: Clip items to your belt or pack, such as water bottles or keys.
- Emergency Use: Can be used as an improvised pulley or to secure items to a shelter.
2032 Battery
- Purpose: Powers small electronics, including lights, compasses, or thermometers.
- Emergency Use: A critical backup for any battery-powered survival gear.
Sewing Kit (String, Needle, Buttons, and Safety Pin)
- Purpose: Repairs ripped clothes or gear.
- Emergency Use: Use the needle to remove splinters or sew up wounds in extreme cases.
Ranger Band
- Purpose: A strong black rubber band for securing items.
- Emergency Use: Can be used to make fire starters by burning the rubber in emergency situations.
Zip Ties (3 Pieces, 4 Inches Long)
- Purpose: Securing gear, repairing equipment, or bundling items together.
- Emergency Use: Can create makeshift handcuffs, fix broken shelter poles, or hang items.
Index Card (3 x 5 Inches)
- Purpose: Write messages or directions.
- Emergency Use: Can also be used as kindling to start fires or to communicate in distress situations.
Bobby Pin
- Purpose: Secures loose items or can be used in hair for practical purposes.
- Emergency Use: Can be bent into a lock-picking tool or used to secure bandages.
550lb Paracord (24 Inches Long)
- Purpose: Useful for securing tents, tying objects, or making traps.
- Emergency Use: Paracord can be unraveled for smaller threads to use as fishing line or sewing.
Medium Rubber Bands (3 Pieces)
- Purpose: Securing gear, compressing items, or improvising slingshots.
- Emergency Use: Great for making improvised tourniquets or trapping mechanisms.
Safety Pins (2 Pieces)
- Purpose: Attaching or repairing clothes, gear, or bandages.
- Emergency Use: Can also be used as fishing hooks in a pinch.
Paper Clips (2 Large Pieces)
- Purpose: Fasten papers, secure gear.
- Emergency Use: Can be straightened and used as makeshift lock picks or fishing hooks.
Toothpicks (2 Pieces, Individually Wrapped)
- Purpose: Dental hygiene.
- Emergency Use: Use for small traps, cleaning tight spaces, or makeshift splints for tiny injuries.
Mini Golf Pencil (Sharpened)
- Purpose: Writing messages, making notes, or marking locations.
- Emergency Use: Can be used for drawing maps or writing distress signals.
Birthday Candle (Varying Colors)
- Purpose: Provides a small source of light and fire.
- Emergency Use: Excellent for starting fires in damp conditions due to its wax content.

Key Considerations

This compact survival kit covers a range of critical needs, including first aid, navigation, fire-starting, and makeshift repairs. By fitting all these items into an Altoids tin, you have a portable and versatile emergency kit that can help you deal with minor injuries, navigate unfamiliar terrain, maintain basic hygiene, and handle unexpected emergencies.

This Altoids tin survival kit is lightweight and can easily be carried in a pocket or bag, making it an indispensable companion for outdoor adventures or urban survival situations.