S.O.L. Traverse Tin Survival Kit

This tin is great.. honestly I wanted this for the tin itself so I could have two different types of fire start tins (one kind of old school with natural starter and the other more modern with the SOL tinder). I love the idea of the spark ignition and the tinder that goes with it.. I rearranged some things but it’s got what I need.

A nice walk in the woods or making a wrong turn down a dirt road can quickly become a life or death situation if you get lost and cannot find your way back as described by the books "Deep Survival" and "Everyday Survival" by Laurence Gonzales.  Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why   Everyday Survival: Why Smart People Do Stupid Things  Having a small basic survival kit carried on your person at all times is a must if you are to venture into the wilderness in rural areas because cell phone coverage is spotty at best. In the Upper Peninsula (U.P.) of Michigan where I have lived there is no cell phone service in a lot of areas and dense foliage or mountains will often block cell coverage where there is cell coverage. (Portable ham radios are popular here.)The best part about the Traverse Kit is the large tin can that holds the items because it has a very secure latching mechanism and big enough to add a few additional items to adapt the kit to your local. An altoid tin sucks because it is too small. The Traverse tin does not appear to be waterproof so I store the entire kit in a Ziplock bag and tape the seams with gorilla tape. You could also use the tin container to boil water, melt snow or cook food once you get a fire started.I added a Bic lighter to the Traverse kit because hypothermia is the biggest killer in northern climates so additional fire starting means is a must. I also added needle and floss to sew clothes together or to provide emergency sutures. In addition, I added paper note cards and a pencil for map making and leaving notes. Finally, I added additional water purification tablets because the Traverse only comes with two tablets which is ridiculous because you would probably consume that amount of water in a half a day. I recommend you buy a 10 package of Katadyn Water Purifier Tablets to add to your Traverse so you can make 3 gallons or approximately 3 days worth of purified water yet still fit in the Traverse.  Katadyn Water Purifier Tablets -- Military 10 Pack  I always carry a knife or multitool, 550 cord, a flashlight, waterless hand wash (for starting fires) and a compass on my person at all times so these items were not needed by me in my kit. (FYI: compasses can be worthless in the UP because of the magnetized iron ore deposits in that area so watch out if you think you are walking in circles because you might be walking in circles following a misdirected compass.)The Traverse comes with good basic items that are all individually wrapped in plastic. I liked the size and weight since it fits nicely in my coat pocket which I always have with me even in good weather. I have seen on YouTube that the Tinder Quick is not that great alone for starting fires but I carry waterless hand wash to super charge that item for fire starting. All in all a good rugged kit that should last you a long time and that which you will actually have with you when poop hits the fan. I only gave the Traverse 4 stars instead of 5 due to the paltry number of water purification tablets actually provided.Postscript: I received the Maxpedition Gear 7 x 5 x 2 Vertical GP Pouch that allows me to carry the SOL Traverse on my belt or on my pack.  Maxpedition Gear 7 x 5 x 2 Vertical GP Pouch, Foliage Green  I recommend you buy the Maxpedition Pouch to keep your Traverse with you on your person at all times even when going out for even a quick walk in the woods because other people have gotten in trouble quickly when they get lost and are not carrying any survivial supplies. The pouch and the Traverse fit perfectly together and work well as an everyday carry items if you work outdoors in the event you get lost or separated. I been carrying the Traverse in the Maxpedition pouch on my belt for a couple of weeks and it is fairly comfortable with minimal interference sitting. However, be sure to buy a pack of Maxpedition 5-Inch TacTies since they don't come with the pouch which sucks.  Maxpedition 5-Inch TacTile - Pack Of 4 (Khaki) I also added the Readyman survival card so I would have fish hooks, frog gig, arrow heads, etc. See link below:https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B015ALJ838?pf_rd_p=c2945051-950f-485c-b4df-15aac5223b10&pf_rd_r=T0KBV6815A8APB1WN5Y0

Nice and compact, easy to fit in a backpack and not take up much room.

I like sol products. Good quality nice time and convenient to carry. You can add a bit more too

Love this compact little survival kit. I even had enough room for 5 razor blades and a very small sewing kit I took only the thread that was on a cardboard strip and the needles and I still had a little room to spare.

For what these are, they're great for peace of mind at an affordable price. I like all of the SOL stuff. That being said, these are the bare essentials, aside from the lack of cordage.I actually buy these, primarily for the roller-clasp tin, then supplement/replace the contents. Granted, the upgrade costs place the final price more around $80. The tin fits perfectly in the back pocket of one of the many "Tactical Molle Pouch Bag - EDC Utility Gadget Waist Bag Packs" on Amazon. I add 20' of Survivor cord, a Freznel lens, another more discrete & durable emergency blanket, a small SOG multi-tool, a 4"ferro rod and a steel fish hook punch-out card. I like to gift these to my more aloof friends and family.The only cons I can come up with are that the little flint & striker is kind of a joke and they have swapped the Katadyn Micropur water purification tabs for "Aquatabs". The Aquatabs seem to use the same chems, have a shelf life of 5 years, like the Micropurs, and seem to do the job in 30 mins vs 4 hours. It would also be nice to include a razor blade and cordage of some type.

Great starter kit for hikers, backpackers, and campers.

Great for bug out bag

I picked this up for a few reasons. First of all SOL usually have excellent products and quality/price is fair. Not so for this kit. I wanted a kit that had a container slightly bigger than an Altoids tin, but smaller than a canteen set, and this is the right size.With that being said, most of the items in here are very good, but some items have 1 of each and that's a bit useless. You get 1 pack (2 pills) of water purification... ration that water if you're surviving for more than 24 hours. If you tear a piece of clothing or need to fix gear, you get a decent size roll of duct tape, but if you bust a zipper... you only get 1 safety pin.4 tinder quicks and a sparking device is usual for the size of the kit, whistle is decent and of course the SOL mylar blanket is an excellent product. Whirl Pak water collection bag is a nice addition. And of course some Survival notes.Quite honestly, not a bad kit, but I think SOL need to revise the price to something around 15-18$, or put a few more items in the kit for around 25$. Just look at the Scout kit and there's several more items for around 25-30$ on average.

container & space blanket are of good quality, needs more fire making options .

Great gear