h/t Zero
Commander Zero brings up the topic of match safes, including this fine example.
But it still needs work.
We respond:
The problem is that the lazy bastards designing these things don't go the full way, and have the wit to place the striker (or a pair of them) in a separate O-ring sealed screw-on compartment at the other end that's NOT where the matches reside, but bean counters are invariably penny-wise and pound foolish when it comes to making gear properly.
Public domain, bitchez:
First guy to take that idea and run with it gets my cash for the product.
BONUS: stick a mirror on the inside of the match end, and mount a decent button compass on the outside of either end, and a built-in shrill whistle at the other one, and go for the grand slam of survival implements. Lanyard loop with a woven paracord necklace or bracelet. What should be mounted on the outside long axis is a small bar of magnesium stock on one side, and another striker for metal edges. Both user-replaceable, like Swiss Army knife toothpicks and tweezers. Make the safes out of both anodized aluminum in a rainbow of colors, and alternatively a solid brass version, for maritime environments, and those things will be passed down for generations, fly of the shelves, and get bought by the metric shit-ton by Uncle Sam's survival equipment cages, gear whores, and Top Tier operators.
Once REI and Bass Pro find out about them, you could retire just on the royalties and live quite comfortably.
DOUBLE BONUS: Make a matching single CR123 light with a pill safe at the end for water purification tabs (perhaps a stackable pair of compartments for a second pill item (anti-malarials/Immodium/whatever*), and a built-in nylon-lined spool for 50' of snare wire (or fishing line, or both) as a matching companion.
Victorinox, Gerber, and Cold Steel should be writing this down verbatim if they had a small clue.
*(Make compartment #2 deep enough to alternatively hold a couple of silver dimes, or 1/10th oz. gold coins. Not included as OEM, obviously, but user-selectable.)
Chances anyone with the means will actually do this are about 1%, but I'll happily be proven wrong by buying them if anyone ever finds a clue and does it.
{Please, don't anyone refer me to the half-assed cheap chinesium plastic Stansport toy, or most of the similar Coghlan's crap.
12 comments:
"One is None!"
Like all good/great things, best to have multiples. One weakness I have around here are headlamps. The majority of those lil cave-headlamps is that they're ALL chineseum.
I mean there ARE quality headlamps out there... Surefire of course has two models. However at $215 and $350 respectively, that's a lot of shekels for ONE lamp. I think I paid less for one of my spare 12 gauges...
I buy the 5 pack Eveready 3 Bulb LED Headsets when they go on sale. Every. Time. They. Go. On. Sale. $12 +/- for 5 lamps, head-strap AND batteries included. They're also pretty resilient. I think we have about 30-40 of them boxed up around Casa Grande Campesino... I use them for gunsmithing, and when I need to look -under- things like when the Gran or the cats play "lets hide the Big Guy's shit under the dresser!"
The 'product' you describe? I'm especially intrigued by the idea to have the replaceable magnesium striker incorporated into the body... that has.... possibilities...
Going for the "Triple Bonus": Since at this point with all the gee-jaws and cool kid stuff you've added, it'd be getting kind of long (about 6-8 inches, what with 'stackable' addable/removable compartments) Why not then incorporate a walking stick to it, and make the "gear" the "Handle" for the hiking pole/stick? Thus you get it 'camoflaged' so to speak, as well as a good hiking pole/stick...
Aesop,
What bit of survival gear would be complete without prophylactics and a pair of nylons? I understand that these were included in USAF E and E packs....
Back when, we always put matches in a
20 Gauge hull, put the striker on the
outside of the 20 gauge hull and put
the whole thing in a 12 gauge hull and
taped the hulls together. You could
put them everywhere and they were dirt
cheap. I still find the packs in my
dad's stuff and he's been dead 5 years.
Then there are the kits made from Altoid
tins. But that's another story.
I have a variety of various plastic containers with "o ring" seals and zip-lock plastic FREEZER bags.
I have used the zip-lock bags inside zip-lock bags to ship environmental samples with double zip-lock ice bags.
Double zip-lock bags can be used as non leaking ice bags and reused for other purchases.
Generally I put anything that can be harmed by the environment (water, moisture, dust, etc.)
I store my calculators and flashlights w/batteries in the bags.
I store the batteries with the lights but not in them and sometimes the batteries in their own zip-lock.
Interesting challenge. Might have to warm up the 3D printer and crank a prototype. Couple of ruminations:
1) If you have the mag 'n steel do you really need the matches? Or is it a 1 is none, 2 is one kind of thing.
2) Include a compass, it should be inside the cap protected from impact.
3) In the cap as well should be a swatch of fire tinder.
4) Other end is another cap, the body filled with candle wax and wick.
5) As suggested a paracord loop for cord.
I keep a daily carry in an altoid tin. Has 2 utility blades, couple of needles, sewing thread, couple of bandaids, golf pencil, couple of pills in a baggie, small mirror.
1) Yes, that.
2) If you make a deep enough bezel ring, you can leave it outside.
3) Or, again, in a thin separate compartment. You can get a lot of mileage (like 1 hr of burn time - I've tested it myself) from a single cotton ball soaked in petroleum jelly and left to harden up.
4) See 3.
5) 'zackly.
Fire - 2 ways.
Signal
Wayfinding
Cordage
@BCE,
I don't think it would need to be that big. I'm picturing something much more compact.
The pair of items I described wouldn't need to be much bigger than a single Surefire 6P, if both were placed end-to-end.
And anything 4" long can always have a few feet of duct tape wrapped around it too.
Inlet the body and put 2-3 fish hooks in there, maybe a razor blade or hacksaw blade section. Under the tape?
If somebody figured out a way to mount them (screw-on ferrule?) as the handle or handles of a walking stick or a pair of trekking poles, so much the better.
Victorinox could call it the Swiss Army Survival Tool, and pair them with an appropriate knife or multi-tool from their line.
Sketch up your ideas on a piece of paper or cocktail napkin with some numbers on it for sizes and desired features, maybe someone with access to machine tools could make a prototype for you to try. Might be a fun project for a slow afternoon or two in the shop.
Like the hangman said, it's all about execution.
I have to get my INR (blood viscosity) checked at least once a month to make sure my artificial heart valve won't gain any 'vegetation' due to blood becoming too thick (mostly influenced by diet). But the machine that tests my blood requires test strips that come in a PVC like container, about 2.5 inches tall by 3/4" diameter with heavy duty stoppered ends. Glued or taped end to end, a bit less than 5" long. I have several kits made up, some with simple fishing kit / fire kit (will hold a mini-BIC, not full size) / sewing kit / drinking water pills. I have cut the closed ends to and duct taped them together for drill bit storage too.
The lady that measures my blood saves them for me after the strips are finished. Pretty cool of her to do that for me.
I've been carrying a fire piston for years. slightly smaller than a pen. pocket lint or a tiny bit of napkin and you've got fire. most people have no idea what it even is.
I commend Coughlans / Stansport for the idea of providing a match safe for sale. It appears designed for being caught out in the woods - sound maker, determination of direction, fire source all in one unit. It is the build quality that fails.
Oh - those INR containers. Roche Coaguchek XS PT is the product that has those cylinders described.
Exactly.
The idea is great.
The execution is execrable.
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