Ahhh, there you are - ooohhh, what's this?

[AimlessWanderer]

It was a bit like Christmas for me today, opening lots of boxes and finding lots of surprises inside. It wasn't new stuff though - rather stuff I knew I had, but which has been "hiding"



This is just some of it! There were all sorts of goodies I'd been missing for ages and it was good to get my paws back on them all. Of specific interest to me were three tins - two altoids tin and a little mint tin I knew I had set up as a survival tin, repair tin, and micro fishing kit ... and it's been that long since I'd opened them I couldn't remember what they contained.



There were lots of other sheaths and pouches, some with stuff in - some empty



A lot of it was survival goodies I'd thrown in my pack when out hiking, but as I haven't been able to do any of that for a while these were a sight for sore eyes too



A collapsible cup, a mylar blanket with a generous amount of paracord, and a wire saw ring hitched with high-vis cord to ensure I'd got "handles" for the saw, or something to tension an improvised bucksaw with



A rather sorry looking LMF flint and striker in a bank bag. It'll salvage I'm sure.



When I saw the Gerber pouch I thought "I haven't got any Gerbers missing", till I opened it up and realised it was my Suspension. My first "big name" multitool, and what led me to realise I needed to do a little research before buying something that actually worked (which was a Swisstool CS Plus). It was good to remind myself just how much I disliked this tool. Another surprise was what I NOW recognise as a cartridge out of a Coleman Pro Lock. I half remember putting this together from a (then unknown and unimpressive) multitool a friend had been given and was disinterested in. I think the drivers were wrecked (or maybe I just didnt like them) so I put these blades together to throw in a kit if necessary. Finally the Byrd Firebyrd!! That was an old friend of mine that used to accompany me to bonfire parties and BBQ's all the time. People were constantly asking for a light, or a knife, or a bottle opener, and there was all three ready and waiting to oblige. I loved that thing, although it does feel a little ... odd now



The trench lighter has kind of followed me around since being 16, but it never worked that well, and fuel evaporates/leaks too. The small brass Zippo was a favourite of mine for quite a while, and I actually preferred it over the full sized versions for some reason. The Paklites were a sight for sore eyes. One on a lanyard and another in a belt pouch ... and the batteries still worked. All the new fangled lights are great, put the simplicity and runtime of these 9V beauties is fantastic



This pouch is something I'd looked for time and time again for a long time. I'd checked all my rucksacks, all my EDC bags over the ages, The boat, the shed at the boat, the other shed at the boat ... and it was tucked away in the bottom of a box of assorted crap.



Lexan spork, knife and chopsticks! Very light and great for hikes and picnics, but also the only set of chopsticks I own. I never remembered to buy another set for home, and it only crossed my mind everytime I wanted to use these ... and they weren't there

I'll post more pics later of what I found in some of the tins etc.

[jzmtl]

Some interesting stuff there, better chuck the lexan wares before the BPA in them make you grow moobs. 

[AimlessWanderer]

Well I say lexan ... I haven't got a clue really, and they're such occasional use I'll take the chance. Besides, it'll give me something I can fiddle with in public without being arrested   

[MultiMat]

Al were was all that stuff hiding  .

Nothing beats finding a misplaced tool/goodies & looks like you found the mother load 

[Zed]

Very cool Al, i think i know everything i own as narrowed it all down these days, nice to find stuff hiding though, most of my hidden stuff is fixed blades as hide them from the missis and kids 

Although i do carry a few altoids tins i hardly ever go in and theres a lot of cool things in them so i might check them out soon ,

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I love finding old, forgotten bits of kit

[AimlessWanderer]

The first altoid tin I opened had my missing Buck Hartsook attached, which is an excellent little lightweight knife.



The blade is S30V and I'm not normally a fan of the upper end steels, prefering ease of sharpening instead, but because this is a lightweight knife and hasn't been used hard I've not needed to do anything with the edge yet and it's still perfectly fine.



I thought I'd set this one up as a survival tin, but it appears this was the repair kit



Contents Included:
Various needles, Panel pins and screws, paperclips, superglue, duck tape, ranger bands (cut from bicycle inner tube), braided fishing line, waterproof matches wrapped in insulation tape, a piece of hacksaw blade fashioned into a little knife, and a little double ended jeweler screwdriver



I knew the second one was going to be the "survival tin" now, and I was intrigued to see what I'd put in it all that time ago.



I was suitable impressed with how much I'd managed to cram in there



Fox 40 micro whistle, superglue, paperclips, safety pins, sewing kit, large needle for heavier materials, compass, mag glass, string, flint, knife/scissors tool (salvaged from a cheap and pathetic survival lighter that has this fixed on the side), tweezers, wire saw, brass wire, alcohol swabs, plasters, potassium prermanganate, and a mini eye glasses driver

No fishing tackle in the kit as I didn't see myself having to ever need the survival tin for extended periods. The only time I've ever needed to use one of these tins was when my boot fell apart. The sole came away right back to the heel, so I used the electrical tape that way keeping the tin sealed and dry and some nylon twine I scrounged from a nearby farmyard to make the remaining 7 miles back



I did still have a mini fishing kit that comes with the generic off the shelf survival kits though so I had put another pack together.



I'd kept this one very simple with a little bag of hooks and shot etc, two strengths of braided line, and a little folding razor blade

[Gryffin]

I did still have a mini fishing kit that comes with the generic off the shelf survival kits though so I had put another pack together.

(Image removed from quote.)

That's a cool little mint tin! Haven't seen one like that over here, if I had I'd prolly have bought a half-dozen by now.

This thread reminds me, I need to get some of my gear out of storage, before it becomes "lost treasure" like yours!

[AimlessWanderer]

I snapped up 3 or 4 when I first saw them, but very quickly ran out of ideas of what to use them for  Can't remember seeing any recently though