My 2023 Altoids EDC Essentials Kit (Everyday Carry)
This tiny everyday carry Altoids tin kit can be carried in the pocket or any bag and will help solve problems and reduce friction in everyday life. A practical addition to your EDC essential gear, don't leave home without it.
This channel is here to give you ideas and inspiration when it comes to finding great Everyday Carry, Travel Gear and Gadgets, on the back of solid and detailed reviews alongside years of experience, which I hope will make life and travel just a little bit more frictionless and fun.
Here are links to the products featured. This can consist of Amazon affiliate links and supplier affiliate links and website links. See below for more on affiliate links.
Products Featured in the Video:
Altoids Tin
Amazon geni.us/lBTLmgV
Self Amalgamating Tape
Amazon geni.us/uRXM6
Gorilla Tape
Amazon geni.us/4zAVk
Lever Gear Mini Cable Kit
Amazon geni.us/QzoB
Heat Shrink Tubing
Amazon geni.us/whcN
Minimo Pen
Amazon geni.us/HviF
Dyneema thread
countycomm.com/JON10 (10% discount)
Victorinox Alox Bantam
Amazon geni.us/Myt6m
Mini Ferro Rod
USA bit.ly/3Emerrp
UK bit.ly/3hUo1Kx
Mini Magnet
Amazon geni.us/vEZ4j
Thin Gluestick
Amazon UK geni.us/tFkPmxR
Amazon US geni.us/UOkE
BIC Mini Lighter
Amazon geni.us/PSMHJaX
Leatherman Micra
Website www.leatherman.com
Olight i3E Flashlight
Amazon geni.us/RbOD3E
Mini Tin
Amazon UK geni.us/FQGBFo
Amazon US geni.us/2ZgVPYr
Sewing Kit
Amazon UK geni.us/DzTG9N
Amazon USA geni.us/FAK2jw
Compressible Towel
Amazon UK geni.us/5gO3B
Amazon USA geni.us/7AEM
RITR paper
Amazon geni.us/wZnKlF
Fresnel Magnifier
Amazon geni.us/nwB4Zv
Thin Optics Glasses
Amazon geni.us/r0qMlM
Spartan Fire EDC Tinder
Amazon geni.us/r07vIHI
My name is Jonathan, I have a passion for all things gadget, travel and EDC (Everyday Carry), which has filled both my personal and work life for many years.
This includes sourcing, reviewing and product development and the creation of two UK national retail chains. Find out more here: • About Jon Gadget - Who...
I welcome any feedback on my videos or the channel in general in the comments. See below for more on this.
Contents of this video to help you navigate:
00:00 - Altoids Tin EDC Kit Intro
00:48 - Tape x2
01:56 - Charging Cable
02:57 - Zip Ties
03:25 - Minimo Pen
03:55 - Dyneema Cord
04:34 - Victorinox Alox Bantam
05:35 - Mini Ferro Rod
06:02 - Fishing Magnet
06:25 - Glue Stick
07:34 - BIC Mini Lighter
08:02 - Leatherman Micra
09:08 - Olight i3e
10:18 - Mini Tin
11:33 - Flat items
12:59 - Everything has its place
Product Sourcing:
When it comes to sourcing a product for review, I will usually either purchase and item personally or reach out to a supplier requesting a sample for review. Many suppliers are supportive if they are confident in their product, appreciating the value of greater exposure.
I am sometimes sent a product by a supplier which I may include if the product fits planned content and I believe will be of interest to you, my audience. The product needs to be worthy of a review and I always make it clear to the supplier that they cannot influence or be involved in the content in any way. It is not in my interest to review inferior or poor quality products and therefore as you might expect many product offers are politely declined.
Any sponsored videos (paid for reviews) are clearly stated as such so there can be no misunderstanding.
Sometimes a supplier will provide a link to the product or the supplier which I am happy to include in the description. Sometimes I will be provided with an affiliate link so I can earn a commission on sales and this helps to support channel costs but never at the expense of an honest review. There is no cost to you and in some cases discounts can be obtained via the link or via an included code.
If a product I have reviewed is available from Amazon I will often include an Amazon link in the description. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you.
Replying to Comments:
I really appreciate the feedback in the comments - I find it a source of knowledge and inspiration - so thank you to all of you who take the time to contribute. My aim is to read everything I can and reply when I can, after each video goes live for the first few hours at least, and beyond that when possible. I'll see how that works out 😊
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Thank you for supporting the channel.
JonGadget
May suggest keeping emergency contact numbers written inside the field notes in case of mobile phone loss.
This. YOUR number for lost and found, other's numbers in case you are found injured/unconscious, or your phone dies/lost/stolen. 👍 I have one in my Altoids EDC tin, on my channel.
Not just for numbers, but the idea of printing some labels with a label maker to stick to the inside (or outside) of it popped into my head.
I just commented the same, then saw this - great minds 😂
yes 👍
A calling card will do the trick too...
One of the best Altoids EDC kits ever put together.
Thank you - it took some time!
Usually I'm lucky if I get one good idea from these videos, today I got five. Thank you.
In my pre-teen days in the '80s, I had a small green plastic box (bike repair kit) with some matches, some band-aids, and some fishing gear. Later a harpoon tip was added, filed from a strip of sheet metal. You always had a pocket knife in your sack anyway, just like a clean handkerchief. So we went looking for adventure in the local forests and dreamed of a life as a trapper with the Inuits. 😄😄😄
Another compact alternative for that tinder sheet might be birthday candles - they are also compact and give you some reach/flame duration for lighting things. Bonus: if you find some of the gag/novelty ones that can't be blown out they are quite wind resistant too!
Great suggestion.
rubber bands work very well for fire starters and have a million other uses in addition travel nicely on the outside of the tin keeping it from popping open 👍
excellent suggestion 😃
😂😂 I'm obviously not up to speed on this urban survival nonsense as when you talk about tinder I'm thinking naked people
Candles melt in the heat
Great ideas! I hate carrying a purse everywhere and would love to just be able to grab my phone and a tin and go. Mine will have to be adapted with an emergency tampon and a chap stick, but a lot of the other stuff will be the same. Thanks for the ideas!
I'm not even sure if a panty liner would fit in there. Let alone an applicatorless tampon But yes. I want more emergency tampon kit ideas
Yes toiletries for ladies are a must for the wife or daughters. That’s why an EDC per person is a fine project for each member of the family.
Often overlooked by guys when making emergency/prepper kits of all kinds (though agree it’d be tough to fit anything much in this tin). Sanitary pads are also pretty good for compression to stop a bleed from a head wound etc. I keep a pack in my emergency car kit.
Small vibe
What a refreshing video i grew up making altoids tin kits like 10 years ago now im 21 and i still enjoy the same thing
I think my best altoids tin creation was a rechargeable solar powered usb phone charger
I like the day to day life approach. Well done
Amazing. Put one of these for sale and I'd buy it with a huge markup since it is so well curated.
I think the micra is highly underrated, I carry one myself in a kit every day. Fantastic small multi tool.
I’ve got a Gerber Dime… Actually, I have a few of them. And it’s surprising how powerful the flyers are. I have a teeny weenie little torn, ox knife that has a skinny little blade and a nice pair of scissors and a file on it and the toothpick and tweezers. It’s the smallest one I’ve ever seen and that’s my basic carry for work.
good for the price 👍 I've compared these in earlier video
I have an EDC tin (a lock-down project) and have found it to be very useful indeed these past couple of years. I have a Leatherman PS squirt in it and have found the pliers to be indispensable. I do wish the scissors were bigger but couldn't do without those pliers. I might be modifying the contents of my tin after watching this video though.
@@johnnyxmusic I own both and the dime is better than the micra, hands down. Yeah the knife is garbage but honestly all micro multitools are, I mainly use the pliers on it and I filed the tips on it so they are narrower (used them to repair something where they were too fat to squeeze inside of a narrow hole just slightly yet I had a file.
@@escapetherace1943 I mean I’m not trying to take sides. And I haven’t tried the micra. And I do like a pair of scissors… That’s why I was astonished to find a teeny weenie little Victorinox has a very good pair of scissors in it. But was really astonishing to me is the fact that it’s something the size of a dime you can have a very usable pair of pliers. Holy moly you can use them in a fight. Imagine pinching a guy anywhere on his body with those pliers. He is down on his knees. 🤪😜😝
Very nice altoid box but i think a victorinox compact is better in this box to save some space. With the compact you have the pen already, the scisors, blade, bottle opener and you can replace the toothpic with the firesteel. The micra, the pen and the lose firesteel is not needed anymore and you save some space. It's just my opinion. Anyway a nice kit. 👍
Investing suggestion - I'll explore this (I'm away at the moment) but I've a feeling it won't fit parallel in the tin - I'll give it a go and see.
Telling Jon about the Victorinox Compact is pretty much preaching to the choir, as it's his EDC anyway. 😊
From a Cdn perspective I'd have to agree with you (on a cost basis). In Canada, we can get the compact for ~$75. The Micra is running ~ $65 and the Bantam is ~$41. So, $75 vs $106. But then I'm stingy with my money. Also, you can replace the Compact pin with a sewing needle, maybe a fireant and some tinder. That's just my two cents. Love your videos Jon!
For flashlights I use Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries. They last longer in use, provide more lighting and their expiration date is decades!
great suggestion
Another benefit of the Ultimate Lithiums is that don’t leak alkaline, which can ruin electronics.
Jon Gadget! Ingenious! Sent to all my adult kids and my wife☮️😮⭕️✅
I have tried several different things in a few different tin boxes over the years. Always enjoy seeing what others are doing. Thanks for sharing
One item I added to my edc urban kit, is one of those plastic triangular pry tools from an Ifixit phone repair kit. Super flat (1 or 2mm), sharp edge, but won’t damage things. I use it so often !
nice idea
A guitar pick makes it very useful pry tool and scraper too. They even come in different gauges.
Great tip on the mini tin, perfect for sewing kit! I wouldn't use that thread from the cheap sewing kit though, you can usually break that thread with your hands just by pulling on it. I like ulpholstery thread and heavy needles. If I have to sew something in the field it is usually a serious problem like reattaching a pack buckle.
Try triangular needles brilliant for heavy material ie leather and canvas 😊
Another stellar video! Most Altoid kits seem stuffed with useless nonsense. Every piece of kit here not only fits perfectly but is uber usefull. Great job Jon!
thanks for the great feedback - it took quite a while to put together!
This is stuffed with useless nonsense. This kinda shit pretends like pockets don't exist. Pockets which can carry versions of these garbage trinkets that are more practically sized. This video just wants so hard for you to think it was smart.
You make a lot of EDC vids, *JG.* Every single one has impressed me. I am going to trim down what I carry as I now realise I don't need certain items as a city dweller.
A masterpiece of efficiency. I say in all sincerity that of the scores of Altoids tin kits I have seen on KZhead (and my own efforts as well) yours is truly a masterpiece. 👍👍👍👍👍
thanks for the kind comment
Altoids tins can also be a great basis for a system - that is, multiple tins containing categorized items for each tin, such as firemaking items, fishing, sewing/repair, sharpening, etc. Many EDC carry packs have sectional spaces that will accommodate 6, 10 or even a dozen tins stacked against each other. Not a bad way to organize for quick access.
Nitecore actually makes a 5000 mAh battery bank that fits in an altoid tin, it’s cylindrical and USBC. it takes up quite a bit of space in the tin, but the utility of having a power bank in there could be really useful
Smashed it. Cannot believe all that fit in that tiny tin, that's an official Mary Poppins Tin!! Only other thing I could think of was a compass those tiny mini plastic ones actually do work. However nowadays a good Outdoor watch usually has built in compass 🧭
I wasn’t planning to create an EDC kit but after watching your video, I am totally going to! I really enjoyed how organized and how well-thought out the items are. They don’t just look great they actually work. Thank you for your video.
Great kit Jon! Been enjoying your content quite a bit! You've been giving me a lot of great new ideas for my personal EDC as well as gear for the Scouting adventures my daughter and I have been participating in lately.
i kept a altoids tin for a while that kept all my papers, tips, lighter and used the lid as a tiny rolling tray. Absolutely perfect setup for rolling small j's. So convenient. Now i dont smoke so i just have one for camping with simple firestarting stuff in it but when i did that was the best altoid tin use id ever found
lol i used to keep my green in a altoid tin during hs... nobody said anything so it worked pretty well i gotta say
i love your videos because they always inspire me to adapt my kits and its great to see someone building kits that are legal in the UK which is very useful for me. thank you and keep up the good work 👍
great to hear - thank you 😊
Perfect EDC, very well thought out. A hug from Brazil.
This is absolutely a MacGyver's basics EDC kit for the common person (of course, he is not your ordinary run-of-the-mill person). I love it!
That was the first altoids tin edc video I ever like awesome. Thanks for sharing.
Really well thought out, one of the absolute best kits I've ever seen 👍
A well done mini EDC Jon. You never disappoint. I've learned so much from you. Thank you!
You're welcome and thank you
I absolutely love your videos. Excellent production quality, aesthetically pleasing, friendly, and a calm deliberate delivery of facts and subjective opinion based on years of experience. Thank you.
Great kit made by years, thanks you for sharing it with community
Amazing kit 🎉 I'm pretty sure this is as "survival" tin kit as any other "survival" tin kit video
Thanks Eyal but wouldn't catch a fish 😁
@@JonGadget You could if it was magnetic
@@JonGadget Ah yes, the ubiquitous fishing kit, always proves itself useful when I go to work by train and find myself next to a clean river far from civilization
This is by far the best kid I ever saw.
Great video, thanks. I'd love a kitchen junk drawer essentials kit video! Not a carry kit but a kit you'd keep in you kitchen drawer to replace all that junk that can do a lot of regular around the house jobs. Knife/Multi tool, sewing kit, tapes etc. That'd be great :)
This is probably the most practical and useful iteration of the Altoids Kit, Jon.
Great to hear - thank you
Very nice and practical kit. My suggestion is to replace the rubber band that you used to hold the kit closed with an elastic ponytail holder. Rubber bands tend to dry rot. The cloth covered retail holders do not and yet perform essentially the same function as a?rubber band.
Altoids kits never get old!
Nice to see someone else build these type kits! It’s amazing how much useful things we can fit into those tins! Nice job.
Nice - I've got a Fresnel lens about that size tucked into my phone case for the exact same reason.
I’ve used the lever gear cable since first seeing it here. I can also highly recommend the company, I’ve recently received great customer service from them when mine developed a fault. They were quick to respond and offered a solution straight away. I’ll use them again and again.
great to know 👍
This has to be the best comprehensive kit. Thank you!
What a fantastic collection in such a tiny space….love it!😊. And more so, really just enjoy watching your videos about everyday great things to carry. Thanks!
Thanks so much! 😊
I adore your kits. Thank you for reminding me of the micra. A severely underrated multitool.
it is a great tool 👍
Another great video .I learn quite a bit listening to you so thank you for all you work and advice .
This kit is a lot of fun. Thanks for sharing 😊
Jon another small and flat fire tender is a guitar pick ! Made from cellulose it’s very flammable and waterproof . Thanks
good to know!
This is a great kit and easy to assemble. Thank you for sharing!
thank you
Nice bit of kit I Ben make survival kits for 40 year One tip if cut a bike tube you make a band that Will go around the edge n make it water prof
Awesome kit. Great ideals. Thank you for sharing
Very interesting. Your kit is very well thought out. Although I have used a Leatherman Wave for over twenty years, I never heard of a Micra. After watching your SAK videos I now own the Huntsman, with the pocket clip.
thanks for the feedback
This is the best altoids kit I have seen great job
Thank you
Useful video. Some great ideas. A lot of this stuff I had no clue existed. Very cool gadgetry. Thank you. And thank you Jesus. ✝️😀
Thanks for demonstrating your repacking. Clearly I need to notice the order and placing of each item i put in my mini EDC kits. I’m great at fitting everything the first time, but as soon as I take something out to use, it feels like everything has multiplied in size!!😅
A Friday upload instead of Saturday, what a treat! 14 minutes is not nearly long enough for your videos. I could honestly watch you for hours. I couldn't think you could go small than micro EDC kit but this is next level
Thanks for the great feedback - it took a while to put together! I've not been able to of weekly videos recently due to holiday breaks and I picked up a chest infection which got in the way too - went for Friday since it's been over a week since the last one
@@JonGadget I started yesterday following you: good god: what a Christmas Eve! I m buying all your reviews. Thank you so much!
Wow Jon, that was just neat and fun to watch! Thanks. You fit so much in that tin, I was amazed! Happy 2024‼️👍🏼🐾❤️
I've had the Leatherman Micra for several years now. While the tweezer isn't great for tweezing, its perfect for unlocking a standard "privacy door knob" with the pinhole.
You have some smarter solutions than many who put together these tin cans. But everyone needs different items living in different locations but this looks good even i would replace some things like getting a stronger knifeblade for use that can fit in the can. But thats me. You can always have a small neck knife separated and always on the go too.
Excellent kit, thank you.
I have put several kits together over the years but none match the elegant soluton you show here. The inspiration is greatly appreciated.
Amazing video!
Great job, as always Jon! You've given me some very handy ideas for my Altoids EDC kit. Keep up the great work!
This is sacrilege! Everyone knows Altoids tins should only ever contain mints or guitar plectrums.
😝😝😝😝@@lachlan1971
Wow what a great kit. Can you share more experiences from times when you actually had to open up your kit to use specific tools for specific tasks that got you out of a bind? Thank you
Will do!
So cool thanks for sharing this!
I know you probably won’t see this but you’re videos have helped me tremendously with EDC. I have two EDC Altoids tins and two slim EDC Altoids tins.
Wow thank you so much for many very good ideas !
i always like feeling prepared (i carry just about everything in my purse, and it's bulky as hell) so I got some great tips from this. the self-adhesive tape was jaw-dropping, the wire/fishing line is a good shout, and now I want a magnet. also, checking out the leatherman scissors tool now. I know I'll be returning to this video in the future!
Excellent kit! In most kit videos I watch I can usually think of something I'd add or replace, but I can't think of a single change I'd want to make to this one. I need to get some of that Dyneema cord. I have some monofilament that's been great for what I use it for, but I definitelky want to try the braid. Thank you for suggesting it!
Use a data blocker if charging in cafes/airports! Juice jacking is super common!
Awesome kit idea 💡 makes me want to make a couple to keep in my cars or maybe other places. Thanks for posting all the links. Really like that magnifying card. I can't see up close without my reading glasses and those would work great in a pinch. Thanks for posting this!
thanks for the great feedback
You have packed so many items into the Altoid tin! Love the mini tin also. It's perfect for sewing and other supplies. Thank you for sharing this. I dont have one yet, but with the links in your description area, I have begun the process. There is no way I will ever fish, so not having any such gear freed up the space for items I would use. 😊
Jon I’d love to see what you do with a tiny purse size Altoid tin!
Straight up great EDC. You’ve just added a few pieces to mine. Great videos as always.
Brilliant, I love this sort of thing.
That's one of the best Altoid kits I've seen. Very inspiring
Thanks John! As usual, very helpful information!
they just use so much room!
A very nice Altoids EDC kit. I have one too as well as bigger tins from County Comm. I have one for every type of charging cables and a small first aid kit. I line each one with self adhesive foam sheets on the inside to eliminate most noise the items make when you carry the tins.
thanks for sharing - good stuff
Thanks for the video, I appreciate the insight. All the best, JG..
Well thank you Jon. After years carrying an Altoids tin (OK, it's a Marks and Spencer mints tin. Posh eh?), you persuaded me to convert to a pouch. And now we're going back to tins 😢. Seriously, your channel is the best. Being UK based I appreciate your gadgets are (mostly) UK legal and useful in an urban environment. You've converted me to the Vic Manager from my old Sportsman. I never get funny looks when I use it in public - I suppose it looks more like a toy 😊. Does anyone remember who came up with using sections of plastic drinking straw with heat sealed ends to contain things like antiseptic cream? I find them really useful as they hold just enough and take up almost no space.
How do you seal the straw ends? Something like a soldering iron?
@@barnabyvonrudal1 I just flatten one end in narrow pliers, melt with a lighter, carefully (!) push together against something metal and finish with my fingers. Obviously can't be any air gaps or contents will dry out. Fill with a syringe and repeat for the other end. The contents shouldn't touch this end or it won't seal properly.. Let me know how you get on?
Practical, classy, simple, tasteful, useful. Awesome 👍 what a gent
Very true about the Micra. I had one for many years until Newark Airport TSA took it claiming the blade was too long. Right.....
This is amazing I love the reasons for each item!
It is always amazing how much you fit in these...
3 things: 1 fantastic kit 2 fantastic video 3 make the lighter a high viz light blue one
thanks for that - yes - lighter colour could be better!
Another great video! I knew I'd been saving my old altoid tins for a reason. . .now I know what it is! Cheers! 🙂
you weren't saving it for an "edc" kit full of garbage you will never use, you were saving it to make charcloth with 😉
@@escapetherace1943 I've used all the things in that kit before, and a few times I've needed them and not had them. I've never needed charcloth. Made fire thousands of times - no charcloth.
@@MarkB-sc5ms because it's an antiquated way to carry tinder, but still useful knowledge.
The first 20 seconds, yes. Amen. Bravo. Exactly. That's my view on putting these together, task oriented stuff. Minimalist kits.
I use Altoids as guitar pick storage for my pedal board. Great to see another use for this.
Hello Jon! As always: Great video. I would like your suggestion on a bag small enough to carry on a daily basis to various places such as malls, walks in parks, etc. , but that it had a basic emergency kit, as well as essentials such as a pocket knife, multitools, lighter, flashlight, etc. . A big hug and I hope you come to Brazil one day!
Only just seen this video I don't know how it slipped under the radar, really pleased you took my advice on the gluestick, makes a huge difference compared to the standard ones. 😊
Nice collection.
I tend towards a ranger band both on the lighter as well as around the tin to hold it closed. Maybe 2 or 3 bands, depending on factors.
Jon, you are a huge nerd after my own heart; subscribed!
You should consider being a voiceover. Yours is quite relaxing and easy to understand. The accent helps as well..
😊
Sewing kit! I was in the office the other day, and a colleague needed to access a reset switch in his laptop, but it was a very small hole. I carry a sewing kit in my laptop bag, so he used the needle and was soon back up and running, but surprised I had a sewing kit. I explained ever since I split my trousers lifting a computer rack, I keep a sewing kit.
An excellent video, thankyou for sharing your tips
This is helpful and cute!
Excellent as always. A gentle suggestion would be to wrap bees wax coated wick (hemp or otherwise) around the Bic Mini. It makes the lighter a bit bulkier but you save the butane by using the wick.
yes - I've seen this and is a great idea - but this would have bulked up the lighter and from all the trial and error I know would not fit with everything else - hence the flat tinder
I missed your comment before sending my similar one...great idea! Maybe a six- or eight-inch length could be framed around the Gorilla tape in the lid? Use the Gorilla tape to hold the hemp wick in place.
Very cool kit, thanks for sharing. Take care and Cheers!
Thanks
I considered making one of these and didn't even know it was a thing people did. Thanks for the tips!
nice video, you just brought back some memory's of doing this as a kid in the scouts or air cadets cant remember which we had to see how many items we could get in a tin.thanks to your vid might give it another go plus with uk knife laws dont like carrying my leatherman surge any more