SOS Survival kit review.

A little while ago I received an SOS keychain survival kit from Ranger Rick. Ranger Rick is a retired US Army Ranger who makes these kits and has an excellent survival website at http://survivaloutdoorskills.com/. This site is an excellent no B.S. survival site that gets straight to the point. But now to the main point of this review. The SOS Keychain Survival Kit. This is an amazing kit that comes with a price tag of only $22.99. There are also a few other kits that he sells, but I have this one. Now, these are not your "rolex survival kits" as Rick calls them. They don't come with a little thermometer, or a fancy fishing kit (which by the way is sold separately on his site, along with a water purification kit) or all those little trinkets that most really expensive kits come with. This kit gets down to business.  These kits are hand assembled by Rick himself, which is one of the great things about it. They are made by a real person, and not just some unknown laborer in china or somewhere else.

This kit features 7 items, a knife, wire saw, whistle, signal mirror, flashlight, flint and magnesium fire starter and a compass. At only 2.5 ounces, it weighs less than the average cell phone and is is the same weight as a zippo lighter, there really is no excuse to not carry one of these. Lets break this kit down. 

First of all, the knife. This is one of those cheap, made in china knives. It is a ridge runner brand knife. With a blade length of 2.5 inches, it isn't the most versatile knife, but for the size, it is excellent. It is quite sharp and can take most abuse you would expect from a knife of this size. I had no problems making maya dust or carving wood with it. So for the rating, I give this knife a 4/5. For the price and weight of the kit, this knife is good, but it isn't something I would choose as the one knife I would take in the woods. You should ALWAYS take a high quality, dependable knife in the woods with you. Anyways, if I did lose my main blade, this knife would work just fine. 

The wire saw included in this kit isn't one of those cheap good for nothing wire saws marketed as military saws. It's the same type used by our US Army & Air Force Special Operations, the British SAS and other NATO/Allied Forces. This is one quality saw. Of course, its not as good as having a bow saw, but if you are in a survival situation, it works great. I must admit, it is a bit hard to use because it will snag on the wood occasionally, but once you turn it into a bow saw using a bent piece of wood as the bow, it works great. Taking everything into consideration, my rating for this saw as a SURVIVAL saw is 5/5. It is high quality and cuts wood amazingly.

The whistle, an ACME tornado whistle is quite a good whistle. Its extremely loud, and it glows in the dark to make the kit easier to find at night. The whistle is flat and compact. It is a quality plastic and does not use a pea. This whistle is great and I rate it as a 5/5. Its loud, glows in the dark, and is high quality.

The signal mirror included in the kit is a small folding mirror that when folded is 1x2” and when it is unfolded it is 2x3”. This is a unique mirror that you can only get from Ranger Rick, because he makes them himself. The mirror is made of acrylic plastic rather than glass is covered by a plastic sheet to prevent scratching, and comes folded and secured by ranger bands. Rating 5/5.

The flashlight is a great flashlight that uses a replaceable button cell. This light is very bright, compact and lightweight. One of the major pluses is that it has a momentary  AND permanent on switch. This feature is great for hands free work at night, or just using it to inspect something quickly.  So for the rating 5/5. 

The flint and magnesium fire starter is EXCELLENT. It is like one of those large flint and magnesium blocks from the stores, but this one is skinnier and much more convenient. Rick, I must know how you make these. They are just the best. As for its fire starting abilities, it works just the same as the larger versions. Rating: 6/5

The last component is the compass. This is a small button compass that is the exact same quality you would get from a more expensive kit. It works amazingly for the size. And plus, it works great for general direction. You wont have any problems with it pointing you in the wrong direction. BUT PLEASE, THIS IS ONLY A GENERAL DIRECTION COMPASS. Dont expect it to do what your brunton or silva compass can do.

Overall, I think this kit is amazing. Throw it in a pocket or clip it on your belt and you will forget you are carrying it. My overall rating of this kit is 9/10. Its small, lightweight and easy to carry. It might not have the highest quality components, but it will definitely perform superbly when called upon. And one day, it might even save your life. If you want more info, go to  http://survivaloutdoorskills.com. Or, go to youtube.com and search "Ranger Rick SOS Survival Kits". Thanks for readin my review. Have a great day.