Pill Bottle Survival Kit

August 8, 2023 By Contributor 27 Comments

Here we have an incredibly simple survival kit that you can make at home that covers the essentials of survival and and could very well save your life if you are ever stranded out in the wilderness with nothing but this kit and the clothes on your back.

Most everything in this kit can be found in your very own house. Here are all the instructions for putting it together.

how-to-make-a-survival-kit — How to Make a Survival Kit in a Pill Bottle

Supplies and Tools You Will Need:

You can find all of these materials at your local grocery store. Once you have collected all of these materials lay them out in front of you. First, before you pack your mini survival kit, you will need to prepare a few things from the items above.

Things You Will Need to Make from Your Items:

Mini Fire Starter Straws:

1. Take your soda straws and cut them into one inch pieces.

2. Take one piece of cut straw and hold it on one end by the pliers, with 1/8 inch exposed.

3. Use your lighter or matches to seal the straw shut.

4. Using your stick to get it inside, place cotton in the straw. Use as much as you can fit, but make sure to leave some room in the straw to seal it later.

5. Using your pliers, hold the straw about 1/8 inch from the unsealed end and seal it up

6. You will need to make 3 of these for your pill bottle, but feel free to make extras for other uses.

Salt Straws:

1. Make these using the same steps as fire starter straws above, but instead of cotton, you fill the straw with salt. Seal same way as above.

Neosporin Straws:

1. Make these using the same steps as fire starter straws above, but instead of cotton, you fill the straw with Neosporin. Seal same way as above.

Match Striker:

Cut out the part of match box that you use to strike a match. This is your match striker.

Now its time to organize your items and place them in to your pill bottle.

homemade-survival-kit — Homemade Survival Kit: Get everything you need ready, like this.

3 Mini Fire Starter Straws
1 Neosporin straw
1 Salt straw
3 Matches
Match striker
3 Feet of duct tape
2 Safety pins
2 Advil
1 Birthday candle
Bandaid
1 Fishing hook
1 Fishing weight
1 Razor blade
Fishing line
Aluminum foil
Needle and Thread

Tips and Tricks:

Here are a few tricks for a few of the items you will be placing into your pill bottle.

The duct tape can be rolled onto itself so that it can be unrolled easily. Just lay your piece flat and start slowly rolling it up, making sure that the edges are lined up.

The fishing line can be rolled onto a straw or a bobbin for easy storage without tangles and getting everything else tied into its web.

The razor blade should be placed into the bottle with a small piece of tape over the edge so that it does not poke or cut any of the other very valuable pieces inside the bottle.

Wrap the thread around one of your straw pieces to keep it from tangling.

And there you have it! Your very own fancy Survival kit that you can fit into your pocket that may very well save your life.

Check out my ultimate mini-survival kit and no assembly required. Shop for it here.

Like this post?

Be sure to like us on Facebook (button below) so you can be the first to know about latest project updates as well as great DIY articles.

Pin It so you can come back to it and follow us on Pinterest to get latest project pins.

Let us know in the comments below! Your feedback matters. The more interest we get in posts, the more likely we are to do more like that.

Comments

Stephanie says

November 17, 2013 at 3:39 am

This looks great

Log in to Reply
- Geof says
  
  January 29, 2014 at 2:50 pm
  
  If it will fit, put the fishing weight inside the straw. You can seal one end if you want. Also, put the fishing hook down inside the straw so it hooks over the edge. A small piece of tape will hold it in place so it doesn’t come out, and it keeps the hook and the weight from coming out. In this way, you can maximize your space and put a couple hooks and weights in instead of just one. Don’t wrap the line around the hook, since you may not want to unwind it all just to get the hook out.
  
  Log in to Reply
  - Stephanie says
    
    January 29, 2014 at 3:05 pm
    
    Awesome suggestion. Going to try that out. Love the idea of adding several hooks. Thanks!
    
    Log in to Reply
    - Brian says
      
      March 16, 2014 at 9:04 pm
      
      I warped the duck tape on the out side of the bottle so you can get to it easer and get more of it
      
      Log in to Reply
      - Ruth Ann says
        
        April 15, 2014 at 1:58 pm
        
        I like the idea of wrapping the duct tape around the outside of the bottle because it leaves more room to add an item or two to the inside of the bottle. It also helps to water proof the bottle. Duct tape is so versatile that it can be used for so many different things. I would also suggest some of the rubbery bandage tape that hospitals use. It works great if you need to tightly wrap a bad cut because it stretches.
Terry says

December 6, 2013 at 5:05 pm

Just thinking that the duct tape could be wrapped around the outside of the pill bottle and make more room for items inside.

Log in to Reply
- Stephanie says
  
  December 8, 2013 at 11:19 pm
  
  That is a great idea. Thanks! It was an interesting challenge to see what might fit inside, also what the items were a priority to put in.Let me know if you have ideas for other small items.
  
  Log in to Reply
  - eric says
    
    January 16, 2014 at 2:13 am
    
    I added toothpicks and also cut q-tips in half and stored the halfs in straws.stored my needle in a straw and wrapped the thread around it. the fishing kit i did was diffrent i used two small slit shot that fit in a straw with two small hooks,swivel, and wrapped my fishing line around it(all items were in a 1.25in. straw). added twist ties from garbage bags and wrapped the bottle in a paracord pouch. i have some old spice jars that are little bigger than pill bottle and still fit in your pocket i’m going to try a diffrent type kit for that.
    
    Log in to Reply
    - Tex Arcana says
      
      January 18, 2014 at 3:32 am
      
      This should be added to this article,excellent suggestions.
      
      Log in to Reply
Gater says

February 25, 2014 at 4:05 am

For the fire starters, place a small amount of petroleum jelly on the cotton and work it into the cotton before placing it in the straw. It will go in the straw easier and it takes only a spark to ignite the cotton once the petroleum jelly has been absorbed.

Log in to Reply
- Josh Fulford says
  
  December 1, 2022 at 5:19 pm
  
  You can also put the Neosporin on cotton. If you need a fire starter it’ll work the same. If you need first aid it will double as that.
  
  Log in to Reply
Dell says

March 18, 2014 at 4:04 am

You have a lot of fresh ideas that I never have thought of. Thank you

Log in to Reply
dewj1 says

March 19, 2014 at 1:29 am

I like the idea of making a paracord pouch that the bottle fits in for easier carrying. I would add a carabiner clip so that I could hook it on my belt. The pouch could be taken apart if needed, paracord can be very useful in a emergency.

Log in to Reply
Jonathan R says

April 1, 2014 at 4:15 pm

I had a couple thoughts after reading the article. The kit you built would be very helpful in a survival situation, but I would add a few things. Dental floss is extremely useful because it is strong when used as cord or fishing line, and is usually waxed, so in a pinch it could be used as tinder to help light a fire. The razor blade is useful because you always want a cutting tool but a small, sharp, good quality pocket knife would be much easier to handle. This is especially true if, for example, you were starting to experience hypothermia or other emergency and were starting to lose dexterity in your hands. If it would fit, a small (half height) butane lighter would be a lot more useful than a few matches because it would provide far more than two or three lights and is not damaged if it gets wet like matches are. One last thought is that prescription pill bottles come in multiple sized, and some are far bigger than others. The largest I’ve seen is about the diameter of a small Redbull can but a bit shorter. A larger pill bottle would be bulkier to carry, but would also hold far more useful items, but would be bulkier to carry.

Log in to Reply
brent says

April 20, 2014 at 11:35 pm

once all items are in pill bottle tighten lid firmly and dip bottle upside down in melted wax. this not only weather proofs whole kit but allows you to use wax for help starting fires.

Log in to Reply
Andrew says

May 1, 2014 at 6:39 am

While I do agree with the items you placed in the kit I kind of disagree with the qty of the items for usefulness. There is always kits posted online that are small as in the case of people making kits that fit in altoid tins etc. While it is fun to see what you can fit in a small kit in some ways it is a bit unpractical. If it is just a redundant kit for in a pocket or in a certain carry item it isn’t a bad idea. My concern would be that some people may have a false sense of security and not pack a larger more thorough kit with larger amounts of the materials you mentioned. You have the right idea as long as its a little EDC quick access kit and not to be used as a primary one.

Log in to Reply
- Mark says
  
  July 26, 2014 at 7:20 am
  
  Regarding size issues: A bigger, more complete kit is better if you have the choice, but I’ve heard said that the best survival tool is the one you have with you when you need it (for instance, a 2″ folding knife you slip in your pocket every day vs. an awesome hunting knife you only strap on once in a while).
  So prepare both big and small kits, or even better, a couple big and several small kits. Stash them where you might need them, such as the glove box of every vehicle, and carry one in situations you might be likely to need one.
  
  Log in to Reply
John says

September 10, 2014 at 5:21 am

Your survival kit truly is very well sorted and of course in case of necessity will help increase the chance of survival in a dangerous situation.
But I’m a little concerned about the Neosporin Ointment which is known to contribute to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In the US, the only large market for Neosporin, the ointment has been shown to promote the prevalence of MRSA bacteria, specifically the highly lethal ST8:USA300 strain.
So my advise would be to take Povidone-iodine, PVP-I has been formulated at concentrations of 7.5–10.0% in solution, spray, surgical scrub, ointment, and swab dosage forms. It is available without a prescription under the brand name Pyodine, Wokadine, Polydine, Betadine and ZOVI.
Take care!
John

Log in to Reply
- Sandra says
  
  November 19, 2014 at 11:25 pm
  
  Vitamin E oil. The pure kind. Or even honey..the REAL kind. Both are healers.
  
  Log in to Reply
Sandra says

November 19, 2014 at 11:26 pm

I’ve tried the straw thing. Mine just melt. Is there a trick?

Log in to Reply
chris says

April 6, 2015 at 2:13 pm

has anyone actually put this kit together and used it? if so could you please reply with a testimony that i could use for my public speech class thanks.

Log in to Reply
- Deborah says
  
  July 24, 2023 at 12:01 pm
  
  There are videos of people making these little kits and using them for a night in the woods. The only thing extra this one guy had brought was a can of beans. He actually did it. My kit will be more for the urban situation not for wilderness. My opinion is having this little kit is better than having nothing.
  
  Log in to Reply
chris says

April 6, 2015 at 3:30 pm

hi
i was wondering if anyone has made this kit? if so could i get a testimonial from you for a speech im doing for a class. please and thanks.
-chris

Log in to Reply
Colleen Douglas says

May 23, 2023 at 1:12 pm

Wrap tape around the outside of the bottle then wrap some paracord around that. Ads another item to the list

Log in to Reply