I've wanted one for years, but was conflicted as to which one was "better" for my needs (or whether I should just buy both!).
Initially, I was leaning towards the PSK, because it has a (single) Fresnel lens and a Spark Lite, however most of the other items were less interesting to me.
Eventually, I found good sources for Fresnel lenses (10 packs!), and a Spark Lite, so shifted my interest to the SOL, mainly due to the Heatsheet, but was still dithering (I'd already picked up a couple of Heatsheets).
During this year's REI Spring mega sale, I popped in to a store to pick up some Mountain House entrees, and (of course!) wandered by the gadget section.
I noticed much of AMK's line had new packaging, took a closer look, and was pleasantly surprised to see that they'd changed the SOL.It now has a Spark Lite instead of matches, and has been renamed the "SOL Scout".
The Spark Lite is (in many ways) a vastly superior fire starting tool than matches, so I now view this as the "best" AMK mini survival kit (IMO).
It was one of the items on sale, and was a great deal at $18.69, so I ordered one online (after checking other vendors - currently, Amazon has them for $20.37).
I've tried out all of the major components (not the mirror and micro fishing kit), and am very pleased with them.
If you've never tried a Heatsheet, they're worth the extra money!
Much tougher, and quieter than $1 mylar blankets.
3 1/2 years ago, I picked up my first (single sized) one at a Dick's Sporting Goods store for about $3 (on sale).
Currently, the usual price is about $4 for the single sized, about $6 for the double ("1-2 person") sized.
The single does not have "survival instructions" printed on it, the double does.
Both are colored the same "safety" orange on one side.
The Spark Lite can be operated one-handed, and is functional even with my multiply-damaged, RSI ("Repetitive Strain Injuries"), very weak, wee hands.
The one that comes in the "Scout" is cosmetically different from a regular Spark Lite, but works just the same, and as well.
The packaging refers to it as a "Fire Lite Sparker" - I did a quick net search, but didn't spot any obvious explanation for the name change. It works, which is good enough for me.
The compass, whistle, and duct tape are all pretty standard, and work fine (ok, I have not actually used the duct tape, but assume it's quality stuff and, um, works the same way as all other duct tape).
I have not yet used the tinder-quik, nor done a water tightness test on the Aloksak.
And now, some pictures...
front, full package:
main items:
top part of packaging:
back of packaging:
without packaging:
sparker and tinder-quik:
heatsheet:
whistle, duct tape, compass, fishing kit, signal mirror:
fishing kit:
signal mirror & instruction sheet:
Bottom line:
Highly recommended, if you do not already have the key components, or, like me, want duplicates.
I already had one of each key item, but all are core components to any good emergency kit, and it was the cheapest & easiest way to get another set.
If you don't own a Heatsheet, please consider buying at least that, separately.
In all my primary kits, I have two cheap mylar emergency blankets (for use as "expendables"), and one Heatsheet.
For a decade, I had a "Sportsman's Blanket" (a hybrid between a light tarp and a mylar blanket), but it gradually fell apart. I had been planning to replace it with a new one, but instead I've standardized on Heatsheets (still have a regular tarp in my car, of course). You can buy two large Heatsheets for less, and they take up considerably less space, with about the same heat saving benefit.
I've used one of mine to sleep in my car in the winter (on top of a fleece blanket), and regularly use it during winter on top of my blankets so I can keep the thermostat down.
They're not just human proof... they're manic kitten proof!
Recently, I stayed with friends who have a new kitten who sometimes "hung" with me (I work from home, so I was the only person around most of the day). Early on, she found the Heatsheet which I'd used during an early Fall cold snap (before we had the furnace on), and had subsequently fallen mostly off the bed. She prompted decided it would make a great "nest".
When I realized she'd disappeared for an awfully long time, and "found" her, I was about to (gently) dislodge her when I decided to let her have carte blanche with it, as a stress test. Two months later, both kitten and Heatsheet are fine, despite several paw sessions reshaping "her" nest.
). For almost anything, including wounds large enough to be life threatening due to blood loss, the above combo works wonders. Just wipe and coat with iodine, then gauze, then duct tape as a compressing waterproof bandage. Just be careful not to wrap too tightly as you don't want to cut circulation to extremities "downstream" from the wound.
I think my team will use them on First Aid contest, we have an "embedded" photographer, I'll ask for the pictures and post here. Also, a new addition on our team is an paramedic from Israel, as second instructor, he dealt more than us with explosions victims and I'll ask his opinion too. I saw in an new US Army manual the use of the Israeli bandage, seems to be a great improvement vs. what I did last weekend: