Vssl Survival
Queila Neubecker
Birthed via Kickstarter the VSSL kits come in a 9" long by 2" diameter anodized aluminum case that is rugged and just plain looks cool. At the top of the cylinder there's a nice 3-Mode LED flashlight that is the top cap and includes a high low and SOS beacon mode. The bottom cap a ridiculously nice oil-filled compass that flips over to reveal a 4 hour beeswax candle. Inside we have several marked round tins that contain essential survival gear and the kit even comes with round instructions that are coded to each tin that provide concise instructions how to use the contents of the kit.
At just under $100 U.S. (at the writing of this article) VSSL's cost may be resisted by the budget conscious, but for those who appreciate form and function the VSSL Supplies Survival Kit is a nice, basic kit for those that wants a practical, portable, and tough, preloaded kit for hunting, camping, backpacking, outdoor adventures, bug out bags, vehicles or general emergency preparedness or for those who what a good basic kit that they can tweak to meet their needs.
By shrinking the size of the flashlight and battery (without compromising its illuminating capabilities), VSSL creates room to add essential tools to keep you alive should you get stranded. Separate tins stored in the hollow VSSL contain kits that keep you hydrated, fed, safe, and able to signal for rescue.
A flashlight is useful. A flashlight that can hold an entire survival kit inside is indispensable. VSSL is about the same size as any other ruggedized full-sized flashlight, but by using LEDs and shrinking the battery, it also has room to fit seven water-resistant canisters and a candle inside.
A wax candle and fire starters can offer added illumination, warmth, and psychological comfort, which is one of the most valuable survival tools. A wire saw provides a way to cut wood to create tools and collect firewood. Trail markers help you find your way, while a whistle and a mirror help others find you. And a set of fishing tackle and a can opener help you nourish yourself as you wait for rescue.
If you don't have the desire, knowledge or time to put together a survival kit on your own, VSSL has you covered! Housed inside a waterproof aluminum cylinder, VSSL Supplies has 7 compartmentalized and labeled tins for different survival situations.
These tins consist of: a medical kit, fishing supplies, fire starter, mirror, trail markers, whistle, can opener, water purification, rope, razor blade, and a wire saw. In addition to the enclosed tins, one end of VSSL Supplies' cylinder is a 3 LED flashlight and the other is a compass. The flashlight has 3 settings (full, dim, and SOS). A beeswax candle is included as well.
There is something incredibly reassuring and simplistic about having a survival kit that is so easy to use and access. Since everything is in its own tin, VSSL Supplies is organized, unobtrusive, and customizable. Don't like one of the tins? Change the contents out for something else!
The aluminum cylinder itself is light, durable, and waterproof, so when its not in use (which is most of the time, I hope), it's not a nuisance. The supplies themselves seem to be pretty high quality and they end up on the correct side of the ultralight vs. ultracrappy divide (light but not junky). The 3 LED light is also phenomenal and it fills up large spaces evenly (similarly to a quality lantern).
Nothing is frivolous, nothing is incomplete. It's basic survival tools and that's the point! Don't like something? Modify, modify, modify! VSSL Supplies would also be a great backup to bring along just in case something happens to your "go to gear" (lighters, med kit, purification system, or headlamp).
The cons of VSSL Supplies are also its pros. Because it's basic and compartmentalized, in a prolonged emergency you would probably find yourself wanting a more substantial kit. However, VSSL Supplies wasn't designed to be a comprehensive solution to longterm survival; it was designed to be a quick and light kit for the unexpected.
If you are looking to shed every available ounce and utilize every inch of your pack, the cylindrical shape of VSSL Supplies might also be a deterrent. The tins themselves add a great level of organization, but all the survival tools found in the VSSL Supplies could be packed in a lighter more compact way (crammed in a baggy or a small dry bag). But that's the point right? You forfeit a small bit of space and weight for a big chunk of convenience and accessibility.
Convenient, complete, and well made, I dig the simplicity of VSSL Supplies. It's got everything you need for a quick outing and it ensures you don't accidentally leave the basics behind. Its durability and waterproofness keep it out of mind while not in use, and its full range of tools make it incredibly useful when needed!
The VSSL Camp Supplies kit contains camping essentials / survival items packaged inside an extremely rugged aluminum tube the size of a large flashlight. I'm trying to remember how I initially found out about the nifty VSSL Camp Supplies and I think I must have run across it on a Google search or a search on Youtube for survival kit reviews. If you haven't seen any of the reviews done by Kitbashed Survival on Youtube, then you should try a few as I think he has a nice down to earth reviewing style. Anyhow, when I first saw the VSSL Camping Supplies kit I instantly thought it was great implementation of a concept to have all your outdoors essentials in a handy compact package.
Before I continue, since this is a blog that is mostly about Japan, there was another urban survival kit tube created back in 2015 by the Tokyo design company Nendo. Their kit was a long cylindrical tube of five connectable modules that contained items to get you to an evacuation centre after a disaster such as an earthquake. The modules contained a crank powered radio / battery that could also charge a phone, a rechargable LED lamp, a rain poncho, drinking water / cup, a whistle, and a small essentials kit for your personal medicines and a bit of first-aid. This Minim+Aid kit would just hang in your closet or coat rack and be ready at a moments notice, just like these VSSL kits. A very different design and much larger than the VSSL kits, but totally tubular designs seem to be universally cool. I also have a post about Japanese emergency food here.
VSSL sells their standard kits on Amazon if you're looking for them, but it is pretty easy to shop directly from their web site. Their standard large (7.5" tube) Camp Supplies kit has been reviewed a fair bit with the best reviews on Youtube where you can also see the VSSL trailers for their products. The Camp Supplies tube is a great place to start if you're thinking of getting one as it has a wide variety of useful gear. Their products aren't cheap, but it is a good quality product, and I've seen people say they've bought kits on sale too. VSSL is a Canadian company that has used Kickstarter and their most recent product was the snazzy looking VSSL Java for grinding your coffee beans in the wild.
I decided to do a custom build on my order as I kind of liked the carabiner compass and I thought the slightly smaller 5.7" tube would pack pretty much everything I would need in a slightly more compact size. My custom build did cost a little more and after having done it, I think I would actually stick with their standard 7.5" Camp Supplies kit for the two extra slots of space as it really isn't much longer, but I do like the carabiner compass and the golden wheat colour of the tube I have. If you get the regular kit, you can get it in either silver or black.
These cylindrical kits, with the modular tins of gear inside are quite cool and it isn't a surprise that they have won some innovation awards. The use of the ends of the tube for a flashlight on one end and a good compass on the other end are pretty innovative. There isn't a lot of wasted space on this kit and both the end pieces and tubes are made of strong aluminum for durability and have gaskets for waterproofing. The VSSL is also quite light and weighs in at about a pound.
The custom build I ordered had most of the items that the regular kit had minus 2 small tins (cannisters) and a compressed bamboo cloth. The two small tins I was missing were a trail / adventure tape roll, and a misc. gear tin. The large tube stores 9 small tins, and the medium tube I got stores 7 small tins.
After I received the VSSL tube, I started reviewing all of this gear and I think I would replace the fishing kit with the miscellaneous gear tin that includes a whistle and mirror which is missing from my kit. VSSL doesn't really advertise this as a survival kit, but a camping essentials kit, even though many of the items work for both cases. I don't really fish, so other gear for a camping or hiking would be more useful to me. You can buy refills or extra tins on their website too.
The VSSL kit customizer on their website is pretty cool and you could tinker around on it for quite awhile as there are dozens of tins available. They have more first-aid options and there are components that use their large tins (equivalent to two small tins) so there is a fair bit of variety. In my medium-sized custom build I pretty much have most of the basics and then some, but having a bit more never hurts, especially when you consider the fairly compact size for the tube. The tube is only 2 inches in diameter and it is less and a foot in length, so it really isn't that big. In videos and in photos, the kit looks bigger than it feels in person.
The design of this kit is pretty slick and the modular design is a very utilitarian and attractive proposition. A great deal of gear is packed into these tins. It is pretty cool to be able to just slide all of the tins out of the tube and the labeling of the tins is clean and concise. I quite like the design of the kit and it will be handy to take along on outings. The small size of the tube is both an advantage and disadvantage from what I have seen. The advantage is that it is compact, fits into your pack easily, and it can be held like a flashlight or just in hand comfortably. The disadvantage is that it doesn't lend itself to larger items.
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