The best survival items small enough to fit in your wallet

In the scenario where you are putting together a set for everyday use (comparable to an EDC), you need something small, lightweight, that is easy to carry and still compact enough not to bother you, be seen, or not fit somewhere. Moreover, you need something you have on you 24 hours a day.

If you are like the foreign author of the article, you probably never let your wallet out of sight. It contains your driving license, your insurance card, and a collection of credit cards; it is everything you need in modern society, so for the article's author, it is the wallet that is always at hand.

You can generally keep two types of items here. Some are designed to be carried this way and shaped like a credit card, fitting perfectly into your wallet. But there are also things that are naturally small and fit here, although not designed this way. Both types of items are, of course, worth considering when putting together a miniature everyday carry set. 

In your survival wallet, you should certainly not miss water purification tablets and logically any other pills and medications you need. If you're a fan of them, you can also add 10 multi-vitamins. After all, in the woods / while surviving, one does not usually have top-notch nutrition...

Just as with other survival items, these will focus on the four basic needs of your/our survival ideally: food, water, fire, and shelter. Other priorities that are also suitable include first aid, orientation, signaling, or something for self-defense.

Generally, it is best to look for items that have more than one use. As always, an item that can replace several others is a clear winner under these conditions and will make your constantly carried money set more efficient. In today's article, we will try to answer what the most useful things are that you can constantly carry in a survival wallet. 

Multi-tools

One of the best and most popular items to carry and still in the “credit card shape” is a multi-tool. Just be aware that most of them are not as functional and good as manufacturers often present them. Some bend, others are too thin, ... it's definitely essential to choose a quality multi-tool and thoroughly test it before adding it to your set. Even so, there are quite a few decent ones on the market.

The functions and features you find on them include: screwdrivers, can openers, nail extractors, rulers, ... But these are the more basic ones; more equipped pieces also have compasses, different types of blades, sewing awls, tweezers, fire starters and strikers, lenses for igniting tinder, compasses, toothpicks, scissors, pliers, LED flashlights, fishing hooks, sewing needles, trap wires, ... 

Much depends on your specific needs and the manufacturer, but it is undoubtedly disappointing that most similar manufacturers focus on screws. While it's certainly useful, it probably won't be your priority in a survival situation. 

Ideally, you want at least a “twelve tools in one” model made of durable plastic and metal: it should have a large enough blade, several fire-starting methods, two signaling methods (whistle and fire or built-in mirror), a compass, and a magnifying glass. This meets the basics for surviving a few days outside of civilization more than perfectly.

However, there are also “twenty-two tools in one” versions on the market, all made of stainless steel. It completely breaks down into tools mainly intended for food gathering. There are even three arrowheads for a bow – small, medium, and triple for fish. There are two types of fish hooks, totaling nine pieces. Also, two small saws and hooks for traps/fish lures that attract them by random movement and shine. And the creators also included a needle/awl for sewing. 

Another type has twenty-one pieces of equipment and is stainless: besides the normal and serrated blade, there is also a gutting hook, an arrow (which, at first glance, can withstand more than the previous three smaller ones), and four sizes of screws. One of the most attractive functions is that it can be disassembled and, after insertion and fixation into wood, used as a hatchet. 

Multi-tools are like Swiss Army knives from Victorinox – the more gadgets you have on them, the better, just ensure you will use them and they won't interfere with functionality. The more tools these toys have, the more thoughtful the manufacturer must be.

Band-aids

The truth is you can put several in your wallet, and you won't even notice the weight or volume. They are very light and thin; moreover, you never know when you might cut yourself in stress/darkness or slip somewhere undernourished, or stab some sharp tool during careless handling of a multi-tool (always be careful, it's a collection of sharp tools!). 

Instead of a ton of old receipts, ballast, and expired cards, clean out your wallet and put in a few band-aids. 

Few of us can unequivocally claim to be perfect experts on local mushrooms. Yet, compared to plants, they are a much better (and moreover, virtually year-round!) source of protein (about 5% mushrooms vs. 1% plants); moreover, this knowledge can significantly improve your survival chances. Cooking mushrooms without seasoning is dull, but it will fill your stomach.

What other small items are suitable to have in your wallet, as they are small enough and designed for this purpose?

There are other survival items specifically designed to be carried in your wallet – one of the most basic items is a full-fledged folding mini-knife. The knife has a credit card shape and two joints where it folds to create a handle. It is usually a full-tang type blade and still weighs only about 15 grams with a 2.5” working blade. 

It will certainly be better than nothing for defense. If a thief demands your wallet, you can inconspicuously slip your finger inside, pull it out, and be ready to defend before they know what's happening. And there is no dispute about how useful a knife is for building shelters, fishing, making traps, starting fires, and performing tons of other survival functions. 

Another item often found in similar sets is a plastic magnifying glass for starting a fire. Since it is plastic, it is lighter and somewhat flexible, so nothing happens if you sit on it. But it suffers more from scratches. Its size is usually just right to give you a chance of starting a fire with the help of sunlight. However, we remind you that it is extraordinarily challenging and requires ideal conditions (direct and bright sunlight of sufficient intensity, so it is hopeless with the slightest cloudiness – especially in winter and northern latitudes) and dry, extraordinarily fine tinder. 

A less common item in similar survival sets is a lock pick/set of lock picks. People sometimes find themselves in an unpleasant situation (e.g., between the hall and the dining door at work) after a power outage. It requires significant knowledge on your part, so if you want to open handcuffs or a lock put on by a thief, you must train for weeks. Still, it is useful elsewhere. By the way, most lock picks have a card shape, so no one will take them upon a quick inspection. 

Many signal mirrors are designed to be pocket-sized, so finding one that fits into your wallet should not be a problem. Mirrors are primarily signaling tools (alerting boats, planes, and other people to your location), but it can also help if you need to perform a medical procedure on your body and can't see there. A proper signaling mirror is easy to recognize – it has a cross built precisely in the middle for easier aiming and signaling. Logically, a signaling mirror will not work in cloudy conditions or when you are between the target and the sun. 

For those with a collection of weapons, tools in the form of a card can dismantle some. The most popular is the AR-15 / civilian clone of the American M-16, so that the supply is the richest for it. If you ever have to carry a weapon all day, it will undoubtedly be very useful in field conditions. 

Another tool specifically designed to be carried in your wallet, although for a different type of survival, is worth mentioning: if a modern criminal steals your identity/card, they will empty your account in minutes. They use a contactless RFID reader, so if you want to ensure security, get an RFID signal blocking credit card. 

Solving the dilemma between a multi-tool knife and a proper and genuine multi-tool is undoubtedly challenging. If you feel the knife is a better choice for you, of course, give it preference. It has its advantages, primarily a better grip and the fact that all gadgets are inside, not threatening your hand.

Other small items that you can also add

There are small items not primarily designed for the wallet, but their inclusion in your survival wallet is tempting. And again, the priority is the four pillars of survival:

• Fishing hooks – the article's author likes to keep them in the wallet simply because they are difficult to make from natural materials and will undoubtedly facilitate your fishing attempts if forced to live in the wilderness for a while on its gifts. 
• Paracord – another item that takes up minimal space in terms of weight but has incredible practical benefit. Quality Paracord can also be unwound into individual fibers, giving you either a longer rope or more of the same length for various actions (tying and patching equipment, fishing line, making a bow to help start a fire, ...). There is also a version with wire inside, a fish hook, or material added to aid burning.
• Water purification tablets – getting water into your wallet is impossible (maybe eye drops), but a few water purification tablets are manageable and unnoticeable. Add a few small plastic bags, too, so you can collect water in nature, put the tablets in, and drink from them. One tablet is usually for a liter of water, and it takes at least 35 minutes for it to work. They can be invaluable at times. Naturally, avoid suspicious-looking water, don't use them on water smelling of metals or chemicals, etc.
• Small compass – although luxury proponent of compasses cannot (unfortunately rightly) name them, even the most basic orientation is surely usable. Just keep it away from anything metal and place it on the flattest surface.  
• Fire starter – today, fire starters + strikers are small enough to fit into your wallet. Fire starters are the only choice for 100% waterproof, windproof conditions and don’t require additional fuel, just really excellent tinder. Have something carbon steel for a maximum of sparks with it.

Another thing to consider is pieces of wire (traps) that can be shaped as needed, unlike strings.

What to decide for your survival wallet?

The content of your survival wallet must reflect your specific needs. Think carefully about what to include here. You will always be limited by the wallet’s limited space and comfortable carrying. Some people genuinely dislike a packed wallet, while others might not mind and prefer more gear. The general rule, however, is that even here, multifunctional items should be prioritized. Do not underestimate the quality – what is the point of the cheapest multi-tool if it bends at the first use?