I've outfitted many Altoids Tins (both big and little) for different uses, and the link below has some interesting ideas if this is new to you.

One day hubby watched me as I carefully pulled the metal cutting edge off of an empty box of plastic wrap and added it to an emergency Altoids tin. He made some reference to "MacGyver" and asked what that could be used for. A mini hacksaw.

I have one tin filled with plastic oven bags and mylar so I could use them for a make-shift solar oven. Such FUN!

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: Ways to reuse an altoids tin.

Cool link!

So I am thinking of mostly carrying spices:
- Salt and pepper, in tiny zip lock bags (those bags go down to 1/2" x 1/2").
- Powered garlic/onion mix, red pepper flakes, curry powder, and an "Italian" mix, in zip lock bags.
- A tiny spoon, to reach into the bags.
- Sugar cube(s)
- Boullion cube(s)
- Micro bottle of hot sauce or soy sauce
- Sandpaper glued to outside of tin, for sharpening knives
- Single edge razor blade, for making sushi of course

I can't decide if it is worth fitting a tiny piece of grater in there. Can you zest a lime with a razor blade?

Wait, another option is to pack a tin with the makings of an emergency meal.

For example:
- Red miso paste, cubed and wrapped in wax paper
- Green onion or seaweed, chopped and dehydrated
- Small tofu cubes, dehydrated
- Aluminum foil folded into a pot
- A cube of stove fuel
- A few matches and a striker
Result: emergency miso soup. The tin itself can be the stove.

Great question, John. I've done the emergency cook thing, but always found enough odds and ends to make a decent meal. Generally some kind of pasta or grain with a sauce. What I'd want would be fresh vegetables, but they wouldn't fit in a tin! The only other thing I've wanted is a good knife with a good edge, but, again, it wouldn't fit in the tin. Grainlady's saw is great for a true emergency, but I'm better there's a dull knife in the destination kitchen that's easier to use.

My list:
As big a bottle of hot sauce as will fit with everything else for disguising whatever disgusting glop is available (assuming there are no nice ingredients to cook with)

A couple of silicone bands for making something out of nothing.

A mini probe thermometer for checking the safety of unfamiliar ingredients in a difficult setting.

A middling pocket knife with a good blade and can opener. Middling to be sharp enough new to be really useful, but disposable (giveawayable) because it'll never be like new again.

A packet each of salt and pepper. They're our basic seasonings because they actually work. :)

Okay. I made a cooking Altoids kit:
- Swiss army knife with blades, corkscrew, bottle and can opener, etc.
- Salt, pepper, garlic/onion, red pepper, curry, Italian herbs - wrapped in plastic
- A package of soup broth mix

I also made a sickness Altoids kit:
- Tylenol and Tylenol PM tablets, 5 each
- Dayquil gels, 4
- Cough drops, 4
- Sore throat strips, 4
- Paper face mask
- Latex glove
- Vapor inhaler

And a college life Altoids kit:
- Ear buds
- Pencil
- Paperclip
- Safety Pin
- Matches and striker
- Razor blade
- Micro Leatherman with scissors, tweezers, flat screwdrivers, knife blade, bottle opener

Going to send these down to college for Daughter San. She'll think them funny.

If I made a kit..

Salt and pepper, red pepper flake, a couple cubes each of beef and chicken bouillon, a couple sugar cubes, a packet of thyme, one of dill, and if there was room, the rest in a milk powder packet. I can skip the Italian, but I can't do without thyme and dill- though if there were room for a bit of Italian, that would be prime.
I would also do the packets in the 2x3 bags and make sure they are really flat, so they stack nice and still leave the bit of room for the cubes.

A tiny container of coconut oil? More stable than evoo. Maybe in a lipbalm tin.