Man makes 'wilderness wedding survival kit' boxes for his groomsmen

"I wanted to go the extra mile for them and do something custom and special."

ByABC News
May 24, 2017, 2:48 PM

— -- Ryan Johnstone is making sure his groomsmen are prepared to venture to his wedding’s remote location -- in the Sierra Nevadas in the Lake Tahoe region of California -- in style.

He made each of them oak “wilderness wedding survival kit” boxes for the weekend, personalizing them with an initial, he said.

“All of my groomsmen are scattered around the country,” Johnstone, 33, of Los Gatos, California, told ABC News. “They’re a mixture of high school friends, college friends, and new friends I've made since moving to the West Coast. We've all ended up in different geographic locations due to our careers, but we remain very close. Because they are traveling so much for the bachelor party and wedding, I wanted to go the extra mile for them and do something custom and special.”

PHOTO: Ryan Johnstone of Los Gatos, California, with his bride-to-be.
Ryan Johnstone of Los Gatos, California, with his bride-to-be.

The gifts inside included an engraved hatchet, bottle of whiskey, bullet beer opener and a flask, which he thought would fit his mountain wedding theme perfectly.

“We all like to camp, and I use my hatchet all the time,” he explained. “I figured I would put a personal touch to it by making a custom box to present the hatchets to them. I decided to add the other items to make it almost a wilderness wedding survival kit.”

PHOTO: Ryan Johnstone of Los Gatos, California, made DIY "ultimate wilderness wedding survival kit" boxes for his groomsmen
Ryan Johnstone of Los Gatos, California, made DIY "ultimate wilderness wedding survival kit" boxes for his groomsmen.

Johnstone made the red oak boxes himself, and he purchased the gifts inside from craft stores.

“The hatchets are Estwing and can be found at any hardware store. They have a nice leather grip, and the shop I purchased them from offered engraving in the handle, so I had their names put on each one,” he said. “The .50 caliber bullet bottle opener comes from a shop near me in Santa Cruz, and they offer custom engraving. I had them engrave ‘2017’ on one side and ‘Legion of Groom’ on the other, since that is what we’ve been embarrassingly and shamefully calling ourselves. The flask has a wood skin, and I thought it fit the theme nicely. I thought the bottle of Bulleit Bourbon whiskey was appropriate because it's a frontier whiskey.”

PHOTO: Ryan Johnstone of Los Gatos, California, made DIY "ultimate wilderness wedding survival kit" boxes for his groomsmen.
Ryan Johnstone of Los Gatos, California, made DIY "ultimate wilderness wedding survival kit" boxes for his groomsmen.

The boxes have a bit more of a personal touch, made with Johnstone’s blood, sweat and tears.

“I had the first letter of each of their last name put on top of the lid,” he said. “I used brass hinges and brass latches that I found online through hobby sites and used a process to age the brass. I also found and aged a brass chain for a chain stay to keep the lid propped up. Inside the box I used a few layers of foam and burlap to create an inlay for the gifts to fit snugly inside. The foam and burlap can be removed easily so they can use the box for whatever they want."

PHOTO: Ryan Johnstone of Los Gatos, California, made DIY "ultimate wilderness wedding survival kit" boxes for his groomsmen.
Ryan Johnstone of Los Gatos, California, made DIY "ultimate wilderness wedding survival kit" boxes for his groomsmen.

“Knowing these guys, they will enjoy each item,” Johnstone added. “Most of all, I hope to see the boxes sitting in their homes for years to come.”

He said it took him a “long time” to complete the six boxes. Each one weighs about 15 pounds.

“I plan on giving the boxes to them the morning of the wedding when I give them the bow ties, socks and cuff links to finish off their outfits,” said Johnstone. “I only have about a four-hour drive to take them to Tahoe. The groomsmen will have to travel much further with them, so I may have to offer to mail them after the wedding if they can't fit them in their checked luggage.”

His bride-to-be has gifts planned for her bridesmaids, but “she admits she won’t be able to top my gifts,” he said.