Goodevening Folks,

I said on an earlier post that I would list the items in the Personal Survival Kit assembled by the kids I recently taught a very basic wilderness survival course to. I apologise for no photographs, I do not have a digital camera.

The biggest constraint on this exercise was cost (we made 90 of these kits) items were purchased in large amounts and seperated. Due to the cost limitations the items were not of the "best quality" but were fully functional to use and start training with. Each complete kit cost approximately $15.00 (Can).

Container
Plastic, air-tight, yellow container, 3.5"x3.5"x1.5" size, orange reflective tape on sides, shiny aluminium tape on bottom, yellow label on lid with: name of person issued to and date, S.T.O.P Procedure and Contents List. Sealed with 2 feet of red electric tape and 2 wide elestic bands.

Fire
1- Mini Bic Butane Lighter (gas valve taped closed)
1- Pack Paper Matches (sealed in plastic)
6- Waterproof/Windproof Matches with striker (sealed in plastic)
1- Firestarter Packet (solid fuel, sealed in plastic wrapper)
1- Birthday Candle (bright colour, wrapped in aluminium foil)
3- Cotton Balls (untreated)
1- Magnifying Glass (part of 4 in 1 tool)

Signal
1- Mirror (2"x3" plastic, lanyard hole, use instructions on back)
1- Orange Flaggging Tape (6 feet long)
1- Whistle (plastic, pealess, with tie cord, part of 4 in 1 tool)

Illumination
1- LED Flashlight (small, squeeze to activate)

Navigation
1- Button Compass (part of 4 in 1 tool)

Hazard Protection
1- Insect Repellent Packet (Deep Woods OFF wipe)

Medical Group
3- Adhesive Bandages (1 medium, 2 large, Band-Aid Flex Fablic)
3- Alcohol Antiseptic Wipes (individual packets)

Miscellanous and Multi-Purpose
4- Safety Pins (4 sizes)
3- Sewing Needles (1 large/magnitized and indicated, 2 small)
1- Sewing Thread (10 feet, black colour, very strong)
3- Nails (1 Medium, 2 small)
1- Masons Cord (10 feet, 150lb strength, yellow colour)
1- Duct Tape (1 foot, wrapped around pencil, red colour)
1- Pencil (3 inches long)
3- Sheets Paper (Post-It notes, 3" x 3", yellow colour)
1- Emery Cloth (1 inch x 3 inch)
1- Coin (Quarter)
1- Thermometer (part of 4 in 1 tool)
1- Fishing Line (45 feet, 12lb mono. line)
6- Fishhooks (small to medium)
6- Fishing Sinkers (small to medium)
1- Snare Wire (20ga brass, 6 feet long)
1- Aluminum Foil (heavy duty type, 16" x 16")
1- Plastic Bag (medium size, zipper lock)
1- Hacksaw Blade (3 inch section)
1- Razor Blade (single edged, guarded)
1- Utility Blade (2.5 inch long, guarded)
1- Survival Instruction Sheet


As a seperate unit the following was elestic-banded together.

Shelter
1- Trash Bag (heavy duty, 127 litre size, orange colour)
1- Mylar Emergency Blanket (silver, in plastic packet)
1- Pack Paper Matches (in plastic packet with mylar blanket)

The kids (ages 12 to 17) were able to assemble these kits in 10 to 20 minutes (all items were prepared in advance).

I would like to include/change:
- Spark based fire-starting method (Spark-lite, Ferro Rod)
- Chemical based water purification system (Micro-pur)
- Folding Small Knife (with locking blade)
- A second quarter coin (pay phone is now 50 cents!)
- Packet of sunscreen (SPF 30+)
- Metal container instead of plastic
- Heetsheet blanket instead of mylar blanket

Unfortunately the above items would significantly add to the cost of each kit.

Any constructive comments or suggestions are most welcome as I will be teaching this basic course to a new group of kids in November and have time to change the contents before then.

Thanks,

Mike

GOOD THINKING..
looks like a quality kit an adult could use in an wilderness
survival sitution...a couple thoughts
large Bic's are easy to handle..no paper matches but more
waterproof ones..real candle--stubs work fine..no cotton balls..more flagging--a very good idea for lost kids--20 feet or
so in a "L" pattern would mark their spot for searchers..
more cord..more duct tape for making a shelter rather that
trying to lash poles..more OFF wipes..an LED with a off/on switch so they don't have to hold it all the time..water proof
paper??the trash bag is a great idea and i would have a Mylar
bag rather than a blanket...
i was beating my brains last winter trying to come up with
gear to go into PFD pockets for this springs canoe trip so
i have run over a lot of the same items and their use in my
mind several times..if your up in Canada i assume your kids
are going to be a bit "bush wise" going into this..
good luck--

Nice kit! And only $15!

One little suggestion - you can replace 1x127 liters trash bag with 2x55 liter's. More versatile (IMO). For example, you can use them over your legs to protect from wet grass, mud, water, and bugs (Not sure about orange 55 liters availability though).

Pretty good for $15 bucks, much better than a lot of kits out there for about five times as much. And it blows my first kit out of the water.

Where did you find the containers?

The cheapest spark based fire starting item would probably be a BSA Hot Spark. They're pretty reasonably priced at around $2.50. Of course when you're making 90 packs - that's still a lot of cash.

Great job! I am still trying to figure out how you kept it to $15. Would you mind sharing where you got the signal mirrors? I have been wanting to upgrade the mirrors in our kids' set up and haven't found one for less than about $7 which is almost half your budget.

Potable Aqua chlorine dioxide tablets are a little cheaper than Katadyn's.

"...Not sure about orange 55 liters availability though..."

If you befriend someone at CalTrans, or just go to them and tell them what you are doing, they might give you a bunch of their nice bright orange 55gal bags. Or you could adopt a highway and just "borrow" some. Of course those suckers are about ten mil thick, that makes them a little hard to squeeze into a small sized kit (this I know from experience). But being so thick, they really work for emergency shelters, etc...

Goodafternoon,

Thank you for your replies, I appreciate your input and hope to be able to answer some of your questions about the item selection and low cost of the kit.

Aloha, I kept the costs of the kit down to $15.00 by 3 methods. Buying items on sale (e.g. insect repellent in the winter), buying components in bulk (e.g. big spools of brass wire from Home Depot), and buying items at the Discount Dollar Stores (e.g. LED's, containers, tape, pencils, firestarter packets, plastic bags, etc).

The mirrors in the kit are not true "one-hand signal mirrors", they were 4"x6" school locker mirrors that I bought at the Dollar Store for a buck ($1.14 after tax). I then removed the frame and cut the plastic mirror into 4 sections of 2"x3", the corners were rounded with a file, a lanyard hole was drilled and detailed instructions with a diagram were glued to the back. The kids were instructed in the field on the 2 hand use of a mirror for signaling.

Ironraven, The containers also came from the Dollar Store and were one of my best finds at $1.14 for a pack of 4! The flexible plastic container is like a shortened square with rounded edges/corners (3.5"x3.5"x1.5" = 8.5 fl. oz capacity), it has transperant sides/bottom with a bright yellow lid. It is called an "Air Tight Snap Container" made by Plastico (stock # 1000135). I had to find a suitable container first as that would have the biggest influence on the amount/size of items in the kit. I would not want a container any larger as this is maximum "Kid Pocket Size". I would prefer a metal container (for boiling water) but the only ones I could find were beyond our limited budget.

Alex, I like your idea of 2 trash bags but I wanted them to be colourful (orange) for signaling and at least one large bag to use as a poncho or in shelter building. I may be able to add a second trash bag to the "shelter unit" as it is seperate from the main container.

OBG, I did find a source for some thicker "Contractor/Industrial Grade" trash bags but they were all black colour. I wanted to keep the multi-purpose idea of the trash bags for signaling and shelter so I went with the 2ml (?) orange yardwaste bag, they were also cheaper. I am going to have to put some more thought into the shelter portion of the kit as I would prefer a tougher, larger orange trash bag and I do not care for the cheap mylar blankets.

jshannon, Thank you for the information on Potable Aqua clorine dioxide tablets, I have only seen Katadyn's in Canada so far and those I had to order from MEC in Vancouver. I will keep looking for a cheaper version. Can chlorine dioxide be abused as original Potable Aqua can be; if so I may not be allowed to put it in the youth kits?

One group I instructed banned any "weapons" from the kits so I had to remove all sharp items (razor blade, utility knife blade, hacksaw blade, I left the needles in), I had to fight to keep fire-starting tools (lighter/matches) in the kit.

Wolf, I have never been able to find a small spark-based fire-starter in Ontario like the BSA (Boy Scouts of America) Hot Spark. Even in my own mini-kits I had to hacksaw a Coghlan's Magnesium Firestarter into quarters so it would fit.

An exercise I did as a Scout Leader 20 years ago was to epoxy lighter "flints" onto a short piece of grooved hardwood dowel; this was stored in a 35mm film canister with a piece of hacksaw blade and some PJ/cotton balls as an emergency firestarter kit; the scouts liked this exercise and used them in the field.
I took this one step further last winter and cut a groove in a cylindrical, shortened, aluminum "Buffalo" whistle (taped mouthpiece) on which I glued the larger replacement flints for a welding sparker. This produces sparks well but it would be better if the flint rod was a continous 1.5" long, so the striker does not bounce at the sections.

CANOEDOGS, I like your thinking of adding more and higher quality gear to the kits, the problem is space and cost. The kits are now at maximum capacity and to add anything would mean the removal of something else or a bigger container. I am O.K. with this as long as it increases the usefulness of the kit to the survivor. I have found that many early teenaged kids have had no exposure to fire making at all (never struck a match or lit a lighter before). They find lighting a match difficult and scary, they are better with lighters (I took the childproof device of my field instruction ones) but many are still afraid. I would like to up-size the lighters but cannot afford the loss of space. Untreated cotton-balls make basic tinder but the main use is to keep the fishing sinkers from rattling, I hate that! I found an nice, mini-LED light with an on/off switch but it was 3.5x the cost, I am afraid it's over our budget.

The kids I have instructed are from 2 different backgrounds; Northern Ontario rural kids who have had a lot of outdoor experience and inner-city Southern Ontario kids who have had very little exposure. I have found both groups great to work with and enthusiastic, you just have to start with the basics and work up at speed of the students ability.

Please keep your comments coming as I am reworking the content list now; maybe I should increase the size of the container?

Thanks,

Mike

If you search for "flint rods" on ebay you'll find a guy selling lots of 10 or 20 ferro rods (1/4" dia x 2.5" lg) I bought a lifetime supply for less than $2 each.

Hi Tom,

Thanks for the tip to find Ferro Rods on ebay, that is a very good price compared to what I pay in Ontario.

I have been reluctant to personally order survival type equipment, especially in large amounts, from outside of Canada.
I do not know about Importation/Customs Regulations and if the cost goes up significantly with duty, taxes and shipping.

If anyone has knowledge on this topic please reply as there are many excellent survival tools for sale in the USA that are just not available here.

Thanks,

Mike

Purchasing goods for your personal use or consumption from the US should not be a problem. You may well have to pay your local sales tax/VAT.

Importing goods for resale is another matter. It's best to find a friendly wholesaler to order for you to handle the import/export issues.

Frank2135

I have just P.M. you re spark-lites.


I must admit to being impressed with your efforts. Only suggestion I can make is to loose the paper matches in faviour of wooden one's. If you have one box per two kits (what ever you do- make sure you get boxes with striker boards both sides. Some manufacturers only put one on the box. Tight-wads!)you can put so many matches in each container along with the striker board.

Volunteers rock! Kudos for working with these kids. Survival skills build self-confidence and self-esteem, and maybe a chance to learn trust and teamwork. Seems to me you could change the way they view and interact with the world -- and change their lives for the better. (Enough from the soapbox.)

Scrounging survival gear is a favourite topic of mine. Some ideas:

Knives:
You don't need fancy knives to teach basic knife skills. Personally, I think a short, fixed blade is preferable for first-time users.

I made my young nephew a first and second knife from discarded/broken kitchen butcher knives that I get for free. The local secondhand store knows I can recycle them. As long as the blade is sturdily attached to the handle, just cut down the blade to about 3" which makes them much less susceptible to breaking.

The first one I made was rounded and blunt, except for a recessed notch (1-1/2" long) with a sharp cutting edge. Nearly impossible to hurt yourself by accident, yet you could do a surprising amount of wood carving with it. The second was made with a full-tang 420-J2 1.5mm Japanese steel butcher knife. The cutting edge is about 2-3/4 inches long and is straight, so it's easy to learn sharpening skills. The end is very slightly angled down to the sharp tip. I wrapped some red electrical tape around it so it's hard to lose in the grass. Very sturdy and takes a good edge - I still use it to make kindling at my fire pit.

BTW: you can use a low-powered angle grinder for cutting and shaping these, if you're careful. Fast, light strokes will not harm the temper, in my experience. Finish with a file.

If you talk to secondhand/thrift shop managers, explaining what you're doing, they may collect a bunch of blades for you and give them to you for a song.

Also, there are lots of sources for free steel that will hold an edge. Chop an old lawn mower blade in half, and you have a crude but effective tool. Farmers discard high-carbon blades from the sickles of swathers, combines, haybines by the bushel. Hockey arenas have loads of broken wood-composite sticks that make perfect handles.

I think kids will learn more by improvising with different items. This is a place where unconventional, creative thinking can be rewarded with success and praise.

Wire saw:
The multi-strand variety works surprisingly well. You could cut one in half for kids' use. Add wood toggles for comfort, and tape the sharp ends. I carry one of these on airlines and they don't mind. Perfect for your "no weapons" kids.

Pot:
I wouldn't bother buying pots. A coffee can works brilliantly as a billy pot. Tamp down any sharp spots on the rim, punch a couple of holes for a wire handle, and let them do the rest. The hot chocolate will taste better if you boil and discard the water the first time.

You can also use empty aluminum cans from soda/pop/beer. I've found these (along with empty Bic lighters) in abandoned camps, or floating in rivers, in all sorts of places, so they're a real-world survival asset. Cut open the top partway, so you can lift it with a stick, and boil the heck out of it before you use it. Perfect for practice and demonstrations. Make sure they don't have a coating inside (Guiness cans don't work; there's a coating and a plastic fishing-float widget inside).

Matches:
I don't mind paper matches in kits (airlines again) as long as you have a backup method. If you use them right, they're quite effective. Don't tear them off; cut down along the match right to the bottom of the matchcase, and tear off about four at a time. Now you have a hot match with a long handle. (I also notice that paper matches survive getting damp and drying out much better than wood matches. Had some in an open can in an open shed, and 10 years later they still light. Wood matches in the same can are useless.)

Hope some of this is useful. Keep up the good work.

Hi Dougwalkabout,

Thank you for the detailed reply.

I have already done the can as a cooking pot with the kids but never thought of having them make their own knives. The older group of kids I work with in the winter would really enjoy this and I will start looking for some suitable steel/handles now. Great Idea!

I also never thought about the wire saws not being weapons, nice.

I agree with you about Thrift Shops being a great place to find outdoor gear. Usually I find nice metal containers there but have also found some great deals on outdoor clothing (e.g. heavy wool pants, shirts and even Goretex coats). On the weekends when I do not have to work, I try and go to the yard sales with my wife, lots of good outdoor stuff found there.

The kits I have made with the kids so far have been a real compromise between size, cost and quality. My personal kits are much more extensive but I hope that this basic kit and instruction will spark an interest in the kids to learn and prepare before a problem arises.

Your paragraph about Survival Skills promoting trust, team-work, self-confidence and self-esteem in children was very well said and I think this is why I stay involved even during the trying times. Many of the children I taught last week come from a much more difficult enviroment than I was raised in or that my 3 children live in. After discussing the production/use of fire in history and then having each child create their own fire, cook over it and then explain to me how they safely put it out was definetely the highlight of my session last week.

During my lecture I did a short session on "Wilderness Knowledge" (how to keep yourself out of a survival situation) I also did a brief talk on "Bush Stupidity" (things you do in the life that are so stupid that they risk your life or the lives of others). The kids listened well and provided lots of examples, but I hope I did not come across to strong or heavy?

This teaching thing is an ongoing work in process for me, please keep your suggestions coming.

Thanks for the encouragement, I appreciate it.

Mike

Online source for 55 gallon orange bags:

http://www.spectrumbagsonline.com/categories.php?cat=7

I've purchased from them several times. Very good quality stuff.

SwampDonkey,

I'm not sure how close you live to the US Border, your location is listed as Northern Ontario (that's a very big area!). If you are within reasonable driving distance to the Soo you may find it worthwhile to open a mailbox in the US and have items sent to you there (USPS PO Boxes cannot have courier-UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc. packages delivered there). You could then bring them into Canada and pay GST on the goods (assuming no prohibited items).

Purchasing items in the US and having them shipped to Canada increases the shipping cost greatly (usually double). If you use a commercial shipper (like UPS, FedEx, etc.) they will usually charge a minimum $25 customs brokerage fee as well as getting billed for GST and possibly duty. If the location will ship them to Canada, use the Postal Service as they do not charge customs brokerage fees.

I previously lived in Canada and I appreciate your efforts to teach the kids. Anything we can do to help the next generation is a good thing.

Hi Mike in N. KY,

Thank you for the detailed reply about shipping survival items from the US into Canada. I live about 7 hours drive from SSM so a Postal Box in the US proabaly would not work for me, it seems like US Postal Service is my best bet.

Folks on this thread have been great about sending me information on where to access terrific gear in the States. I have ordered items from Cabela's before and it usually ends up costing double the catalog price (in Canadian Dollars, including the exchange rate, Duty, GST, Customs Surcharge, Shipping ...). I usually wait until one of the Canadian Mailorder Catalog Stores (LeBaron, SIR, MEC, Russell's ...) stocks the item I want (often about 2 years after the USA stores) and purchase it then.

Surfing the US stores on the Internet does make it very tempting to place an order for the very interesting stuff you have available south of the border.

Take care,

Mike

Hi Ken,

Thanks for the link, those orange trash bags are twice the size of the ones I am issuing to the kids now. I am going to search the net to see if they retail their product from a Canadian Supplier.

Mike