You may recall I am a den leader with DS’s cub scout troop. This year I have been the Bear leader as DS is a bear and there were no conflicts with another parent wanting to be the leader. At any rate, I asked the forum members before about teaching the scouts about survival kits and about the contents of the kits, what items they could/should have in an emergency/survival kit. I got a lot of responses and a lot of great advice from the ETS forum members. After much deliberation (and begging, borrowing and bulk purchasing to keep the kit cost down) we came up with a final kit contents list. I know it is not the best stuff but budget was a concern. These were the best items we could get without breaking the bank so to speak. Space was also a consideration. Upgrades on some of the contents will be suggested and shown to the kids and parents (for example they could upgrade from the large orange garbage bag to a heat sheet, or from the victorinox signal mirror to a rescue flash). I don’t think we are missing anything but I wanted to present what we came up with to get any suggestions for what to take out or what to add.

Medical items
- 4 Band-Aids - pretreated with antibiotic ointment
- 5 Wound closure strips
- 2 Alcohol prep pads
Shelter items
- Orange garbage bags – not sure exactly what size but they are thick and fairly large
- 25’ bright yellow mason line
Warmth items
- 1 magic birthday candle (wrapped in foil)
- 10 Strike anywhere matches – including part of an emery board as a striking surface
- 2 tinder quik tabs
- small piece of cardboard (mainly serves to protect the baking bag from other abrasive kit items)
Water items
- 1 baking bag with reusable tie
- 6 Micropur water purification tablets (same as in PSP plus - 6 tablets = 2 quarts a day for three days)
Signaling items
- Whistle
- Victorinox mirror
- Bandana
Tools
- Small led light (fauxton)
- STOP card and survival instructions (more like a use sheet for the contents that includes the rule of threes)
Personal protection and comfort
- Leaving for them to add
Multipurpose and repair
- Duct tape (orange, flat pack, about 12 inches)
- Magnifying (fresnel) lens
- 10’ wire
- Aluminum foil (about 2 ft or so)
- 3 post it notes and bic ink pen refill
- One twist tie
- 3 Rubber Bands
- Safety Pins
Navigation
- Button compass

The items fit into a Tupperware type container except the garbage bag, which gets wrapped by the bandanna to protect it and secured to the container with the rubber bands. Sorry I don’t have pics yet, I will try to take some tonight and figure out how to upload them etc. Note that I purposely left out some items for them to add on their own with their Parent’s permission. We will discuss these additions along with the upgrades. They can add a ferro rod or other sparking device, fishing gear, sewing needle and thread, razor blade, etc. This also gives the kids some ownership and input into the kit contents. As part of the meeting we will discuss the uses for each item, and we will take opportunities to practice using the items at future meetings and campouts. The cost at this point is about $10.50 per kit. To emphasize the importance of the kits, I want to make these mandatory to bring for any outdoor activity - no kit, they don't get to go. So what do you all think? Are we missing anything? Other than quality but as I said budget was really limited and this was so important to me I paid for all the stuff myself other than what I got donated or given to us.

Very nice indeed

Rubber bands tend to deteriorate over time. I prefer ranger bands made from a cut up bike inner tube. More durable and long lasting. See if a local bike shop can donate a flat tube instead of tossing it out.

Looks good. A couple of thoughts:

1) I see you've left the 'cutting tools' category up to the parents. That makes sense given the situation.

However, you can steer them with a few inexpensive suggestions that are better than a razor blade and aren't weapons in any sense:

- cheap paramedic shears (under $2): no-one can really object to these, since you can take them in your airline carry-on luggage; good for cutting bark, fabric, grass/cattails, small twigs, twine, first aid stuff, pop cans, and also (held open) for making fine wood shavings/scrapings

- 4" section of high quality bi-metal hacksaw blade, 24tpi, rounded or sheepsfoot-ed on a grinder (actually, I suggest you include this unless told not to; when kids find out they can cut anything with these--pop cans, rope, bark/wood, fabric-- they tend to love them)

2) I suggest you add the striker from a paper matchbook to the matches (folded in on itself); even if they can't get the phosphor working in strike-anywhere use, this striker strip will make fire; it even works on matches that have been soaked and dried in the sun, with the phosphor tips wrecked beyond repair

Otherwise, keep it up, and bravo for your efforts. You are planting strong and healthy seeds ...

Thanks Doug. You are correct that the cutting tools have been left up to the parents. However, our bears and webelos all have their whittling chips and we have discussed the ten essentials (they should, parents willing, have a good folding knife in their pocket). I probably won't have time to do the hacksaws before we initially put the kits together, but as this will be an ongoing project we can add these later. Any idea on a source for the striker strips? And the cheap paramedic shears as well? I need to check on whether the scouts will allow these as well. At the very least I will add them to my recommendations list, but as always their Akela (i.e. Parents) have the final say on what each scout can and cannot carry. Such is life. Fortunately we are in a rural area so most parents seem amenable to letting their kids carry knives (many of the kids already have bigger knife collections than I do). We'll see how it goes. I'll keep you all posted and post some pics when I can figure out how to do it.

That's a nice list of supplies. However, I think it's more at the Boy Scout level. Maybe (just maybe!) Webelows. Cub Scouts ... it's over their heads. They wouldn't know (or remember) what to do with most of it.

Cub Scouts need a whistle and a signal mirror. With training on how/when to use them and training to Stay Put! Cub Scouts should always be with other Cub Scouts and their Den Leader, plus other adults if they are doing outside activities away from immediate help/assistance. Sure, they should get as much wilderness and survival training as possible. That's important. But it's also important for their adult leaders to realize that they are really too young to absorb a lot of it.

Promised some pics so here they are:
top row: mirror, aluminum foil, orange flat pack ductv tape, baking bag and matches in a ziploc bag, mason line, whistle, fauxton, button compass, and 2 tinder quiks
bottom row: assorted safety pins, magic birthday candle, twist tie, ink pen refill, micropur water purification tabs, thin cardboard, wire, and STOP instructions
http://s1129.photobucket.com/albums/m520/onehappycamperdad/?action=view&current=100_4057.jpg

orange garbage bag, bandana, 3 rubber bands (mainly to hold the bandanna wrapped garbage bag to the rest of the kit if they choose to carry it that way)
http://s1129.photobucket.com/albums/m520/onehappycamperdad/?action=view&current=100_4056.jpg

top row: container, survival instructions (very simplified for kids), wound closure strips, alcohol swabs
bottom row: 4 bandaids, 3 yellow post it notes, fresnel lens
http://s1129.photobucket.com/albums/m520/onehappycamperdad/?action=view&current=100_4054.jpg

I daresay that if you did a trailhead check, your Cub Scouts would be better fixed for an emergency than 90% of the hiker population. I like the flexibiliy you have built in.

If they can fit Id dump the Birthday candle and go with Ither a tealight or Shabbat candle (even cut down in lenght). A birthday candle will crumble and turn into a pile of wax crumbs in your kit in no time. With a teacandle you can also teach how to use the metal cup base to make a oil/fat lamp with cotton string. also add cotton string since it can be used for many wicking and water retrieval purposes even with its size. You can lead water that is dripping down a rock side with it into a cup or bottle.

That is an Excellent Kit,Bravo!Once the Training gets Underway,The scouts will exhibit Alot of Confidence,I'm Sure!Those Sparklites make Xlnt Night signaling Devices,As well as their intended purpose!A Few packs of Ladyfingers & Punks cut into pieces,& distributed thruout,Would go a Long Way for Utility/Signaling/Tactical purposes if applicable.Again,Very Well Thought Out Kit!