I really like this. Especially the part where you reassure the
child adults won't be angry with them.

Searchers hate it when the subjects hide or travel due to embarrassment about being lost. Or fines.

This applies to adults too.
Perhaps some of these type instructions should be included on
training and reference material for adults.

(If my baby was getting bitten by a lot of skeeters and there was
West Nile in the area, I wouldn't fault a new mom for calling
for help from the middle of a corn maze.)

Denis... nice job... a suggestion...include a piece of silvered mylar to the back of the laminated directions to act as a signal mirror, have the parents buy some Scotch reflective tape, and tape the edges of both sides of the card with reflective tape...add a hole to the corner, a small length of monofiliament line, and a snap swivel to the free end to hook to a low branch for a wind driven oscillating reflector when not actively using the mirror...

possibly a second bag for ground cloth, or lower bivvy bag

How about pictograms or symbols instead of written instructions?

Great kit:
agree on the flashlight inst. but perhaps that could
be covered with a demonstration when you hand out the kit.

One item I would consider added or perhaps replacing is the
florescent tape, you need more of it.
Replace it with a survey roll 150ft in the kit.
If someone gets lost teach them to tie off one end of the roll
and unroll the entire 150ft. in a line across a terrain feature, trail, uphill, a line away from a creek etc.
then tie the end to there belt or tree they are hugging. By doing this
someone will be sure to cross the line during a search and follow it
to the "camper". Survey tape work 24/7 used in this manner.

You have no idea how often a searcher will come close and pass a target without seeing them. This happens for many reasons, a sleeper, fright, hidden in a shelter etc. etc. its easier than you think.

Very nice kit and note card.

I've been thinking of making up one of these for a little guy I know.

Me. ;-)

Very nice, very well thought out!

It might not hurt to actually run the kids through a "practice session" in a park or private property, to actually have them think about, and go through, what they need to do for the real thing. Then, if they need to actually use the kit, they will have 'experience' to fall back on, so it's embedded, which may help to avoid panic.

Sue

We did that with the Brownie Troop, and I think it really got them thinking about what they need to do.

If you were to switch the turtle light for one from dealextreme it'll cut the cost of the kit by over 30%.

Thanks for the encouragement and feedback. There are definately some good things to consider if I do a v2 of the kit and/or training.


Good call; I did cover this with the kids but it would make sense to be on the card. When I wrote the card I was still thinking I'd include a mirror, but it would've doubled the cost and we ultimately figured that for its usefulness given our goals it just wasn't worth the cost.


I really like this idea and agree this could be very useful. I just have no idea how I'd do this .


I definitely think there is room to improve the cost of this kit. I planned & put together these in a couple days so the costs are definitely last minute, found locally shopping costs .

I like this kit Denis. The only thing I'd add, provided the budget magically appears, would a lanyard. Less chance of the kit falling out of a pocket that way.