I usually overpack, so tonight I put together a pack for more urban hikes. It's designed for shorter hikes, on established trails, where the walk to the car would be no more than a couple of hours and that parking lot will be in an urban area.

These are often the type of hikes we take our Beaver (5-7 yo) and Cub (8-10 yo) Scouts on so that will be this pack's main purpose.

Note: We also have a group pack with a large thermos of hot chocolate, cups and a FAK. Everyone is given a lanyard with whistle at every hike, and all are required to dress appropriately for the weather and bring their own water bottle.

I wear a lanyard with whistle, LED, Gerber Mini Multitool and fire steel, and also carry my EDC on person. (i.e. Leatherman kit, key ring with whistle, SAK, etc...)

My new kit has:

-compass, map of route (filed with group and all parents) including local emerg numbers
-FAK with extra triangular, extra mylar sleeping bag and emerg info and contact info for all group members
-2 LED headlamps + 1 set extra batteries
-wool hat, mitts and socks
-extra kids hat, mitts and socks
-extra group necker (big Scouting bandana)
-blaze orange rain jacket
-heatsheet
-1Lg red garbage bag
-2 pairs chem warmers
-1L water bottle
-army canteen and cup
- 2 seasame bars
-3 pieces fruit leather
-fire kit with bic, strike anywhere matches, fire steel and tinder
-small roll of duct tape
-Leatherman Folder
-modifyed Ritter AMK PSK with SAK, keyring flashlight, mag block and mini bic
-some feminine hygene stuff
-half roll of tubeless toilet paper
-personal otc meds

The pack weghs maybe 10 or 15 pounds with full water bottles.

What would you add/subtract?

Thanks?

I would add,Your un-enthused husband to carry it for you,lol! Just kidding!It reads like you are Very Prepared to Survive!A very prepped kit,Indeed!

I always find room to carry a couple of chem lights... guess it's from my younger days out on the Gulf of Mexico at night...

possibly a folding saw to process wood if you had to make a splint or firewood if for some reason you had to remain overnight....

a good fixed blade like a Grohmann #4

I'm really impressed after upgrading my SureFire 6P with a Malkoff drop in, possibly a small 123 powered high output light...

Impressive. That looks pretty good, particularly for a hike that's fairly close to the car and described as "urban". Particularly important for some are personal medications (diabetics, heart medication, etc). I try to always have a 3 day supply of anything important (mainly ibuprofen for my knees).

I don't see a cell phone on the list, but I'd bet there are a few along with the group when you're out.

I'd probably bring along a little beverage can alcohol stove, but I'm me (see my "signature" line if you don't understand that remark).

A spare pair of prescription glasses if you really need them isn't a bad idea. I wear glasses to drive at night but can get by without them pretty well. My wife? Well let's say bats out see her 10:1.

HJ

If you're hiking with kids
--More food

-- extra garbage bags

-- band aids

--More tp, hand sanitizer



Take the duct tape off the roll.

Great kit. I'm loathe to suggest additions because of the weight, but a few thoughts from some limited scout experience -

1. A few spare plastic bags - just for carrying / bundling wet kit
2. Esbit stove or similar, and instant hot chocolate - easiest way to get a kid who has fallen in water warm and feeling OK again. Plus in wet woods esbit tabs are a great way to get a fire started
3. Does the fak have OTC meds for small kids e.g. liquid NSAIDs? Calpol (or whatever ibuprofen solution is called in US) sachets can be a godsend
4. Bag of hard candy - always useful as a bribe / reward / morale booster

Do the kids carry anything - as per the excellent post put up recently? Just a garbage bag each would save you carrying and if the group got stranded gives everyone shelter

Even a small multitool could make a big difference.

That looks pretty terrific to me - more than I carry near the city.

One thing I do always have on me and use quite often - for dog walks and hiking - is a small Moleskine notepad and pen (Space pin refill cartridge, actually).

I can imagine that being useful for recording medical info (vital signs, etc) and if for some reason you needed to write something down for the kids.

And the pages would be useful fire tender in a crunch.

Great kit! Now use it: at some mid point on your hikes, stop, and deploy the kit or some part of it with your Cub Scouts. Get them familiar with the kit and its contents, and what its good for. If you have a big red garbage bag, fill it with leaves and crawl inside for warmth, or make holes and put it over one of the Scouts for rain protection. And so on. Don't let your kit be a mystery to young Scouts, the big bag that Dad carts along Just In Case - you'll want them to know what you have, and be able to ask you to deploy things, or deploy them on their own.

Also, they are old enough to learn a few tricks to minimize the risks that come with hiking, so make sure to teach them some good habits (which are deeply embedded in Scout adventuring anyway). If they learn them now, its even less likely you'll have to deploy your kit in the future.

Team up - use the buddy system on every hike. Its way, way more difficult for 2 Scouts to get lost together.

Second, slowest hiker in front - no one racing ahead, chasing deer, getting off trail, getting easily lost. Its best to have a more mature younger hiker immediately behind the slowest hiker to help manage and buttress the slowest hiker versus others who just want to go fast. Resist the go fast mentality, your Scouts will get spread out too quickly.

Third, Keep together - I think its important to keep young hikers in sight at all times, a train of hikers spreading miles ahead of you is just looking for trouble. The only exception is when you have some older mature hikers who can hike ahead with a knot of hikers, and one who can dawdle along with the second, slower group. This is a "rule" that you can adjust to circumstances, responsibility and ages of your hikers.

Third, you or another adults should be in sweeper position - last hiker. No one falls behind you, no one gets left behind.

I agree that it can seem like a lot, but keep in mind that as Scout leaders, we're providing examples for our youth and their parents to follow, trying to develop good habit in them. Our Scouts are on a solid preparedness path already, but our Cubs and Beavers are just at the beginning of their journeys. I prep assuming the worst. In an urban hike situation with my young Scouts, that could mean having to wait with an injured youth or parent for a few hours (for medical help/transport)in foul weather.

We prep for our Beavers, using the practices Lono suggests, and ask them for nothing more than proper footwear, clothing and the wear and know how to use the whistle we provide them on every outdoor adventure. (Hug a Tree is practiced on every outting.) We rotate through our parents, asking them to take turns carrying the group pack, and going it through it with them before each outting. Hopefully this will help instill good family practices.

Our Scouts and Cub Scouts have personal survival and FA kits that they are required to carry on every outting. We do a review of each one every time, including our leader's packs. Teach proactively and by example!