So, I want to have a little kit to give friends, kids or hand to people at camp about to walk into the woods (or paddle across the lake). Simple basic kit and a limit of $5, though buying in bulk is allowed.

- the box/container is free as I have many of those
- Area is North America, likely Spring, Summer, Fall.
- Assume little to no knowledge

What to include?

I would consider the following:

Whistle like these: Whistle
Mirror like these: Mirror
Small flashlight like these: Flashlight
Some 550 cordage which you get a couple of hundred feet on Ebay or from one of the ETS sponsor companies and make 10-15ft bundles.

Pete

I'd cover the three basics of Protection, Rescue and Water and teach them Hug-a-Tree.

Emerg/disposable poncho: Protection from the elements and also signaling if you get a bright colour.

Whistle: Signalling

Small Flashlight: Signalling and piece of mind

Water bottle or juice box: Hydration

Bandana: Crude water filter, first aid, hat, etc....

I'd start with a lightweight "space" blanket. The cheapest ones are under $1 each.

Trying to keep within $5.

Photo copy an instruction Card with S.T.O.P. and other survival info particular to the area including simple map, emergency numbers, maybe simple first aid (lay person's ABC's)
Leave room for notes, messages.

Heavy duty large trash bag for raincoat or bivy. More durable and
wearable than a cheap space blanket. Can get them in orange or
bright blue or red.

Whistle $1.40
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/outdoor-sur...or-93150?item=1

Fauxton light (Check to make sure they function) $.50
https://www.dealextreme.com/p/black-flashlight-keychain-22000mcd-10-pack-1253

Compass (Check to make sure they function)$.46
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/mini-compass-cube-5-pack-3295

Small Bottle of Gator-aide.

Short pencil with duct tape around it.


If they are adults, you could add

a lockback knife $!.99
http://www.smkw.com/webapp/eCommerce/products/locking+knives/Maxam%C2%AE+Money+Clip+Knife+-+Assorted+Color+%28Our+Choice+Only%29/MAX94530.html

or

a firesteel $.99
http://firesteel.com/firesteel-miniature

to those already submitted..

petroleum jelly cotton ball in plastic straw to use with ferro rod and directions on sheet

single edged razor blade if knife is too expensive

2x2 non adherent pad... use with bandana or duct tape

duct tape on card...

heavy duty needle/ safety pins

1/2 hacksaw blade and split key ring...striker for ferro, and with a notched tip stick for handle a metal/wood saw

couple of pieces of hard candy

dental floss roll (from your friendly hygienist you visit often because you don't floss)

couple packets of iodized lite salt (for potassium)

water transport bag..I make mine from vacuum sealer material

Les - here is the link to the "11 Theoretical Dollars" post I did. The premise was I "gave" everyone 11 Theoretical Dollars ($10 + $1 tax) to spend at a dollar store. They were to see what they could do with it to build a survival kit. Look at Nicodemus' list. You should be able to work with that. http://forums.equipped.org/ubbthreads.ph...true#Post177276

Nice. Nice! Keep going. These ideas are great. I'm going to steal this list to make a starter survival kit for my Beaver Scouts who are "swimming up" to Cub Scouts tomorrow. A shopping I shall go!!

Thanks gang!

MoBOB... I hate to admit it, but I've never been in a Dollar Store

Jackie... they would have some pride in ownership if they assembled the kits themselves, or even made things like the petroleum jelly cotton straws,

for most adults or trained Scouts, a Bic lighter... and some form of tinder if the fuel is expended, but striker still works, is probably the most practical

I'm gonna keep pushing the hacksaw blade till somebody agrees with me

Certainly not a bad idea. Wal-Mart sells some $1.00 ponchos that I always keep on hand. They're not all that sturdy, basically a single use item, but good enough to keep you dry for a short outing. A heavy garbage bag might be a little more versatile.




I've purchased three or four of those 10 packs, both in Black and Clear. IMOHO they're very good lights. The day I got them I accidentally left one in my pants pockets and ran thru the washer & dryer- and it still worked! I love that they have not just a squeeze momentary switch but also a sliding switch for constant on. The ones with a momentary switch only are almost completely useless to me.




I have ten or twelve of those tiny ones, as well as at least a dozen of them in different sizes. Absolutely fantastic 'steels! You can get a hacksaw blade for a couple bucks and cut it into small pieces with a tin snips or heavy shears and get many strikers (I have a 1" x 42" Kalamazoo grinder that I use to clean up the cut up blades but it's not strictly necessary).

Right you are, Les. We're going to make survival kit building a special activity for them at our intro to Cub Scouts day this Saturday.

GO TO THE DOLLAR STORE! :-)

I like the sticker idea too. It, like some other things, would be best paired with a lesson on how to use it effectively. Basic fire building is a foreign concept to a lot of people, and the OP said no training/knowledge. A BIC is something most people know how to use, but I'd vote for a fire craft lesson to go with it.

I like the hacksaw idea. I saw some small ones for sale at a local flea market on the weekend and picked up a couple. Thanks for the tip!

Waterproof matches and / or a dispasable lighter (along with tinder) are probably a more useful fire kit for the type of folk you are aiming your kit at.

A firesteel would be tricky for a first time user, "everyone" can use a match or lighter (which is why it is good to include both).

I'll add a "plus one" to the instruction sheet too. Very important to feel like you are doing the "right thing" when you are lost and worried

And I'd add some kind of hard sweets /candy too, nothing like a bit of sugar when you need it ! (Oops I see LesSnyder mentioned that too)

A bandaid or two

Medical- medical tag/ID, antibiotic ointment, gauze, tape
Shelter- emergency blanket, cord
Fire- matches, mini bic
Hydration- iodine pills, quart ziploc freezer bag
Communication- Doug's survival instructions, safety plan, whistle, pencil/paper
Navigation- button compass
Nutrition- lifesavers ; )
Insulation- foam sit pad (cut from walmart blue foam)
Sun Protection- sunblock
Tools- scissors, bandana

Here's a link to a kit I put together for my Cubs: A simple kit for kids. While it was specifically designed with kids in mind, I think a lot of the concepts carry over to anyone with an unknown skill level.

These kits came in at $10.50 per kit, but there were some good cost-saving suggestions made by other forum members.

What is going to count most heavily if a situation develops is "training or knowledge." A ten minute discussion could easily be the most important thing you could give them. More is better, perhaps along with a brief session on fire building, etc. Maybe something like a poster, prominently placed, summarizing important principles, would be useful - depending on your situation.

As far as hardware, I would keep it simple and concentrate on basics - matches, disposable lighter, and tinder plus a disposable poncho are the most critical items. When it comes to things like a compass, frankly I would spend more money, generally much more. When you really need a compass, you must be able to trust it completely - a cheap button gadget is not up to the task. You would be better off supplying a map, perhaps custom made for your locale, that shows prominent landmarks and handrails that will guide people to safety. Here again, training and knowledge are vastly more important than stuff. One thing I would encourage is the carrying of a small flashlight, like a Fenix E05, as EDC - comes in handy in many circumstances, not just lost in the woods scenarios.

Depends a bit on the circumstances - are we planning for lost in the woods or urban crisis? Either way I'd suggest shelter, light, whistle, minor first aid are the priorities for the untrained - sit tight and wait for rescue. I'm not sure I'd encourage anybody who needs this sort of kit to try and walk out of a crisis with a compass for example

For this same reason, I'd likely omit any fire making supplies from this type of kit. I'd focus on signalling and shelter alone.

At its most basic, this type of kit could be:

• large orange garbage bag
• whistle
• flashlight
• home-made instruction card

Anything else would be gravy as I think this covers the basics for sheltering in place when lost / unable to make it back to camp in the wilderness (which is, as I understand, the main purpose of this kit would be).

If adding to the above list, I'd likely look at adding things which are either alternate methods for signalling or which would be psychologically reassuring to a lost person (for example band-aids or a small snack).

On the other hand, if scaling it down due to cost, realistically the light wouldn't be completely necessary (it is as much psychological as signalling in my mind). Also, for this reason I'd be more concerned with the quality of the whistle than I would be the quality of the light.

What I was thinking of;

Water bottle, map of area, tiny fauxton light, matches, trash bags for rain.
And whistle