Teaching your kids about every day carry

We started by giving our son a whistle on a lanyard and little backpack (Eureka Joe Dawg) when he was about two and a half. He was just little so only carried his Teddy and a little flashlight in it. As long as he could walk on hikes on his own two feet (i.e. not in the stroller) we started teaching him stop-drop-and-roll and hug-a-tree.

When he got a bit bigger, maybe threeish, we added his jacket and a juice box or water bottle, and a little snack. All small and lightweight. (I.e. jr juice box, one pack of dunkaroos or mini oreos - good food means happier memories ad more enthusiasm the next time.) We tired to keep his load light and often carried his stuff for him when he didn't want to or was too tired, and it's well we did. We didn't the downside infringe upon all the good and, as he gets older, he seems to love being outdoors more, and in equal proportion to his ability to be more independent in it.

It's important to my husband and I that our kids learn how to handle themselves in the outdoors if they're going to be playing in it. A solid edc will cover urban events as well as ones off the pavement. As the kids get older they can get more specific and specialized, with things like keys, money, fire, knife, etc.

Our son wants to do a weekend overnighter in the back forty behind my cousins house this summer - no adults allowed except his big sister - and we're going to let him.(All the parents are in on the planning for this three kid excursion - my cub scout son who will be 10, my 14 year old air cadet nephew and my 24 year old step-daughter.). It's still a few months away but he's already asked if, when it's over, could he do a week long survival trip. Hmmmm.

The link on the page to the "I.C.E. System" is interesting. Is that something that is common in responder world - looking for ICE on the phone? Also, it does no good if the phone is password protected.

My old spotter now raises skunks and a former team mates granddaughter. Her Iphone is lowjacked, and there's a debit card in the case, she has a watch on her wrist which can't be removed short of a jeweler or bolt cutters, it can summon help and he can track her through it. She carries cash has a huge timber shepard which go's everywhere with her, and still he worries. At six she's had rudimentary training but is limited in what she can carry for self defense and emergencies. Her support team is the spotter, an LAPD Detective, former Navy SEAL and an ex con who makes me look like a wimp.
Once on CSI they found a corpse of a kid with a flashlight, SAK, compass, lighter, cell and reation bars in his pockets. I think he had a multi tool also. That was one properly equipped kid.

I had a lighter and pocket knife as my edc as a child, izzy. I think that my be where I got the survival bug.

Me too,we did a lot of backyard camping too,great fun! Living in Oregon it amazed me how much rain was blocked by trees.

An older thread on I.C.E.:

I.C.E.

Pete

Pete, You opinion on the subject is pretty much what I thought about the subject in general. Thanks for the link.

Hey spuds. Oregon is beautiful. Wish I had a home there. Simpler times back when we were kids.

Interesting article, and the posts seem to indicate that we (the preppers) had similar, ummmh, tolerant parents. Not like some I see in my neighborhood.

FYI, there is a phrase "Free Range Kids" that some parents use to advocate a more relaxed form of supervision of kids. It apparently started with a NYC Mom (Lenore Skenazy) who wrote an article about why she let her (9 year old) son (Izzy) take the NYC subway to school by himself. The reactions, as you can guess, were to say the least, mixed.

She maintains a website;
http://www.freerangekids.com/

No connection,etc., I just wonder if we are doing right by our kids. . .personally, I'm glad I grew up when I did (and survived). I think she may be on to something.