actually montanero, rain gear is one of the ten essentials

would like to do like you suggested on future survival campouts, and present them with more situations, with more (or less) materials and see what they can come up with in the way of fire, shelter, water purification, etc

+1 on the merit badge pamphlet, it's a darn good survival resource, right in line with pretty much everything I have seen, done or read about over the last 20 + years

and yes I have looked at survival resources before, items are great, but unfortunately a bit pricey for a limited budget and needing upwards of 10 to 15 kits. Plus, I am not confident the boys are old enough yet to fully grasp the concept that their survival kit is emergency gear to be saved for an emergency, and not a box full of toys they can take home and play with, tear up, and show up at an outdoor activity without. I can almost see the boys telling me what one of my former webelos said to me when I asked him what happened to his survival kit and he replied, "oh I used all that stuff up"