I took advantage of the unseasonably warm weather here in the mid-west and took my three kids for a morning hike at a local park. It was also the first time my two youngest tried out their fanny packs. Aside from the minimal survival gear, we tossed in some snacks.<br><br>Several times during hike, we "had" to stop for a snack. :-) It occured to me that with the constant openning-and-closing of the fanny pack, that it ould be easy for small items to fall out unnoticed, especially by kids. <br><br>So I'm going to fins a couple of zippered pouches, like makeup pouches, to load the PSK contents in before placing them in the fanny pack. It'll be harder for them to lose.

Bill, since you'll have a zipper pull, why not secure a lanyard line to the fanny pack for extra insurance?

That may work. I was thinking of gluing on valcro to secure it to the bottom of the fanny pack, sort of a false bottom.<br><br>BTW, another observation regarding these particular fanny packs. I bought my two youngest Colman fanny packs. They were on sale and had belts small enough for their waists. Adult packs were way too big. They have an elastic strap to hold down the water bottle in it's holder. Only the strap is too loose. My daughter lost her water bottle on the trail. In fact, it was this discovery that prompted my thinking that the PSK items needed to be more secure in tha pack than they were.<br><br>Anyway, I'll get out the needle and thread and tack up the strap so it's short and tight. Again, another demonstration that one needs to practice and test one's gear. Had we been on a little longer trek or if she got lost, the missing water bottle would have a more serious situation. This was a short 2 mile walk at a lazy two hour pace (frequent rest stops).<br><br>BTW - II, good to have you back on-line, Chrs.

Willie, admit it - it wasn't unseasonably warm Sunday, it was a drop-dead gorgeous day in upper Illinois! And as a bonus, since we had no snow that mattered this winter, no customary spring-time aroma of re-appearing dog poop! Even in town smelled great.<br><br>Anyway, you're right on target about losing small items and kids are NOT the only ones vulnerable to that. Ziplock bags work OK for that, too, although they usually won't last intact for a "season" of use.<br><br>The problem with kids AND inexperienced adults that I have found is that once they open the smaller containers, they often forget to close them back up as well. In both cases, that's a developed habit, so you'll have to gently teach your kids to remember to do that.<br><br>A "snowcountry" trick that has been fairly helpful for us has been to attach a brightly colored lanyard to "important" items but not to the pack or person (tried that - too much hassle and entanglement for the kids). That way, when they DO drop something, it's easier to find - usually right where we stop (because we check each other for things like closures and twisted straps before leaving a stop). A spool of brighly colored nylon mason's twine is very inexpensive - both hot pink and orange seem to work well. About the time they fade, the kids are experienced enough to dispense with the cords, but they've learned to appreciate them so much that they may request replacement on certain items (SAKs seem to fall into that category).<br><br>If your kids are using Nalgene water bottles, I found long ago that a drawstring bottle bag (stuff sack type) beats the bejabbers out of any other external carry method, especially for kids. Also, 1/2 liter or 16 ounce bottles are easier for the kids to handle and furthermore, the rectangular ones are less awkward than the round ones. <br><br>An inexpensive and surprisingly durable alternative is the 20 oz sports drink bottles - and most of them have a groove around the body that just happens to take a cord or tape very nicely to convert it into a neck bottle (under parka in winter time) or bandoleer-slung "canteen". Not bad for about a buck... I have outfitted many a scout with a water bottle using these (and use them myself from time to time). As a bonus, they come filled with a tasty (???) beverage when new.<br><br>Regards,<br><br>Scouter Tom (Rock Island, Illinois)

REI carries a tent guy line cord that is yellow with reflective thread woven into the outer sheath. It is pricy, $15 for 50 feet. http://www.rei.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=3791&prmenbr=8000<br><br>It is strong, thin, brightly colored, and reflective. I use it for lanyards on my equipment. If you drop something, just shine your flashlight around and it will show up. I also put a band of reflective tape around all my equipment. <br><br>You can find plain old white tape at Home Depot and Lowes. Gall's, http://www.gallsinc.com/shop/viewproduct.jsp?catcode=140 , carries reflective tape in 8 colors in 4 widths in two lengths. I use orange for all my equipment. It serves to identify my equipment so if borrowed, it makes it easier to encourage people to return it to me. It also makes it easier to find if dropped. <br><br>Royal blue does not occur in nature except as water in the tropics. Blue Tarp blue is a good color to use when marking equipment you don't want to lose in a wilderness environment.

Thanks for the tips and the links. How do you construct your lanyards?

>>>An inexpensive and surprisingly durable alternative is the 20 oz sports drink bottles <<<<br><br>The pull to[p busted on one of my son's bottles last year. So I bought one of those sport's bottles, and it work quite well. Until Mom tossed it into the recyling bin when he left it out on the counter! I bought a Colman bottle to replace it for $1. I'd tell your kids to decorate or mark up their sports bottles so moms don't throw away their "valuable" camping equipment!<br><br>

I just run a bit of the cord through the attachment point on the object. I form a loop with the cord. I keep enlarging the loop until I can comfortably stick my hand through the loop. Then I just tie a simple overhand knot. Then I cut the cord and burn the ends to keep it from unraveling.<br><br>I used to use climbing accessory cord before I found the reflective guy line. 3mm climbing accessory cord has a breaking strength of 2250 lbs or something like that. It is available in a variety of bright colors. I then would put a wrap of reflective tape on the cord. I would also put some reflective tape on the object.<br><br>So far the only objects that have lanyards are knifes, multi-tools, MFS, and Boy Scout Hot Spark. I rely on the reflective tape to locate dropped items.<br><br>A double fisherman knot might be a better knot but the overhand seems to have worked so far. The advantage would be the loop could be tighened after the hand is entered.

I have also assembled a simple PSK type fanny-pack for my kids (5 and 7, girls). I would be interested in knowing what contents you include and why.<br><br>Working from memory right now; I include:<br>Mini Mag light with head-band<br>space blanket<br>plastic poncho<br>GORP<br>tissue<br>ColeMan camp knife with detachable spoon and fork (this is an eating utinsile not a true sharp but the blade is serviceable enough for them)<br>Coleman Survival whistle without matches. This contains compass, whistle, flint rod and stash for matches or other items. Currently they carry this empty<br>Bandanna<br>Minimal first aid kit<br><br>I am certain that there are some other items but I can't remember them right now. There is a bunch of room left over in the fanny packs just looking for justifiable additions<br><br>These fanny packs are designed for outings such as hikes. If there is anyone who has assembled a smallish pack for daily carry for children in primary school I would be interested in your list of contents and your experience and success in getting the kid to wear / carry the kit.

Very similar:<br><br>Chemical Light Stick in Toothbrush Case<br>Space Blanket<br>Orange Plastic Poncho<br>Toilet Tissue<br>Fox Mini Whistle (soon to be on a lanyard)<br>Red Bandanna<br>Minimal First Aid Kit<br>Water Bottle<br>Snacks/GORP - whatever we decide to pack that day (my daughter brought us all chocolate chip cookies.)<br><br>My son, who is a Cub Scout, has a belt holster for a small flashlight and an inexpensive multi-tool. He's only allowed to wear it when I'm around and he's instructed not to use it if he gets lost. I'm concerned that he'll cut himself if he tries to use it while lost and not know how to stp the bleeding. In fact, I may not let him carry it on hikes anymore until I'm satisfied he's old enough.<br><br>I plan on adding the following:<br>$1.00 in Quarters (for phone calls)<br>A make-up bag to hold the contents (except the food).<br>Spare batteries.<br>Identification Card<br><br>We sat down before we started our hike and went over the ground rules. My oldest son helped out. I reviewed the contents of the kits with them and told them what to do if they get separated.<br><br>This spring I'll repeat the training when we go camping to reinforce the rules & techniques. We'll be in a sparsely populated area then so we can actually act out scenarios without disturbing others.<br><br>Last spring we all took turns starting a fire with dryer lint and a MFS. The younger ones needed some assistance, but they did remarkably well, better than I thought they would. So I will continue having them build test fires whenever it's possible. Once they have mastered the technique and safty aspect, I'll consider letting them carry firestarting gear.<br><br>My youngest son is only a few years away from being a Boy Scout and earning his Fireman Chit card, which is a prerequisite for scouts before they are allowed to build and tnd fires.<br><br>What else should I include?

Depending on their area of travel you might include:<br><br>- Indentification documentation<br>- Emergency Contact Phone numbers<br>- Photos of family members and Pets<br>- Surveyors Tape (signalling)<br>- Paper and pencil (signalling, diary, fire starter, TP, etc)<br>- Quarters (to call home or 911 if they stumble upon phone)<br>- MFS with hack saw blade (5 yr may not be able to use, 7 yr could be useful)<br>- Trash bag (makeshift poncho, tarp, sleeping bag)<br>- Mirror (signalling)<br>- Paracord<br>- Duct Tape<br>- extra batteries for flashlight<br>- LED light instead of flashlight<br>- mini-chemical light stick (easier to "turn on" for younger. Not much light to see with, more just "warm fuzzies" for the little one. You can find them in the fishing department. Available in bulk from Major Surplus)<br>- Safety pins<br>- Baby wipes/towelettes<br>- Fast food meal toy (entertainment, stuffed animals would be comfort toy)<br>- Hard candy, tootise rolls, granola bars