If nothing else it would be more FUN to build it with the scouts!

The ETS PSP is pretty nice, and you get a lot of high quality for the price. Plus it gives some money back to this site. There are some posts on here where people tried to create their own PSPs and spent a lot more money than they would have if they just bought Doug's kit in the first place.

That being said, you may not need everything that's in there or you can find alternatives. You can come up with different fire sources (flint, mini bic, matches), and make your own PJ Cotton balls, and I've converted hard drive platters into very effective and cheap mirrors. I think it would be interesting to see what you come up with for the lowest cost and it would certainly be an educational exercise and team building for the scouts (put them in groups of 5 to see what they come up with for alternatives, etc.).

If you buy a bunch, I'd see about getting a bulk discount from a retailer.

Ouch! <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

I enjoyed the article. Thank you.

-- Craig

Been debating how I wanted to answer this....

He is a member, and no he isn't me. He's mostly a lurker, I don't remember his handle, *something*fox*something* I think it was.

I do have his book. It isn't bad. He comes across as credible, but as for his organazational schema looking like Doug's.... I'm going to be nice, and say that parallel invention is a well documented thing.

The book itself has some interesting ideas in it, and is fairly well written. But I there isn't much in there if you've printed and bindered hard copy of Doug's writtings. I think the big and vehicles kits that McCann built work better for my enviroment than Doug's, but that's because he's about 150 miles almost due west of me and he thinks in terms of being on foot. (Sorry, Doug.) But that's just a matter of a more similar set of location and circumstance. The walking stick kit is kinda fun, but the rifle kit is a little silly (and scary) and the microkits made me laugh.

I would say the best thing McCann has done is set up his online store, which has all the little stuff in one place, rather than paying five or six sets of shipping. But it isn't quiet ready for primetime yet, IMHO.

i have to agree with Doug ... members should write to F&S (especially subscribers) and point out the ETS site and it's contribution(s).

Also, that some of the items in the PSK are now being replaced by better or more practical/engineered. ie

Storm Matches
Arc Lites
Better Photons
Erbwurst
water purification
etc etc

point some of the obvious too