First of all, don't bring the knife. It's a school policy and violating it would likely cause her to be expelled. If you don't agree with the policy, then don't go. I doubt that a school outing is going to be at a location where the lack of a knife is a very serious concern. Of course, anything can happen anywhere. But for most children, a knife is not going to make the difference of lifa and death, IMHO.<br><br>Now folks, don't flame me to quickly. Most of you know I'm involved with the scouts and that scouts can carry knives. Of course this is after they have been trained under proper supervision. And this is not to be confused with the issue of how old one should be before owning a knife, which was discussed at length in a thread some months ago.<br><br>But if you reread Doug's section on Kid's Don't-Leave-Home-Without-It Equipment , both a pocket knife and firestarting gear are optional. The safety concerns are obvious. But also consider the value returned. Most children will not be lost in a remote wilderness. If they have all of the other gear and follow the steps outlined in A Kid's Wilderness Survival Primer , they will easily survive the vast majority of the "lost in the woods" situations.<br><br>I have prepared a fanny pack for each of my younger children, the older of the two is 10. I let him use knoves while under my supervision, but I do not include it in the kit. I'd be more concerned that he would accidentally cut himself while lost and alone. Not the situation has gone from bad to worse, and he does nothave the maturity or knowledge to deal with a major injury while alone. Again, most of the time, they'll be places where they should be found in a short amount of time. If we were to travel in an area where the risk is higher, I would likely re-evaluate this strategy.<br><br>Here's what they carry.<br>Water bottle<br>Fox40 whistle on a lanyard<br>Garbage bag<br>Colmann emergancy poncho (bright orange)<br>Chemical light stick in a toothpaste travel tube.<br>Two bandanas, one a bright red.<br>One space blanket.<br><br>They sometimes carry small flashlights, but they don't like the added weight. Their first action is to STOP and stay put, unless it's not safe to do so. The poncho can serve as an emergency shelter, as can the garbage bag, and it's a bright color for signalling. If night falls, the chem light will help comfort him or her as the huddle in their poncho shelter. Darkness is scary and intimidating. The chem light will last most of the night where a flashlight would burn out too quick. You and aI would hunker down in the drak and conserve batteries, but a child won't.<br><br>The whistle is the key tool for their safety. Most likely they will not have wandered too far from help, especially if they follow the S.T.O.P instructions. <br><br>We went through the gear and instruction this spring on a day hike. And will do it again on out next trip. I plan on repeating the instruction again before next season as a refresher. Practice makes perfect.<br>