$5 PSK

Hi folks, The scout troop I am in is looking to make PSK and the thought was to have each boy bring in a component, where it gets tricky is the cost. the troop is not well funded and I am trying to keep the cost down. We were looking at Altoids tin type PSK

is $5 even remotely feasible? Keep in mind this would be a supplement to the 10 essentials

• Pocketknife (when you complete Totin’ Chip training)
• First aid kit
• Extra clothing
• Rain gear
• Water bottle (1 liter)
• Flashlight or headlamp
• Trail food
• Matches/Fire starter (when you complete Firem’n Chit training)
• Sun protection
• Map and compass

any idea on what to use would be great

For $5 I would say ditch the PSK idea an invest in an Adventure medical kits heatsheet blanket for each member of the troop.

I don't know about the total cost, but buying in bulk at Lowes or Home Depot will probably keep the cost down -

You can probably pack this in a zip-lock of some kind that would double as a water carrier (although I don't know how long a zip-lock will hold up in a scout's cargo pocket...

- 55 gallon trash bag for emergency shelter, etc. Buy a box.
- some cordage, heaver than string, lighter than rope. Buy a roll and cut lengths for each scout.
- sheet of heavy duty foil, improvise pot to heat water. Buy a roll and give each scout a piece to fold.
- some kind of age appropriate fire starter, water-proof matches, mini-Bic?
- some kind of tender - buy a big box of wax/sawdust fireplace starters.

If there is money left over, buy a bunch of Calume sticks and put one in each kit. Can be ordered bulk on Amazon or maybe from a local supplier.

Just having the trash bag can stave off hypothermia and save a life.

PM me your name, address and number (and age so I can make the items are age appropriate) of scouts and I will send you some items for kits that may allow you to expand what is to be included.

Pete

"paramedicpete is over their Private Topic limit. "

Try again, I only had 5 messages saved and I deleted 2, so there should be room.

Pete

$5 total or $5 per item/child?

I found this over on CandlePower Forums yesterday.
http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=236715

Don't know if that helps but it might give you a place to buy PSK items in small numbers.

whistle
silvered mylar (birthday balloon) glued to playing card for signal mirror (suggest they purchase a lensatic compass with real mirror on their own dime or real starflash type signal mirror
tincture of iodine for cuts/water purification
shoe polish/tuna can with concentric strip of cardboard poured full of paraffin for emergency cooking (not necessarily a PSK)
bandana
GI poncho for rain gear on their own dime
determine appropriate size food can to make a nested cook pot for their water bottle
contractor clean up 2mil or greater trash bags
grease pencil to write on slick surfaces
couple of feet of duct tape
braded nylon cordage (pull rope size)

when they earn the right to carry and make fire, consider a SAK and activator protected Bic on a section of cord to be looped around their belt...Bic attached with a couple feet of duct tape carried in front pocket

that would be 5$ total, I figured if everyone spent around that amount say for example one buys a roll of aluminum foil another a box of razor blades, strike anywhere matches, fish hooks etc... if everyone shares that it should go a long way to making 25 or so decent starters.

Think I am looking at the troop getting would be a spool of 550 cord, a big box of trash bags and maybe a large plastic mirror we could cut up into smaller signal mirrors (Mylar and cards is a much better idea posted above Thanks)

I highly doubt it. Maybe (maybe) $10.

Unless you have a very large troop to spread items around. Even cheapie space blankets run $1 each, much less getting the altoid type tins.

This could prove to be quite an exercise in resourcefulness.

Eschewing all the pre-fab, Gucci survival tools for a pragmatic, simple and cheap kit made from readily available items out of necessity sounds like a great experiment.

For super cheap Fauxton lights check out: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1253

Not DR quality but good enough for this experiment.

Perfect, with the way kids lose stuff there is no way I would spend big bucks on it. I just ordered enough for the troop


For fire starting I was going to have the kids do cotton balls and PJ any neat cheap and compact ways to store these?

The key here is to define what you want it to do, but also, what you don't need it to do. And what they should always have on themselves anyway.

I buy a lot of stuff in bulk and it would be difficult to hit $5 per kid.

My advice would be to pare it down to the bare minimum. Its really easy to make a super long list of things that everyone should carry, but for $5 and considering these are scouts...

For $5 I think you could do:
1) something to light a fire.
2) a quality whistle
3) a heatsheet that can be used for signalling
4) the tin (flash signal, etc)
5) A cloth (bandage, etc)
6) some cordage
7) a small paper reminder (these are scouts who are learning!) of the alternate uses of many items. or print that on the cloth if you're feelin' froggy.

No way in hello that this is going to fit in an altoids tin.

That would be the bare minimum in my opinion.

They should ALWAYS have a knife on their person, and it should not be considered part of the kit due to the low dollar amount.

I picked up some of those DX lights for myself, wotta deal.

There are a lot of other cheap stuff you could put in there but then you would start losing quality.

Hi BogHog 1,

I did a similar exercise with youth groups constructing a PSK as part of a 1/2 day Basic Survival Course. The PSK items were pre-purchased and prepared, all the kids had to do was squeeze the items into the kit. We have assembled about 120 of these kits, the first 60 cost $15.00 each, the second batch was around $12.00 because I found better deals in bulk.

These basic kits were discussed/reviewed on the ETS Forum here .

The 1/2 day Basic Survival Course teaching points were discussed here .

Hope this can be a help to you.

Mike

If you shift focus away from wilderness survival, where materials are either scarce or require considerable amounts of processing to adapt, and toward making the best of a semi-urban disaster, where materials are plentiful but require re-purposing, you have a better shot at keeping costs down.

These are all hobo technology and common knowledge through the 40s but they have been lost as people got used to having to make their own gear. An example might be using discarded cardboard as a sleeping pad. Garbage bags as a poncho. A salvaged pillow case and light line as a functional backpack. How to stuff a cheap jacket with newspaper to make it a lot warmer.

IMO these skills are far more useful than many wilderness skills. Teaching them is easier also. In part because the materials are either discarded items or dead cheap. But also because you can teach these skills on a empty lot in the middle of a city. You don't need to carry kids out to the deep woods.

SwampDonkey's youth kit is a fine exercise in function vs. size vs. cost.

But for $5? That's a heckuva challenge. I assume you'll buy anything you can on sale. Or run the troupe through a local secondhand charity store, after giving them the principles and a $3 budget.

Anyway, here's my take:

Cutting Tools:
- razor blade with guard (these are the scraper refills from hardware stores)
- bimetal hacksaw blade section, each end rounded/sanded, as long as will fit in the container

Fire:
- firestarter has to be PJ and cotton balls, plus 2 birthday candles
- paper matches in Saran wrap last many, many years in storage; teach them to cut 2-3-4 at a time, right to the bottom of the package, to get a real match; ideally, add a second phosophorous striker to the kit
- 1-2 lifeboat matches (paper match striker will light them)

Cordage:
- monofilament fish line, maybe 12lb., for fishing and shelter building
- mason line is great, but even heavy butcher cord is useful in camp
- 2 ft. of super-sticky first aid tape, the kind that sticks to skin for days in all conditions--I have yet to find duct tape that will stick to my skin for long for first aid or blister prevention; or 6 ft. of red electrical tape, which won't stick to skin but will stretch and stick to itself

Signalling
- whistle of some kind
- mirror: I like the mylar balloon and card option; but the platters from discarded hard drives are excellent, tough, and free metal mirrors

Container:
- at this cost, you're looking at an uncoated tin can
- but if you can scrounge 'em, packing this in a cheap enamel cup would be best

Light:
- can't beat the DealExtreme minis

Other:
- if not in bear country, a few individually wrapped mints can do a lot for morale etc.

I've probably blown the $5 and then some. Let us know what the final kit looks like!

Cheers,
Doug

BTW, I gotta grab those DXExtreme lights. Wow.

Depending on where the OP is located and how many kits he and the scout troop are planning to build, I have a collection of Fox 40 whistles (courtesy of my local .gov) I can donate.

The OP can PM me with the details.

Ability to make fire is crucial, and the cheapest possible decent firestarter is cotton dryer lint, with some supplemental petroleum jelly, combined with strike anywhere matches. Get them some large, cheap plastic bags and string for shelter, as well as knowledge about using terrain to good advantage, and you are well on the way.

This project grabs me. My introduction to mountain rescue was to join in a search for three Boy Scouts trying to climb Mt Wrightson (near Tucson, AZ) in the face of a ferocious and early winter storm. Three weeks later, when the snow drifts had melted enough to locate their bodies, it was clear that they had tried to light a fire, using tissue paper. Unsuccessfully. End of story.

It looks like yours will be better prepared. Best of luck to you.

Some options for holding the cotton balls and pj - not sure how well these will work or how they will price out in the quantities you need.

Altoids has smaller tins for their sugar free mints. These look like they would fit inside the standard Altoids tin. I think the chewing gum tins are even smaller.

A small (single dose) plastic pill case would probably work well also. I think you can find something similar in craft/dollar stores for organizing beads.

Here is a link with lots of images/ideas.

Going cheaper, maybe get some extra wide drinking straws from a local gas station/kwik mart (some around here have 1/4" and even 1/2" diameter straws) and figure out some way to seal the ends (tape, melting, glue). Going to the local Hardware store and picking up some cheap plastic tubing would probably work well also and be a bit sturdier in use.

Good luck on the kit.

- Eric

when my students did the mylar/playing card project, the playing card was to approximate a stiffer credit card like backing...another student entry used solar window film (silvered) but it had a lot of light transparency... perhaps a firm that mirrored storefronts could provide film with higher reflectivity, and printing company a stiffer backing from promotional plastic cards

I know everyone is enamored with petroleum jelly/cotton balls, but has anyone tried casting a cotton ball in paraffin... years ago we melted paraffin in bottle caps and added a ball of cotton..when cooled it was wrapped in foil, and fluffed to light ..

anyone ever try to make a whistle out of a cartridge case..say a 308 or 30-30?

Fire lighting.
Direction.
Water purification.

The two biggest threats in a short term survival situation are hypothermia and bad water. So in your place I would insist that their tin's contain:
Reliable prepared tinder. That means cotton-pet jelly balls in a zip-loc as you are on limited funds.
A small button compass.
Individual water purification tablets x 6.
6' of light gauge wire.

One other point:
Your 10 essentials should be 12.
Add: Whistle and 25'(5m) of cordage.
If you have enough money left over then get them a $1 "emergency" poncho. Very handy as emergency rain wear and they are superior to trash bags for water proofing a shelter. If you can get bright orange then they can also be used as an S.O.S marker panel.

Come up with household items which you can use for your PSK, then have the scouts and parents collect them. Altoids tins, breast milk bags for water, compact discs for mirrors, string, etc. This will also teach resourcefulness in utilizing commonly found items for survival.
You must also base your kit on the proper priorities. Maintaining body temperature, water, signaling. Younger scouts need to worry about staying alive until found and getting found. Your costs can be reduced with the proper prioritization. I like Jim's suggestion, buy them all a heat sheet to keep in their pocket. Probably the most efficient and effective (and versatile) thing you can get them.
I have my scouts carry a light, whistle, heat sheet and bottle of water. They are taught to stop, remain safe, and get noticed. As they get older, and their adventures are in more remote areas, their needs will change. If they have done the wilderness survival merit badge training, they have a good base of knowledge. The older ones have also had more time to pull together the items for their kits. I do not think you can get a good one together for $5 though.

In my humble opinion $5 is not at all reasonable. You won't find just a decent pocketknife for $5.

My thoughts:

Use the essentials listed the Boy Scout Handbook as the basis for the kits. Have the boys look them up in their books so they see how good a reference the Handbook is.

Typical additional items include a whistle, a plastic signal mirror (also used when Scouts brush their teeth ... hah!?), a large (bright) trash bag, a ferro rod, and some decent synthetic cord.

Teach the boys the characteristics of good/acceptable gear, and even provide sources for the gear, but let them purchase it themselves - where feasible. Making purchasing decisions is part of the Scouts learning/growth process.

Expect them to assemble their kits. Have inspections. Reward them for doing it- maybe with a special cobler party. Repeat this over several campout (more than 2).

Scouting is a process of learning and growth. Help them along that process, but you can't do it for them.

Ken

Hmmm, I just re-read your original post. It sounds like you are trying to use the $5 to supplement the essentials - not to purchase the essentials themselves.

If that is the case, then yes, I think $5/Scout can go a long way.

You can buy real cheap - and fairly decent - whistles at orientaltrading.com (search using IN-20/45) for $2.99/dozen (plus shipping).

Plastic bags are cheap. If you contact your local highway department and tell them this is for Scouts they may give you a bunch of the large orange bags for free.

You can buy cord fairly cheap, depending on your source.

Signal mirrors will cost more, but go to your local dollar store and see if they have some small plastic mirrors. Its easy enough to use a mirror without the targeting sight (see Doug's ETS site for a description). http://www.enasco.com/product/9727797 has them for 75 cents each.

I recently went through a similar exercise with the Girl Scout Troop that my wife leads.

Each kid got:

A small First Aid Kit -- http://countycomm.com/pocketfirstaid.htm

A good whistle -- http://countycomm.com/fox40.htm (this right here is your entire budget, but I wouldn't waste your money on a lesser whistle)

A keychain flashlight -- http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1100

Some cordage -- http://countycomm.com/teather.html (I would have preferred orange paracord http://countycomm.com/550cord.htm)

A contractor bag

The troop leaders got some mylar emergency blankets. I tried to get them to buy Heatsheets, but they cheaped out.


I also conducted a very abbreviated "lost in the woods" course for the girls (wear appropriate clothing and shoes, stay in groups of three or more, make sure the troop leaders know where you are, look behind you on your way out of camp so you'll know what the way back in looks like, S.T.O.P., hug a tree, blow your whistle three times every minute or so).


Mike

Maybe a dumb question, but if they're so fiscally challenged, how do they expect to get much outdoor time? I mean, at the very least a school backpack and water bottle is needed for a dayhike.

Not to be negative (which I know I am being), but if money is that tight for them, do a couple fundraisers before dropping $5/scout. A few carwashes, and you suddenly have $10 or $15/scout.

Are the scouts responsible for their own 10 essentials? If so, then you might be able to cut those items out of your PSK idea - like, they all should have a light and knife on them 24/7 if in the woods.

Heat/cooking/container:
Hobo stove made from coffee can:
http://www.knifeforums.com/uploads/1247846380-hobo01-01.jpg

Firestarter:
Tinder: Petro jelly + cotton balls.

Polished soda can bottom for using solar power to light things on fire (doubles as a mirror):
http://www.wildwoodsurvival.com/survival/fire/cokeandchocolatebar/

Lastly take old used up lighters, cut them in half (or don't for safety's sake) and just use them for the flint striker.

You could also pick up a bulk pack of waterproof matches super cheap and split them for low cost per kid.

Tools
Rope/cordage - I agree about the fishing line; perfect choice.. or twine.

Tinfoil/Duct tape. Cheap - buy a big roll and give each kid a set amount.

Knife - razors or start teaching kids how to make their own.

Extra
Heavy duty ziplok bags for water storage/misc

Trash bag ponchos (try to find trash bags that are heavy duty and make sure you wash them to get rid of the pesticides they are coated with) make sure you use duct tape around the head/armholes to keep the bag from ripping.

Food: - have them each grab some salt, pepper, sugar, ketchup packets from mcdonalds next time mom brings them there.



That's all I've got, thanks for the interesting post.

MDinana,

I agree about the scouts doing something to earn the money; service projects for donations. Fall is upon us and there are plenty of elderly folks who will need there yards raked and so forth. This will also allow them to spread the word about personal readiness. They could make up some simple brochures in word processor and hand them out as they go. A little community education if you will.

Back to the original question, though. $5.00 will be incredibly restrictive. I do like the idea of the lessons on improvisation. That would be like the one we did here a while ago when someone posted the "I see out my window a ... " and described what they could use for survival.

My .02 cents

I think I also initially misunderstood your post- to be clear, you're saying the 10 items you list will be carried and the PSK is in addition to that? If so you have some decent options. If the $5 kit must cover those ten you won't be able to do much.

Provided the kids are already carrying map, compass, knife, matches, raingear, ett then perhaps a couple of contractor-grade garbage bags and mylar blanket would be good additions. A small fishing and/or sewing kit could be assembled pretty cheaply. Obviously, the items would have to be age appropriate.

Phaedrus,

Our Scouts and Cubs are doing the same thing in a couple of weeks. I'm a Colony Leader for the younger kids (5-7) and I'm going to make kits with them as well. The be prepared mentality needs to start young! besides, they hike and camp with the big kids and want to be just like them so why not take advantage of that enthusiasm!

We teach the young kids to Hug-a-Tree and signal for rescue if they're lost. They are too young for map and compass yet but we've started rudimentry skills like landmarking and a little bit of map making. They always wear a lanyard with a whistle when we're on outdoor adventures, and we're training them to bring their backpacks with water and a jacket, hat, etc...

My kids are too young for fire or sharps but I have the same $5 budget as you to make these kits. my priorities are protection/shelter, rescue, food and keeping the boogy man at bay. I'm not including water in the psk because we want them to hug that tree at this age.

so far i've raided the local dollar stores and found emergency ponchos for $0.70 each, whistles for $0.50 each, bandanas for $0.50, and keychain squeeze lights for $1.00 each. i also bought a box of fruit bars for about $0.20 each, big bag of sugar free lollypops for $0.05 each, a case of extra-large yard bags for $1.00 each, mini chem lights for $0.60 each. We're going to pack them in double ziplock bags, which cost about $0.05 each.

I just remembered that some of the local PDs here pass out free whistles to anyone who wants one. Maybe you could get in touch with them. They'll most likely be cheapo pea whistles but then again this is more about teaching than actual survival.

Also, contact your local CERT or Civil Air Patrol organizer and see if you can get some donations from them. I know my mother got a whole bag of freebies when she volunteered a couple years back.

Wow some great information provided in this thread, and yes the $5 is in addition to the 10 essentials.

As for fund raising the troop is doing that but we are hoping to use the money raised for a trip down the alagash and other camping trips, which will not be cheap.

This is also to be used as a lesson in being thrifty. anyone can go out and buy a kit but the satisfaction of doing something yourself and without breaking the bank.

I had a question about the hard drive things, is there something reflective inside hard drives? I have never pulled one apart.

The hard drive questions makes me think of old CDs and DVDs. They might not work in players anymore but they'd make cheap signal mirrors.

So they have the basic ten with them... OK. They pretty much have it covered. What needs to be added is a whistle, some codage, and a couple of trashbags.

I typically yank the hard drive before sending a PC for recycling. SOP.

The spinning disc inside the sealed hard drive is made of metal, with a highly polished surface (deposited magnetic recording medium) and a hole in the middle. In terms of reflectivity, IMO it is significantly better than acrylic mirrors, and darn close to glass.

This makes a very high quality, easy to aim, improvised signal mirror. Plus, the other metallic components (moving arms etc.) would make excellent fishing tackle. I you hack one of these apart in the bush and show your scouts what you can do with the internals, you will absolutely blow their tiny minds.

Some notions that might be helpful:
Usually around this time of year, Walgreens still has a bunch of promotional 'back to school' items that have occasionally included relatively inexpensive aluminum tube whistles.

Also, Target occasionally sells very small FAK/survival kits for a whopping $1. In a plastic ziploc pouch it included a set of tweezers in a tube, a box of matches that were dipped in wax, and a few bandages. If they happen to be carrying them now, you could add an inexpensive survival blanket that I often see for sale for another $1, some needles, the dealextreme lights mentioned above, needles, safety pins and thread. Magnetize the needle and include a slice of a wine cork (or whatever) to float the needle on and you have a compass.

Party stores also might be a good source for inexpensive items like whistles and compasses.

I'm starting to think that the form factor is going to be the biggest detriment to keeping costs low.

The tins themselves are over $1 and restrict the size of items greatly.

Found some more cheap bulk on DX.

20 pack of button compasses:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.4519

10 pack:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.4732

http://www.4imprint.com/
Is a printing company that gives free samples of the items they can do printing on. I've requested one of the Garrity headlamps, it's perfect for a freebie backup.
http://www.4imprint.com/search/garrity/product/100123/Garrity-LED-Head-Lamp

I was thinking char cloth would be cheaper to make and easier to carry for a firestarting kit. It won't require a special container like petroleum jelly and you can use anything that's 100% cotton...old tshirts, pillow cases, sheets, etc.

Regarding the dealextreme compasses: read the user reviews. Not good.

after my post on the use of paraffin and cotton we used in the late 50's which I hadn't thought of in years.. yesterday I was opening a bottle of aspirin... took a piece of 4x4 aluminum foil and pressed it into the cap to make a well, melted 1/8 inch candle wax and pressed about 1x1/2 inch of the cotton filler into the wax... chilled it in the freezer, and then rolled it out to unstick....easily folded up.... not messy... the foil acts as a mini wind screen...and readily catches spark from striker wheel but you need to ignite at the boundary between the paraffin and cotton....a possible alternative to your tinder quest

For $2.60 I wouldn't expect much.
This is more an exercise than a true survival kit.
Having a compass should always be coupled with direction-finding without one.

I had my students make a sun compass as part of a land navigation lab... and had to make accomodations as teenagers typically didn't wear a watch, and those that did, it was invariably a digital watch not analog. I had them use a drawing compass so they would get a good pivot point, and make the radius as large as possible (3x5 card)...protractor to get good 3,6,9,12 quadrants and try to make good "dot" marks at 15,30,45 minute tics between hours... since we are north of the Tropic of Cancer, the sun is always behind us facing north, so have them hold a thin stick/straw/twig on edge of circle, rotate card so shadow falls across the center pivot point and across the analog hour hand location coinciding to the time from their cell phone or digital watch (to nearest 15min)...north is 1/2 way between the shadow line and 12 o'clock...you might print up a good copy, and attach it to a mirror back with clear packing tape....have them practice/compare with an orienteering compass...

That's exactly why leaders like us have to be resourceful. Scouts is for the kids. Some can't afford it but no kid is at fault for that. Our group has a healthy bank account but we've been established for over twenty years and our leaders are very committed, but not all groups are so fortunate. We've got lots of high risk kids in our area and we try to make it work for them if their parents can just commit to bringing them out. Heck, we'll even pick them up and chaufer them!

One of the Brownie moms in the troop my wife leads called to drop her daughter out of the troop for financial reasons. At my urging, Mom was told that there was grant money to pay for her membership, vest and patches. That "grant money" came out of my wallet.

Once her mom got back to work the "grant money" was used up.

Now THAT's inspiring, chaos!! Way to go!!

I was going to suggest an inexpensive provodine-iodine swab as multi use addition to the kit, but primarily a water treatment option... katadyn ClO2 are a little pricey for the troop's budget...but doing a search,the recommendations for dilution run from 2 to 8 drops per liter of water....does anyone have any other or more up to date numbers?...

you might repackage some Aquapure/Potable Aqua tabs...couple of tufts of cotton,small straw, RTV silicone end plugs

4 drops of regular chlorine bleach per each liter of water will kill the nasties.

Chlorox lists a 800 phone number on their labeling and it will provide you with straight answers to your water purification questions.

I have no affiliation with whoever makes Chlorox Bleach.

Regular chlorine bleach doesn't kill everything does it? I thought you needed chlorine dioxide for that. It seems like bacteria are pretty much killed but that some cysts are not?

You could stop by any place you know of that still develops actual rolls of film and ask if you can have some containers. This could be useful for your PJCB and storage of other mini items.

For a decent cheapo knife you might try the Wahoo Killer I read about somewhere. $1.99 for a mora-like knife isn't bad.

That is a shockingly good knife for $2! My dad gave me one of 'em. He got it as a goof, but liked it so much that he got a few more. It takes a very good, although I haven't used it hard enough to say how well it holds it. Still, for the price it's hard to beat- it's a real knife!

We had a boy that was going to drop out because mom couldn't afford it, amazingly my son had "outgrown" his shirt that we just bought I couldn't believe I only had time to put the patches on before he out grew it and the troop happened to have a scholarship for the dues


As for the knife it bums me out that the BSA does not allow fixed blade knives

Well I guess the Wahoo would have to just be a cheap fixed blade to learn with Dad around in the back yard or out family camping or something.

Hey Boghog1,I have a Bunch of P-38's,that could double for knives in a pinch,& whatever else you can think up.I also have a roll of Bright Nylon Mason's line(neon yellow)aprox.200yds.This stuff is sitting in my garage waiting for Developing Minds,to put to use.I also have a bunch of 2x3" zip-lok bags,that would be perfect for PJ/Cotton tinder storage.Send me an email,I will Gladly send this stuff for your Troop!

Well the boys made up the kits last night. Thanks to paramedicpete and Richlacal, the boys have some great kits that they can further modify to suit their needs. I'll post up pictures and a list of what was used. Some things we did use were:
10ft of Masons line
10ft of Flat webbing
1 sewing needle/Awl
1 Jig head Fish hook
2 plain fish hooks
2 split shot sinkers
4 PJ Coated cotton balls
10 Strike anywhere matches
1 #9 Razor blade
1 qt size Freezer bag
1 Contractors Bag
1 Hard Drive Platter as Signal Mirror
1 button flashlight from DE
1 P38 Can Opener
1 Carabiner (sp?)
1 Mesh Bag to store
2 Plastic Storage tubes (Red and Blue)
50ft of Heavy duty braided thread/fish line
6ft of military snare wire
6-10 assorted safety pins
2ft of Duct Tape
assorted bandages (Pete can probably tell you)
1 golf pencil
1 votive candle
(I probably forgot some stuff

The boys also all got a neck lanyard so they can get themselves a whistle and a ferro rod. I may get them the ferro if I get some money in soon.

Next week the boys are making themselves Ranger Bracelets (Solomon bar para-cord)

If I can get permission from some parents I'll try and post pics of them in action as we are doing a survival camp out on the 30th of this month. I hope the weather here in NH holds out. it can range from short and tank top weather to kids trick or treating in snow suits from day to day.

Great job Bog! It looks like a great little kit!