and the value of the slap up side of the head: PRICELESS!!!!

I'd have to give them the $25 and tell them to go see a movie while the prepared people go for a day hike.

"I find it interesting that a number of people seem to have the impression that if if the person is coming without anything, that they are not interested in being prepared. Personally, I can think of a number of situations where a person could be left without gear and would have to make up a daypack on the spot. It's happened to me before, where I've flown out to visit someone, my luggage has been lost, and I've been left with nothing but my computer and the cash in my wallet."

True. But the challenge is to buy for someone else, and that implies they can't choose for themselves. I would have different choices for me or for friends ( I wouldn't presume that they caould start a fire in adverse conditions, or build a brush shelter for themselves)

Execllent responses. Lots of ideas I hadn't thought of.
Essentially; you'd want to carry water, shelter, signal making, first aid, tools, fire making -- the essentials.

The imitation coin-cell Photons cost under a dollar now. Mechanically they are fine, but they are bright because they are over-driven, and I've had the LED in one fail. Even so, they are small enough and cheap enough that I would think it foolish to go with nothing at all if one is available. Better to carry two.

Maybe I care more about light because I live and work in an urban environment. It's less important outdoors. However, light is one of the things for which there is no substitute. If you have to perform any kind of first aid, for example, I wouldn't want to be doing it in the dark.

You're right. I've just had really bad experiences with cheap flashlights. I've bought a number of them and used ones others have bought, and now I find it hard to justify wasting my money on these things. They always seem to break, die, or not put out enough light to see by shortly after being purchased. I just really dislike the idea of buying something that won't do what I bought it for.

On that same note, I don't think it's necessary to spend an exhorbitant amount of money on a flashlight either. My brother bought me a an $8 aluminum penlight from energiser that I EDC and have been very happy with.

Hm, this is an interesting thread. I think I'll have a go; but I'll be semi-cheating and thinking of two or three different stores where I'll be buying the junk, er, gear:

Dollar Tree:
Cheap rubberized flashlight - $1
Batteries for said flashlight - $1
2-Pack of butane candle/grill lighters (or 4-pack of disposable Bic knockoffs) - $1
2 Liter-size Bottles of water - $2
Dish towel, preferably in garish color (in place of a bandana or kerchief and for signaling and tinder) - $1
Nail care kit (includes clippers, scissors, tweezers, and file and sometimes even a small plastic mirror) - $1
Mini sewing kit (includes needles, thread, safety pins) - $1
Disposable poncho - $1
Box of plastic trash bags - $1
Roll of speaker wire (not as good as 550 para-cord, but whataya want for $25?) - $1

Evil Empire (AKA WalMart, my favorite store in the world):
Winchester or Ozark Trail fixed-blade knife - $8
Johnson & Johnson pocket-size first-aid kit - $1
Tube of Equate bacitracin triple anti-biotic ointment - $2.50
Box of Quaker Chewy Granola Bars - $2.50

Total from Dollar Tree - $11
Total from WalMart - $14
Total crap, er, kit - $25

I went with cheap crap on all of this, because this is, apparently, meant as single-use, light-duty stuff in case of emergency, and because of the limited budget.

Hey, that's a great idea.

-Blast

That idea applies to many other "dual purpose" items. Just my recent experience: Tyvek coverall full suit is much better than many Sauna sport suits. But "Sport" word multiplies the price by x2, and "Sauna" - by another x2. If you add something like "Nike" to that...

For those interested, I added a new practice scenario under
4th of July practice scenario -- Music fest

teacher