You're welcome jac. Hope you find that hotspark at the scout store.

izzy that's a nice looking setup, but looks like it would be a bit clunky and uncomfortable around your neck anyway. At first I thought a neck lanyard with all the basics would be nice but then I thought it might be more comfortable to have it hold just a few key pieces of gear like the whistle, light, and firestarter, and augment it with a pocket size altoids type kit for the rest.

Unfortunately ken, our district's scout shop is about a 2 1/2 hour drive away. The shipping costs are cheaper for me than paying for the gas.

EDIT: jac, a few ideas for the sharp off the top of my head - tiny folding knife like the spyderco ladybug (no affiliations) or similar, or possibly a scalpel blade in the pill fob with the tinder.