I have seen a couple threads recently regarding lost Scouts and the failure on the part of the BSA to prepare these kids properly. I would like to contend that our failure to prepare our children (and adults) goes well beyond the BSA. This morning after breakfast my son (23 months old) went for a hike at a Texas state park near where we live. It was about 10am which in Texas in June means temperatures already at or near 90+ degrees F so this was just a short hike of maybe 30 min to an hour... nothing major because I dont want him to get hot and uncomfortable since the idea is for him to enjoy the outdoors (which so far he does quite a bit). As we are hiking down the trail we come across a park ranger (or atleast a park employee with a uniform identical to the rangers' uniforms) with group of about 6 children and 4 parents on a guided nature hike of sorts. When my son and I met up with them on the trail they were stopped and she was explaining something about cedar trees that I wasn't paying much attention too. What I did notice though was that this was about 10am in June in Texas and not a sinlge person in the group was carrying anything noticable. Not even one single bottle of water between them. Granted we were only about .25 mile from the trail head but I still found this to be unusual at best. I went on to notice that the "ranger" had nothing. No water bottle or canteen or knife or multitool or a belt pouch, shoulder bag or backpack of any type. I would have expected to see at least a bottle of water and FAK. There was nothing in her pockets either. Her shorts were tight enough that it was pretty obvious that her pockets were empty. It was really sad. She was not setting a good example at all. And here I come waltzing down the trail, Joe Nobody with my 2 year old son up on my shoulders in his bright orange t-shirt and me with my little PSK/FAK belt pouch (plus my normal EDC) and a bottle of water. It seems these days the only people I see carrying water on the trail are the trail runners and mountain bikers... and keep in mind its often 100 degree F or hotter when I'm out there. As far as anyone at all carrying any other gear... heck I would probably go in to shock if I actually ever saw that. Granted, I myself keep a very low profile so you'd have to be really looking to notice that I am carrying anything other than a bottle of water (and believe me I am) so I can only hope that the case is the same with some of the other seemingly unprepared people I see along the trail.