Originally Posted By: NightHiker
Originally Posted By: big_al
I have just checked thru My BSA Handbook ( 1988 vintage ) and there is no Survival subject in the book, not even listed in the index,


I think that the BSA Field Guide has recommendations of contents of a survival kit (in the SAR section maybe?) but I'm not sure, I'll have to check my son's when I get home.

As long as they can cover the areas critical to a short-term misadventure:
- First Aid
- Fire Starting
- Shelter Building
- Signaling

Our scouts discussion at last nights meeting centered around the need to S.T.O.P. and realize that very soon they would be missed and a search started (we do frequent buddy checks/head counts when outdoors). All they have to do is to stay put (make a shleter and fire if necessary), make noise, and as long as they haven't wandered too far, they WILL be found fairly soon. They were also astute enough to realize that it is almost always scouts that are by themselves that get into trouble and that the buddy system is essential.


Look at the year of the book he has...
Wasn't that during the time when the BSA decided that they needed to switch from emphasizing the outdoors, to more 'urban' activities, so that more kids would be interested in joining...
They did not realize that the kids they were trying to recruit, wanted something DIFFERENT than the 'urban' things that they did every day, and their membership dropped...
From what I understand, and from what I saw in a current handbook, they have started to move back to an outdoors emphasis...
They even have reprints of their FIRST handbook!!!
Now, THAT is in interesting book...
BTW, if you have not ever been to a BSA office, do so, if for nothing more than to pick up some of their fire steels(which are GREAT and small enough to have on you always).
Look at their book selection, they have some interesting stuff that might surprise you...