Survival Essentials for boys

[Belthos]

How about a tactical wheelbarrow to carry everything in?

Looks like we all have different definitions of "Survival" and the time frame in which the child will have to survive.
The basics can be carried in a pocket. As you add items, you add weight, bulk and get further from survival supplies and drift in to camping/ living supplies. For 5-7 year olds, a little fanny pack or very small rucksack would work. at that age, they're just not going to tolerate humpin' a 15+lb rucksack while playing or hiking in the woods.

How long would a 5-7 year old kid be expecting to be alone? Probably have a full scale S&R going if it lasts beyond 24 hours.

+1 on the tactical wheelbarrow.

They need water, whistle, light/strobe. Toss in a poncho and mylar blanket and you are pretty much set. A food bar won't hurt and a small mirror could help signal the airplane that will be looking for them.

I could get on board with the personal locator beacon but as mentioned before if you lose a 5 - 7 year old in the woods make sure they are trained to stop and wait for rescue because within 24 hours the woods will be crawling with search and rescue and it helps if they haven't walked 5 or 6 miles in a random direction.

 

[otis147]

who didn't have a pocketknife by 5? hell, i had a hatchet before my 4th birthday. still have all my fingers and toes...

 

[DirtyDawg]

who didn't have a pocketknife by 5? hell, i had a hatchet before my 4th birthday. still have all my fingers and toes...

Ditto. My grandfather gave me my first pocket knife when I was 4 or 5. I still have it today. I was told "Carry this knife with you everywhere you go. If I catch you WITHOUT it in your pocket, I will cut the pockets out of your pants." I've carried one everyday since then.

Stop babying your kids. Teach them to be strong, sufficient, and capable. That's how our parents and grandparents grew up.

 

[UnSafe]

How will a pocket knife help 5-7 year old to get found? This is not Lord of the flies.

 

[n8thegr8]

How will a pocket knife help 5-7 year old to get found? This is not Lord of the flies.

Hahahaha...wow...

If you can't trust a 5-7yr old with a pocket knife, then I suggest their survival kit consist of a leash so they don't get lost in the first place. WTF is the point in going to the woods if you can't whittle something?

 

[otis147]

whittling, cutting themselves free from snags, general peace of mind... if i dont have a pocketknife, i may as well be naked. been like that since i got my first...

anyway, perhaps the original idea was a kit to help teach children survival/woods skills and self reliance... easier to stay calm if you're comfortable in your situation... hard to build a shelter or catch fish with a rape whistle...

 

[subprep]

How about a tactical wheelbarrow to carry everything in?

Looks like we all have different definitions of "Survival" and the time frame in which the child will have to survive.
The basics can be carried in a pocket. As you add items, you add weight, bulk and get further from survival supplies and drift in to camping/ living supplies. For 5-7 year olds, a little fanny pack or very small rucksack would work. at that age, they're just not going to tolerate humpin' a 15+lb rucksack while playing or hiking in the woods.

How long would a 5-7 year old kid be expecting to be alone? Probably have a full scale S&R going if it lasts beyond 24 hours.

just making suggestions for things you could use, you wouldn't have to put them all in a pack unless you wanted to. and you seriously underestimate what kids can carry, Have you seen the loads they carry in their backpacks to school on a daily basis?

 

[EFsDad]

Join the cub scouts. They will set you straight.

 

[turkeyrun]

CELL PHONE w/ GPS locator. Few areas in the U.S. this does not work.

Call for help, sit down, play Angry Birds.


Seriously, summer trips to the lake, dove hunts (the last 2ays), or pretty much everywhere we go; they carry: bottle of water, pocket knife, whistle.

deer season / winter camping: add BLAZE ORANGE, survival blanket, protein bars.

 

[oxjlange]

what is PLB?