kenk Posted August 24, 2004 Share Posted August 24, 2004 Related to the very sad lost scout story: After hearing about situations like this, I presented my Bear-level Cub Scouts with a home-made version of the "Hug-Tree and Survive" materials. This training is offered by Search and Rescue people around the country, but the local SAR team here didn't offer it - so I made my own. I strongly recommend you look for it in your area. It really doesn't take much for a young kid to disappear into some woods. Even in the relatively urban area of suburban Chicago, there are lots of forests and undeveloped areas in which a small child could become lost. I found lots of material on-line, put it together into a PowerPoint presentation - making sure to give LOTS of credit to the main organization. I purchased cheap SMALL FANNY PACKS (purchased from Oriental Trading Company) and we filled them with: >>Large ORANGE PLASTIC GARBAGE - purchased on-line - not easy to find though. I'd recommend two if the fanny pack was a bit bigger. Pre-slice a face-hole. >>WHISTLE on a elastic wrist band - from Oriental Trading Company >>Photon LED FLASHLIGHT also connected to the elastic wrist band - found a great deal on these through Campmor.com - mostly included to aleave fear of the dark and they don't take much extra room. Then we had lots of discussion about how they'd feel if lost. We created scenarios of how it could happen and then had the boys act out what they'd do using the kit. Of course, for this all to work though it is critical that the boys carry these with at ALLLL times. Oh, and even adults should carry at least this kit or preferably an enhanced version (knife, compass, lighter, cell phone, 1st aid kit, ... see http://www.equipped.com). Here are some Hug-a-Tree links: http://www.gpsar.org/hugatree.html http://www.theozarks.com/Outdoors/HugATree.htm http://baysar.thot.net/bsar08.html http://w3.hwdsb.on.ca/tailslap/other/outdoors/hugatree.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddog96732 Posted August 24, 2004 Share Posted August 24, 2004 Kenk, Thanks for the links. It is very sad I still praying that he will be found. Aloha, Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddog96732 Posted August 24, 2004 Share Posted August 24, 2004 (This message has been edited by maddog96732) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
le Voyageur Posted August 25, 2004 Share Posted August 25, 2004 Add some strips of cloth to the kits.... use them to tie off trousers and shirt at the cuffs...this way you can stuff your clothing with dry leaves for additional insulation from the cold.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
summit911 Posted August 25, 2004 Share Posted August 25, 2004 Great idea. I've been thinking along similar lines myself. I made outdoor kits for my own boys several years ago after an incident of trail separation in the Tetons. I know after this summer especially that the Scouts in our group have had the ten essentials and the buddy system presented to them over and over. Oriental Trading Co. may be a way for us to make the neccessary items available to all of our scouts, though I would prefer the kit at www.equipped.com. I found one at REI just before summer camp and took it along for testing. I found it to be a very good supplement to my kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenk Posted August 25, 2004 Author Share Posted August 25, 2004 Doug's kit is on my Christmas wish list, though I will admit that I recently purchased his RKS Mk1 knife. It is VERY nice. My wife doesn't understand me spending that much for a knife. I wrote it off as the "worse" part of the wedding vow. If you like knives, or someone who does, this is a cute article about why men love knives. It can be converted to just about any outdoor equipment too. http://www.fieldandstream.com/fieldstream/columnists/article/0,13199,659761,00.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronvo Posted August 27, 2004 Share Posted August 27, 2004 In thinking about putting a kit together for CUBS - I was thinking an instruction sheet of what to do if lost should be included. However instead of text a few simple pictures of hugging a tree, blowing a whistle, using the garbage sack, etc. What do ya'll think? Unfortunately I can't draw! ronvo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddog96732 Posted August 27, 2004 Share Posted August 27, 2004 Ronvo, Maybe you can take some digital pictures and put them on a sheet of paper. Then run off some copy's for your Cub's. Just a thought. Aloha, Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twocubdad Posted August 31, 2004 Share Posted August 31, 2004 Related to the Scout in Utah possibly having taken shelter in a cave, what about including a length of surveyor's tape in a survival kit? It could be used to flag your shelter for rescuers or mark a trail if you are forced to move. It comes in probably a dozen colors or patters and one $2.00 roll would be enough for an entire troop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marlene Posted September 2, 2004 Share Posted September 2, 2004 I'm glad to see some of you talking about whistles (See my post in the Lost Scout forum) The Hug-A-Tree program is great but if the child had a whistle we would know which tree he was hugging. I would recommend doing a Google search on Survival Whistles and getting a 'pealess' whistle. A good 100 decibel whistle will cost between $2.00 and $6.00. I have carried my whistle for 50 years and finally used it when my husband and I got separated-in the same area where that boy is lost. It took us 20 minutes to get back together. Also, for small children, a search and rescue expert told our troop one time to take a piece of heavy duty aluminium foil, place it on some think folded towels, and have the child step on the foil wearing the boots he will be camping/hiking with. The imprinted aluminum foil is then kept as a reference for the child's bootprint in case he gets lost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenk Posted September 2, 2004 Author Share Posted September 2, 2004 I've read many people praise the Fox 40 pea-less whistle, and agree that it makes sense for use in freezing weather, but otherwise I prefer the Storm and, if space is limited, the Wind Storm (a smaller version). The Storm is noticably much louder than the Fox 40. For the kids, the whistles I bought from Oriental Trading seemed to do fine, especially for $0.25 each They are really quite loud and don't seem too prone to overblow. On-line, Fox 40's, Wind Storms, and Storms run about $5-$7 each. For young children, I prefer to avoid lanyards due to strangulation risk. The elastic wrist bands seem a lot safer. For a very good overview of whistles from a survival perspective: http://www.equipped.com/signal.htm#SoundOff I'm not associated with Equipped.com at all, but it is a fantastic site for information, and a not-for-profit organization - if you are looking for some tax breaks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marlene Posted September 2, 2004 Share Posted September 2, 2004 I suggested wearing a whistle around your nect because at least it is on your body and not in your pack, but the suggestion to wear it on the write accomplishes the same purpose for the younger kids. A lanyard could also be made so that it will break easily if tightened to the strangulation point. I would like to see the whistle on the person because of a situation I know of where a boy had to go off trail to use the 'facility' He took off his fanny pack, which contained his whistle, and set it on the ground. He was hiking in Western Washington where it is very brushy and when he was re-assembling his clothing he stepped back a few steps as he was looking down at his belt to tighten it-a move we mothers see often. He stepped backwards off a small drop-off that he hadn't even seen. Luckily, he was only scratched but he was separated from his whistle. The troop leaders looked for him immediately (the chatter and horseplay of the other boys masked his yells for help) and they quickly directed him to where he could climb out. Happy ending but who would have thought.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
search & rescue Posted October 12, 2004 Share Posted October 12, 2004 As a commander of a search & rescue team that has continued to search for the lost scout in Utah, I would like to recommend to all scout leaders a site that has whistles that attach to your childs clothing in the form of a zipper pull. This way, it they are seperated from their fanny packs, the whistle will still be with them. The web site is;www.itwnexus.com They will send your organization a free sample so that you can decide if this will work for you. The part number for the zipper pull whislte is 864-6010-5637 (orange) and for the clip that can attach to a backpack/fanny pack is 520-1500-520-2000. We offer the Hug A Tree program in Utah and each child gets a zipper pull whistle. They are a great hit with the kids and is something that helps them remember what they are to do when lost. I hope this will help some of you with your programs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenk Posted October 13, 2004 Author Share Posted October 13, 2004 I can't find a way to search that site by model number. Can you give some hints as to how to find the items using their hyperlinks? I found a whistle that attaches to a buckle, but the model number didn't match the one you gave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now