The above 7 priorities is what the Scout essentials are based on. The Scout essentials is what each Scout should carry to be safe in the great outdoors. However each one of the above priorities requires a specific skill in order to produce or carry out that priority. Explain to your Scouts why these priorities are so important and see if your Scouts can prioritize these 7 priorities.
Boy Scouts have 10 Essentials for camping and hiking. Even though there are more than 10 items necessary to camp the 10 essentials are items that are absolutely necessary to have a safe camping or hiking experience and potentially save your life.
Cub Scouts on the other hand will never, did you hear that never, be without their Parent or at least two adult Leaders. Because of this their essentials have been trimmed down to the six listed below. The parents & Leaders will be responsible for the rest.
It's the Cub Scout's responsibility to pack and carry these items. This teaches them to be responsible for their own gear, their own Safety and their own Health. However it is always the responsibility of the Scout's caring Adult to teach their Scout these concepts and it's the Adults responsibility to make certain, secretly if need be, that the their Scout packs these items.
Everyone going on the hike, or camping needs to have their own (this includes parent partners and leaders). Each Cub Scout needs to carry these items in their own backpack.
Cub Scouts will only need a small First Aid kit of their own. Their First Aid kit should have some adhesive bandages, moleskin to prevent blisters, antibiotic ointment (single use packages work great), and insect bite pain reliever (not pills). This is not a comprehensive list, but it will get your Cub Scout started.
Keeping your Cub Scout hydrated is crucial, especially when it is hot out. Everyone should have a water bottle that will hold enough water for the entire Day/Hike. If you're going on a longer hike and need to carry more water, a hydration pack is a great solution.
If you plan on getting a hydration pack, think about getting one that has extra compartments to carry these Cub Scout 6 Essentials.
Flashlight
This can be a small keychain flashlight. For camping and to have at night. Even if you are going on a day hike it is good to carry all six essentials even the flashlight.
***It's important to teach the Scouts that these tools are better to have and not need, then to need and not have. ***
Flashlights seem to be a pretty straight forward tool to use, however when it comes to young Scouts they need to taught how to use a flashlight properly:
Never shine a flashlight into yours or others eyes. Besides the possibility of permanent damage to young developing eyes, it can cause an individual temporary blindness which could cause them lose sence of their surrounding. This can cause them to fall or hit object that are of great danger.
Only use the flashlight when necessary. It is important to use our 6 essentials only when needed. When it comes to flash lights we want to conserve the batteries as much as possible. We may have spare batteries but the point of the 6 essentials is to carry emergency items so teaching to conserve the use of these items is imperative.
When it comes to the 6 Essentials these items should be dedicated to your 6 Essentials kit. So the flashlight in the kit should only be used for when this kit needs to be carried. Because of this it is a good idea to remove the batteries from the light when the activity is over and leave those batteries in the kit with the flashlight.
Trail Food
Trail mix, granola bars, fruit... food that is healthy, energy boosting and does not need to be refrigerated.
Sun Protection
We all know how important sunscreen is - even when its cloudy. A hat and lip balm are always a great addition.
Whistle
There are two things your Cub Scouts need to know about the whistle:
1) It's only for emergencies.
2) Three blasts of the whistle means "HELP!"
It might be a good idea to practice the help signal before the hike or during a den meeting in order for the Scouts to understand the rules associated with the whistle.
All the above Cub Scout 6 Essentials + the following
Boy Scouts:
Once Cubs crossover to the Boy Scout Troop they will learn to carry more items, even though the following are not part of the Cub Scout 6 Essentials it's still a good idea to pack these as well. Why??? Because even as Cubs we are learning to be Boy Scouts and what's the Boy Scout Motto? BE PREPARED!
Pocketknife or Multitool
A Knife can be handy in a wide variety of situations. It’s useful for tasks as large as building an emergency shelter or lighting a campfire with poor fuel, or as small as repairing a damaged backpack. Keep you knife sharp and clean, and don’t forget to first earn your Whittling Chip (for older Cub Scouts) or Totin’ Chip (for Boy Scouts).
Extra Clothing
To match the weather. Multiple layers are better than a single massive jacket, because layered clothing is adaptable to a wide range of temperatures.
Rain Gear
Rain gear is very important. Rain can come in a hurry, and getting your clothes drenched is more than just uncomfortable, it can lead to hypothermia, a potentially fatal condition.
Hypothermia - a medical emergency that occurs when your body loses heat faster than it can produce heat, causing a dangerously low body temperature. Normal body temperature is around 98.6 F (37 C). Hypothermia (hi-poe-THUR-me-uh) occurs as your body temperature falls below 95 F (35 C).
How your body loses heat:
The mechanisms of heat loss from your body include the following:
Radiated heat - Most heat loss is due to heat radiated from unprotected surfaces of your body.
Direct contact - If you're in direct contact with something very cold, such as cold water or the cold ground, heat is conducted away from your body. Because water is very good at transferring heat from your body, body heat is lost much faster in cold water than in cold air. Similarly, heat loss from your body is much faster if your clothes are wet, as when you're caught out in the rain.
Wind - Wind removes body heat by carrying away the thin layer of warm air at the surface of your skin. A wind chill factor is important in causing heat loss.
Matches and/or a Fire Starter
Fires Starters may be used to light fires for heat, or for signaling for help. Store matches or lighters in resealable plastic bags.
Map & Compass
For Boy Scouts not Cubs, the Map & Compass are probably the most important tools you can carry in case you get lost.
Some say the Map and Compass have been substituted with Navigation (GPS). I say this is nonsense. Especially for the older Boy Scouts. I want my Scouts to know how to use a Map and Compass. In life and especially survival understanding how to use a simple Compass and knowing your cardinal directions is imperative. A compass is simple to those that know how to use it, learning to use a Compass and with a Map can be complicated. My 2 year old can use my GPS. However when the battery dies or I loose my signal I am stuck in the wild with no knowledge of direction.
1 Two Piece Aluminum Container, 3 7/16" x 6" x 1 1/16"
Pocketknife
Signal Mirror
Cotton Tinder: (keep these items dry in a mini sealable bag, ziplock perhaps)
Cotton Balls - these can be coated in vaseline, this makes it water proof and burns longer.
Dryer lint - This work well coated in vaseline or paraffin wax
Windproof/Waterproof Matches and Striker
Wire Blade Survival Saw
Fishing Kit: 10 hooks, 2 swivels, 4 split shot, 25ft. of 20lb. line, 10 ft. of 8lb. leader
25 ft nylon dental floss
Compass
Sunblock
Water purification tablets (Potable-Aqua) or Water Filter (Life Straw)
2-1 qt. plastic zip-loc bag
20 ft 550 Paracord
Electrical Tape (wrapped around kit to seal it)
Needle and Thread - 2 Large Sewing Needles & 10 ft Sewing Thread: Thread the needle so the thread is halfway through, then wind the thread around the needle
Plastic magnifying Glass (plastic does not shatter)
Safety Pins
8 sq. ft Aluminum Foil
1 Small Pencil or (Rite In The Rain Pen)
4 Small waterproof paper sheets (Rite In The Rain)
1 First Aid instructions
Tin container (Altoids)
Pocketknife
Emergency Whistle
Polished aluminum tape applied to interior of lid, protected by peel-away sheet.
Cotton Tinder: Dryer lint or Tinder-Quik fire tabs (keep dryer lint dry in a mini sealable bag)
4 Windproof/Waterproof Matches and Striker
1 Fishing Kit: 6 hooks, 2 swivels
4 split shot, 25ft. of 20lb. line
10 ft. of 8lb. leader
20 ft nylon dental floss
1 Wire Survival Saw
1 Mini-compass
Water purification tablets (Potable-Aqua)
Nylon Cord (wrapped around kit)
Electrical Tape (wrapped around kit to seal it)
Duct Tape
Sewing Thread
Sewing Needles
Safety Pins
5 sq. ft Aluminum Foil 1 Small Pencil 2 waterproof paper (Rite In The Rain)
The Ten “C”s for Survival:
Dave Canterbury developed a simplified list of survival tools and he called it "The Ten "Cs" for Survival". The first five “C”s are needed for basic survival kit, while the second five “C”s are needed for extended survival. Check out Dave Canterbury's 2 videos on "The Ten "Cs" for Survival" on you tube. The language and content is Cub Scout appropriate.
Ok now for the The Ten “C”s for Survival list:
1. Cutting Tool – A strong, sharp knife
2. Combustion Device – matches, lighters, fero rods, etc. Anything that can create combustion to help you build a fire
3. Cover – This is a combination of proper clothing for the conditions, blankets, and waterproof items like a nylon poncho and/or tarp.
4. Container – This container must be able to be placed in a fire in order to purify water by boiling it.
5. Cordage – there are many uses for cordage (paracord, for example), from gear repair to bindings for shelters.
6. Cotton bandanas – Multiple uses
7. Cargo tape – duct tape, Gorilla tape, or gaff tape
8. Compass
9. Cloth sail needle
10. Candling device – flashlight, headlamp, etc.