Recommended Gear List for Hiking / Backpacking* The Essentials for Day Hikes (for safety, survival and basic comfort) The 10 Essentials: Daypack for hikes - the hikes we are planning are from 5 - Cutting Tool 10 miles. The general rule of thumb is that kids shouldn't Pocketknife, multi-tool carry more than 12% of body weight, so pack weight is a factor. if there were two things I wouldnt cut corners on, it Personal First Aid Kit would be a good fitting pack and boots. Look for a pack that Band-aids, blister protection, has padded shoulder straps that are adjustable, waist belt medicine, EpiPen (if required) chest and compression straps, and dependable Insulation construction. Durability: In general, kids are pretty hard on Extra Socks, Clothing, fleece equipment so you really want a pack body to be made from a durable material such as Dimension Polyant, Dyneema, or Rain Gear Cordora. I recommend a different pack for hiking than the school book bag. Books for school can really tear up a pack and typical book bags are heavy and not designed for Water Bottle prolonged hikes (but they are better than string bags or 2 Liter Carried, filter or purification nothing). The Scout store has several lite packs that are good for day hikes. They currently have the Osprey Stratos Illumination 24 on sale and it is an exceptional pack for kids, with hip belt Flashlight or headlamp, extra and flex frame (better for back). http://www.scoutstuff.org. batteries in ziplock There are many outfitters that have sales from time to time - keep your eyes open. REI has a Under $40 Pack and Under Trail Food $24 pack that are both good deals, well made and have Nutritious waist belt. Ignition Source Matches, fire steel, tinder Sun Protection Hat, sunglasses, sunblock Navigation Compass (and Map) Osprey Stratos 24 REI Trail 25 $40 REI Flash 18 $24 Knife - Boys love to collect knives and will attempt to carry as many as possible. Often however a “cool” knife is not a good tool. I recommend that you help your son save his money and learn that a knife is just a tool - not a status symbol. DO NOT GET A KNIFE MADE IN CHINA (which is what is stocked in the scout store - big disappointment) they are of very poor workmanship, do not keep an edge, and will likely break at a critical time! many in BSA discourage the use of sheath knives and in troop 79 we only use them for wilderness survival or woodcraft training (so they cant bring a sheath knife out to most of the campouts. a lock blade is allowed (my rule of thumb is that its blade is shorter than the palm of the scoutʼs hand - Buck makes a good one). For some boys finger strength is an issue in opening a new pocket knife - for that a lock blade is better but usually within the first year as a scout that issue resolves. I recommend the Victorinox (Swiss) Army Knife. I recommend the Tinker $27.00 or the Huntsman $42.00 (which has more features) http:// www.swissarmy.com/multitools/Pages/Category.aspx? category=scouting& you can order both engraved with your scoutʼs name - which is a nice touch for a knife that your son will have for life. For fixed blade knife I recommend the Light my fire Frost Mora Knife for under $35. it has a fire steel in the handle and is an exceptional knife that is easy for smaller hands to use. Again, with proper care it will last a lifetime. First-aid kit - Troop 79 has several fully stocked med kits that we bring on all camping trips. Additionally, all injuries must be reported to Adult leaders (and we will determine if we need to treat). However, I recommend a small kit to deal with personal needs. Do not buy a special kit, there is often a lot of unnecessary items that the scouts dont need. this is a personal kit - not intended for sharing or rescue. What you want is about 5-10 medium sized band-aids, 5 x butterfly band-aids, 2 x large (2” x 4”) band-aids, 1 sheet (3” x 5”) moleskin, a small tube of antiseptic like neosporin, 3-4 individually packaged alchohol wipes, a helpful item is about 5 x individually wrapped ibuprofen tablets (use your judgement). I also like to have a after bite cream for dealing with mosquito and ant bites for itch relief. Place all in a durable waterproof bag and mark with Red Cross. a card inside with special instructions and contact information for the individual scout is also smart. Also bring whatever medication you require and inhalers or EpiPens for severe allergies. Whistle - many brands - it doesnt really matter what type as long as it is meant for outdoor use and not a toy. the purpose is for signaling an emergency so loudness, and size are factors. Walmart (and several others outfiters) have a whistle compass, thermometer combo for around $9.00. there are also 5-1 whistle, match, compass, thermometer for $2.75 at http://www.survival- gear.com/survival-whistle.htm Insulation - any warm sweater / jacket will do but weight / size is a factor. should also get something that is wool, fleece, or synthetic COTTON DOES NOT DRY and can become a hazard. recommend a synthetic lightweight insulated jacket - they pack down in a stuff sack to about the size of a coke can and if you dont care about color you can get a good deal at REI, Campmore, or others. It would also be a good investment to get some Smartwool Hiking socks (two pair is fine) or other hiking sock that offers cushion and wicks moisture. Again cotton is a poor sock choice for hiking and will likely result in debilitating blisters over a long hike. Water bottles - It is a good idea to carry about 2 liters of water distributed. you could use bottled water, a 32oz Nalgene Bottle $11.00 or other BPA free bottle (get one with volume marks to use as measuring cup), an Army canteen for a couple bucks (plastic not metal). It is a good idea to get two and one integrated metal cup (canteen cup $3.00 or metal cup for Nalgene Bottle $10.00 - that fits on the bottom of the bottle) http://www.cardinalgear.com/ for US Canteen or NATO Crusader Water Bottle. you can also use a Gatoraide bottle (rec 32 oz, 1 liter or 2 liter). Troop 79 allows the use of Camelbak type hydration kits during hikes but all Scouts need to have a 32oz / 1 liter bottle at a minimum - it is the only way we can tell how much water has been consumed and avoid heat injuries. This is required for all Troop 79 outings. Headlamp - Many hikers use these exclusively instead of a flashlight. They are light, very versitile and hands free light is great on a night hike or when digging through your gear. one of the best Cheap head lamps is the Petzl Tikkina 2 Headlamp for $20.00 http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___73079 I use a Petzl Tactikka XP Headlamp $58.00 which has a red flip filter (great for saving night vision and not causing too much light pollution) it also has a watertight battery box which uses AA bateries instead of more exotic types. you dont want a lot of moving parts. Ignition Source - The ability to start fires is an important piece of backpacking kit. on a long overnight or multi-day trip you should have two forms. dont waste your money on “waterproof” matches - but “boat” or Storm matches http://www.survival-gear.com/ windproof-matches.htm are a good option as is a cheep Bic lighter (with either option put the matches or Bic in a repurposed medicine bottle) but once an outdoorsman learns how, the best fire starting tool, in my opinion, is the Swedish Firesteel. the boyscout store has one for $13.00 http://www.scoutstuff.org/ but you can get one at any of the suppliers below, Blastmatch is a one hand option http:// www.cardinalgear.com/flintandsteel.html Sun Protection - of course your scout should always bring a tube of sunblock (min 30 spf) and any hat will do. dry fast materials are better and a “boonie” or “bucket” style hat offers more protection than a baseball style hat. Sunglasses - doesnt have to be expensive but does need to have 100% UV protection. a protective case and retention lanyard are good ideas. wrap around style offers more protection and a shock resistant style (like most Oakleys) provides eye protection from tree branches, etc. Compass - We will be doing a great deal of Compass navigation and it is good to have your own compass to train with and gain confidence. Walmart has basic compasses for $7.00 - $12.00. I would recommend a SUUNTO MD3 - $29.99 at the scout store or Silva Explorer III compass - $19.99. you can shop around there are places with better prices than the scout store (but you often get the scout logo on scout store products). Get a sport / orienteering style and not a lensatic. look for a model that has luminous markings, and is liquid filled. This is one of those items that you will get what you pay for. Reflective blanket - this is a reflective Mylar blanket designed for cold weather emergencies and are designed to retain 90% of body temperature. They can come in versions with both sides reflective or one side in blaze orange (for signaling).