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need feedback on scout psk/fire kit

trldad

trldad

Joined
Aug 19, 2003
Messages
404
Guys
I just wanted to get your feedback on a PSK/Fire kit I have made. It is for my oldest son and I have also made one for my Nephew.
My son and I are going on a 3 day backpacking trip with the boy scouts next month and this is something I want him to have as part of his kit. I figured why make just one kit when I can make two with what I have laying around and my nephew, who is also a scout, will love one of these for his birthday.
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He is a list of what is in the kit.

5’ of duct tape wrapped around a carpenter’s pencil (unsharpened)
Bic lighter
Photon flashlight
Fatwood
Waterproof matches
Magnesium fire starter
¼” x 3” feroccium rod
Piece of hacksaw blade
Utility knife blade
Wet fire, fire starter
Sawdust fire starter (Coleman)
Tube of chapstick
2 cotton balls
20’ orange 550 cord.

I would like to get your feedback on this kit but I would like to make one clarification. I really like using PJCB they work great but they are messy and I have found that chapstick with its wax works the same way. It is almost like a candle when I mix the chapstick with the cotton balls. I have seen on another site ? what I thought was a great idea which was to make up your PJCB’s and store them in a cleaned out glue stick container.
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I want to take it one step further and use an empty chapstick tube. I think I might be able to store 2 PJCB in the tube and I could twist out what I need to start a fire.
Neat, Clean and Flammable.

I just want you guys to keep in mind that the kit is for 11-13 year old kids in Boy Scouts. I didn’t want it to get to big or heavy. I wanted it to fit in the Pelican 1010. I know that they will have at least a folding knife on them at all times.

Any comments and or suggestions would be appreciated.

Trldad
 
Looks like a well thought out kit :thumbup:
The only things I would add are a button compass and whistle.
 
Looks good. I also use a Pelican case for my PSK. They are certainly durable.

I would recommend including a long-burning candle or two. You can wrap them in newspaper to keep the wax from getting dinged up. While not strictly a fire-starting item, they would hold a flame longer than anything in the current kit, and could provide a valuable source of light to aid in night-time fire-starting.

All the best,

- Mike
 
Looks like a great Fire Kit. I don't know if I would call it a PSK. Nothing for water storage, purification, food gathering, shelter.

I think you could drop the Coleman firestarter, magnesium firestarter, and either matches or lighter and maybe add some water purification tabs, an aqua pouch (folded up), and a small fishing kit. Maybe even a space blanket if you can fit it in.

That would make a more versatile PSK. Of course, if the main intent was a fire kit, then yours is good to go.

Just my $.02
 
Its a good fire kit, but I would try to put some basic first aid items in there. Simple bandaides, alcohol wipes (double as fuel) and some antibiotic ointment. Add 5-6 squares of toillette paper (good as tinder, and wiping your bum).

For the PJCB - my favorite is making fire-straws. Stuff a PJCB into a sectioned piece of McDonald's pop straw. Squeeze the end with a pair of needle nose pliers and seal the end shut with a lighter. Do the same on the other side. Now you have a mess free, waterproof container. When you want to use it, slice the center with your knife, pull out some tufts of cotton and strike. The straw adds to the fuel (it burns) and compacts the body of the PJCB making it last much longer.
 
Looks good! I agree, a whistle would be a great addition. Although if I remember correctly when I was a scout we had whistles around out necks during woods outings. One other nice addition might be a keyring sized Swiss Army knife. The tweezers are useful for ticks, splinters, pulling PJCBs from their container. Scissors can be helpful for first aid. Not to mention the blade.
 
Thanks for all the great suggestions guys. A whistle and a little keychain knife will go in there. I know I was quite redundant with the fire but in my way of thinking it is the most important. With fire I have heat, light, signal, a way to purify water, comfort. Especially with scouts it is a 72 hour kit at most. Food gathering I don't feel is necessary ( that is just personal) and even though fire is my primary way to purify water I will try to put couple of purifying tablets in there. I may be wrong but what I have read so far about giarda is and other bacteria is that it can take a week or more to affect your system and you could either be rescued by then or in really deep doo doo.

Keep the great ideas comming.
Thanks
trldad
 
vrocco1 said:
Looks like a great Fire Kit. I don't know if I would call it a PSK. Nothing for water storage, purification, food gathering, shelter.

I think you could drop the Coleman firestarter, magnesium firestarter, and either matches or lighter and maybe add some water purification tabs, an aqua pouch (folded up), and a small fishing kit. Maybe even a space blanket if you can fit it in.

That would make a more versatile PSK. Of course, if the main intent was a fire kit, then yours is good to go.

Just my $.02
Click to expand...

I like this idea a bit. Even if it is intended for only 72 hours, a little way to get some food would be nice to have, just in case.
 
This is a nice kit but as others have said your focus is on fire, which is nice but shelter is just as important. A trashbag and/or a space blanket Would help alot. I would but the space blanket inside and the trashbag under the wrap on the outside.

Food also wouldnt be a bad idea, even a few pieces of candy or a small energy bar, and a packet of gatorade etc.

You mention water purification but dont seem to have provisions for it. as others have mentioned, some ziplock bags and some foil to boil water you can then add a tea bag or bullion packet to the food supplies.

A shelter overhead, a warm fire and a full belly will turn being lost and alone in the woods into and impromptu campout.
 
Buy a cheap lighter (no-name) in place of that Bic. Bic is not the lighter it once was. It's all kinds of childproof and lawsuit-proof.
Buy a couple no name gas station lighters that have an adjustment lever. The ones I have are like mini-flame throwers on high.
 
I'd agree w/ the assessment that while you certainly want redundancy in fire starting materials- you probably have too much at the expense of some other items- sounds like your going to add a whistle- this is a great item- get a good one

make room for a AMK heatsheet- they are very flat and take little room

a water container and a 1/2 dozen water purification tabs will take little room- here's some good ones that are kit friendly:

http://bepreparedtosurvive.com/WaterContainers.htm

some heavy duty aluminum foil is multi-use and takes u very little room

throw in a 1/2 dozen various size safety pins- again multi use and very compact

a little bit of gauze w/ the duct tape you already have will make for a pretty effective first aid kit (duct tape can be used for blister, cut into small strips for wound closures, add a little gauze for a makeshift bandaid

store some of the items in a ziplock, they provide additional waterproofness, can be used as an additional water container, a small piece of the corner can be removed, filled w/ water and used as an effective irrigator to cleanse dirty wounds

a small candle can provide a fair amount of warmth in a well constructed debris shelter

you probably have already thought of this, but go through the contents, explain why the items are in there, how to use them and particularly w/ the fire starting and shelter building- let them practice
 
PorcupineMtns66 said:
Buy a cheap lighter (no-name) in place of that Bic. Bic is not the lighter it once was. It's all kinds of childproof and lawsuit-proof.
Buy a couple no name gas station lighters that have an adjustment lever. The ones I have are like mini-flame throwers on high.
Click to expand...



You can take a small screwdriver or the tip of a knife and pop off the little steel child resistant ring around the thumbwheel. Makes it a million times easier to start.


I don't have much to add that everyone else hasn't already said, though I will say that I'd consider signalling to be a fairly important part of a kit like this. If one of the kids gets lost on a scout hike, which is a quite possible situation, the search will likely begin quite quickly. The whistle and light will come in quite handy, and a signal mirror might not be a bad idea should the situation turn into a bit more of an ordeal.
 
6shooter said:
You can take a small screwdriver or the tip of a knife and pop off the little steel child resistant ring around the thumbwheel. Makes it a million times easier to start.
Click to expand...

The child resistant thumbwheel isn't the problem. Bic no longer has a flame adjustment and they are made for a 1" max flame. That is total height regardless of the guard height which leaves you with about a 1/2" flame if its warm and maybe a 1/4" in cold weather both in the vertical position.
The no name ones still have a flame adjustment and on high setting it's not uncommon to have a 3-6" flame height. Mini flame thrower.
 
Thanks for all of the great ideas guys. I am going to take a long look at this and try to make some additions and subtractions. My self-imposed limiting factor is to get everything into the 1010 pelican. I want it to be something they will always have with them not look at and say it is too heavy or takes too much room in the pack. I will show you the updated kit when I get it ready.
Thanks again
trldad
 
Also if your taking a closer look- take a peek at Aloksak (fully waterproof) sacks- they come in a variety of sizes, would be lighter/thinner than the pelican- easily slipped into a pocket or cargo pocket
 
I'd also take out the magnesium and take out the firesteel, or buy a blank one and stick it in there. Iodine tablets, in jar or put some in a little baggie for saved space. Chapstick is kind of a luxury item and takes space up as well. Keep the fatwood, cotton balls and wettinder, but get a smaller bic or peanut lighter. Compass? Jute twine could be compressed down in there too.

I have a list of emergency list of contacts in my PSK. I'd also put in a tin knife, or a thin, no handled knife that can act as a cutting tool, and striker, might work for things like gathering wild edibles, cleaning a fish. The majority of these suggestions are found at http://www.goinggear.com/

I don't have as good a psk as you, but these are all things I'm going to do. I think the pelicans or otter boxes would be awesome for a psk.
 
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