Since putting this thread together I have removed some redundant items. I also removed some of the first aid meds. All in an attempt to minimize weight and risk.

Anyone else?

 

As with anything, items without the knowledge to use them are useless. If you haven't already, I'd schedule some one-on-one time to go on several overnight campouts to use these items. That way he could take it more in stride if he ever has to use them without you.

Redundant items you may have already deleted:
2 lighters, matches and candles-I don't know many 8 year olds that can consistently use a lighter or matches.
Crank flashlight and crank radio -combine into one item or
Crank flashlight, small led flashlight, lightsticks-do away with the crank flashlight, stick to lightsticks and/or small led. The long flexible fun lightsticks could be molded to go around the neck and free up his hands. What about a headlamp instead?
Swiss army knife plus small pocketknife-neither unless trained to handle safely. I think there is more chance of cutting or pinching himself than his needing it for other purposes.
Bright vest-backpack is already orange. Put some reflective tape on the straps that can be seen from the front or trade in the long sleeve t for a bright windbreaker that could be draped on the front if it is too hot to wear it. Or write directions to wear the strobe on the front of him.
Two pair of pants plus what he is wearing-overkill.
reduce to one pair of underwear or none. I don't know many boys who change undies daily without being reminded.

Water chemicals-can an 8 year old remember or read how long to leave the water to make sure all the germs get killed and can he measure the correct amount of water per tablet? What if the directions get wet and ruined? Heck, I can't even remember without reading it. Maybe something easier? A filter straw?

Long sleeve pullover-if this is cotton, it could lead to hypothermia. Hopefully it is a synthetic material that will keep him warm/get him warm without pulling away his body heat. Cotton kills.

Need to add-
emergency contact list with addresses and phone numbers including his own. Adrenaline can cause memory loss of memorized numbers.
Medical information including insurance, immunizations, allergies, etc.
Maybe a recording of mom or dad's voice on a small device of some sort. Small toy for comfort, photos of family.
Hand sanitizer and/or wet wipes
Bandana(did I miss seeing this?)
Toilet paper or Posh Puff tissues/tissues with lotion. I can attest to how sore nose and lips can get from windburn. Regular tissue and bandana feel like sandpaper!
Chapstick and/or lotion (or teach him to use the vaseline for these instead of as candles?)
Sunscreen/bug stuff combo-sample size

Hope this helps.

 

These are all great ideas. We have had a lot of one on one time with responsible fire building. Im confident he can use both lighter and match.

The crank flashlight/ crank radio idea I love but dont have the funds currently to purchase the combo.

The small pocket knife stays. I know its risky, but I couldnt sleep at night knowing I took away any chance for self defense.

The only reason for the bright vest is to drape it over himself in case he crawls under his poncho. I told him to put his bag between his legs to keep it dry/accessible. So if his bag is under his poncho, it cant be seen.

The clothing will be re-done. It is a bit over kill:thumb:

I have since purchased him a filtered water bottle. It will take the place of one of the bottled waters and the chemicals.

Contact list will be added. Tissues are there, just not pictured. ALLERGIES! Dang, thats a no brainer!

Thanks again Maggie!:thumb:

 

Very nice looks food. Just one water bottle? Maybe add an emoty nalgene.

 

Thanks, there were 2 bottled waters. I have since replaced one with an empty filtered water bottle.

My son just turned 4. So his pack is pretty light and I had to find one that fit him right. Most important thing is water. He loves to drink from the hose. He has a whistle, flashlight, band-aids, toys and compass. These are the things that he has learned to use. As he learns more, I will stick more in there.

But basically I wanted him to get used to the idea of going into his gear-bag when he needs something while we are out. Also not to stick things in there he doesn't know how to use :

View attachment 53073

Great ideas vic. KISS:thumb: Now, my only argument to keeping things in there he doesnt know how to use (meds and other) is that there may be someone there who does know and they can render aid. I dont know. Im still not sure.

 

My son just turned 4. So his pack is pretty light and I had to find one that fit him right. Most important thing is water. He loves to drink from the hose. He has a whistle, flashlight, band-aids, toys and compass. These are the things that he has learned to use. As he learns more, I will stick more in there.

But basically I wanted him to get used to the idea of going into his gear-bag when he needs something while we are out. Also not to stick things in there he doesn't know how to use :

 

We have two young boys and losing site / contact with them in an emergency situation is a huge concern for us. So we have 4 hand held radios similar to these:
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200422247_200422247
The ones we have ran about 40.00 per set and they weigh next to nothing.

We live on 15 acres, so when our boys are out playing they have to have a radio with them. They check in every so often or tell us if they are leaving one area and going to another. This has allowed them to become familiar with this "tool" so there is a comfort level there if needed in an emergency.

If we have to take two vehicles to town (rare, but some times it happens) my wife and I will use the radios to talk instead of our cell phones. We (my wife and I) will also take them if we are going shopping and are going to be split up (doesn't appear we attract much, if any attention using them).
Again, it is just practice and becoming familiar with a tool / piece of equipment.

Great thread BTW.

 

Agreed R.N. My wife and I dont have cell phones. So for long road trips we use hand held radios.

Having your sons use them when playing is an awesome idea! Way to build training into playing.

 

There has to be more parents/grandparents on this site. This is exactly why I put this thread together, hardly any info on childrens Bob's.

Seems most people dont want to talk about it because childrens bob's aren't as cool? No 1911's and ninja swords maybe?

 

Make sure he has a secret word that only the child and his parents know; if anyone else tries to take him (not necessarily in a *hTF situation) they should know this word. Also, it is a good itdea for him to learn a game which we call Mousie...if you say Mousie, he goes to a pre-determined place and stays there until his parent/s come for him. I used to play this with my own children, now with grandchildren. It gets them used to being in a small, (maybe) dark-ish place for short periods of time. Start with only a few seconds and add time, little by little. It may be helpful if, for instance, a bad guy came to your house and you wanted the children to be in a safe place while you dealt with the BG...say Mousie, and they go immediately to the safe place, no questions asked.

I know this isn't about a BOB, but when children are involved, we need to keep them safe(r).

I agree that a picture of the family is a good idea. If he gets separated from you for any length of time, it could help him focus.

 

Thanks Grandma. You obviously know your stuff when it comes to kids, happy you stopped by!

A picture will be added for sure.

 

nice kit for the kid. I agree with grandma having a secret word is important. When i was a kid my dad had one with me. If anything ever happened to him and had someone i didn't know pick me up they would have to say it to me before i would "talk to strangers." My father had to go to the ER room one day and had a family friend who i never met pick me up and he had to say the "word."

Make the word fairly comical but not something used in every day life. Lots from thoes 60/70's sitcoms and 80's/90's/looney toons have great phrases. This will insure someone won't stumble on it like i do with my neighbors wifi password lol.

One thing you might want to do is spread out you BOB pack to him if you find yours a little overweight. 16 pounds isn't much at all at that age i was walking to school with some heavy a$$ books in my bag because of a certain a-hole teacher lol. Let him walk around with a backpack that is a comparable weight. It'll make life easier for him when he actually has to use it.

 

For me, I went to the dollar store and bought those cheap grill lighters.

The safety is easy to remove so that your kid can use it. Also the flame is far enough away to help your kid build confidence and not be afraid of being burned.

One thing to remember is that this world is getting more and more dangerous for children. Just in the news today, a man killed a child that was walking home. The parents decided to let the boy walk the seven blocks on his own and were waiting for him. Teach your child what to say when approached and what to do. Be it blow a whistle, or run for help, or keeping your distance.

 

Pencil And Paper.

Lots of uses, tinder, Drawing pictures to stave off boredom, and leaving notes for you to find him.

Just an idea.

T

 

Brainstorming

I was watching on nutnfancy's you tube channel his urban survival kit video and he recommends emergency bivvy's over the emergency blankets. Apparently, the blankets don't retain body heat as well. They also weigh next to nothing. The tarp/blanket can be used to make a lean-too shelter.

Also, I like the idea of radios for the whole family. Get some pouches to mount on the shoulder straps. Extra batteries inside bag.

Paracord lanyards or longer lanyards. Teach the kids their uses and some useful knots.

Also, I can't remember if posted: knit watchmens cap and gloves.

Maybe, TP (butt wipe) lol :thumb: Some baby wipes. I think you might be able to find small bags of them. Can't remember.

Also, maybe dog leash for the little one, if your in wooded areas.

Thanks for the great post :thumb:

 

Some really good ideas! Keep 'em coming.

When I get a chance (hopefully today) I'll use some of the ideas given and re-do the bag.

I'll post more pics then too.

 

Don't know if this bag is intended to be used by himself or with the family; but i recommend a pair of (preferably dad's) socks. Several uses, can be used as gators to keep minor cuts and scrathes away, emergancy turniquet, can be knotted around belt loops to make extra pockets, keep hands or feet warm in a pinch, can be filled with rocks and used as a makeshift weapon.

 

If he finds something of use, the sock can be filled and tied diagonally across the front of his body with some paracord or around his waist. We used to put socks with holes in the heels under our mittens to keep the snow from freezing the area between the our coat sleeves and the tops of our gloves. We also put Vaseline on our cheeks, ears, fingers and toes to stay warm-and of course on our lips.

My dad used to say to fill the sock with damp sand as a makeshift weapon. It doesn't shift like rocks so it's easier to swing and doesn't leave marks.

 

My son is 3 he has a BOB. Its a spongebob backpack his size. It has a tumble cup, bottle of water, some goldfish and other snacks, a few small toys(Hot wheels,,etc) and a small book or two, small light, taped up P38, small folder knife taped up, and lighter taped up. The taped up items are in a bag also taped up. They are not really for him but for BOB redundancy. He has a cell phone with parents and grandparents numbers in it. It is set on loud ring so we can call it and locate him. He knows how to hold down the buttons and speed dial us and how to answer calls. It is a cheapo prepaid from wal-mart and it works for this purpose very well.

 

Thanks for posting this thread. I have been recently trying to put together kids bobs. Very helpful.:thumb:

 

Does he know first aid and how to bandage himself up, make an ankle splint out of a bandana, belt or shoelace? Make a crutch or be able to splint his leg with sticks and padding from clothing? I would practice these with him (play veterinarian, hospital, ambulance or whatever) and then put some diagrams in his backpack to remind him how. He will remember that he was taught, just may not remember the intricacies of the technique, hence the diagrams. As he gets older, an antique (or current) Boy Scout manual would be a great addition, of if it's too heavy, just tear out the sections he may need.

Self defense: Pepper spray? Can he even get the knife open. Adrenaline suppresses fine motor skills, so there's a good chance a folding knife would be a "fail" for an adult-even more so for an 8 year old. A canned air horn would probably work for wildlife or in a populated area, even better than a whistle. They make rechargeable ones in case he decided to play with it one day and discharge it.

What about a roll of tree tape in case he has to venture into the woods (to relieve himself etc.) and doesn't want to take a chance on getting lost. Also can be used to track him in case he needs to change locations. If there are no trees, a small piece of tree tape can be pinched in a fishing weight (not sure what the pinch type weights are called) and tossed on the ground to mark his trail. We used these to mark where our dog pooped while we went to get the pooper scooper to clean it up.

Cody Lundin advocated wrapping flashlight, knife, etc in bright colored electrician or duct tape in case it is dropped at night to make it easier to find.

Even though he has a filter bottle for water, I'd still keep a bottle or two of something to drink in his backpack.

Have you seen this? Think he's capable of operating one?
http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=179642

 

Great post. Bugging out or in is totaling different when you have a wife and two small kids to factor in.

 

Some good ideas! Thanks. When I get a min I'll update with more recent pics. I have revised and repacked. Dropped a few pounds by removing some redundancy.

I'd like to see other peoples kids Bob's too. Dont be shy, this is a thread for everyone.

 

This might be over kill, but I've included a flare gun in my seven year olds BOB. Wal-mart for about $40.00. Not much tactical stuff in there, just a knife. Good for you with the bright orange clothing. Anything it takes to find them.

 

What about family photos either if they get discouraged or separated from you they have a photo to identify you with

 

Make sure he has a secret word that only the child and his parents know; if anyone else tries to take him (not necessarily in a *hTF situation)

In a normal world situation that's a good idea. But in a SHTF situation, anyone that comes across him could potentially be a savior, and they won't know the word. So then you have created a situation where he refuses to let possibly his only chance at survival help him. Or an even more stressful situation where someone who finds him realizes this, knows they have to take him anyway, and the whole time he thinks he's been kidnapped by bad guys. And possibly tries to use the knife on someone who's trying to save him.
That's a really sticky situation right there. I couldn't even begin to offer a solution to a quandary like that so I'm not gonna try.

Another situation that could pose a problem is what if other kids get their hands on some of those items, like the lighter and knife? Kids that shouldn't have access to such items?
There's no way for anyone to say that their kid wouldn't be with trouble makers, because that's just not possible. And it would also be naive for a parent to think that. The fact that a parent wants to make a BoB for their child means that they recognize the fact that they can't always keep their child in sight, or know exactly where the child is and who the child is with at every moment.
I agree with the knife in the BoB, don't think I don't. Just consider though that if your child takes this BoB to school, there's a good chance that you'll get a call sometime from a principal to inform you that your child is being suspended for bringing a knife to school. Jus sayin...

I was planning on putting this in the DIY tips thread, but its just as good here. Pertaining to bright colored objects.
To prevent myself from losing or accidentally leaving an important piece of gear behind, I always use either cat eye tape, DOT tape or Krylon Flourescent spray paint to mark all my gear. Some things I paint entirely, like certain containers, cheap knives(I paint the handle), camp axes and machetes always get a line or 2 of the krylon. I just use paper and painters tape to mask it off and give it a few blasts. In addition, I always carry a small UV light on trips. All these things, the cat eye tape, DOT tape and krylon flourescent paint react to UV light. The light doesn't have to be bright even. Just a little UV light and anything treated with any of these 3 products lights up BRIGHT.
On my actual gear such as pouches, packs, etc I use a small piece of cat eye tape on adhesive velcro. Just buying something in flourescent orange doesn't offer the same UV light reactive effect. Only certain products do. Like the Krylon paint, cat eye and other "retro-reflective" tapes and paints. There's quite a few of them actually.
This could be a good idea for a child.

 

I think most of this has been covered, but thought I'd post it anyway. Might trigger an idea or two.

Separate bag inside a Kevlar lined backpack

Laminated ID w/picture, name, home address, telephone number, alternate address and telephone number of close relative with their pictures and names.

Another laminated card w/home address and telephone number and parents cell phone numbers

List of safe houses if parents aren’t available with names, addresses and telephone numbers. Telephone number of a taxi service that is trusted.

City map with home and relatives’ addresses marked, along with the list of safe houses.

A small coin purse with a ten dollar bill, a five dollar bill, five ones, plus coins. (Money primarily for paying for a taxi. Including a signed note that offered a reward to get the bearer safely to one of the addresses on the laminated cards. The change is primarily for vending machines or pay phone (If any still exist)

Prepaid cell phone if the school allows.

Telephone card (Use at least once a month under supervision so the child knows how)

2 boxes juice, packet of trail mix, packet of jerky, hard candies.

2 500ml bottles of water

Windup LED flashlight

Space blanket & disposable poncho

Change of underwear, knit cap, pair of warm gloves in vacuum sealed bag

Camper’s pack of toilet tissue

Individual moist towelettes

One-ounce bottle of Purell for sanitation if regular bathroom facilities aren’t available

Couple of band-aids and two larger patch bandages

Over-the-counter medications (only if allowed by school)

Packet of tissues for runny noses

Whistle and signal mirror

Dust mask and swimming goggles for dust, smoke, or fumes

Lighter and pocket knife if allowed by school (used monthly to keep in practice)

Memorize three code words. One to use to indicate it is the parent’s instructions, by them or trusted family and friends to give or receive information or be picked up. A second word that means to keep doing whatever it is you are doing, primarily meaning stay where you are. A third word to mean to follow the Get Home Plan.

Just a few ideas off the top of my head.

 

Thank you.

Only question is, do you think one days food is enough?

 

Jerry, thanks for stopping by! I like most of your ideas. The only one im not sold on is the names/pictures/addy's of close relatives. My only concern with that is that that info could be used by someone with alterior motives should it fall into the wrong hands.

"Hey kiddo, your mom and dad sent me to get you"

"You know my mom and dad?"

"Yeah, sure I do their names are blank and blank, you guys lived at such and such. Come with me, theyre waiting for you"

See?

The only way I could see around that is a "safe word". Meaning, if I ever send someone to pick my son up they have to know a pre-planned word to provide my sons. If they cant, they walk/run the other way.

My older son already knows his "safe word". My younger son is not yet at that level of comprehension.






Im not too happy with only one day's worth of food. But in an effort to reduce weight I had to settle for 1 day.

But, the contents of the homemade mre's are definately stretchable. 2 days is easily possible.