Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Adventure Bags for Grandsons?

I wanna gift my grandsons with adventure bags. I do not want WROL or TEOTWAWKI kits, but these guys are both rural kids who are involved with scouting and camping. I want to make up bags that will enhance their activities and abilities.

They are aged 14 and 11.

I'd like to cover;

Water purification and storage

basic first aid and medical needs

Basic shelter needs

Fire making

Navigation orienteering

Signaling and communication

What else, if anything am I missing? Insect netting, or spray? What do a couple of young Wisconsin guys need to enjoy outdoor adventures? (besides young Wisconsin gals...)

Let's assume that they already have the big three; Backpack, Tent, and Sleeping Bag
Two boys can share a 2-man tent if it has two doors, two vestibules and a full-coverage rain fly
Let's also assume that you want to provide lightweight gear and not pay the premium price for truely ultralight gear.

Here's my list to meet the above requirements

Air Mattress - Big Agnes Air Core, or Thermarest air mattress
Foam Mattress - Foam mat from Walmart (to protect the air mattress from punctures)
Pillow - compact
Cup - Halulite, Nalgene bottle fits inside
Canteen - Nalgene Bottle, 1 liter
Water Boiler - Tea Kettle, 20 oz. , Halulite + measure cup
Bowl - small (about 16 ounces), lightweight, unbreakable
Camp Stove - there are lots of good backpack stoves; Snow Peak Gega, MSR Pocket Rocket, etc. (I haven't been able to convince myself that the extra weight and extra cost of a Jetboil is worth it)
Fuel Canister - Isobutane, 13.5 ounce (8 oz. fuel)
Water Filter (1:4 scouts) - Katadyn Hiker Pro
Canteen - Milk Jug, 1/2 gallon empty (for creek water before filtering)
First Aid Kit (personal) - Bandaids, Neosporin, Mole Skin, Aquaphor, insect repellent, sun block
First Aid Kit (1:4 scouts) - Quick Clot, Battle dressing, needle, tweezers, Ace Bandage
Fire Kit - Matches, BIC Lighter, Fire Sticks, Tinder Paper
Ditty Kit - Headlamp, Bandanna, Pocket Knife, TP, Silva Compass
Map Hard Copy paper - USGS, National Geographic or Equal
Smart Phone - with GPS/USGS Satellite Map Program, carry in pocket
Recharge Batt - onn
Parka - Gortex/Nylon that actually works, Arcteryx, Sitka Gear or equal
Puffer Jacket - Nylon/Goose Down
Socks - extra, Smartwool
Knitted Hat - wool/synthetic
Boxer Briefs - synthetic, extra
Gloves - lightweight waterproof

I did the same with grandsons 10 and 12. Rafting bags were awfully expensive and overkill...and then a friend turned me on to a bag/duffel that a lot of wildland firefighters are using for gear bags, versatile and rugged, not waterproof but will withstand any rainstorm. Big enough to stuff a sleeping bag into and all the personal gear besides. I think I got them from Amazon, Line 2, gearbags for like 60 each delivered.

An outdoor bag for me has just the essentials and a bit of room to pack the specifics for the trip. My daypack has:

1. A fixed blade knife. Moras are fantastic bargains.
2. Stainless steel bottle to carry or boil water.
3. 3 ways to make fire. Survival matches, lighter, fire steel.
4. Poncho or tarp as a cover against weather.
5. Paracord or light rope.
6. Compass.
7. TP and a few wet wipes.
8. Bug dope if they are a possibility.

In wild country, I never leave the truck without these. Just a word on the fire steel: Get a good one. With a little practice, they are foolproof. Plus they are tons of fun for kids (even BIG kids 😁) to use on campouts.

Edited:Oops, forgot. Always a headlamp and a small backup flashlight.

Looks like WMR beat me to it, but don't forget a good headlamp.

Perhaps a couple of small books covering those topics. Thinking along the lines of the old boy scout manuals. I don't have any good recommendations, but there's got to be more good resources than ever, something they can reference while learning to tie a few basic knots, etc.

Perhaps a couple of rite-in-the-rain notebooks

Quite a list...now I know what KC stands for...Kid Cabela. LOL

This is along the lines of what I want for them. A bag for when they find themselves somewhere interesting and want to explore it or take a hike, and not be empty handed.

Further suggestions welcome. Day Pack? Water filtration type?

I like the Lifestraw filter. It's cheap, compact and easily used. Some of the chemical purifier tabs might be handy, too. Others may disagree, but I think a daypack is the place to save money. I carried a med sized Walmart daypack for years and never felt the need to upgrade. The zipper eventually failed and I replaced it with a Cabelas daypack. I'd not go too big on the pack. A large one is more likely to be left behind.

How long are the mylar/foil wrapped granola bars or energy bars good for when stashed in a pack?

Poncho and liner

Merino wool balaclava

Lifestraw and water bags to fit

First aid kit with Band-aids, Benadryl, and Ibuprofen

Firesteel and Lighter

Boonie hat and bug headnet
Insect Repellent

Compass (may go high end as most of what I see is kinda junky)

Whistles and mirrors

Knife

Consider adding a steel bottle with lid. They can carry or boil water in it. The Pathfinder online store sells a quart bottle that we like as well as a canteen which would also work. Not an insulated one, just single wall. I usually carry my fire making supply inside the bottle to save space and keep it together. I also add a couple individually wrapped fire starting cubes in there too. Be sure to take the kids on a few overnight camp outs. Your presence will be the greatest gift of all. The memories will last a lifetime.

Found and bookmarked pathfinder store...

If they're in scouting, go to Hikerdirect.com and sign up. It's a division of Alps Mountaineering. They offer good discounts on a few items for kids AND THEIR FAMILIES in scouts and similar organizations. They don't offer a huge selection but they often have some very good prices. Once in a while they'll have an outstanding deal.

good list. Id add. a good pair of collapsable hiking poles.

One with gorilla tape wrapped below handle 6 to 8 feet for first aid, repairs, blisters etc