By Jason Salyer
There might come a day when your kid can't rely on you to save them. That's not fear talking. That's reality talking. And if you're not preparing your children for that possibility, you're doing them a disservice.
Last week, I took my boy Eli out to the On Three habitat for some real-world training. Not a camping trip where Dad does everything. Not a nature walk. A legitimate test of whether he could survive 48 hours in the woods if something happened to me.
He's eight years old. And he can do it.
Here's exactly what he carries and why it works.
Eli uses a sling pack from Roaring Fire Gear. Cost me maybe $30 or $40. Nothing fancy. It holds everything he needs for a couple nights in the woods, and more importantly, he can actually carry it without crying about shoulder pain after twenty minutes.
You don't need to spend a fortune on kids' gear. You need functional stuff they can actually use when their hands are cold and they're scared.
In the side pocket, Eli carries a stainless canteen with a canteen cup. Why? Because he knows how to boil water. I've drilled it into him: creek water looks clean, but it can kill you. Boil it first.
We also keep water purification tablets in there. Just one tablet treats one quart. Tastes like swimming pool water, but it beats dying from giardia. The tablets are backup for when he's too tired or injured to start a fire.
Can your kid boil water to make it safe? If not, start there. Everything else is secondary.
Front pouch is loaded with Protein bars, jerky, mixed nuts, and some candy. All stuff that doesn't require cooking. In an emergency, he needs calories fast, not a gourmet meal. He knows where the food is, and he can grab it when he needs it.
The candy isn't just for morale. Sugar gives quick energy when a kid is exhausted and starting to panic. Don't overthink it.
Watch my Survival Guide on Lightweight Kids Survival Pack: Kids Survival Pack Build
Forget the ferro rod for kids starting out. Eli has one as backup, but his primary fire starter is a regular Bic lighter on a paracord lanyard. I removed the child safety mechanism so he can light it easily.
We use tinder tabs. Light one with the lighter, add small twigs, and you've got fire. I've tested him in the cold when his hands barely worked. He can still do it.
The ferro rod is there for when the lighter runs out or gets wet. But you start with easy, especially with kids.
He knows to collect firewood the size of his body before he even lights the first spark. That's the rule. If you lay down next to your woodpile, it needs to be as big as you or bigger. Otherwise, you're going to freeze when that fire dies at 2 AM.
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Eli carries a lightweight hammock from Grand Trunk. Sets up in about three minutes. The cordage wraps around the tree, runs through itself, and locks tight. No complicated knots. Nose height, with some swag in the middle so it's not stretched tight like a guitar string.
Over the hammock goes a poncho from Five Star Gear. Each corner has cordage attached. He runs it through the hammock line, sticks a toggle through it, and stakes out the corners. Total setup time is under ten minutes, even for an eight year old.
We've slept in pouring rain with this setup. He stayed completely dry. Cost for the whole system? About $60 to $70 total.
Inside a 42 gallon trash bag, Eli keeps a complete change of clothes. Wool socks, underwear, long sleeve shirt, and lightweight fast drying pants. If his clothes get soaked, he can strip down and put on dry layers.
He also has a small fleece blanket and a wool cap. The trash bag itself becomes an emergency bivy. He wraps up in the blanket, pulls the trash bag up around his shoulders, and he's protected from rain and wind. Yeah, there's condensation. But condensation beats hypothermia.
The rule is simple: dry clothes and shelter first. Then worry about everything else.
Eli carries a fixed blade knife and a multi-tool. The knife stays in the sheath unless he's using it. I've taught him how to sharpen it, how to make stakes, how to process kindling. He knows that a knife is a tool, not a toy.
The multi-tool gives him pliers and backup options. Kids lose stuff. Having redundancy matters.
He's got about 100 feet of 550 paracord plus some bank line. Enough to build shelter, make repairs, or rig up anything he needs.
On the side of his pack is a blaze orange vest. If Eli gets separated from me, the first thing he does is put that vest on. I tested this. He stood twenty feet into the woods wearing a blue Superman shirt. I couldn't see him. Put the vest on, and he lit up like a road flare.
He also carries a whistle on a lanyard and a small flashlight with a strobe feature. Three loud blasts every five to ten minutes. That's the signal. Someone's coming to find you, but they can't find you if they can't hear you or see you.
Here's what I've taught Eli about getting lost. First rule: stay put. Don't wander. Set up shelter, start a fire, blow that whistle, and wait. People are coming.
But if nobody comes after a few days, then you move. Eli knows how to read his small compass. In our area, pick any direction and follow it in a straight line. Sooner or later, you'll hit a creek, a road, or a house.
When he hits an obstacle like a pond, he looks across to the other side, picks a landmark in his direction of travel, walks around the obstacle to that landmark, then continues on bearing.
Can your kid read a compass? Can they hold a bearing? If not, teach them. It's simpler than you think.
Small first aid kit with bandages, gauze, and duct tape. If Eli cuts himself with his knife, he needs to be able to wrap it up and keep going. The duct tape can patch gear, secure bandages, and fix about a hundred other problems.
We don't just pack this stuff and hope for the best. We run drills. Eli sets up his shelter in the backyard. He practices starting fires in wet conditions. He boils water. He reads his compass and walks a bearing.
Every skill gets repeated until it's muscle memory. Because when you're cold and scared and alone, you default to your training.
My seven year old daughter can set up this exact same shelter system by herself. If they can do it, your kids can too.
I'm not trying to scare you. But there are real situations where kids get separated from parents. Hiking accidents. Natural disasters. Vehicle breakdowns in remote areas. It happens.
The difference between a tragedy and a survival story is whether your kid knows what to do when you're not there to do it for them.
Eli's kit cost me less than $200 total. The training costs nothing but time. And the confidence it gives him? That's priceless.
He knows he can survive. Not because I told him he could, but because he's done it. He's set up shelter in the rain. He's started fires with cold hands. He's boiled water and stayed dry and warm.
That's not just survival skills. That's life skills.
What age should I start teaching my kids survival skills?
Start as early as they can understand basic instructions. My kids started learning fire safety and shelter building around age five. By seven or eight, they can handle most basic survival tasks independently.
How much should a kids bug out bag weigh?
No more than 15 to 20 percent of their body weight. For a 60 pound kid, that's 9 to 12 pounds max. If they can't carry it for a mile without stopping, it's too heavy.
Do kids really need a knife in their survival kit?
Yes. A fixed blade knife is essential for processing wood, making stakes, opening packages, and a dozen other tasks. Teach them to respect it as a tool. Eli's knife stays in the sheath unless he's actively using it. No exceptions.
What's the most important survival skill for kids?
Fire. Everything else comes after. A kid who can start a fire can stay warm, boil water, signal for help, and keep predators away. Master fire first, then move to shelter and water.
How often should we practice these skills?
Monthly minimum. Set up the shelter in the backyard. Practice fire starting. Review the plan for what to do if separated. Short, repeated practice builds confidence and muscle memory.
What if my kid gets scared and panics?
That's why we practice. Fear comes from uncertainty. A kid who's built shelter ten times in practice will automatically start building when scared. Training overrides panic. Also, teach them the rule: stop, breathe, assess, act.
Should kids carry matches or lighters?
Lighters. Easier to use, more reliable, and they work in more conditions than matches. Remove the child safety mechanism so they can light it with cold hands. Add a ferro rod as backup, but start with the lighter.
How do I teach compass navigation to young kids?
Start simple. Teach them the four cardinal directions. Then practice walking a specific direction for a set number of steps and coming back. Make it a game. Eli learned by walking 100 steps east, then 100 steps west back to start.
What about food? How much should they carry?
Three days minimum. High calorie, no cook required. Granola bars, mixed nuts, peanut butter, dried fruit. Add some candy for quick energy and morale. Kids burn calories fast when they're working hard and stressed.
Can kids really survive alone in the woods?
With the right training and equipment, yes. But the goal isn't for them to survive alone long term. The goal is for them to stay alive and safe until help arrives. That's usually 24 to 72 hours.
Get your kid's kit built this week. You don't need expensive gear. You need functional stuff and a kid who knows how to use it.
Then get outside and practice. Set up shelter. Start fires. Boil water. Make it routine, not an emergency.
Because the best time to learn survival skills is before you need them.
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Jason Salyer
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