C W Further refentactt: Janet Oslo, Freaten Lives and Legends (Salusd Secum&s Morgan and Sharak), Harq al-Ada, The Story of Liet-Kyttcs, Lib Conf Temp Sencs 109 FREMKIT The basic desert survival kit of the Fremen of Arrakis Until recently the term "Fremkit" has been loosely applied to any and all materials earned by most Fremen when they were outside the sietch Now, however, it seems likely that the Fremkit contained a specific grouping of practical items, and was owned but not always earned by most Fremen males The shift in understanding came when one reference to Paul Muad'Dib s 'first handbook' was reexammed It hdd been assumed that this phrase in the Oral History referred to the Kitab al-Ibar Then it was realized that a "desert survival kit and accompanying instruction manual' mentioned in The Traveler's Introduction to Arrakis likely referred to the Fremkit At this writing two incomplete versions of that "instruction manual" have been uncovered They are small filmbooks, with mounting hardware still attached, requiring glow tabs and magnifiers Both "micro-manual" fragmentary versions contain the same listing of survival equipment Unless contrary evidence is discovered, it will have to be assumed that this equipment made up a Fremkit Literjons Stilltent Energy caps Recaths Sandsnork Binoculars Repkit Swkchart Baradye pistol Filtplugs Paracompass Maker hooks Thumper Fire pillar The manual identifies each of these and mentions then- general function A complete kit, packed in a small bundle and cleverly fitted with shoulder straps, weighed m the vicinity of 10 kg A complete Fremkit was probably not earned into the field every day, however The inclusion of hterjons, for instance, suggests that not all items were regularly earned outside the sietch Such large water containers were earned for individual use only under unusual conditions Similarly, the Baradye pistol, which was used by specialists for marking spice blows would not be part of everyone's traveling kit Binoculars were heavy, sinkcharts were of little use close to home, and the fire pillar was hardly an everyday device FRIGATE 257 The possibility that the Fremkit may have had symbolic or ceremonial significance is suggested by some passages in the manual There is mention of such confidential matters as the ndmg of sandworms and the uses of melange in both food and manufacture The manual was obviously not supposed to be seen by outsiders At this time scholars are testing the hypothesis that the Fremkit and Instruction manual were presented, together, to Fremen youth at some point along their transition toward adulthood, perhaps as a rite of passage JLG Further references' BARADYE PISTOL, PHTMJJO, MAK ER HOOKS PARACOMPAS5, REPKTF, SANDSNORK, STili- TENT THUMPER Anon , Kttab ctl-lbor Manual of the Friendly Desert Rakis Ref Cat 1-Z2B8, Anon , The Traveler s Introduction to Arrahs.