Hey there, I received back some information that I suppose helps clear this up. First, I did hear back from my council on this and they basically said that if it's an official BSA "kit" then it can be used for the requirement it says it is allowed to be used for. However, that was not as cut and dry as what the National Merit Badge Subcommittee wrote back:
So, the official word on this says that merit badge requirements need to be followed as they are written. If it says "no kits" then that means no kits.
Hope this is helpful.