Survival AND Repair

A cutting tool is arguably the single most important piece of survival gear after water. It builds shelter, processes firewood, prepares food, repairs equipment, and defends if needed. The debate between fixed blade and folder is secondary to this: have a good knife, keep it sharp, and know how to use it. A multitool adds versatility that a knife alone can't match: pliers, screwdrivers, can openers, wire cutters: in a package that fits on your belt.

Fixed Blade Knives

Strongest & Most Reliable

No moving parts, no pivot to fail, no lock to break. A full-tang fixed blade can baton wood, pry, dig, and take abuse that would destroy a folder. Blade lengths of 4–6" are the sweet spot for survival: long enough for serious work, short enough for fine tasks. Stainless steel (like 420HC or 8Cr13MoV) resists corrosion; carbon steel (like 1095) holds a sharper edge but rusts without care. Morakniv is the unbeatable value entry; Ka-Bar and ESEE are the serious step-ups. Every go-bag needs a fixed blade.

Full tang: no failure point Best use: go-bags, heavy work Price: $15–150

Folding Knives

Everyday Carry

Compact, pocketable, and socially acceptable to carry daily. A quality folding knife with a reliable lock (liner lock, frame lock, or Benchmade's Axis Lock) handles 90% of everyday cutting tasks. Not as strong as a fixed blade for batoning or prying, but far more likely to actually be on your person when you need it. The best survival knife is the one you have. Spyderco, Benchmade, and Ontario Knife Company make proven folders; Civivi and QSP offer excellent budget options. Choose a blade steel you're willing to maintain.

Pocket-sized Best use: EDC, light tasks Price: $30–180

Multitools

20 Tools, One Package

Pliers-based multitools pack 15–20 tools into a belt-carried package: pliers, wire cutters, knife blade, saw, screwdrivers, can opener, bottle opener, file, scissors, and more. In a repair or improvisation scenario, the pliers and screwdrivers alone are worth the weight. The Leatherman Wave+ is the benchmark. 18 tools, one-hand-operable blades, replaceable wire cutters. The Leatherman Signal adds a ferro rod and whistle for survival-specific use. Victorinox Swiss Army Knives are lighter and better for fine work but lack pliers. Keep a multitool in your EDC and a second in your go-bag.

15–20 tools Pliers + screwdrivers Price: $30–120

What to own

Fixed blade knife (full tang) The workhorse. Batoning wood, processing game, cutting cordage. Full tang means the steel runs through the handle.
Folding knife (EDC) Pocket knife for daily carry. Not a survival tool, but the blade you actually have on you.
Multitool (pliers-based) Pliers, screwdrivers, blade, can opener, file. Not the best at any one task, but competent at all of them. One per person.

Exposure kills faster than dehydration or starvation. In cold, wet, or windy conditions, hypothermia can set in within hours. Shelter and insulation are your first line of defense: from a $5 emergency blanket that fits in a pocket to a full tarp shelter system that keeps a family dry through a storm. Layer your shelter prep the same way you layer clothing: a lightweight emergency option for go-bags, and a more robust system for home and vehicle kits.

Emergency Blankets & Bivvies

Compact Survival Essentials

Mylar "space blankets" reflect up to 90% of body heat back to you: the cheapest, lightest insurance against hypothermia. The thin foil versions ($2, 2 oz) work in a pinch but tear easily and are single-use. Upgraded versions: like the SOL Heavy Duty Emergency Blanket: use thicker, reinforced material that can be reused and rigged as a shelter. Emergency bivvy sacks take it further: a reflective sleeping bag that traps heat and blocks wind. Carry at least two emergency blankets in every kit: they weigh nothing and can save your life.

Reflects 90% body heat Weight: 2–8 oz Price: $2–20

Tarps & Shelter Systems

Versatile Weather Protection

A quality tarp is one of the most versatile items in any kit: shelter, ground cover, rain fly, wind break, gear protection, water collection, and improvised stretcher. Silnylon and Dyneema tarps are ultralight and pack small; heavy-duty poly tarps are cheaper and more durable. A 10'×10' tarp with grommets or tie-outs, combined with 50 feet of paracord and a few stakes, creates a legitimate shelter in minutes. Practice rigging a few basic configurations (A-frame, lean-to, diamond fly) before you need them. Pair with a ground pad for insulation.

10'×10' minimum useful Multiple shelter configs Price: $15–120

Sleeping Bags & Pads

Overnight Survival

If you're spending a night outdoors: planned or not: a sleeping bag and insulating pad are what keep you functional the next day. For go-bags: compact synthetic bags rated to 32°F (0°C) compress small and work wet. For home kits: a warmer bag (0°F / -18°C) handles the worst-case winter power outage. The sleeping pad matters as much as the bag: cold ground steals heat faster than cold air. Closed-cell foam pads (like the Therm-a-Rest Z Lite) are indestructible, never leak, and provide solid insulation. Inflatable pads are more comfortable but can puncture.

Synthetic: works wet Pad R-value: 2+ minimum Best use: overnight, power outage

What to own

Emergency blankets / bivvies (2+ per person) Reflects 90% of body heat. Weighs nothing, fits in a pocket. Extremely effective at preventing hypothermia.
Tarp with grommet points Shelter, rain cover, ground sheet, shade. The most versatile piece of fabric you can carry.
Sleeping bag (rated to your climate) Matches your expected low temperature. Synthetic fill works when wet; down packs smaller but fails if soaked.

The materials that hold everything together: literally. Paracord lashes tarps, duct tape patches holes, zip ties secure anything to anything, and a sewing kit repairs gear when replacement isn't an option. These are the consumables of survival: light, cheap, and endlessly useful. The common thread is improvisation: every one of these items has dozens of applications beyond its intended use.

Paracord (550)

The Universal Cordage

Military-spec Type III 550 paracord. 550 lb tensile strength, 7 inner strands, nylon kernmantle construction. Used for shelter building, gear lashing, clotheslines, boot laces, fishing line (inner strands), snares, tourniquets, and hundreds of other applications. Carry at least 50 feet in every kit, 100 feet is better. Inner strands can be separated for fine work: sewing, fishing, trap triggers. SurvivorCord variants add fishing line, waxed jute tinder, and copper wire to the inner strands. At $8–12 per 100 feet, weight is the only cost.

550 lb tensile strength 7 inner strands 50–100 ft per kit

Duct Tape & Repair Tape

Fixes Everything (Temporarily)

Duct tape repairs gear, seals leaks, patches tarps, splints bones, removes splinters, covers blisters, and creates improvised tools. Wrap 10–20 feet around a water bottle or pencil to save space: no need to carry a full roll. Gear-specific repair tapes like Tenacious Tape (McNett) are thinner, stronger, and more adhesive than standard duct tape on nylon, Cordura, and ripstop fabrics. Gorilla Tape is the heavy-duty option for structural repairs. Carry both: duct tape for everything, repair tape for gear-specific fixes.

Wrap around a bottle to save space Tenacious Tape for gear Gorilla Tape for heavy duty

Zip Ties, Wire & Clamps

Quick Fixes

Heavy-duty zip ties (8" and 12" lengths) fasten, secure, and bind faster than knots. They hold gear to packs, create improvised handles, secure tarp grommets, and bundle cables. Carry 20–30 in various sizes. Baling wire or snare wire (brass or stainless) fills the gap between cordage and structural fastening: it holds shape, wraps tightly, and doesn't stretch. Hose clamps are useful for pipe and hose repairs. All of these weigh almost nothing and take up negligible space.

20–30 zip ties per kit Weight: negligible Dozens of uses

Sewing & Gear Repair Kits

Extend Gear Life

A compact sewing kit: heavy needles, waxed thread, buttons, safety pins, and fabric patches: lets you repair clothing, packs, tarps, and sleeping bags in the field. Speedy Stitcher-style awls handle heavy materials like canvas, leather, and webbing that regular needles can't penetrate. Iron-on patches and Seam Grip adhesive round out a comprehensive gear repair setup. In a long-term scenario, the ability to repair rather than replace gear becomes increasingly important. A decent kit fits in an Altoids tin.

Heavy needles + waxed thread Fits in an Altoids tin Price: $5–25

What to own

Paracord 550 (100 ft minimum) 550 lb tensile strength. Shelter building, gear repair, lashing, clothesline. Stock more than you think.
Duct tape (full roll + flat wrap) Repairs gear, seals wounds temporarily, patches tarps, marks trails. Wrap a flat section around a water bottle.
Zip ties, wire, and clamps (assorted) Fast mechanical fastening. A small assortment covers dozens of scenarios.
Sewing and gear repair kit Needles, heavy thread, patches, adhesive nylon. For clothing, packs, tents, and tarps.

When power tools are dead and hardware stores are closed, hand tools are what let you build, demolish, clear, and repair. A hatchet processes firewood, a folding saw clears debris, a pry bar forces open jammed doors, and an entrenching tool digs drainage and latrines. These are heavier than the other items in this section: they live in vehicle kits and home emergency supplies rather than go-bags.

Hatchets & Axes

Chopping & Splitting

A hatchet handles the tasks a knife can't: splitting kindling, chopping small trees, driving stakes, and processing firewood. A 14–16" handle gives enough leverage for serious work while keeping weight under 2 lbs. Fiskars X7 is the value benchmark: virtually indestructible composite handle, sharp out of the box. Hults Bruk and Gransfors Bruk are the premium hand-forged Swedish options that last generations. For vehicles and home kits, a full-size axe (24–28" handle) is worth the extra weight. Always carry a sheath: an exposed hatchet blade in a pack is a recipe for injury.

14–16" hatchet handle Best use: firewood, stakes Price: $25–200

Folding Saws

Efficient Wood Processing

A folding saw cuts faster and more precisely than a hatchet with far less effort and noise. Blade lengths of 7–10" handle branches up to 4–5" diameter. The Silky Gomboy and Bahco Laplander are the most recommended: aggressive teeth that cut on the pull stroke, lockable handles, and blades that fold safely into the handle. Lighter and safer to carry than an axe, and often more useful in camp: cutting poles for shelter, processing firewood to length, clearing brush. A folding saw + a fixed blade knife covers most wood processing needs.

7–10" blade length Cuts on pull stroke Price: $20–50

Shovels & Entrenching Tools

Dig, Pry, Chop

A military-style folding entrenching tool (E-tool) digs latrines, drainage ditches, fire pits, and snow shelters. It clears debris, chops roots, and can serve as a makeshift pry bar. The tri-fold design collapses small enough for a vehicle kit or large pack. The USGI-issue E-tool is the standard; Chinese copies vary wildly in quality. Gerber and SOG make good civilian versions with serrated edges and pick configurations. For home emergency kits, a standard garden spade may be more practical: easier to use for extended digging, which is what you'll actually be doing.

Tri-fold compact design Best use: vehicle kits, home Price: $20–60

Pry Bars & Wrecking Tools

Breaching & Rescue

After earthquakes, storms, and structural damage, a pry bar is what gets you through jammed doors, collapsed framing, and debris. A 12–18" flat pry bar fits in a vehicle kit and provides real mechanical advantage. Dedicated rescue tools like the Stanley FatMax FuBar combine a pry bar, hammer, nail puller, and demo tool in one. For home kits: a basic crowbar and claw hammer cover most scenarios. Not glamorous survival gear, but when you need to force entry to your own building or free someone from debris, nothing else will do.

12–18" flat bar minimum Best use: home, vehicle, rescue Price: $10–40

What to own

Hatchet or camp axe Splits kindling, processes firewood, clears brush. A good hatchet replaces several tools. Keep it sharp.
Folding saw Cleaner cuts than a hatchet, less effort for larger branches. Lighter and safer to carry in a pack.
Folding shovel / entrenching tool Digging fire pits, latrines, drainage, snow. Military-style tri-fold shovels pack small.

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