Major Pandemic’s Hip Pocket Survival - Wood Cutting, Moving & Lifting Tools
This is a quick series originally started from discussions with friends and family who had no clue where to start with basic survival 101. We see it every year where tornadoes and floods require people to rescue trapped people or just retrieve valuables from wreckage, but most urban people do not have basic tools to get this job done.
Chainsaw, Axe & Machete
Chainsaws - Skipping a brand discussion, a gasoline chainsaw can be a necessity for something as simple as a tree falling on your house, but it could be a lifesaving tool to free someone from wreckage.
Axes - Sometimes a large or small ax is enough to get the job done. Though there are certainly more budget friendly axes, the top premium tier has always been the hand forged Gransfors axes. Just size the ax appropriately for the job at hand.
Machete - Like a survival knife the quality of the steel is everything in a machete and makes the difference between the effortless cutting of a razor sharp edge and full body workout with a dull blade. Cold Steel and Condor are well regarded brands of high quality.
Moving/Lifting Tools
During a disaster, there is a high probability you will need to move something far heavier than your muscles can lift, however a few cheap tools can be amazingly handy.
My absolute #1 vote here is a set of heavy duty ratchet straps. This can move and lift insane amounts of 4000-lb+ weight, are usually inexpensive, and easy/safe to use even if you are just using it to lift game for field dressing.
Hollow climbing rated nylon strap - Can be used for a huge variety of needs from first aid liters to climbing to moving stuff
Car Tow Strap - pull or move something very heavy safely
2-ton Jack plus a few 2x4s - If you need to lift debris off someone a $50 jack that you can also use to change a tire is a shockingly handy piece of equipment.