Major Pandemic’s Hip Pocket Survival - Survival Knives & 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. Basic tools you can have in your pocket are shockingly handy when we all have to jump into survival mode. Though most people have the image of survival knives as a humongous knife featured in Rambo, the reality is very far from that. Usually a few multi-tools and a shorter bladed knife are the best options.
Multi-Tools
Quality brands like Leatherman, Victorinox, Gerber, and Sog are all great options.
Look for included tools that includes knife, can/bottle opener, file, serrated blade and screwdrivers
Swiss Army Knives
Small simple and inexpensive Swiss Army style knives are excellent compact options. Forget the novelty 100-tool models and stick with something thin and simple with just a few tools.
Key tools are a knife, can/bottle opener, scissors, toothpick, tweezer and a small file
The Victorinox Huntsman, Spartan, Hiker and Tinker are all good less bulky options with a lot of realistically usable tools
Survival Knives
Though movies push a big survival knife, generally a small blade under 4-inches is the best and most useful size.
Quality - The key is quality but that does not mean high price.
Budget options - MoraKniv Companion (similar in look to a kitchen filet knife) and the Eldris (stumpy small knife) are light, well proven, and excellent knives for general cutting tasks if you find yourself away from home base.
Premium options - The best options I recommend with many decades of knife experience and even owning a knife store are Fallkniven F1, S1 and A1 models and the ExtremaRatio Selvans. Definitely in the expensive category, but they are the premier tier of survival knives.
Fire Making
Lighters
I would say I have a preference, but generally I have had far less issues with the $3 Eagle refillable butane torch lighters from Amazon than I have had with my Zippo. Get some good lighters that work. I recommend jet flame torch style lighters.
Extra butane
Fire Steels
Cheap firesteels deliver poor spark showers
Look for LightMyFire and Uberleben as these are some of the most respected firesteel brands made. Both deliver intense spark showers to light more stubborn tender or even just light a camp stove or canned sterno.