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The 72 Hour Survivalist Guide – Bug Out Bag Essentials

12/15/2015

By Survival Ready Blog Contributor

Virtually all survival blogs and survival guides have at least one lowdown on the bug out bag in their article inventory. Bug out bags, also commonly referred to as ‘bugging out’, will come up early in any serious conversation about survival. There’s a good reason for this, when disaster strikes survivors could well be pushed out to higher ground, or into the wilderness, in an escape for survival. Under such circumstances, your Bug Out Bag may be all you have (and need) to keep you alive long enough to reconsider your options and reformulate your plan.

Bug Out Bag 101

Essentially, your bug out bag is the bare essential kit you need to keep you alive for a short time, in the event that you are forced from your base (your hotel, resort, campsite etc.) A fundamental thing to keep front-of-mind when planning your bug out bag is that you need to mobile (so your bag needs to stay light enough to move with relative ease). Of course we are talking about ‘your’ bug out bag here too, so your bag needs to include what ‘you’ need to survive.
The ground zero consideration in planning your bug out bag is that it is very much designed to be a temporary survival pack. You need to focus on the event in hand and your prepped bug out bag gives you the backup plan and mental breathing space to do that.

Bug Out Bag Essentials

Water – need I say more!
Fire – for warmth, cooking and attracting attention when you need to
Shelter – for rest and protection, from the weather and predators
Food – need I say more!
Tools – often the difference between life and death in the wilderness. Essential tools include a knife (or three), axe, knife sharpener, spark maker and rope.

Of course this guide is just a high-level overview for bug out bag plans. I highly recommend you read this detailed article for a comprehensive guide, I’ve found it be the top bug out bag checklist article out there right now.

My Final Word On 72 Hour Survival Plans
Being isolated in the wilderness for any length of time is often too challenging for most people to survive for long. If a disaster strikes like a flood, volcanic eruption, earthquake or war, your chances are usually much improved by finding a safe shelter within civilization and an urban area. This is the goal your bug out bag should be primarily focused on.

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The difference between your bugout bag and your home survival kit

2/13/2015

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By Jesse Jones

Most preppers these days have already built their bugout bag, as these are fairly well known about and what their purpose is. If you are unfamiliar with a bugout bag, go here and familiarize your self with the concepts. Bugout bags are a huge key step when starting out as a beginner prepper. It forces you to sacrifice between necessity and comfort. As a bugout bag is meant for short term survival on the go, it doesn't necessarily house all the items you may need or want in all survival situations.

The difference between your bugout bag and a home survival kit

As you start to build your bugout bag, you will start to think about situations and scenarios for each and every item in your bag. If you can't think of a situation where an item in your bugout bag can serve atleast 2 or more purposes, there is probably an item that you can substitute to better fill the space.

What you will also notice about your bugout bag, is you don't have much space to work with. So what happens if we have a huge list of items we want to increase our preparedness, but don't want the weight or have the room in our bugout bag? This is where your full feature, or home survival kit comes to play. The absolute most important difference you must remember about these two types of kits, is that your bugout bag is made for on the go. Home survival kit's on the other hand are designed to carry items that might weigh to much, are too big, or just aren't practical enough to make it into your bugout bag. A bugout bag is generally kept in your vehicle everywhere you go. A home survival kit is usually kept within your house.

What is in a Home Survival Kit?

Just like your bugout bag, your home survival kit contains the necessary tools, supplies, food, and water that you will need for temporary survival. Although the intentions for a home survival kit are not permanent survival, meaning you won't be able to live out of it forever, the contents held within should provide you with a solid foundation for temporary survival while you make better of the situation you are in.

So what are some of the items you might find in a Home Survival Kit?

Food
Water
Clothing
Hygiene products
Tools (Knife, Saw, Hatchet, File, etc)
Weapons (Guns & ammo, Knives, Tomahawk, Dart guns, Sling Shots, etc)
Food Gathering Tools/Supplies (Snare wire, Rat traps, Fishing pole, etc)
Garden Supplies (Tools, Seeds, Guides, Botany guides, etc)
Locational Items (Maps, Compass, Signal Mirror, String and Pendulum, Etc)
Recording/Tracking Implements (Watch, Sand Hour Glass, Note Book, Pens, Pencils, Crayons, etc)

So what is the difference between your bugout bag and your full feature or home survival kit?

Many of these items will probably also be located in your bugout bag, although probably in smaller quantities. Again, The main purpose behind the full feature or home survival kit is having MORE supplies for your to survive off than your bugout bag does. Generally speaking, your bugout bag will be designed to survive only 2-3 weeks max. The home survival kit however is more designed around a time length of 2-3 months.

A home survival kit tends to be much larger and bulkier than a bugout bag. Although it is something you should be able to move and load into a vehicle on your own, getting as many items into your home survival kit will increase your chances of survival.

Much like your bugout bag, your home survival kit will generally be designed around more likely events in your area. As a prepper my self, I find it interesting that most preppers are focusing on a single occurrence. Our theory is a bit different than most, Prepare for it ALL! Now that doesn't mean you will be able to cover every possible situation, but part of your plans for preparing should be making the considerations about more likely scenarios in your region.

As an example, my family personally does not prepare for hurricanes or tornadoes. We have much more likely things that will be happening in our region that we would rather focus on and be prepared for. Oregon (the state I live in) has a long history of being hurricane and tornado free. Could they happen? Of course they could, there’s nothing preventing them from happening. We do however prepare for something like nuclear fallout. Here in Portland Oregon, we live within a close proximity to multiple nuclear facilities ranging from nuclear missile storage, hazardous nuclear storage facilities, and a nuclear power plant. Luckily for us the wind is usually consistent at west to eastward movement, and in most cases nuclear particles will be pushed away from us. However, since this is a real threat, we prepare accordingly.

I am really hoping that I explained the difference between your bugout bag and your full feature or home survival kit well enough. It's important to know the differences, and knowing which one serves what purpose. If you have anything you feel we should add, or if there is something you think we should clarify better, please leave us a comment, we love your feedback!

As always, Thank you for stopping by!

About the author
Jesse Jones has been writing for over 8 years for many news outlets and online media sources. He is an avid survivalist and prepper who can be found writing articles on his personal survival blog www.365preppers.com go check him out!

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Experts Picks: Top 10 Outdoor Survival Gear Essentials

1/25/2015

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Survival Ready Blog Team

If you trim down your bug out bag to the absolute top 10 essentials you MUST have. What are you left with? and why?

Recommended outdoor survival gear — Top 10 Essentials

Todd Smith, editor-in-chief of Outdoor Life magazine
1. Personal locator beacon (PLB) or cell phone
2. Map of area
3. Compass
4. Small first-aid kit
5. Water bottle
6. Flashlight/headlamp
7. Lighter and fire starters
8. Space blanket/bivy sack
9. Whistle
10. Signal mirror

Doug Ritter, founder of survivalist website Equipped To Survive,www.equipped.org
1. HeatSheets brand space blanket
2. Gloves
3. Chlorine dioxide water-purification tablets
4. Nylon braided line
5. Whistle
6. Lighter
7. Waterproof matches
8. Tinder (for fire starting)
9. Signal mirror
10. Personal locator beacon (PLB)

Mike Forti, graduate of the United States Air Force Survival School
1. Large knife (machete or hatchet)
2. Cell phone
3. Bic Lighter
4. 9 × 12 foot plastic painters tarp (0.35 mil thickness)
5. Mylar survival blanket
6. Mini L.E.D. flashlight
7. Water purification tablets
8. Water container of some sort
9. Small roll of fishing line or dental floss
10. Fifty Dollar bill (“After a few days lost in the woods eating bugs, it would be a real shame to emerge next to a 7-11, and have no money for food,” Forti said.)

Dennis Diaz, Chief Editor of Survival Ready Blog, www.survivalreadyblog.com
1. Water Filtering & Purification Gear (Water purification tablets, Lifestraw, Etc.)
2. Water container
3. Cordage (Paracord)
4. 2 Knives (1 folding & 1 large full tang fixed - at least 4”)
5. Thermal blanket & plastic tarp
6. Water proof fire starters
7. Flashlight
8. Trauma kit
9. Compass & ranger beads
10. 72 hour worth of MRE’s or high calorie bars style supplies

Via Gear Junkie

To trim a survival kit down to its top 10 essentials is to reveal the utmost necessary items for shelter, warmth, communication, navigation, sustenance, etc. in the deep wilderness. Here, then, are four experienced survivalists lean lists of gear you should not be without in any wilderness situation.

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Emergency Food Storage & Survival Gear

1/19/2015

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By Mike Brown

Is It Time To Consider Long-term food Storage?

Nobody can deny the fact that we are experiencing dramatic, exponential increases in scary events. If you live under a rock because you depend only on the M.S.M. (Mainstream Media), check out the following links:

Water Turning Blood Red: http://youtu.be/ouc-0HDvTwQ
Weird Disturbances in the Sun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEPuzX2ix3k
Meteors Injuring People: http://youtu.be/NTaoocI_6x0
Crazy Deadly Weather Events: http://youtu.be/gBZpJYJLboQ
Wars and Rumors Of Wars: http://youtu.be/CvimcxXsmjg
Economic Collapses Word-Wide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-hg4_5d0WI
Social Unrest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uo4L88OeIU
Disease and Pestilence: http://youtu.be/ZBbsnyqlihs
Massive unexplained Animal Die-Offs: http://youtu.be/wVzjLW-9uyc
Nuclear Accidents radiation In U.S.: http://youtu.be/pbdx3n-HG8g

The words that no parent should ever have to hear... are from a crying child saying, "I'm Hungry Mommy...please let me eat"... or... "Why don't we have food Daddy?" A combination of DIY (Do It Yourself) and freeze dried emergency foods are best. Making up food grade buckets with mylar bags ironed airtight with oxygen absorbents will last 25 years.

Millions of people are awakening to the fact that natural disasters, the dollar collapse and wars are threatening to come into their hometowns...up their neighborhood streets....to their front doors. Time to wake-up and realize FEMA warns people to get ready. FEMA has purchased tons and tons of freeze dried foods and billions of rounds of lethal hollow-point ammo which is illegal under the Geneva Convention to use in wars! They know something is coming - period!

It can't happen in America you say? History is a good teacher...so don't let your loved ones go un-protected. Get the only real insurance there is....get food and survival gear insurance...the insurance that any good provider thinks of... before the Red Dawn rises in the morning...please visit www.Survival-Food-Supplies.com today and use the planning tools there to protect your household! DIY (Do It Yourself) Supplies are there.

About The author
Mike Brown, 8 year Navy Intel vet and graduate of the classified S.E.R.E. (Survival Evasion Resistance escape) school. Owner of www.Survival-Food-Supplies.com and internet blogger. Former 911 Sick Rescue Workers, billion dollar class action law suit investigations supervisor.

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Top 5 Ham Two Way Radios For Under $50

1/18/2015

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By Survival ready Blog Team

In an major emergency situation, chances are that cellphones will not work. It would also be logical to assume that power lines are going to be down, as well as the internet in the affected area. This is where amateur or HAM radio comes in.

A HAM radio can run on a portable generator or even a car battery, and it doesn't depend on cell phone signals to be able to communicate with other users. The bottom line is that if you have a HAM radio, chances are high that you will be able to find and get help.

Amateur radio, or ham radio, can be used for vast array of activities:

Talking around the world without wires.
Talking locally through repeaters.
Emergency communications.
Public service communications.
Legacy communication modes like Morse code and Radioteletype (RTTY).
New communication modes like digital packet, Automatic Position Reporting System (APRS), and spread spectrum.
Amateur radio satellites in space.
Foxhunting (using “radio direction finding” techniques to find a hidden transmitter).
Moonbounce (talking by bouncing radio waves off the moon).
And much, much more...

Ham radios are great tools but you don't have to break the bank to get a good one. Below you'll find our top 5 list for ham radios for under $50

#5 - BaoFeng BF-F8+ Dual-Band Ham Two-way Radio

Solid, clear, excellent transmit and reception. A good looking compact radio loaded with features. Some reviews have said that the display is annoying or hard to read. I have found that it is not as bad as some have said.

True, you can't read it much when the backlight is off, but I rarely find that I need to glance over at the screen to check something. When you are actively using the radio interface, the backlight comes on. With the backlight on, the screen is great. If you need the backlight on, a simple tap of the "Exit" button will turn it on without changing anything on the display. The feature that you don't get, though, is the different backlight colors based on radio state. This is not a big deal since there is a light right below the VFO/MR button which turns green when receiving and orange when transmitting.

It works wonderfully and the price is a great value.

#4 - BaoFeng UV-82L Two Way Radio

First of all this thing is not a toy and does not feel or perform like one. It is solidly built, very sturdy and booms a signal that can't be beat. The receiver is sensitive and the package looks great.

This is a great value radio, solid hardware and compatible with lots of accessories. For ease of use, you need to get the legitimate Baofeng USB cable. Works decent as a scanner if you load the right frequencies, really slow though, like one channel per second compared to some scanners that are 30+.

#3 - Baofeng UV-82 (Black) Two-Way Radio

Nice Radio, it was very easy to program with Chirp Software. It has a good solid feel and the large buttons are perfect for my sausage fingers. The receive audio is much better than expected. The receiver and antenna combination work well together. Works great, Owners/users manual leaves much to be desired.

A couple things that could be improved would be the ability to set how long the LCD and keypad back light would stay lit. It is not adjustable and is too short for my liking. I also think the flashlight is a waste of space and it should have a channel knob like the UB5 in it's place.

#2 - Baofeng UV5R Dual-Band Ham Two-Way Radio

If you want a good, reliable inexpensive dual band HT that is in fact a COMMERCIAL (it IS FCC part 90 certified) Radio, this is for you. Out of the box, it comes complete with a good 1800mah lithium ion battery, belt clip, hand strap and drop in charger.

You get 128 channels with any combination of VHF or UHF channels. Another plus is the radio ACTUALLY SUPPORTS NARROWBAND, INCLUDING SPLINTER CHANNELS. This is a HUGE plus if you want to use the radio to listen (or transmit, if you're authorized) to public safety after 2013 when the FCC mandates narrow band on VHF and UHF. Many agencies are also going to channel steps most ham radios cannot properly tune (e.g. 154.8225). The UV-5R uses DSP, so it has great audio on both transmit and receive. Reports I got about my transmit audio were great, and I noticed if I spoke loudly, the DSP did a good job of attenuating the voice to a tame level.

The display is fairly easy to read, and for it's size the keys are easy to press. What I really like is the large volume knob with integrated power switch, no accidental turn off of buttons! The PTT key is easy to actuate and you don't get fatigue for long conversations. Speaker is loud, though I don't think it has the 1 watt of audio the specifications state.

All in all, this is a great ham HT that has the unique ability to LEGALLY operate on part 90 (commercial) frequencies (for those duly authorized), has great performance, and a long battery life. For the price, you cannot go wrong with it.

#1 - Baofeng UV5RA Ham Two Way Radio

This little radio packs a lot of punch for the price. It seems decently well built and has good RX capabilities. The FM radio built in is a nice touch. The FT-60 is much easier to use...but also many times the price of this little gem. The drop-in charger alone may cost $50 with other brands...with this radio it's included. I don't need this radio at all (I have 3 others) but if it broke I'd buy another one just for the convenience of having something to listen to at work without carrying around the FT-60.

If you compare the Baofeng UV-5R to the latest offerings from Icom, Yaesu, and Kenwood, you wouldn't think it's a 5-star radio. But when you look at the price they're asking for the UV-5R, 5 stars hardly seems enough. This is a fantastic value. For under forty-five bucks you get a pocket-sized dual band radio, complete with earphone/mike and a desktop drop-in charger. Heck, Icom gets almost as much as this radio sells for just for the charger! NOt enough? It'll also cover FMRS and GMRS frequencies, receive the FM broadcast band, and there's even a built in flashlight!

So you've got to figure there's a catch, right? And there is: Programming this radio from the front panel is a royal pain in the caboose. After studying helpful web pages- not the manufacturer's manual- I'm now comfortable programming single frequencies and repeater offsets in, but I still don't seem to be able to put the in memory properly. The manufacturer supplies a program that's supposed to make programming easier, but the word is that it's as confusing as the front panel controls.

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The Importance of Prepper Night Vision

1/12/2015

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Protecting your family from human invaders is something you’ll need to do day and night. If you want your property fully protected, then you’ll need to have the ability to see in the dark – so that they’re not able to overtake you by surprise.

Animals don’t always stay in their homes at night – they come looking for food, and you may need to provide protection to your property and family using night vision tools that allow you to kill or scare away these predators. You also may want to go hunting for food supplies at night. Having night vision goggles will allow you to shoot a deer or other animals that can provide meals for your family during times of need.

Some preppers prefer to invest in thermal vision rather than night vision, so you can choose between the two or invest in both. Thermal vision will show you a heat source, which may be human or animal, while the night vision will allow you to get a better look at what it is.

You can get goggles that allow you to have a hands-free look at your property, or get a night vision scope that attaches to your rifle so that you can better see your target in the night hours.

There’s one problem with preppers who want to secure night vision equipment before a disaster strikes – it’s very expensive in many cases. If you live on a prepper community, then you might be able to go in on it with another family so that you rotate the equipment and watch out for each other’s property.

Not only does night vision allow you to target things like invaders or animals that you’re hunting for food, but it’s also a means of escaping from predators – even in a civil unrest situation if it comes to war and you have to lay low.

Some preppers advise you to invest in at least a cheaper form of night vision to get you started. Even if it’s not a top of the line piece of equipment, having night vision can give you an edge over others who are without it.

Make sure you have extra batteries and a solar charger to keep the night vision goggles in working order. Don’t broadcast to everyone that you have it, because this is something that will become a wanted item in the event of a disaster.

Night Vision Devices Deals On The Web

Polaris 12X50 High Powered Monocular

Yukon - NV 1x24 Goggles

Firefield Nightfall 2 Monocular

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Sentry Safe Biometric Pistol Safe: Gear Review

1/5/2015

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Setting this up to scan several fingers was quick and easy, the hardest part was finding the button to push behind the battery compartment. There is also a button combination sequence that can be used if you don't want to use the fingerprint scan or find a need to tell someone how to open it for you instead of opening it yourself. Of course, there is also a key as the final backup, in case the battery dies or you want an 'override' access to the safe.

The safe itself is fairly small, but just the right size for a 'normal' handgun. It can fit a full size Glock or 1911 pistol in a paddle holster, with 2 extra magazines, but it takes a bit of thought to get it pointed correctly to fit. You wont fit a Dirty Harry style .44 Mag or a S&W 500 with 10" barrel in this, but it will fit what most people have or use.

The fingerprint scan is quick and very fast, opening the lid quickly and silently. This aspect is MUCH nicer than I thought it would be. The fingerprint biometric access is actually faster than the punch code sequence, as you have to tap a button to activate it, then enter the code and wait a second before it opens. Buy yours here.

Here’s a full video review

This unit is one of the few gun safes that has a biometric access, button code, and an emergency key override. I think this is a fantastic feature and ensures you can always get in, one way or another. The lid of the safe is gas strut operated so it pops quickly open once unlocked for easy one-hand access. It is not totally silent, but quiet enough. It is solidly built and I've bolted it to the shelf of my night stand using the included bolts. I am really impressed with how flawless the biometric has worked and how quickly you can get in to the safe when needed. See online deals

Overall, if you need a secure place to store a handgun, this is a great option.

Sentry Safe Biometric Quick Access Pistol Safe

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Best Firearms & Rifles for Hunting and Self Defense

1/4/2015

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By Randy A.

I approach this topic with caution, not intending to open up a Glock vs 1911 type debate. I will approach it as recommending some rifles that have worked well for me, with the understanding that I don’t know everything, and cannot possibly have shot everything available out there.

AR Type
Everyone owns an AR right? Well not some of us. The .223 round is an OK round for survival. It is kind of light for big game and is pretty hot for small game. My best advice on squirrels is to shoot them in the middle and pick up the two halves. However, for defense they are right up at the top, if you are comfortable with them, and will keep them maintained.

AK/SKS Type
The 7.62x39 is a better big game round than the .223, being similar to the venerable 30-30. Also kind of heavy for small game but not quite as explosive as the .223. As a self defense gun they are also right up there with people who are familiar with them. They are more forgiving than an AR and a little less expensive.

Commercial Bolt Action
From a purely hunting standpoint this is the way to go. You buy the rifle in the caliber that is best for the game you are hunting, and learn to shoot it and maintain it. From a self defense perspective they are lacking in capacity and speed, but as the old saying goes…”beware the man who only owns one rifle, he probably knows how to use it”. I won a side match at an IPSC event with my model 70 Winchester in 300 win mag. going up against semi autos in .243.

10-22
A good all around gun is the Ruger 10-22. It is excellent for small game. The 22LR round has reportedly taken more deer than any other round, since it is the preferred round of poachers. It will take big game if you know what you are doing. The 22 LR is lacking in stopping power, but still only fools are charging forward into gunfire, even if it is only .22.

Combo Guns
There are a few combo guns out there for the survival or hunting crowd. The most common being the 22LR on top of the .410 shotgun. I myself feel the .410 is a little light even with slugs, so I would consider a 20 or even a 12 gauge instead. These guns are excellent for hunting, but are very slow reloading for self defense.

Military Bolt Guns
There are a few surplus military bolt guns on the market. No matter the type, they are a little heavy for small game but excel for large game. They have a slow rate of fire but are built for the military so they are tough as nails in the field and shouldn't let you down.

No matter which type of rifle you pick for your survival plans get plenty of ammo and learn to shoot it well. Then learn how to clean it equally well.

About the author
Randy Augsburger lives and writes from an old farm that has been in his family since 1866. Born in northwest Ohio, Randy grew up in a small town in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. He draws on his experiences of hunting, fishing, trapping and prospecting for his writing. Randy is also an ordained Southern Baptist preacher.

You find his writing blog at http://randyswrite.blogspot.com/

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Homemade Survival Kits

1/3/2015

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By Survival Ready Blog

If you ever find yourself in a survival or worst case scenario, do you know what you need? Imagine for a second that you are lost in a wilderness area, social unrest has erupted, you’re the victim of an accident, or caught in a natural disaster.

Given that you are reading this, chances are that you have a fairly good idea of what to do, but do you have the basic, essential tools to help you survive.

Even if you don’t have a commercial emergency kit you may already have the essentials to put together your very own homemade survival kit. Building homemade survival kits from scratch can be very satisfying, yet also very intimidating. To see how to construct your Homemade Survival Kits click here

“A kit should contain basic elements to help you establish shelter, direction, water collection and the ability to catch or snare food. Many survival kits are available from different retailers. However, it is certainly possible to assemble your own kit in a size that is easy to transport.

Step 1
Select a small, durable and water resistant container for the kit. There are many options for storing a survival kit including metal containers with hinged lids and even sealing plastic bags. The main things to consider are the degree of water resistance and size, making sure the container is big enough to accommodate the contents. Consider placing a small container in a plastic bag for additional protection.

Step 2
Include fire-starting materials in your kit. Include more than one means of starting a fire. A small butane lighter, magnesium fire starter, waterproof matches, tinder and even a small piece of candle with wick are good choices. Never rely on only one method of fir-starting. Fire is a psychological boost. By making a fire you have the ability to somewhat control your situation and determine the outcome. Staying warm is nice too.

Step 3
Consider a means for collecting and purifying water. You can go much longer without food than you can water, especially under a stressful situation. Dehydration may quickly set in with symptoms ranging from mild disorientation to black out. Carry a few water purification tablets and a small piece of plastic sheeting or bag. If you choose a metal container for your kit, this may be used for boiling small amounts of water for drinking.

Read more here

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Top 5 Hatchets for under $50 - Gear Review

1/1/2015

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By Survival Ready Blog Team

Hatchets give provide with significant advantages in most survival or outdoor scenarios. Different from a knife, a hatchet allows a greater ability to gather and split firewood, speed up game processing, and create bigger and better shelters. Hatchets are great tools but you don't have to break the bank to get a good one. Below you'll find our top 5 list for hatchets for under $50.

**#5 - Husqvarna 576926401 13 in. Curved Handle Hatchet**

My first impression mirrored most here: This is a rather well-built tool. The forging was left clean but with imperfections. It has a very pleasing appearance, however, and was finished with an "acceptable" edge ground into the bit. I'm certain you could press this hatchet into service immediately out of the box, but you'll likely end up wishing you had put a better edge on it in the first place.

For roughly twice the price of that cheap-o hatchet with a tubular steel handle on the shelf of the nearest big-box retailer, you get a hand-forged tool that should last a lifetime with proper care and maintenance. You'll need to do some work right out of the box to get a good edge on the bit and address the handle finish. When you're finished, though, you'll have a tool that is on par with some of the high-end hatchets that are twice or three times the price. And that, my friends, is a great value.

#4 - Gerber Gator Axe II

I found the hatchet to be a good size for recreational use, wouldn't be the best for downing large trees because of its size, but one should assume that even prior to purchasing. For it's intended use, downing small trees, knocking off limbs it works great. The finish, which appears to be a gray paint does come off but that's expected. I did split some large logs with this axe and it worked OK, I had to bang it on a hard surface a few times, but as I said before, one should assume this with an axe/hatchet this size.

Overall this is a great addition to anyone's gear if they are going to be in the woods for an extended time. It is very light for what it is. It would be great in emergencies, and using the saw and hatchet in conjunction, would allow someone to down just about anything given enough time. Needless to say, I won't be camping without this tool anytime soon.

#3 - Gerber 31-002070 Bear Grylls Survival Hatchet

Its compact and small, but not to small. It comes really sharp, and its easy to sharpen if you know what your doing. Its also really useful for cutting of chickens heads, and I've also used of for cutting of a dear leg.

I've split small logs, and have done a lot of bushcraft with this thing. It fits perfect in the front pocket of the Condor 3-day Assault Pack. I would highly recommend you get at least 2 of these for your bugout bag or for survival purposes!

#2 - Estwing E24A Sportsman's Hatchet

This hatchet is worth every penny. So solid and balanced. It just feels right. Not only is the steel outstanding quality and holds an edge very well, but the pressed leather handle is extremely comfortable and exquisite looking. I am proud to own this American Made product. Best hatchet on the market. It will last a lifetime...something you can pass down to your children. Comes with a beautifully crafted, QUALITY leather sheath as well. A definite favorite for me.

#1 - Fiskars X7 Hatchet

An amazingly solid hatchet. Great for chopping, felling, 'toting' logs back to the fire, and even close work such as whittling and spear making. A perfect fit in any bug-out-bag or camp pack, the included sheath ensures the blade stays safely put thanks to a locking mechanism on the back. I was a bit skeptical at first, as I am with any axe/hatchet; there's always a worry of the head breaking during use, but I can't feel any budge at all on impact.

The FiberComp® handle is an advanced composite of fiberglass in a thermoset polymer matrix that ensures it won't break through overstrike. The low-friction coating on the blade provides a buttery smooth slice without sacrificing sharpness. In fact, the blade arrived extremely sharp and ready for use.

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The difference between your bugout bag and a home survival kit

What is in a Home Survival Kit?

So what is the difference between your bugout bag and your full feature or home survival kit?

#5 - Husqvarna 576926401 13 in. Curved Handle Hatchet

#4 - Gerber Gator Axe II

#3 - Gerber 31-002070 Bear Grylls Survival Hatchet

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