The 3 Best Multi-Tools You Can Own
When I’m deciding which items to include in my bug-out bag and which ones to leave out, one of the factors I consider is whether a particular item can perform more than one task for me. If it can, it has a better chance of being included than an item which serves only one purpose.
Kind of like when a baseball coach must decide which of two players he will keep on his roster. Assuming their hitting skills are similar, he’s going to keep the player who can play a variety of positions.
Among those multipurpose items which invariably find their way into a bug-out bag are duct tape, paracord, garbage bags, bandanas, coffee filters, etc.
The same is true for tools. In fact, it’s probably even more important that tools serve a variety of purposes than other items because they tend to be heavier and take up more space in a bag.
So, let’s take a look at three multi-tools you should consider for your bag.
The Multi-Tool.
Probably the best multi-tool is, appropriately enough, called the Multi-Tool. There are a number of different brands of multi-tools, of course, each of which claims to be the best. But one you might want to check out is the Carabiner Multi-Tool. It’s inexpensive (Amazon is selling it for less than $3 as of this writing), yet it has 20 different functions, including four wrench sizes, four different screwdrivers on a rotating disc, a file, bottle opener, pry bar, ruler, etc. You can clip it onto a belt loop or keep it in its leather carrying pouch.
The Shovel-Ax Combo.
If you were Paul Bunyan and had a gigantic bug-out bag, maybe you could carry both a standalone shovel and a standalone ax. But if you’re a mere mortal, the ax-shovel combo is the way to go. You can find a perfectly good, portable, lightweight shovel, but if you want something that also provides a nice ax experience, think about the Pagreberya Folding Shovel. It only weighs about 2½ pounds, and it also includes hex wrench cutouts, a compass, a magnesium rod and a knife. Amazon sells a great one for less than $70, but you can find one for less.
The Hammer.
Doesn’t sound like much of a multi-tool, does it? You pound in one nail and take out another, and that’s pretty much it. But if you have something like the HunnyDoo Multi-Tool, you will also have a screwdriver, pliers, file, knife, adjustable wrench, and a dozen different screws and bolts. This hammer is small, obviously, so you won’t use to build a house or raise a barn. But it’s perfect for a lot of little jobs and fits nicely in a bug-out bag. It’s priced at about $25.
Speaking of multi-purpose, at 4Patriots we have products that will take care of almost all your preparedness needs. From emergency food and water purifiers, to a portable generator and instructions for building your own solar panels, to survival seeds and a gadget that will jumpstart your car… we can get you hooked up and ready to face a very uncertain future.
To your survival,
Frank Bates
P.S. If you have a couple multi-tools – with different capabilities – in your bug-out bag, you should be in good shape. You’ll be ready to successfully tackle a wide variety of issues during a stressful time.
