Make & Model
Slumberjack Roughhouse Tent
Weight
13 pounds
MSRP
$200
URL
slumberjack.com
Notes
Whether on a weekend camping trip with the family or enduring a more arduous trek in undiscovered country, venturing through Mother Nature requires reliable shelter. The four-person, three-season Slumberjack Roughhouse Tent is up for the job, and aptly titled. On the outside, it’s covered by a 66-denier polyester fly, while its stout, non-traditional shape helps it repel downpours and intense wind. Under the fly, two steel/fiberglass main poles and two fiberglass ridge poles maintain the structure around 61.8 square feet of floor space — though the $30 footprint is sold separately. There are four interior pockets for organization. Plus, a “front porch” vestibule can convert into a large shade awning. A six-person version is available for $259.
Make & Model
Arc’teryx Cerium SL Hoody
Sizes
Men: S through XXL
Women: XS through XL
MSRP
$349
URL
arcteryx.com
Notes
With the mercury dropping in the northern hemisphere, it’s time to think about packing an extra layer of clothing that won’t weigh you down. Thankfully, the Cerium SL Hoody provides a solution, at least when it comes to jackets. It’s extremely lightweight yet provides plenty of warmth as a shell during autumn and as a mid-layer during winter, thanks to its 850-fill-power goose down. The hoody is insulated, too. The Cerium SL (“superlight”) is highly compressible — fold, roll, or squish it into the included stuff sack to keep your loadout at a minimum. Though the nylon shell has a durable water repellent finish, the jacket is meant for dry conditions only. Available for men and women in various colors.
Make & Model
SwiftShield
Compatibility
Various door knob types and swing directions
MSRP
$140
URL
swiftshield.com
Notes
The quickest way to end a lethal threat is to be the faster, more accurate shooter. But what if you’re in a classroom? Or inside an office building in a non-permissive environment? The SwiftShield is designed for such situations. Made of reinforced carbon steel, this one-piece device can lockdown a room in seconds. Just slide it over the doorknob and make sure the super obvious arrows with the “This side down” label is pointed, well, downward. The folks at SwiftShield say the roughly 1/8-inch-thick piece of steel can withstand “thousands of pounds of force,” including from rifle and shotgun blasts. Of course, it won’t solve the problem if your door is paper-thin or has a window, but when used properly on a standard entryway, it can act as a reliable barricade.
Make & Model
Phoozy XP3 Series
Colors
Cosmic Black, Iridium Gold, Iridium Silver, and Realtree Edge
MSRP
$50
URL
phoozy.com
Notes
Don’t let the Phoozy’s looks fool you. It might look like a simple phone pouch and not much more, but the Phoozy folks say it’s the world’s first smartphone container to provide integrated drop, float, and thermal protection. The ripstop shell has UV and hydrophobic coatings to prevent fading and make it easier to clean. The interior has layers of NASA-inspired materials, including a chromium-infused thermal barrier to shield your phone from heat or cold. Other benefits include flotation on water, battery life preservation, and Mil-spec shock and impact protection up to 9 feet. For convenience, it has an internal pocket for cards, cash, and ID, as well as external loops to attach it to packs, lanyards, or carabiners.
Make & Model
Helle Wabakimi
Overall Length
7.9 inches
MSRP
$199
URL
helle.no
Notes
The Wabakimi is the third collaboration between Helle (a Scandinavian company known for its survival knives) and Les Stroud (perhaps the world’s most famous survivalist thanks to his Survivorman TV show). This fixed blade dispenses with the flash and sticks strictly to function and durability. Its 3.3-inch drop-point blade features Helle’s triple-laminated steel (a high-carbon steel core sandwiched by two stainless steel layers), which gives you a lasting razor’s edge with reliable strength and corrosion resistance. Opposite the business end is an ergonomic handle made of curly birch. It comes with a quality leather sheath. While it won’t give you Stroud’s skills, the Wabakimi will definitely give you a fighting chance in the wilderness.
Make & Model
Streamlight Twin-Task 3AA Headlamp
Weight
7.6 ounces
MSRP
$75
URL
streamlight.com
Notes
Much like 9mm cartridges, the AA battery is ubiquitous. In a TEOTWAWKI scenario, you’re more likely to find a stash of this common battery type than, say, CR123 or 18650. Which is just one reason we like the Twin-Task so much. As its name implies, it uses three AA cells to produce a maximum of 300 lumens at up to 118 yards and has dual functions: spot and flood. In spot mode, it has three levels — 50 and 100 lumens in addition to the max 300. In flood mode, it offers a low of 125 and a high of 250 lumens. This headlamp can run on high for 4.25 hours and on low for 38 hours. The low-profile Twin-Task has 120-degree tilting, an IPX4 water-resistance rating, and a 2-meter impact-resistance rating.
Make & Model
Outdoor Edge ParaClaw CQD Watch
Case Material
Zinc alloy or stainless steel
MSRP
$80 or $135
URL
outdooredge.com
Notes
Just when we thought the paracord bracelet was played out, Outdoor Edge brings something fresh to this genre with the ParaClaw CQD Watch. It combines three essential survival tools: a paracord bracelet that can be disassembled for various lashing duties, a 1.5-inch stainless steel hawkbill blade that can act as a last-ditch self-defense tool, and a water-resistant timepiece that has several survival uses, including help with navigation. The watch comes in either a zinc alloy body or the more expensive stainless steel version. Both have Japanese quartz movement, mineral glass, and a titanium PVD coating.
Make & Model
Keyport Slide 3.0
MSRP
Starting at $39
URL
mykeyport.com
Notes
While most everyday-carry gear has gotten slimmer, lighter, and smarter, keychains have pretty much stayed the same for decades. House keys, office keys, car key fobs — all bunched together on a ring that’s then crammed into your pocket. The Keyport Slide 3.0 aims to change all that. This compact device organizes your keys in a single rectangular device that allows for one-handed operation. To access a specific key, just slide it out by pushing on the color-coordinated button with your thumb. And because the Slide is modular, you can swap in optional tools like a blade, mini flashlight, or flash drive (though they’re sold separately). Available with either four or six ports for tools.
Make & Model
Wazoo Survival Gear Bushcraft Fire Starter Leather Necklace
Pendant Colors
Black, White
MSRP
$29
Notes
Wazoo Survival Gear makes some innovative wilderness tools that sometimes look good with your urban attire. Take the Bushcraft Fire Starter Leather Necklace for example. Wazoo updates the ancient flint-and-steel concept with modern-day aesthetics by attaching a small ferro rod to a white zirconia ceramic pendant using a 1/8-inch-round leather cord. Handcrafted in Texas, the necklace has a sliding double fisherman’s knot that adjusts from 14 to 26 inches. The result is a life-saving tool that’s disguised as discreet jewelry.
Make & Model
Cestus Security Services Stinger
Weight
2.6 ounces
MSRP
$40
Notes
No, this isn’t some strange spanner from the U.K. or prop from a sci-fi movie. The Stinger is a karambit-inspired multitool that has six functions: bottle opener, glass-breaker, hex wrench, multi-hex bit driver, the arrow-shaped slot can hold a tool bit (and held in place with rubber washers or paracord), and the hook can hold pots over a campfire or gear on a tree branch. The fact that it’s a single 5.1-inch piece of stainless steel with a retention ring also makes it great for a seventh role: improvised impact weapon.
Make & Model
Rite in the Rain Side-Spiral Notebook
Dimensions
4.625 by 7 inches
MSRP
$7
Notes
In an emergency situation, you generally don’t want your tools to camouflage into the background — especially in a crisis when you might need them quickly. The same can be said about your writing instruments. Think drawing a map of your bug-out route, posting signs for search-and-rescue to find you, or leaving a coded message for your survival group. Rite in the Rain— the pioneers of waterproof ink and paper — recently released a series of notebooks with Blaze Orange Polydura covers. The tough, high-visibility covers help your pad standout if you accidentally dropped it at the jobsite, your campsite, or on the hunting trail. This Side-Spiral Notebook has 64 all-weather paper and an impact-resistant Wire-O binding that won’t lose its shape.
Make & Model
Hemisphere Coffee Roasters Hunter’s Blend
Weight
12 ounces
MSRP
$13
URL
hemispherecoffeeroasters.com
Notes
There are few things the owners of Hemisphere Coffee Roasters love just as much as espresso beans. Hunting just happens to be one of them. As avid hunters themselves, the folks at this Ohio-based company decided it was time to roast up a brew that wouldn’t just taste good, but also fuel them for their next pursuit into the backcountry. Enter the Hunter’s Blend. This pick-me-up is roasted from responsibly sourced beans in a direct-trade business model, the company says, allowing them to acquire quality products in places like Peru, Kenya, and Indonesia while also helping to create hundreds of jobs in local farming communities. Available in whole-bean or ground-bean bags, the coffee is roasted in small batches to retain freshness.
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Written by Patrick Vuong
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