Whether you’re a self-proclaimed gear junkie or a minimalist, it’s hard not to appreciate all of the innovative products that are being released in the world of survival and preparation. We check out several fresh items on the market to consider.

Prometheus Design Werx Ti-Signal Whistle

LENGTH: 2.19 inches
MSRP: $29
URL: prometheusdesignwerx.com

NOTES: One thing’s for sure: This ain’t your granddaddy’s survival whistle. Machined from 6AL-4V titanium billet, the Ti-Signal Whistle is lightweight, corrosion resistant, and almost indestructible. It can emit a piercing, high-pitch sound to alert others of your location. This makes it a potentially life-saving device — whether you’re injured and in need of a search- and-rescue team or just trying to reconnect with your friends after getting separated in the backcountry. And as with every- thing Prometheus Design Werx makes, the Ti-Signal Whistle exists at that intersection between aesthetics and functionality. It features a Mk2-style pineapple pattern and comes packed in a tin with form-fitting foam for long-term storage. It comes with a stainless steel ball chain or can be clipped to a keyring.

Mustang Survival Highwater 22L Day Pack

MATERIAL: 70-denier PVC-free ripstop nylon fabric shell
MSRP: $100
URL: mustangsurvival.com

NOTES: Whether you’re heading out on a fishing trip or bugging out during the rainy season, getting wet can be a strong possibility depending on your destination or mission. So, keeping your vital gear dry will be, well, vital. If you want something more durable than wrapping your daypack in a garbage bag, consider a waterproof backpack like the Highwater. Aside from the waterproof ripstop nylon fab- ric shell, its zipper-less roll-top design ensures that the main chamber stays moisture free. Plus, there are three external mesh pockets for drop-in items like water bottles or larger flashlights. For comfort on a long haul, there are slim but padded shoulder straps and a removable back pad with its own inner storage sleeve.

Highwater 22L Day Pack $109 Mustang Survival

Kershaw Knives Epistle

OAL: 7 inches
MSRP: $49
URL: kershawknives.com

Prime Day is here, and whether or not you were looking forward to the day Amazon blows open its metaphorical doors for the best deals this side of the Atlantic, we’re bringing to you some of the best, time-sensitive offers available on the site. Here’s the catch, though, you have to go through our page, that way they know we sent you there. It’s voting season, and we all know how the sayings go, people vote with their wallets. The best part is, good survival gear doesn’t care about how much you spent on it when it’s saving your life in a disaster, or from a bad day in the office. Stay tuned for the best Prime Day Survival Deals.

3M WorkTunes + Gel Cups Hearing Protection

Save 30% on 3M WorkTunes Connect + Gel Ear Cushions

The only thing better than hearing protection when at the range, is hearing protection blasting the best Miley Cyrus, or Five Finger Death Punch, ironically of course. While one’s choice of music may be a joke, protecting your hearing is not, and take it from any veteran, tinnitus isn’t something we’d volunteer for again. The best part about these, however, is that they come standard with gel cups to go over the ears, which significantly makes them more comfortable and effective at saving those ear drums.

XAegis Shooting Glasses

XAegis Shooting Glasses for as low as $9.59

If you’re wearing ear protection, you should be wearing something to keep your eyes safe, especially at the range or when working on the latest DIY project in the garage. While there’s plenty of arguments that start with “what if this happens?” here’s an easy answer, decent eye protection isn’t that expensive, even less so on Prime Day.

Go Time Gear Life Tent Emergency Survival Shelter

Go Time Gear Life Tent for $15.95

A tent like this isn’t for a week in the Rockies, if you get to choose the timing. However, emergencies wait for no one’s clock, and arrive on their own time. When that is the case, ideal means what keeps us alive, and in the hierarchy of needs, during a blizzard or pouring rain, shelter ranks pretty high on that list. Easy to keep in a car or strapped to a bug out bag, saving your survival pack from being raided every time you take a weekend out at the lake, this survival tent is burning in as low as $16 during the sale. Make your move now.

Go Time Gear Life Bivy Emergency Sleeping Bag

Life Bivy Emergency Sleeping Bag for $15.95

Unless you’re riding out the apocalypse with a team of porters to carry your gear, chances are it’s a sleeping bag that will end up in your tent. But there’s more than one application and ideal location for a survival sleeping bag, particularly for those living in northern states that suffer frigid winters which can quickly turn a stuck car into a icy tomb. Take this opportunity to prepare for a winter that might be low on available first responders and pick up one of these for less than the price of a fancy cocktail downtown.

LifeStraw Universal Water Filter Bottle Adapter Kit

LifeStraw Universal Water Filter for $29.51

Turn that Hydroflask from its days as a Visco-Girl prop into something that can save your life with the LifeStraw Universal Water Filter Bottle Adapter, and for less thanks to Amazon. Food, Water, Shelter make up the vital triad, and taking running water for granted is a fatal error. This isn’t Ranger School, this is survival, and whatever you do, don’t go full Bear Grylls.

J.CARP Military Tactical Backpack

J.CARP Military Tactical Backpack for $36.79

While a pack like this isn’t something we’d recommend for a long haul survival experience, desperate times have driven people to go further with less. At the same time, more affordable bags like this make for excellent vehicle-bound medical kits, and survival bags that provide the live-saving gear and peace of mind in the event that one has to escape a real bad situation to get home, or happens to be in the wrong place at the right time and can do some good. With an included hydration pack, these kinds of bags hold the kit you don’t mind loosing in the event that the whole vehicle and contents must be abandoned, as they can be replaced for a reasonable price.

Tobfit 12 Pack LED Road Flares

Tobfit 12 Pack LED Road Flares for $47.99

To be clear, they might not be as cinematic as those ones that look like dynamite, but they’re 100% less likely to burn family members or start a forest fire as well. These road flares pack light and can be carried by the whole family to avoid being separated in the dark, and serve as not only a way to be found by first responders, but to mark a basecamp when exploring in the dark. Just remember, batteries not included.

Best Deals on Knives:

Victorinox Swiss Army Classic for $16.63

The venerable Swiss Army Knife by Victorinox is coming in at 20% off, With multiple models to choose from, these still make sentimental gifts for growing adventurers. Useful in most places except an airport, take a walk into memories past, catch a look at 5 Surprising Uses for a Swiss Army Knife.

Up To 20% Off CRKT Knives

Save up to 20% on CRKT Knives
Providing some the the best EDC knives that fit well between the lines of quality manufacturing and won’t-make-you-cry-as-you-dull-it-on-cardboard, CRKT knives have circumnavigated the globe in the packs of adventurers, kits of soldiers, and edc pockets of every-day people.

Up To 26% off Streamlight Flashlights

Save 26% on Streamlight 66608 250 Lumen Microstream

There’s no excuse to have to pull out an EDC pistol just to get access to a flashlight, and let’s remember, cell phone lights are convenience, not a replacement. As Streamlight’s hand-held and weapon lights continue to improve, their affordability becomes more and more attractive. This Prime Day sale, get them up to 26% off.

When we hear the term “survival knife,” we most often think of a large fixed blade of some type and not a folding pocket knife. Yet, the Buck 110 Folding Hunter may make you change that way of thinking.

The Buck 110 was a familiar sight for many years. Although it’s pocket-sized, it was mostly worn on the belt in a leather sheath secured with a single snap. Even those who know little about knives can recognize it immediately. It was worn by hunters, farmers, craftsmen, tradespeople, and anyone who had the need for a compact, sharp blade with a strong lock.

When a single model of any knife becomes synonymous with an entire company’s product line for decades, and inspires countless other designs (as well as blatant imitations), I’d say that qualifies as iconic.

History

The Buck 110 was designed in 1963 as a folding hunting knife. There had been a few knives of this type on the market, but none had really been successful, and Buck wasn’t exactly a new company at the time. They were well-known for their outdoor fixed-blade knives.

Above: The iconic Buck 110 Folding Hunter’s overall look became synonymous with the company.

Although they got their start in 1902, the company didn’t incorporate until 1961. A mere two years later they decided to introduce the first folding knife that was nearly as strong as a fixed blade. Buck rolled out their Unconditional Lifetime Warranty at this time, which was also unheard of for a knife manufacturer. Lastly, they priced their knives anywhere from $12 to $20. This wasn’t exactly a king’s ransom in 1963, but the typical field knife retailed for around $5 at the time.

Design

Credit must be given to the engineer who developed the locking bar on the Buck 110. It may look like a simple lock back, but it was designed to hold the blade in a solid position as well as release with minimal pressure applied to it.

The blade is a 3¾-inch clip point, similar to the classic Bowie knife but on a smaller scale. This is an interesting choice as it makes for a very narrow tapering point that’s critical for delicate cutting, and provides a slender tip for poking precise holes. The blade is robust enough to tackle anything from whittling stakes to skinning game.

Above: The Buck 110 Folding Hunter is a classic, rock- solid blade that has proven itself over the past 50-plus years.

As for steel, most Buck 110 Folding Hunters use 420C stainless steel. While some knife guys today may turn their noses up at this, 420C has proven to be very durable and corrosion-resistant. This has much to do with the exceptional heat treatment applied to the blades by the legendary Paul Bos, and a Rockwell hardness of 60. Still, if you want something more upscale, the Buck 110 can be had in S30V.

This classic design has two other elements that make it so iconic — namely, the distinctive front and rear brass bolsters and the ebony wood handles. When you see one, you know exactly what it is.

It generally takes two hands to open and close the knife, making it very safe and appropriate to give to a young person as a first-time knife. It uses a nail nick cut in the side of the blade, but some people install aftermarket thumb studs to modernize it. Back in the 1970s and 1980s it wasn’t uncommon for people to close the blade on a matchstick or toothpick in order to allow the knife to flick open more easily or open as it was drawn from a pocket.

Popularity Ensues

Despite its initial price being on the high side, the Buck 110 Folding Hunter took off like wildfire. Remember, this was in 1964 — the concept of a CNC-milled titanium frame lock was unheard of. This high-tension lock back with a very low-pressure release mechanism seemed like magic.

It was hard not to spot the distinctive black leather sheath of the Buck 110 on the belts of men almost everywhere and from all walks of life. Despite the rest of the company’s offerings, when you saw a Buck 110 Folding Hunter — in the sheath or outside of it — it was referred to as a “Buck knife.”

As with any popular design, other manufacturers and custom knife makers drew inspiration from it. The classic look of the knife with front and rear bolsters and inset hardwood scales became very influential on the cutlery industry. The downside of that was that there were a lot of imitations from overseas, most notably India, Pakistan, and Taiwan. These knives were cheaper and used inferior materials based off of reverse-engineered knives.

To this day, the Buck 110 Folding Hunter has always been Buck’s number-one seller and there are tens of millions of them out there.

The knife has undergone some small changes over the years. These aren’t readily noticeable to the average user, and they’re typically an improvement. However, the U.S.-made leather sheath briefly went to nylon and eventually back to leather due to customer feedback.

As a Survival Blade

Due to its relatively small size, the Buck 110 Folding Hunter fits that first commandment of survival knives: “Have a knife.” Whether it’s in its trusty leather belt sheath, a pocket, or a pouch on someone’s pack, it’s small enough to have with you whenever you need it.

We have left ours in a dedicated bag set up for hunting as a spare knife for years, and it has served well as a skinner, utility knife for cutting rope, and edged tool for other chores around camp. It may not be ideal for batonning firewood or quartering big game, but it can be done if it’s all you have available.

If there’s a drawback to the Buck 110 it’s that while the 420C blade is hard and tough, when the edge dulls it can be a bear to sharpen. We have had the best results with a Ken Onion Work Sharp sharpener set at a 20-degree angle and a medium-grit belt.

110 Hunter: $44.99 at Amazon

Inspirations

The Buck 110 not only influenced the look and feel of what was to become the modern lock-back folder from other makers but has inspired Buck’s own line of knives. Smaller versions, such as the Buck 112 with a 3-inch blade, have made the lineup as well as variants using different materials for handles and bolsters.

A fixed-blade version is available from Buck, but the company offers better fixed blades that can perform the same tasks. As fine of a knife as it is, this knife excels as a folder.

This fact wasn’t lost on Buck, either. It led to two lock-back descendants of the 110 Folding Hunter: the Buck 110 Auto and the Buck 110 Slim Pro.

Buck 110 Auto

Although I’m a self-proclaimed lifelong knife fanatic, part of me had felt that I had outgrown the Buck 110 Folding Hunter until 20 years ago when I saw an automatic conversion by the late Butch Valloton. Imagine the rock-solid lockup of a Buck 110 with an automatic opener — it seems like the perfect blend of old and new. It wouldn’t be long before Buck would make an automatic themselves based on this classic design.

Above: The opening button and lack of a nail nick are the only outward differences between the Buck 110 Auto and the Buck 110 folding knife that preceded it.

The first thing you notice is the distinctive silver-colored button on the handle, which compresses the spring and holds the blade closed when not in use. Press the button and the blade launches open from the side. You need to depress the lock bar to close it, but when it’s open there’s that rock-solid feeling of a fixed-blade knife in your hand once again. The only other things that set it apart are the hole in the blade where the auto mechanism keeps it closed, and the lack of the nail nick opener.

Buck 110 Slim Pro

By this point you might be thinking that the Buck 110 has a lot of great attributes, but the design is a little dated. Perhaps you think it’s more suitable for your father or grandfather who likes brass bolsters, hardwood scales, a belt sheath, a nail nick opener, or even a steel like 420C.

Above: The lighter weight of the 110 Slim Pro means that it can be carried via pocket clip as opposed to being worn in a belt sheath.

Buck recognized that too, and addressed it in their Buck 110 Slim Pro. They made the blade from S30V and added a thumb lug and a choice of either black G10 or tan or olive drab Micarta scales. Instead of a belt sheath, the knife is set up with a stainless reversible deep-carry pocket clip. They retained that clip-point blade and their lock-back system.

The end result is a stylish EDC pocket knife with modern materials based on one of the most proven folding blades ever made.

110 Slim Pro: $89.99 at Amazon

Inspirations

The Buck 110 Folding Hunter proved to the world that a safe and heavy-duty folding knife could be made well and priced reasonably. Tens of millions of these knives have rolled off their assembly line over the past 57 years, and it shows no sign of stopping. With a retail price of less than $50, this is an American-made iconic blade that everyone can easily afford to use as a daily work knife or emergency tool.

More on Iconic Survival Knives:

• Part 1: The Bowie Knife.
• Part 2: The Ka-Bar.