The Best Multi-Tools You Can Get

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 that 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 and fielding 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, 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 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 it 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.