Honest, field-minded reviews of outdoor and safety gear.
A ferro rod is the one fire starter that works soaked, frozen, or wind-blasted, no fuel, no battery, tens of thousands of strikes. The Überleben Hexå is a thick, ½-inch rod that rides in your kit for years, for the day your lighter is lost, empty or soaked. New to fire-building? Read our guide to…
When your hands are cold and the wind is up, nothing beats a match that simply will not go out. UCO Stormproof Matches burn through wind and rain, and even relight after being dunked in water. New to fire-building? See our guide to building a fire for how to have tinder ready before you strike….
The benchmark packable axe: hand-forged in Sweden, shaving-sharp out of the box, and sized for a rucksack – a true buy-it-for-life tool for carving, limbing, and kindling.
The Victorinox Huntsman is a 15-function Swiss Army knife with two blades, scissors, a wood saw, openers, an awl and tweezers, at 3.4 ounces (97 g). It handles the small cutting and repair jobs of a camping trip; the blades do not lock.
The bushcraft-standard folding saw: a 7-ounce (200 g), rust-resistant blade that locks open and closed and cuts wood far above its size. Our overall folding-saw pick for most people.
A US-made 1095 survival knife with a no-questions lifetime warranty — the buy-it-for-life fixed blade. Our field review of the ESEE-4.
A full-tang carbon-steel bushcraft knife you can baton and spark a fire with, at a fraction of premium prices. Our field review of the Morakniv Garberg survival knife.
A razor-sharp Swedish stainless fixed blade that carves beautifully for the price of a sandwich — the best-value first outdoor knife. Our field review of the Morakniv Companion.
0.6 oz (17 g) of US-made aerospace aluminum with a clever upside-down pry trick and a lifetime warranty. Our field review of TheTentLab Deuce, the benchmark backpacking cathole trowel.
Leatherman’s biggest tool: 21 functions, oversized pliers, full-size lockable blades, replaceable cutters, made in USA. Our field review of the heavy-duty Leatherman Surge.
18 tools with outside-accessible one-hand blades, replaceable wire cutters, and a 25-year warranty. Our field review of the Leatherman Wave+, the do-everything full-size multitool.
On a sunny day you can start a fire with no fuel, no spark, and nothing to run out, just focused sunlight. A credit-card Fresnel lens weighs nothing, fits in your wallet, and doubles as a magnifier. New to fire-building? See our guide to building a fire for turning an ember into flame. Our field…
A genuine 21-inch (53 cm) bow saw that folds flat and rips through logs – the packable bucksaw for winter camps and firewood-heavy trips, the saw that makes an axe optional.
The century-old French folding knife with a locking collar and shaving-sharp blade — the everyday carry anyone can enjoy. Our field review of the Opinel No.8.
If you want fire covered in one grab-and-go tin, the Überleben FIREKIT bundles a ferro rod, striker, tinder, and a bellows tube in a pocket-sized case. A complete starter kit for a pack or glovebox. New to fire-building? Our guide to building a fire walks the whole process end to end. Our field rating ★★★★★4.5…
A 14-inch (36 cm) camping hatchet forged from one piece of American steel with a stacked-leather grip – the classic, essentially unbreakable, buy-it-and-hand-it-down camp hatchet.
A 14-inch (36 cm) camp hatchet with a molded handle the head cannot fly off, splitting kindling far better than its price – the best-value first axe for hikers and car campers.
The spark is only half of fire. You need something that will catch and hold a flame. Fatwood, the resin-rich heartwood of pine, lights easily and burns hot and long, even when it is damp. New to fire-building? Our guide to building a fire shows how tinder, kindling, and fuel fit together. Our field rating…
A 10-inch (25 cm) folding saw with aggressive razor teeth for a few dollars – the best budget camp saw for kindling and small firewood, and the easiest first saw to recommend.
A folding high-carbon-steel shovel that digs fire pits, trenches runoff, and clears snow, then packs to hand size. Our field review of the SOG entrenching tool, the best-value camp e-tool.
A pocketable 12-in-1 mini multitool with spring-loaded pliers, blade, and scissors for a few dollars. Our field review of the Gerber Dime, the budget grab-and-go and first-multitool pick.
A cheap, light aluminum trowel that digs a proper cathole where flimsy plastic scoops fail. Our field review of the budget backpacking trowel for Leave No Trace waste burial.
