Gear Reviews

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.

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…

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) 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 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.