Let’s cover a few tools that you can carry and some of their subtle uses…not necessarily the uses for which they’re designed. You want things that are convenient to carry and usable, yet not for everyone’s eyes. Most of the time when a severe emergency or survival situation arises, you’re not going to have the time to go to your handy toolkit and pull out everything you need. You may have to improvise and also use what you have on hand.
We know about multitools, especially Leatherman’s, Gerber Multi-Tools, and folding knives. We are going to cover some you might not have considered, as well as listing some things you can carry that have multiple functions. Let’s do it!
Yes, that is the name of it, made by Ultimate Survival Technologies. You can order this one at Amazon.com or pick it up in a big-box store for $3.00. It has 11 functions: Knife, flathead screwdriver, bottle opener, ruler, hex wrench with 4 positions, direction indicator, 2-position hex wrench, lanyard hold, saw, groove-wrench, and can opener. All of this stuff is on 1 tool, in the size and shape of a credit card and made of stainless steel…real steel, the kind that a magnet sticks to. It comes with a little plastic sheath. I advise keeping the sheath, as it’s pretty sharp and can potentially cut your wallet if you shift around with it. Also, you may want to cut the back panel off describing the functions…with a diagram…put into the pouch along with the card tool to help you until you’re familiar with it. Tuck it in your wallet until you need it.
Carry a small magnet with you…the “extra strong” variety, approximately the same size, and shape as a “button” battery. The magnet can be used for many things. Verifying that an object claimed to be stainless steel actually is, for one. Also, for testing any kind of jewelry or coins to find if you’re getting gypped. In addition, the magnet can support something, such as a map or chart you may need to reference on the go. You can affix it to something you may need to mount on an object made of metal. You can magnetize a needle and make a compass point out of it by rubbing the needle on the magnet repeatedly (a field-expedient method). You can also detect counterfeit money with it. Real currency has iron fibers within its ink, and it will move a bill that’s folded in half (in an L-shape) with one-half vertical and the magnet moved close to it.
When they come off the “roll,” they are folded into a long strip/piece. Separate them and refold them as an “accordion.” These bags can be placed into a wallet and kept for when needed. Need to not leave a print? The bag can help you. Also, inclement weather? Place your piece inside of it, and then back into the holster. The bag will keep moisture and debris out of your weapon, and if you need to you can fire with the piece still in the bag with no ill effects. A multitude of other uses can be found quite easily for these bags.
Very useful as a potential expedient fishhook, as a “probe” for some type of small object under your skin or in your flesh, a cleaning implement/scraping tool for a weapon…the list is endless. You can tuck one of these inside your hat liner or inside of your wallet. You can also escape cuffs with one of them, although you’ll have to practice. When you wish to test it on yourself, have someone around to help you if you’re not successful.
These little guys are
worth their weight in gold when it hits the fan. They can also be used as probes for splinters and foreign debris under the skin, as a fishhook, a fastener to temporarily repair or patch an article of clothing such as a tear or a busted zipper or snap. Read more about the
multiple uses of safety pins and SHTF emergency. They can also be sterilized with a flame to lance a boil or cyst. Make sure and obtain multiple sizes, and affix these to pocket flaps, hats, shirts, or whatever articles of clothing you are wearing all the time.
One thing I wish to stress is that you should not just gather these items. You should practice employing them in the manner that I’ve outlined here. This is just scratching the surface. You can make covers for binocular lenses out of plastic lids, turn a nylon stocking into a scope cover that cuts down on glare for your forward objective lens, or use the stocking as a field-expedient substitution for handcuffs or flex-cuffs. Only your imagination limits what you can do. We welcome your comments and what you may wish to share with others on this topic. JJ out!
Mr. Johnson has made some very useful suggestions in this article, and by giving us a glimpse at his thought process will hopefully encourage everyone to expand on or modify their own personal lists of items to carry.
I have to point out an inaccuracy though: a magnet is not always useful in identifying “real” steel. Many grades of stainless steel, significantly 200 and 300 series steels, are not considered magnetic. Many iron alloys that are not steel, and many non-stainless steels are magnetic. A magnet can be part of your screening process, but should not be the only test you use.
Gotta love it! The people writing articles like these always seem to be devoid of any real world experience.
Paperclips and safety pins as fish hooks? LOL- Mr. Johnson, have you EVER gone fishing, even once your life? Yeah, let us know how that works out….
And magnets…to test the quality of jewelry… 😮 Yes, because we all want the highest quality jewelry when TSHTF- genuine alloy, not tin! 😀
Love the credit card multi-tool! Ya know, so useful, like when there’s a small bolt just out in space with unhindered access all around it so you can slip that thing over it and have room to turn it….and never mind the fact that if it’s loose enough to be broken loose by a tool which only contacts it on 2 sides that you could have just spun it off with your fingers anyway…
Oh, this stuff is hilarious!
Thanks for this list. I love multi-purpose things. Other multipurpose things include garbage bags, buckets, & coffee filters. If other readers think of other multipurpose things, please post.