Over the years I have tested a few bushcraft and survival items. Some items have been excellent and stood the test of time. Other equipment have failed poorly and I regret buying them.
Here are my useful 10 bushcraft and survival items that I don’t regret buying.
1. Mora Companion Heavy Duty MG Knife.
For a primary belt knife or a secondary blade, the Heavy Duty Companion is well constructed and has a thick 3.2mm blade. (Pictured above is a ferro rod taped to the sheath.)
While it isn’t a full tang, it might be arguably the best value knife about.
Mora have a respected name and good steel for a great price.
2. Mora Garberg Knife.
The Mora Garberg is full tang with a Scandi-grind. A solid knife that is well designed for bushcraft use. The Garberg is available in carbon and stainless steel.
The spine of the knife is designed for striking a ferrocerium rod. (And works very well at getting sparks.)
A pommel is another handy feature of this knife.
3. DD Hammocks Tarp.
A tarp is very versatile shelter for camping and I enjoy using my Army Hoochie tarp 6 x 9 ft. (Called a Basha in the British Army.) However, it can be a bit small. So the DD tarp 3 x 3m size is one of my favorite shelters.
Some ultralight tarps can rip easy and the heavy duty ones are too heavy for backpacking. So the DD tarp 3 x 3m version is a good compromise between size, weight and robustness.
The DD tarp 3 x 3m is roughly 9.84 feet wide and long. (Or close enough to 10 x 10 feet.)
4. Sawyer Mini Water Filtration System.
An essential element for survival is water. While boiling water to get rid of nasty contaminants is a good idea in the back country, it is not always practical. Especially in very hot areas, or if you are short of time.
The Sawyer Mini water filter is ideal for when you don’t want to, or can’t light a camp fire to boil the water.
From Sawyer’s website, the Mini filter is stated to: ”removing 99.99999% of all bacteria, such as salmonella, cholera and E.coli, removing 99.9999% of all protozoa (such as giardia and cryptosporidium), and removing 100% of microplastics.”
5. Walker Swiss Army Knife.
The Walker Swiss Army Knife is a good size for keeping in your pocket or key ring. Yet the blade is still a big enough blade to be valuable for general duties bushcraft. Like cutting cordage, processing small game and fish.
The saw on the Walker is very handy for notches for traps and snares. And the back of the saw can be used for a ferro rod striker.
6. Olight i3E EOS Flashlight.
A headlamp is great for hands free use. But for a backup torch in your back pack, or on your keyring, the Olight i3E EOS is handy powerful little tool.
Holding one “AAA” battery, the Olight i3E EOS is compact and light weight. For its size, it gives off an impressive 90 lumens of light.
7. Bacho Laplander Saw.
A solid work horse, the Bacho saw is a great size for cutting some saplings and general field-craft chores.
It saws well and is reliable.
The locking mechanism on the saw is a good idea when closed, so it doesn’t snag on items and open up.
8. Zebra Billy Pot.
The Zebra Billy Can is bombproof, a little bit heavy, but solid.
The Zebra billy comes in three sizes of 10cm, 12 cm and 14cm. I have the 12 cm one and it is a great size for me.
9. Pathfinder water bottles.
The Pathfinder 32 oz. (About 946 ml.) stainless steel water bottle is a good edition to a bushcraft and survival kit.
Not only for a water container, but that you can boil the water in it to sterilize it. The wide mouth of these bottles make them easy to clean as well.
If you combine the use of the nesting cup you have another container you can cook with.
For a bit more water capacity the Pathfinder 64 oz. (Around 1892 ml.) bottle and nesting cup is worth looking at.
You can also use the bottles for a hot water bottle for camping and keep you warm in the sleeping bag.
These bottles are not for the ultralight hiker, but they are durable.
10. Silva Ranger Compass and the Suunto MC2 compass.
Pic above: Top compass Suunto MC2, Silva Ranger on bottom.
Another handy size item is the Silva Ranger compass. It is a good compromise between function and size and can easily be carried in your pocket.
For a lot of dedicated navigating I like the Suunto MC2 compass, or other larger base plate compasses. But the Silva Ranger is a good one for the survival kit.
Other useful bushcraft and survival gear.
Other tools and kit that I also like using are the Cold Steel Frontier Tomahawk, (Light weight for me.) CampCraft Outdoors XL Haversack, Vern’s flint & steel, Brown Water Filter, Fox40 whistles, UCO mini candle lantern and the Mil-Tec German Army Mountain Rucksack. (About 25 ltr capacity for a day pack.)
Here are some items I am still testing and seem good / okay so far. – SOL Mag Striker Fire Starter, Sea to Summit S.I. Camp mat, Condor Bushlore and Condor Hudson Bay knifes. But so far I have enjoyed field testing these items and playing around with them
Summary – 10 useful bushcraft and survival items, that I don’t regret buying.
The good thing about these ten items is, most don’t cost a fortune to buy and should last a long time.
Some or most of the gear listed above, could also be part of a dedicated bushcraft and survival kit.
Thank you for taking the time to look at this article. What are your favorite items that you don’t regret buying?
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