Thanksgiving has arrived and I hope you had a great one filled with family, good times, and football. After the big meal, while everyone is still in a daze, is when the adults in my family usually do our Secret Santa drawing. It got me thinking that the holidays are fast approaching!
I am fortunate enough to have most everything that I need and I generally ask that a donation be made in my name. However, there are some cool, useful things out there that would be good to have that maybe I just haven’t been able to convince myself to splurge on yet.
Maybe Santa (or his helper, Secret Santa) is listening, so I thought I would compile this list of awesome survival gear that would fill a stocking, or bug out bag (you do hang your BOBs on the mantle…right? If you do, send me a picture!). Feel free to forward this along to whoever is doing your holiday shopping as a nudge in the right direction!
| Gift Idea | What Is It? | Why It Is Awesome | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
5.11 Rush 72 Back Pack  | High Quality Backpack | 5.11 makes some of the best backpacks on the market and the Rush 72 is an excellent example of the toughness and versatility of their gear. The Rush 72 is MOLLE and Hydration Bladder compatible and provides easy organization options with its 2 main compartments and 2 secondary pockets. This bag is coated with a proprietary water repellent material to keep your equipment dry when you need it. | $$$ |
Fenix PD35 Tactical Flashlight  | Ultra-bright LED Flashlight | The PD35 can pump out a booming 850 lumens, more than enough for any practical purpose short of doing shadow puppets on the moon. We had picked it as our Best Overall EDC Flashlight in our EDC Flashlight guide (See it here) due to this as well as its good value (less than $80), light weight, 6 operation modes, and versatile battery options. A solid addition to any EDC kit nightstand, glove compartment, or get home bag. | $$ |
CRKT Kangee  | Survival Tomahawk | We picked the CRKT Kangee as our Best Overall Tomahawk in our Survival Tomahawk Guide (Read Here) and we still ove it! The Kangee sports a full tang construction, fantastic balance in the hand, multiple grip positions, and a sharpened beard and spine on the axe head for maximum versatility. It is an excellent tool for camp or your BOB. | $$ |
Sawyer Mini Water Filtration System  | Compact Water Filter | The Sawyer is the quite compeitor to the more popular LifeStraw. It is favored by many preppers because it can filter up to 100,000 Gallons of water (vs the LifeStraw's 250) and can be integrated into a hydration bladder (Camelbak, etc). Even with these superior qualities the Sawyer weighs the same as the LifeStraw but is less expensive. An awesome water filter for a BOB, EDC, Get Home, or Bug In Kit! | $ |
KA-BAR BK 22  | Fixed Blade Knife | The BK 22 is a fantastic all -around knife. It performs equally well whether you are batoning chopping, slicing, carving, or cleaning game. The BK 22 has a full tang design and nearly indestructible Grivory grips for superior reliability. We chose the BK 22 as our Best Overall Knife in our Fixed Blade Knife Guide (Read Here) due to its versatility, durability, and quality of construction. | $$ |
Rescue Essentials Medical Pack Insert  | Emergency First Aid Kit | This is a fully stocked first aid kit aimed at general and trauma related injuries that are likely to occur in a survival situation. It is great solution for a bug out bag, vehicle kit, get home bag, or home first aid kit. It includes a chest seal, combat tourniquet, Israeli bandages, medic shears, burn dressing, and much, much more. | $$$ |
Emerson Commander Folding Knife  | Folding Knife | Emerson Knives are not the cheapest but this very well could be the LAST knife you ever need to buy. It is the kind of tool you would expect to pass on to the next generation after it has served you well. The Commander is made with a quality-first approach and sports the unique "Emerson Wave" feature that makes you able to flip it open faster than any other knife I have seen - including spring-assisted competitors. | $$$ |
Maxpedition Fatboy Versipack  | Every Day Carry Bag | This is a tactical-style hip bag for a medium-sized every day carry kit. The Fatboy has smart organization options in its multiple zippered pouches and ample room for a tablet, camera, or other tools in its roomy main compartment. This is the top of the line for this style bag and will last you for years to come. | $$ |
The Knowledge: How To Rebuild Our World From Scratch  | The Ultimate Prepper Book | We recently reviewed The Knowledge and found that it was an amazing resource for preparedness minded people. It takes a look at the skills and technologies we would need to re-learn, re-discover, and master to start rebuilding our society after a total collapse. It provides both detailed instructions for the most important of these and historical examples of where this knowledge has been used to advance humanity to our current levels. A must have for any prepper's library. | $ |
OuttaGear 4.0 Emergency Kit Bag  | Comprehensive Pre Made Bug Out Bag | This is a high-quality "done for you" bug out bag option. It is a good choice if you have someone you care about that you want to quickly get prepared or if you just don't have time to build a well made BOB for yourself. If it is out of your budget you can also look at the TUUSK bag ( Here)that I personally designed, which is focused on urban survival but can easily be tailored to any situation. | $$$$ |
I’m going to order one of those water filters. Thanks.
Awesome Dennis!
Do you have a mailing list or subscription? I would love to get in on the Prepper Santa e-mail list.
Hey Dennis, I have added you to the mail list. Thanks for your comment I have also added an email sign up form so others will not encounter the same problem that you did.
Chris
That’s great … “Prepper Santa”