As a former Air Force Survival Evasion Resistance and Escape (SERE) specialist for 23 years, it’s safe to say I know my survival gear. SERE trains people to survive in every austere climate and situation in the world. Because we spent so much time in the mountains, deserts, jungles, and arctic, we often tested new gear. Over time, elite military units, like SERE, have used and tested just about every knife, compass, sleeping bag, pack, tent, or cook stove ever designed.
In a training trip that tested my evasion skills, I was flown by helicopter with a black bag covering my head and dropped into a remote forest. They ripped the bag off, kicked me out of the chopper and tossed a “go bag” at my feet. I moved quickly uphill into thick cover. With bombs exploding down in the clearing, I burrowed into a hide site. One of the first things I did was take inventory of the gear they had given me, and then the fun began.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a Navy Seal or a backpacking enthusiast, gear choices almost always come up while standing around the campfire. We take pride in our favorite personal survivalist gear, but we also align on certain common tools, which makes finding the perfect gift for a survivalist a bit of a challenge. Here are some agreed upon must-haves and most wanted gear items for survivalists like me, from a universally loved and trusted multitool to a spoil-me heirloom knife. Of course, based on my own survivalist equipment expertise, I also threw in my personal heart throbs.
Must-Have Survivalist Gear Gifts
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