Survival tools

Hey folks!

What are your top 5 survival tools that are a must have on the homestead?

1. Situational awareness

2. Situational awareness

3. Situational awareness

4. Appropriate protective clothing including gloves and boots

5. "Plan B" as backup in case #1-4 aren't quite enough

My favorite tool is and always will be a garden spade, like this:

https://permies.com/wiki/191420/Piece-Garden-Hand-Tool-Set

The claw-like one is great for weeds and has a lot more uses.

Homestead survival tools... Well, much depends on where you are, your personal physical abilities, and what you do, on your homestead. But for us, if we're sticking to manual items...

*If you keep small livestock, I'd highly recommend a fishing net - the kind that looks like an overgrown tennis racket. If you have a need to catch them quickly, or you have one that's out of reach, or is mean, and unsafe to simply pick up, that thing can be a life saver. We do, so that's on our list.

*A long-arm pruner, for getting tree fodder, when there's no hay to be had, and the limbs you want are out of reach, or if you've a critter tangled in a thorny spot, you can reach in with that, and cut the brambles, to free them (just did this a few days ago - again.

*Hoses! For watering gardens, filling troughs, putting out fires, getting water to the forge...

*Scythe for cutting hay, discouraging most of the small wildlife (snakes, insects, mice, rats, etc) away from where humans and non-grazing critters need to walk & live.

*Saw, ax, hatchet, etc of some sort, for cutting wood

Stephen Keen wrote:Hey folks!

What are your top 5 survival tools that are a must have on the homestead?

- Something to dig with (a shovel is good. A hand trowel or hori hori is nice for small digging. I'd take a big shovel over a little one if I had to pick, though. I can dig small things with my hands or a stick. Big stuff needs a shovel).

- Something to carry water in (bucket, watering can. Watering can is better for water, but a bucket can carry harvested food, soil, pulled weeds, etc)

- A carving knife.

- An ax. It can do what a saw does, and do more besides.

- Pruning sheers. I have SO MUCH to prune, and a knife isn't nearly as good at is a pruning shears. I always have pruning shears on me.

My next top five:

- Wheel barrow. I use mine ALL the time.

- Scythe. So handy for clearing blackberries and salmonberries and other things growing in my paths, as well as mowing.

- Bow saw. It's really handy for cutting trees and cutting wood.

- Hammer. Building things is really nice. You can use the back of an ax head to hammer with, but an actual hammer is nice. You can make a mallet with a knife.

 - Hand drill, with bits. Man, it's nice to be able to drill things to make things!

---

One thing to think about, is what did the pioneers/pilgrims bring when starting their homes in a new area? What are tools that you can't make with other tools? If you have an ax head and a knife, you can make the handle for the ax with your knife. You can then make a mallet. You can build a wheel barrow from wood and  make a shovel from wood... but those take a LOT of time and skill to make. I would suggest having those on hand if you can.

---

Those are all mostly outdoor things. There's necessary things inside, too, like:

- a pot to cook in!

- a skillet to cook in (you can use a pot, but a skillet is a lot easier for many things)

- sewing needle and thread. I darn and mend and sew a lot of stuff!

- a light/heat source. You need something to keep you warm, especially if the power goes out (if you are on the grid). You need something to cook on, too.

- clothing/blankets/etc. A homestead is like real life...because it is real life! You need most of the same stuff you use in the city for daily life, too. Clothes are warmth and protection from scrapes and sunlight. You probably want that.

Carla Burke wrote:*A long-arm pruner, for getting tree fodder, when there's no hay to be had, and the limbs you want are out of reach, or if you've a critter tangled in a thorny spot, you can reach in with that, and cut the brambles, to free them (just did this a few days ago - again.

I have a saw blade pruner on a telescoping handle and it is *really* good for cutting down branches that are a bit too thick for my pole pruner. With my small hands, it has the advantage for me of using my whole body to make the cut. It wouldn't work on brambles though.

Nicole Alderman wrote:

Something to carry water in (bucket, watering can. Watering can is better for water, but a bucket can carry harvested food, soil, pulled weeds, etc)

I just realized that I've got one style of watering can that has a pivoting handle on top, and a half-round opening for filling. For most smaller foods like berries, apples, potatoes, or plums, it would work quite well  for carrying harvested food. It would be annoying for large leafy veg like kale! For carrying water, it does quite well so long as you don't fill it to the brim.

A leatherman, a small ax, a wood splitter, a fire starting device, a dutch oven.

On second thought:
    1- Paul
    2-Linda
    3-Wisners
    4-A cat
    5-Benjamin Franklin(somebody's gotta be in charge! *The cat really screwed it last time*)

I was a supervisor at a ski area and someone graffitied a shack wall with "Chris is a tool". I wrote under it "YEP" and signed my name to it. I don't know how a tool, or being a tool, is bad.

I like Nicole's list, but I am partial to my little folding saw over the ax.