Hunting for the best survival gifts in 2018 for your Warrior or Sheepdog? Whether shopping for the perfect Christmas present or scouting for a future gift, we’ve rounded up an excellent set of survival gear, perfect for gift giving.
10 Best Survival Gifts in 2018
#1: LifeStraw
LifeStraw is a monumental product in the world of survival. I personally have several and have used them in the lands where fangs and claws rule and man is an interloper. If your adventurous one is known to take off and go hiking through the high country or deserts, you must make sure they have at least one LifeStraw with them at all times.
The LifeStraw can turn contaminated water sources into pure water. The Life Straw can and has saved lives. Originally developed for children in African so they can drink clean water from muddy rivers. This individual water filter is equipped with a cord so these children can hang their LifeStraw around their neck to be used when needed.
The LifeStraw is very light at 2 ounces. It contains no chemicals, has no shelf life and easy to clean. LifeStraw will remove bacteria and protozoa. I have bent down to drink from a mountain stream and looked up to see a deer 50 yards upstream relieving themselves. You ever wonder if a beaver urinates in the stream? LifeStraw filters out the protozoa causing “beaver fever”.
LifeStraw Specs:
- Length: 9 inches
- Width: 1 inch
- Weight: 2 ounces
- Construction: durable plastic. Does not require replacement parts or batteries, or any chemicals.
- Capacity: filters up to 264 gallons (1000 liters) of water.
- Included: Comes with a lanyard, and a cap for the mouth piece and end piece
- Not made to filter salt water
MSRP: $19.99
#2: Brite-Blade Tactical Lighted Survival Knife
I have personally tested the Brite-Blade™. The Brite-Blade is the finest multipurpose survival knife available. If your adventurous loved one likes their blades then this is the one true Christmas gift. The Brite-Blade is perfect for American Heroes in public safety and military. It is ideal for those who sail, camp, hunt and flying a plane defying gravity. If your loved one could find themselves in a survival situation, give them one of these bad-boys.
The Brite-Blade has numerous uses other than cutting. The blade is spring assisted for easy opening. A small light shines down the blade to assist in low light use. This light can be quickly removed to use independently. Included is a second aluminum mini flashlight with red LED. Both mini flashlights are waterproof to IXP-6. This means you can splash water on the lights and submerge in water briefly. Also, there is a fire-starter. window breaker and seat belt cutter which can be used to cut smaller wires. A handy pocket clip tops off the list of great options for the Brite-Blade. I highly recommend this product.
Designed and produced by a law enforcement officer for men and women of action.
Brite-Blade Knife Specs:
- Blade length: 3.5 inches
- Thickness: 1/8 inch at the back
- Overall length: 8.6 inches
- Closed length: 5.1 inches
- Weight: 5.35 ounces
- Overall Width: 1.45 inches
- Overall Thickness (body): 3/8 inch
- Blade Material: 440c stainless steel with proprietary titanium coating
- Blade Type: combo edge serrated and plain blade
- Body Material: MIL Spec 6061 aluminum with hard anodized finish
MSRP: $150.00
#3: QUADRAPRO 5.5 Watt Portable Solar Wireless Phone Charger w/ 6,500MAH Dual USB Power Bank
For those of you who have an outdoor warrior who forgets to charge their cell phone…here is the answer. Survival Frog has a very handy solar charger for cell phones. This portable solar wireless phone charger harnesses the power of the sun. Your fisherman now has no excuse of his or her cell phone battery dying. Your hunter has no excuse for not keeping in touch with home. The backpacker can keep their cell phone working for when they enter a zone with a cell signal.
The QUADRAPRO cell phone charger is Ultra convenient for when you are far from a power source. It is versatile as there are two output jacks so you can charge two essential small devices at the same time. The battery capacity of 6,500 mAH, charging your phone up to three times. The wireless charging is also just amazing. There is a built in flashlight, built in magnets for easy attachment and water resistant in case your adventurous man or woman do not know when to come in out of the rain. Weighing in at 13.1 ounces make this life saver a must.
QuadraPro Specs:
- Dimensions: 6.1 x 3.34 x 0.98 inches
- Weight: 13.1 ounces
- Solar Power: 5.5 Watt
- Input: 5V/2A
- Output: 5V/2A&2A
- Includes 1 micro USB Charge cable.
MSRP: $69.97 (At this writing $54.97)
#4: SPARK™ LED Light
GEAR AID has a great lineup of portable outdoor lighting. I personally own and use the “Flux” model. This product is just amazing. The Spark is just the little brother of the Flux. These go anywhere lights are perfect for the Wildman or Wild-woman in your life. The SPARK™ LED Light is the size of my badge wallet and weighs less than my “not so smart” cell phone. The SPARK is a bright white light which can be dimmed when needed. It is water-resistant and can be used as a hanging lantern. Unlike most other lights, your Warrior can hang it, mount it and angle it to illuminate his or her 12 point buck. There are many uses for the SPARK such as help changing a tire, working under the sink because you jammed too many peelings in the garbage disposal. I know from experience setting up camp in the dark is not fun. The Spark can make this task much easier. I love the fact you can recharge the SPARK on a USB port.
On the brightest setting the fully charged SPARK will last for over five hours. On the dimmest soft glow setting the SPARK will last around 25 hours. If this is not enough, the SPARK has a flashing “SOS” signal for those instances you find yourself in an emergency. Great product.
SPARK LED Light Specs:
- Weight: 4 ounces
- Size: 3.3”x 2.6″ x 1.1″
- Cell Capacity: 3,000 mAh (11Wh)
- Cell Type: Lithium Ion
- Lumens: 25-160
- Brightness Settings: 3
- Run Time: 6-28 hours
- Micro-USB Input: 5V 2A
- Durability: IPX4
- Not for use in marine environments
MSRP: $59.95
#5: STASH 750ml Collapsible Water Bottle
The last time I hiked into the Canyon Country of Western Colorado (article Gun World Sept. 2018) I took six 16 ounce bottles of water in my backpack. These bottles were cumbersome and did not pack well. If I would have had just two of the STASH collapsible water bottles to complement my Life Straw, life would have been easier. After using the water in the plastic bottles, I had to crunch them up and carry them out. If I would have had the STASH, the backpacking trip would have been much easier. Once you use one bottle you can collapse it down for easy packing. The STASH water bottles are reusable and easy to clean.
STASH collapsible water bottle has flexible walls with a thermoplastic urethane handle and grip for comfortable carrying. The STASH can be frozen or filled with hot water. I have not tested and evaluated this product. However, First Spear sells only top quality products. I believe you can be confident in buying a couple of the STASH collapsible water bottles.
Stash Water Bottle Specs
- Collapses down to a quarter of its filled size when empty
- 50% lighter than most hard bottles
- Wide-mouth screw cap makes it easy to fill
- Rigid top and bottom keep it sturdy and easy to drink out of when expanded
- Made of ultra-durable, abrasion-resistant thermoplastic urethane
- Can be frozen or filled with hot water
- BPA and PVC free
MSRP: $19.99
#6: TOPS Tom Brown Tracker #1
I have written about TOPS Knives for many years. I know the owner who is an honorable American Hero of the best kind. I have met many of the employees at TOPS including management. They are the friendliest and helpful people you would want to meet. All of TOPS products are first quality. They stand behind their products. All of their fixed blade knives are made in the USA by American workers.
Tom Brown’s Tracker #1 is made in four different models, basically a size difference from large on down. The Tracker #1 is the large model. Those of us who go into harm’s way or camp in remote country where big balls of fur, teeth and claws roam, demand a top quality blade such as the Tracker #1. Any warrior or Sheepdog would be speechless, if they was to receive a Christmas gift of a Tom Brown Tracker #1 blade. A gift which will last their life time and can be handed down to the next Warrior.
The Tracker #1 comes sharp as a razor. If your special Warrior tends to hurt themselves, like me, also give them a first aid kit. You can order the Tracker #1 with a serrated blade or plain blade. You can order it with a camo finish on the blade. You can also order the Tracker with the Rocky Mountain Tread handle. I recommend this handle. The Rocky Mountain Tread gives the holder great gripping ability. A must for manly types. I highly recommend the Tom Brown Tracker #1 (SKU: TBT01-TAN)
TOPS Tom Brown Tracker #1 Specs:
- Tom Brown Tracker #1, Fixed Blade
- Blade Length: 6.38 inches
- Overall Length: 11.88 inches
- Cutting Edge: 6.25 inches
- Secondary Edge: 2.13 inches
- Blade Thickness: 0.250 inches
- Knife Weight: 21 ounces
- Weight w/ Sheath: 26 ounces
- Blade Steel: 1095 RC 56-58
- Blade Finish: Black Traction Coating
- Handle Material: Black Linen Micarta
- Sheath Included: Yes
- Sheath Material: Black Kydex
- Sheath Clip: Rotating Spring Steel
- Designer: Tom Brown, Jr.
- Made In the USA
MSRP: $310.00
#7: Hunter Pro Kit Flashlight & Lighted Trail / Blood Marking System APALS® 10 Pack
Brite-Strike is a company which was started by two law enforcement officers. This company was born out of a need to make law enforcement equipment more reliable. The founders were setting around discussing the need for a tough and dependable flash light. No not in a donut shop. They felt they needed a compact light which will meet needs for our American Heroes. So as Americans do, they put their investigative skills together and found the information and know how to make a better law enforcement flashlight.
The first flash light had a strobing system which when used, disoriented the bipedal dirt-bags who needed to be taken into custody. This reaction to the strobe gave birth to the name “Brite-Strike”. So it stood to reason to these officers they should to sell to law enforcement this amazing tactical flashlight. Today, Brite-Strike sells to police departments and first responders all over the world. They also sell many of their lights and other products such as the APALS® to our Military Heroes including the Special Operations Units.
The Hunter Pro Kit Flashlight and marking system is perfect for the hunter in your life. It was developed by law enforcement for their crime scene use but will work just as well for your hunter. I know and have evaluated Brite-Strike products. They are of excellent quality. The APALS® lights are just amazing. I have used them for camping in the woods, lighting up the inside of my one person tent. I used them on the outside of my tent so I could find my camp in the dark. These little reusable lights have 200 hours of life. All you do is peel off the back and stick to your tent or even trees. Click the center button and the light come on with fast flashing . Click again and the flashing slows. You click again and the APALS is a steady light. Click again and it shuts off. I love these survival lights. I highly recommending them for your warrior.
Hunter Pro Flashlight Specs:
- Max Output: up to 410 lumens
- Runtime: Hi-(.75 Hours) Lo-(3.5 Hours) Strobe-(1 Hour)
- Battery: One 123A Lithium (included)
- Length: 3.5 inches
Note: Please use only Duracell or Panasonic 123A batteries. Inferior batteries may damage the flashlight
APALS® Specs:
- Can be seen up to 2 miles horizontal and 3 miles from the air
- Runtime up to 200 hours
- Modes: Fast Strobe / Slow Strobe / Steady On / Off
- Heavy Duty 3M® Adhesive Back
- Easy-Pull Tab
- Waterproof, Dustproof & Shockproof
- Pack of 10 fits easily in a BDU pocket and weighs around 1.6 ounces
- Blue lens for tacking blood trail
- Green lens for map reading
- Red lens for night vision
MSRP: $275.00
#8: BRITE-RESCUE™ Lighted Signaling System
For those of you who have the individual in your life who is obsessed with sailing, then look no farther. Brite-Strike has the perfect emergency lighting system designed for sailing types. This system is called Brite-Rescue Lighted Signaling. This system has six international amber APALS-AIR spaced across the floatable strip. In addition, two photoluminescent tape strips, two solas radar reflective tape strips. The APALS-AIR will work 200 hours with two different strobe modes as well as the full on mode. These lights can be seen at night for two horizontal miles and three by air. If your adventurous one wonders the woods, no problem as the Brite-Rescue can be laid out in an open meadow. The bright orange material and silver strips will attract any one in view from land and air.
I have tested the Brite-Rescue as well as Captain Rocky my Brother-in-law the sailor. This strips floats in plain view. Works well in fresh and salt water. The clip and grommets are corrosion proof. I highly recommend this for the loved one who seems to be on the edge of a new adventure. The Brite-Rescue comes in a nice nylon pouch. Great gift.
Brite-Rescue Specs
- Compact size: 1.5” x 5” and weighs 3 ounces
- Extended size: 10’ long by 5” wide
- Floats on saltwater and fresh water
- Can be laid flat or tied to a tree as a streamer
- Can be used as a sling or tourniquet
- Corrosion proof clip, grommets on each corner
- Unfurls for deployment in the air
- Can be seen up to 2 miles horizontal and 3 miles from the air
MSRP: $80.00
#9: Gerber Mark II Fixed Blade
Since I was a young boy, more likely when I was born, I had a liking for knives. Pocket knives, fixed blade knives, and O-yes auto knives. I remember playing mumbly-peg in the first grade recess with a three bladed pocket knife. Yes back in the olden days, students carried pocket knives to school. If you use your pocket knife in a wrong way (carving on your desk) then they took it away. Those of us who followed the rules kept theirs. Interesting concept don’t you think.
So it is no surprise my love affair with blades is still going. I have written for a knife magazine reviewing cutting devices for over 16 years. During this time I have reviewed many Gerber Gear knives and equipment. I can say Gerber Gear products are of the first quality. Our American Heroes use Gerber Gear in the lands where flying metal is the current normal. I use a Legendary Gerber folding knife for cleaning game.
In 1966 Gerber introduced the Mark II Fixed Blade. Since then this product has basically remained the same with some variations in blade options. The Mark II was designed for combat use. However, the Mark II can be used by non-combat consumers. If your adventurous loved one likes to visit the remote areas of this Continent, then the Mark II is the ultimate Christmas present. I too like to hike in the remote areas where I can smell fresh air, see nature and not see other people. So to carry the Mark II for defense against wild animals is not a bad idea. Some predators have learned when they hear a shot it means chow time. Having a backup to your five shot rifle is a good idea and having the Gerber Mark II should be the backup.
The Mark II has a 6.5 inch blade made from 420HC Stainless Steel. Overall Length is 12.75 inches with a weight of 8.0 ounces. The double serration runs for 2.0 inches at the hilt on both sides of the blade. The handle is made from die cast aluminum with a bolster which makes for a good grip. The best part is the Mark II is made in the USA by American workers. I highly recommend the Gerber Gear Mark II fixed blade knife.
Gerber Mark II Specs
- Blade Length: 6.5 inches
- Overall Length: 12.75 inches
- Blade Steel: 420HC Stainless Steel
- Weight 8.0 ounces
- Blade Style: Double Serrated
- Handle Material: Die Cast Aluminum
- Sheath Material: Ballistic Nylon
- Black oxide coated blade combats corrosion and diminishes reflection
- Die cast aluminum handle is sturdy in hand for combat and survival applications
- Double serrated blade offers unbeatable function for piercing, can also act as a spear
MSRP: $115.00
#10: Gerber Gear Folding Spade, Serrated
When I go backpacking say for a couple of nights, I like to keep down the weight carried. Outside of food and water, I have some other items and equipment I carry. I also have a first aid kit, sleeping bag, one person tent, flashlight, knife and firearm with ammo. I also carry a spade. So when it comes to a folding spade such as the military uses, I want a spade I can trust. I cannot trust a spade which sells for $15. In this case, you pay for what you get. I have to have a spade which I can use to dig, pry and some minor chopping.
Gerber Gear makes five fold up spades with various options. For me I just need a spade to dig in dirt, pry some small rocks out and remove smaller limbs which are in my way or would be too close to my campfire. So personally I have chosen the folding Spade, serrated (tem: # 30-000075). I find this spade to be excellent for backpacking, camping and to carry in your vehicle in case you get stuck in snow, sand and mud. This folding spade with the serration can also be used for some minor sawing. For me if I want to saw down a small tree, I will bring a bow-saw.
This spade has a glass-filled nylon handle, 7075 aluminum shaft and powder-coated steel blade for toughness and durability. I highly recommend this Gerber Spade with serrations on the side of the shovel head.
Gerber Gear Folding Spade Specs:
- Overall Length: 23.75 Inches
- Closed Length: 9.25 inches
- Closed Width: 6.00 inches
- Weight: 37.30 ounces
- Head: Forged Steel
- Handle: Glass-Filled Nylon
- Limited lifetime warranty
MSRP: $62
Best Survival Gifts 2018 Wrap-Up
So there you have it, the 10 best survival gifts of 2018. When you need the perfect Christmas gift for the warrior or sheepdog in your family, we highly recommend something from our list above.
