Chapter 20 · Tools and knife
20.1 The most useful tools
| Tool | What it's for | For an apartment? |
|---|---|---|
| Multitool (pliers, blade, screwdrivers, scissors) | Opening packages, tightening, cutting wire or tape, small repairs | Yes, the most useful. One at home and one in each 72-hour bag. |
| Folding knife | Light everyday cutting | Yes, if there isn't a multitool for everyone. |
| Fixed-blade knife | Heavy work: cutting thick rope, preparing kindling and tinder (chapter 4), preparing food | Optional at home; useful in the car kit or when evacuating to the countryside. |
| Ax or hatchet | Splitting firewood, cutting branches | Not essential; useful if you evacuate to a rural area or in a long collapse (chapter 23). |
| Folding saw | Cutting branches, wood to cover windows, clearing light debris | Yes: it is safer than the ax and fits in a drawer. |
| Folding or garden shovel | Digging, moving dirt or sand, emergency latrine (chapter 21), getting the car out of mud | Folding in the car; garden shovel if you have somewhere to store it. |
| Pry bar (crowbar) | Opening a jammed door or a warped frame, lifting debris | Yes, a medium one (about 18–24 in, 45–60 cm). |
| 12 in (30 cm) adjustable wrench or 4-in-1 utility key | Shutting off the gas and water | Yes. Keep it near the valve or with the kit, never hanging from the meter or the pipe. |
| Duct tape and heavy plastic sheeting | Covering windows, sealing, repairing almost anything | Yes (chapter 2). |
