Emergency Prep Knives

sabre cat sabre cat , my reading of your op gave me the impression that the emergency kits would be put together by the congregation in order for them to get to and gather at your church in the event of an emergency. Please correct me if I'm wrong. If that's the case, the gear selections/suggestions should probably be kept pretty budget friendly where possible.

As others have said, the Mora Companion is a great choice for an emergency kit. Cheap, capable and very lightweight, it's a natural fit. Being a knife weirdo, the main knife in my bag tends to say Carothers, Busse, Swamp Rat, etc these days, but there's still always a carbon Companion in there too. Just saying.

Compliment it with a few other tools. Something like a Cold Steel shovel (or similar) will work acceptably in most circumstances for digging, chopping, light machete work and light hammering. A good pliers based multitool is too much utility in a small package to ignore. This should be a good one, preferably with a bit kit like the Leatherman Wave/Charge or Vic Swisstool/Spirit Plus. Bad/soft screwdrivers can be worse than having nothing in a pinch if you mess up a screw head so that not even a proper tool will work anymore. This may very well be the most expensive tool in the kit. A folding saw is also a good idea if wood processing might be needed. It's easier and safer than chopping, which isn't a bad thing. Especially since many in your church might lack experience with axes or choppers.

Good luck and keep us in the loop.
 
In the cars emergency bags I keep moras...in a go bag a Glock knife and SAK...always have a quality folder on me and can grab a high quality blade when I want too.
 
What types of emergencies are you preparing for? That seems the place to start. Malpaso already seems to do this, too, so have a chat.
 
hexenjager said:
sabre cat sabre cat , my reading of your op gave me the impression that the emergency kits would be put together by the congregation in order for them to get to and gather at your church in the event of an emergency. Please correct me if I'm wrong. If that's the case, the gear selections/suggestions should probably be kept pretty budget friendly where possible.

As others have said, the Mora Companion is a great choice for an emergency kit. Cheap, capable and very lightweight, it's a natural fit. Being a knife weirdo, the main knife in my bag tends to say Carothers, Busse, Swamp Rat, etc these days, but there's still always a carbon Companion in there too. Just saying.

Compliment it with a few other tools. Something like a Cold Steel shovel (or similar) will work acceptably in most circumstances for digging, chopping, light machete work and light hammering. A good pliers based multitool is too much utility in a small package to ignore. This should be a good one, preferably with a bit kit like the Leatherman Wave/Charge or Vic Swisstool/Spirit Plus. Bad/soft screwdrivers can be worse than having nothing in a pinch if you mess up a screw head so that not even a proper tool will work anymore. This may very well be the most expensive tool in the kit. A folding saw is also a good idea if wood processing might be needed. It's easier and safer than chopping, which isn't a bad thing. Especially since many in your church might lack experience with axes or choppers.

Good luck and keep us in the loop.
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Your impressions are correct. Or, at least, that's my understanding as how things are going to work.

I have to agree with you that gear selections/suggestions should be kept pretty budget friendly. I've been considering focusing on a different topic every month and having a handout that church members can take home. Maybe have basic information about that month's topic and some suggestions as to where to start looking for products.

I'll be happy to keep you guys in the loop. I am a firm believer that two heads are better than one when it comes to solving problems.
 
+1 on the Mora due to cost : quality/durability.

I may get slapped for saying this: but scandi grind knives though not great at it, actually can be used for food prep (slicing things).
 
Malpaso said:
As an Emergency Manager myself, I would recommend that the first thing you do it create a threat matrix. You can find models on line, but in a nutshell, it is an X/Y grid with likelihood and impact. Plot the threats on this matrix, and make your response plan accordingly.

Then, and only then, can you appropriately choose the necessary gear, as the mission drives the gear. Don't fall into the trap of gearing up because it's what you know and like.

If you'd like any specific help in this area, feel free to PM me, or ask here.
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I'll be happy to ask for advice. Thanks for the offer.
 
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Weiss said:
What types of emergencies are you preparing for? That seems the place to start. Malpaso already seems to do this, too, so have a chat.
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Napa Valley is known for earthquakes and the main river through the valley floods about every ten years. When the river floods you can get stranded on one side of town with no way to get across. Recent flood control work has helped some.

Oh, we did have the high winds and fires in October of 2017.

Does this answer your question?
 
5150Vitto said:
+1 on the Mora due to cost : quality/durability.

I may get slapped for saying this: but scandi grind knives though not great at it, actually can be used for food prep (slicing things).
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I think my Benchmade 162 is scandi or saber grind and I use it for food prep sometimes. Between that and a small folder, I should be set.
 
Spark said:
If you have to outfit your bug out bag / get home bag from scratch, start off with a Mora Companion or the equivalent, and get the rest of your gear together - food, water, shelter, first aid. The Mora is $20 or so max, and is enough knife to function as a knife and not so much that people think it's a prybar / axe.
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This is a great suggestion. I probably have 10 Moras stashed in various bags and vehicles. Cheap, but very functional.
 
I'm still a bit confused on what/who you're planning for. Are you putting together an emergency plan for the church itself? Are you teaching/helping members how to prepare at home? A combination of the two? Or are you just generally consulting on general preparedness? All of these are different roles, and require different lines of thinking (even if similar in some areas)

Disaster plans for organizations (such as your church) are much more about logistics and coordination of people in an emergency, than what goes in a bag. It's also a much more in depth conversation.

As for the individual, and which knife? The thing you need to remember is that, and I'm making an assumption here, the majority of the church members aren't going to want to invest much, if anything, into a bug-out/get-home/go bag (this is across the board for the majority of the populace at large). My advise to people just starting off at preparedness is to start with things they already own. So recommend they put in some kind of knife or multi tool that they have floating around. Could be grandpa's old hunting knife, the cheap multi someone gave them as a gift, or the small SAK with their company logo on it. The thing is to get them thinking about how the things in there bag can be used in an emergency situation, and less about what those things are. Then use that for follow up discussions as the weeks/months go by. (For what it's worth, my various bags cost me nothing to put together, as they were all built from stuff I already had around)

I don't recommend knives to most people by they way. Unless they're already an outdoors type, a tool guy, or such, a MT and a small pry/wrecking bar are gonna serve the average person much better.
 
jaseman said:
I'm still a bit confused on what/who you're planning for. Are you putting together an emergency plan for the church itself? Are you teaching/helping members how to prepare at home? A combination of the two? Or are you just generally consulting on general preparedness? All of these are different roles, and require different lines of thinking (even if similar in some areas)

Disaster plans for organizations (such as your church) are much more about logistics and coordination of people in an emergency, than what goes in a bag. It's also a much more in depth conversation.

As for the individual, and which knife? The thing you need to remember is that, and I'm making an assumption here, the majority of the church members aren't going to want to invest much, if anything, into a bug-out/get-home/go bag (this is across the board for the majority of the populace at large). My advise to people just starting off at preparedness is to start with things they already own. So recommend they put in some kind of knife or multi tool that they have floating around. Could be grandpa's old hunting knife, the cheap multi someone gave them as a gift, or the small SAK with their company logo on it. The thing is to get them thinking about how the things in there bag can be used in an emergency situation, and less about what those things are. Then use that for follow up discussions as the weeks/months go by. (For what it's worth, my various bags cost me nothing to put together, as they were all built from stuff I already had around)

I don't recommend knives to most people by they way. Unless they're already an outdoors type, a tool guy, or such, a MT and a small pry/wrecking bar are gonna serve the average person much better.
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I have the same questions and concerns that you do. Lots and lots of questions, actually. Right now I'm like the new guy that has just been hired for a job but doesn't know anything yet.

Like you, I also would recommend that someone starts with what they already own and then upgrade if needed. I figure that most people already have most of what they need. They just need to look at things a little differently.
 
sabre cat said:
Napa Valley is known for earthquakes and the main river through the valley floods about every ten years. When the river floods you can get stranded on one side of town with no way to get across. Recent flood control work has helped some.

Oh, we did have the high winds and fires in October of 2017.

Does this answer your question?
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It does! Thanks! But the question was largely rhetorical. Knowing the kinds of problems you may face will help you prepare solutions for them. Not that you didn't know that already, I just seem to have missed where you mentioned them before.
 
Based on what you've provided thus far, assuming there's a need for cutting tools, either for individuals or as a group, I'd say a stainless Mora and a multi tool. A pair of medical/safety shears probably isn't a bad idea if you have the means/room. Those items are light, compact, capable, easily obtainable, and not too expensive if you you don't go top end on the multi tool. If vehicle based, you could add in larger items...axe, saw, shovels, etc.

This is assuming you're providing guidance to those not too familiar...folks with knowledge/experience will have this base covered.

Boss
 
Estwing Sportsman's Axe - 14" Camping Hatchet with Forged Steel Construction & Genuine Leather Grip - E24A

Under $40 and the big river will ship it to your door for free.
Throw it in the trunk of your car, done.
 
Weiss said:
It does! Thanks! But the question was largely rhetorical. Knowing the kinds of problems you may face will help you prepare solutions for them. Not that you didn't know that already, I just seem to have missed where you mentioned them before.
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I'm not sure that I did.

Thanks for taking the time to add your two cents. I do appreciate your time, ideas and wisdom.
 
shunsui said:
Estwing Sportsman's Axe - 14" Camping Hatchet with Forged Steel Construction & Genuine Leather Grip - E24A

Under $40 and the big river will ship it to your door for free.
Throw it in the trunk of your car, done.
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LOL! Great idea.

I know some of the church ladies would be horrified by someone with an axe.
 
BOSS1 said:
Based on what you've provided thus far, assuming there's a need for cutting tools, either for individuals or as a group, I'd say a stainless Mora and a multi tool. A pair of medical/safety shears probably isn't a bad idea if you have the means/room. Those items are light, compact, capable, easily obtainable, and not too expensive if you you don't go top end on the multi tool. If vehicle based, you could add in larger items...axe, saw, shovels, etc.

This is assuming you're providing guidance to those not too familiar...folks with knowledge/experience will have this base covered.

Boss
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Very logical and sound suggestions. I don't own a Mora but, I guess I should try one. Considering how many times it has been suggested in this thread.

I'm sure that there are many people at church that are more qualified for this position than I am. Certainly there are people that are more prepared.
 
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