Emergency Prep Knives

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@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.

 

+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).

 

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.

 

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.

 

A hockey mask makes a great optional accessory.

 

You didn't say what denomination, but the LDS have a free preparedness manual. Lots of good info in there.
https://www.ldsavow.com/PrepManualGeneral.html
or if you don't want to give out your email.
http://prepperchicks0.homestead.com/LDSPrep-V8.pdf

 

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That’s a big manual