10 Cool and Practical Survival Gadget Gifts for Men

Calling all MacGyver, Bear Grylls, Survivor Man and James Bond fans - and those who just like to be prepared -- Here are 10 cool survival gadgets that make great gifts and could be really helpful in a pinch.

 

Emergency Survival Kit for the Masses

The best survival kit, is the kit you have on you when you need it. So, you need a small survival kit that you can take anywhere and everywhere. Enter the SOL Origin Compact Survival kit. The SOL Origin Survival kit is a palm-sized, well thought out, waterproof and durable, basic emergency kit that (at 3.9” x 2.8” x 1.5”) is small enough to fit in a pocket, pack or glove box and be with you all of the time.

This is a kit made for the masses. So, if you are NOT a serious survivalist or outdoor adventurer, chances are, you’re going to love this kit. The SOL kit Includes: Combination: AUS 8 Folding Knife, 15 Hour LED Light & Whistle - Button Compass - Aluminum Foil - Fire Lite Fire Striker - Tinder - Safety / Snare Wire - Signal Mirror - Snap Swivel - Fishing Kit - Sewing Kit - Survival Instructions - Waterproof, Rugged and Pocket Sized ABS Case to Hold Everything Best Amazon Price - Around $36 US - Find out more or purchase here.

 

Credit Card Sized Survival Tool

Practical for every day carry and ingenious enough to make MacGyver proud, the Swisscard Lite is designed and crafted in Switzerland by Victorinox, the makers of the Swiss Army Knife. The Swisscard Lite Pocket Tool is a rugged, quality for tool for guys (and gals for that matter) who want to be prepared but don’t want the bulk of a multi tool. The Swisscard Lite easily slips into your wallet, pocket, pack or glove box. This tool weights only an ounce and is about the size of 4 stacked credit cards. It Features: Mini LED Light - Knife / Letter Opener - Scissors - Straight Pin - Magnifying Glass - Nail File - 2 Flat Screwdrivers - 2 Phillips Head Screwdrivers - Tweezers - Toothpick - Pressurized Ball Point Pen - Ruler in Inches and Centimeters Best Amazon Price - Around $24 US - Find out more or purchase here.

A Tool Box on Your Key Chain

Make no mistake, although the Swiss Tech Micro Max key chain tool is less than 2” x 1.5” x .25” and weights just over 3 oz., this is “real” piece of gear. I just picked one up and am really impressed at the quality and usefulness for such a small tool. The Micro Max meets ANSI standards, is made of stainless steel and sports 19 functions including: 1/4 Inch Hex Wrench - 7/16 Inch Hex Wrench - #0 Flat Screwdriver - #1 Flat Screwdriver - #2 Flat Screwdriver - #0 Phillips Screwdriver - #1 Phillips Screwdriver - #2 Phillips Screwdriver - Pliers - Wire Cutter - Wire Stripper - Wire Crimper - Nail File - Hand Drill - Bottle Opener - Inches Ruler - Inches - Ruler Extension - mm Ruler - mm Ruler Extension Best Amazon Price - Around $10 US - Find out more or purchase here.

 

Tough, Weatherproof Nano LED Flashlight

At just under an inch and a half in length and .36 ounces, the Streamlight Nano LED Flashlight is designed for everyday carry, puts out 10 lumens of focused beam light and runs for up to 8 hours. The flashlight comes with a cool swivel clip for attaching to key rings, packs, clothing and more. The Streamlight Nano LED is machined out of solid, aircraft-grade aluminum with an tough, anodized finish and is ideal for survival, rescue and everyday use. Best Amazon Price - Around $7 US - Find out more or purchase here.

 

Tactical Belt Clip Survival Tool

Great for emergencies and everyday tasks, the Tool Logic SLPro 2 has a 3” tactical knife that’s 1/2 serrated, a quality anodized aluminum - waterproof LED flashlight, a premium magnesium alloy fire rod and striker and an emergency whistle. The SLPro2 weights in at only 4.2 oz. and is less than 4” when closed and can easily slip into a pocket or pack. And has a durable belt clip. The SLPro 2 is tough enough for tactical and law enforcement applications and makes a nice every day carry survival tool. Best Amazon Price - Around $34 US - Find out more or purchase here.

Forever Light for When the Power Goes Out

 

Solar Power and Battery Backup for the Treking Techy

Whether you are on safari in Africa, in the back country of Alaska or without power for a few days due to a storm, the Powertraveller Power Monkey Extreme will keep your mobile device, smart phone, laptop or cell phone up and running. This a high quality, powerful solar charger with a HUGE 9000mAh storage system. This charger even grabs power from the sun on less than totally sunny days and charges very quickly. The PowerMonkey is a packable “must have” for techy adventurers. Best Amazon Price - Around $190 US - Find out more or purchase here.

 

Guppie Mini Emergency and Every Day Tool

Nope, it’s not a fish, it’s a hard-working, compact, innovative, carabiner hand tool with a ton of potential everyday and emergency uses. The Columbia River Knife and Tools Guppie can clip on a belt or pack, and at only 3 1/2” long it easily and comfortably slips into about any-sized pocket. The Guppie Has: Integrated, Tactical, Adjustable Wrench that Opens to 1/2” - 2” Knife with a Drop Point Blade - L.E.D. Light - 2 Flat & 2 Philips Hex Drivers - Integrated Carabiner to carry it on a belt, pack or rope Best Amazon Price - Around $27 US - Find out more or purchase here.

 

Keep Knives & Tools Razor Sharp in the Field

Most field sharpeners can't hone a blade to a razor sharp edge or fix a damaged or neglected blade when you need your knife the most -- in the field. Plus, traditional sharpening stones can be hard to use in the field and produce mixed results. So we were ecstatic to find the Work Sharp Guided Field Sharpener. The Work Sharp is a compact, rough and tumble, all-in-one diamond and ceramic sharpening tool that anyone can use to get a razor sharp knife or tool edge -- in the field or shop -- EVERY time. And quality diamond sharpening tools like the Work Sharp can sharpen a knife is 1/10th of the time as traditional stones because they hone a blade with less strokes.

 

Here’s what’s included in on this innovative tool: Fine Diamond Sharpening Plate - Coarse Diamond Sharpening Plate - 3-Position Ceramic Rod (coarse, fine and fish hook grooves) - 1 Leather Strop - 2 - Built-in 20 degree sharpening guides - 2 - Built-in 25 degree sharpening guides - Broadhead Wrench - Users Guide - Stored Inside Tool Perfect for the camper, sportsman, survivalist or adventurer. Best Amazon Price - Around $30 US - Find out more or purchase here.

 

Mini Hand Crank and Solar Powered Emergency Radio

When disaster strikes or the power goes out, you need to know what’s going on. With this durable, well made, hand crank and solar powered, AM/FM and Weather Band radio from Ambient Weather, you’ll always be able to hear from the outside world and plot your next move. This little gem is only 4” x 2" x 3” and weights less than half a pound, so it’s perfect to keep tucked away or stow in your emergency kit or bug out bag until needed. You'll get about 20 minutes of radio time with about 1 minute of hand cranking. And you can charge this little guy using the built-in solar charger. You can also lengthen battery life by plugging in your headphones and bypassing on-board speaker. Best Amazon Price - Around $13 US - Find out more or purchase here.