B52 Arctic Survival Kit Tool

by Jim Pence
(Rosemount, MN)

This tool came out of the arctic survival kit from a B52: picture an old-fashioned crosscut saw with huge set teeth for cutting logs. Now cut the blade to a short machete width and length with those teeth on one side and a sharpened edge on the other. OK, now (and this is the important part) put an "L" shaped handle on it so that the part of the handle that is straight back from (and parallel to) the blade works for the machete edge and the L part sticking up at the end is a comfortable handle for the saw. Unlike every bogus sawtooth survival knife, this thing works great in a woods environment and is probably safer for most people than an axe. It is handier to carry too.

This one was also designed to interchange the handle with a small snow shovel blade but that is a one-handed affair that quickly wears out the user's wrist, so let's forget that part.

Hypohermia can kill a lot faster than thirst or hunger. In a survival situation, a person will spend more time tending fires than he will skinning bears. This an EXTREMELY practical tool that I don't see for sale anywhere. Somebody should market this design for those who want to survive.