Harbor Freight has launched a new Gordon 12pc emergency survival kit that they’re selling for $24.99.
The “quality tools, lowest prices” retailer says that “this all-in-one survival kit includes all of the essentials for any emergency.”
In my opinion, the most interesting part is this 7-in-1 survival spork, with built-in bottle opener and knife edge built into the handle. Don’t worry, the sharp edge is covered by a plastic whistle.
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Oh – I wouldn’t use this spork, I just found it interesting. Don’t lose that whistle!!
Here’s a list of everything the Harbor Freight Gordon kit comes with:
- Stainless steel folding survival knife with locking blade and strap cutter
- 7-in-1 multi-use spork with built in whistle on cover
- Rugged LED flashlight with adjustable focus
- Wire saw
- Saber card
- Emergency blanket
- Survival bracelet
- Water bottle clip
- Fishing tools include fishing line, lure, and hook
- Fire starter and pocket bellow for starting fires under difficult conditions
- Tactical pen with glass breaker
- Water-resistant storage case included
Price: $24.99
Harbor Freight advertises that this compares to the VEITORLD B07V6X6MG6, which is $34 at Amazon before 50% coupon. The two kits look to be nearly identical, with the “Veitorld” kit selling for $16.99 at the time of this posting.
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Not to mince words, this all looks very cheap to me, with tools that seem functional but could fall apart the first time you try to use them.
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However, how much would it cost for someone to put together a higher quality kit?
Enthusiasts might know what to look for, but whatever everyone else?
I can see the value in a kit like this, but I can’t help but doubt its quality.
Personally, I wouldn’t buy the Harbor Freight set or the “compare to” set that’s lower priced on Amazon.
What do you think? Is this a good value or a pile of junk? Can you recommend something better?
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A W
A family member bought me the Amazon kit and it is definitely cheap.
For high quality gear and specific recommendations, I would talk with Brett at Outdoor Safe.
https://outdoorsafe.com/shop/ols/categories/kits
We stock their light airplane kits at work. We have also have made up smaller kits based on Brett’s recommendations.
They highly recommend a small Mora fixed blade knife over any folder.
Their testing has shown that a 3 mil plastic bag (think tall 55 gallon drum liner) is much better than a thermal blanket as personal shelter because it won’t tear the minute you start moving around the woods.
Get a quality metal match (firesteel), and add some cotton balls stuffed with Vaseline as fire starter. Consider adding weatherproof matches.
Add a small first aid kit and any required medications.
Jared
A Morakniv is a great idea. I’d personally pick a Bic lighter over a ferrocerium rod, but I would have both in a real emergency kit.
A W
It probably depends on the context.
A ferro rod can be stored in an outdoor airplane for decades, and will then last for thousands of uses when needed.
A bic lighter might start leaking after a few years of hard landings and seasonal changes and is then almost useless.
Jared
True, and a bic doesn’t like getting wet either. I’d still want one as my primary firestarter though, with a ferro rod as backup.
It’s a fun challenge to start fires with a ferro rod and natural materials. Not something I’d want to have to do if I was actually using my “survival kit” in earnest though!
As a bonus fun fact, a big lighter actually uses a tiny ferro rod to generate the sparks that light the butane. You can still start a fire with an empty lighter (though it makes way less spark than a handheld rod and it might help to remove the guard first).
AlexK
I would have loved to get this when I was around 8 to 12 years old. Had no money or experience with quality, so wouldn’t have noticed or cared that it is mostly fun junk. I would have had all kinds of (imaginary) adventures playing in the woods in the catskills during the summer.
What is the red stuff on the spork?
Even as an adult, it looks like a fun pack. Won’t get it, but like the idea of an emergency kit like this.
Water bottle clip, fire starter, tactical pen w/glass breaker, flashlight and the other stuff looks okay. For the kid in me, I’d pick it up for $10. Or $5 at a yard sale.
Bruce
Looks like a fish lure on the spork.
Stuart
I agree, and I think that’s why they seem to sell so well (the one on Amazon has more than 4K purchases in the past 30 days).
Jared
Funny you mention that. I bought a kit just like this for my 8 year old son not long ago. It didn’t have a knife, but included a compass, some minor first aid items, a “tactical” pen, etc.
He loved it.
It was perfect for him to play with since it’s not the end of the world if he loses something.
Scott K
This seems like a total waste of money- my guess is they had piles of some of these items around and decided to put them in a case with a few supplemental items and add the survival tag to unload them.
While redundancy isn’t bad, it doesn’t seem to be intentional here. I’ve gotten a few of those multitool cards over the years as gifts; they aren’t really useful for anything other than opening boxes and bottles. The fishing gear and spork aren’t as necessary as a way to purify water. There are 4 sharp-edged tools but no first aid supplies. In most situations, the compass is of no use without a corresponding map.
I’ve put more thought into this than is necessary, but this is likely a holiday gift that won’t get used. I’m all for a good deal and budget tools where appropriate. I’d spend more on items that I’m comfortable using from reputable brands if I think I’ll be in a situation where I’ll actually depend on them for my well-being.
MM
It seems like a waste of money to me too, though I must admit that like AlexK wrote the 10-year-old me would have loved it. I don’t have a problem with the idea of a survival kit, I just think this is guaranteed to be cheap junk given the price point, and there are a lot of questionable choices for what is in the kit. Why is there a “water bottle clip” but nothing to help get clean water? What’s the point of the silly “saber card” and novelty compass-and-bracelet when the case is large enough to hold much more serious tools and a proper full-size compass? Paracord is fine, but a hank takes up less room than the braided bracelet. Where are the first aid supplies? Why so much redundancy for cutting but only one method of starting a fire? It mentions fishing gear yet there’s only one single hook?
I’d much rather put a kit together myself.
Scott K
Totally. 10 year old me was gifted a survival style kit in the form of a metal shovel with a few added tools like a saw on one side of the shovel blade and hammer faces for stakes at the top of the blade plus a hollow handle that at one point held fishing basics and a compass. I still have the shovel and it lives in my camping bin.
Jack D
One doesn’t need a map to find a compass useful. Lost during a storm, or at night “somewhere west” of the main river?
Gold.
Without the sun to guide you, if you know where on the planet you are, a compass will always get you home.
Scott K
Maybe. I’m not going to pretend to be a wildness expert, but my own inherent bias about these kinds of kits are that the people who find them attractive are less likely to have the prerequisite skills to put them to use.
MacLean Flood
No water purification? I’d at least add a Lifestraw, Sawyer Mini or some tablets. Strong tape, a sharpie and a tourniquet. Maybe a signal mirror. Don’t get me started.
Harry
Amazon’s kit went up to $33 so, you peeps must be looking at it.
I keep hearing things like “don’t try this at home” or “for entertainment purposes only” running through my head when I view the Harbor Freight kit.
However, you could build upon it making it better by adding a protractor compass, water purification tabs, and smaller fish hooks/gear, foldable canteen, etc.
You could give it to a young McGyver or scout as is.
Premade survival kits, like master tool sets can are always better when built individually.
Then again, the harbor freight kit would that perfect gift to give one a false sense of security when they slap it in the glove box of their SUV that never leaves pavement. LOL.
Stuart
It’s $34 BEFORE 50% “clickable coupon.” I still see the coupon as being active and applicable to new orders.
Jack D
It’s fine for a glove box or trunk equip, especially in the northeast, but emergency use only. Sure, survival in short circumstances.
Jp
Ummmm. No. I wouldn’t give this as a “cheap gift”
Nate
What are most of those things even for? There’s three pop-top tools but no actual canned-food opener. A silly card that’s not useful as a wrench, when some small pliers would’ve fit just fine. Some random paracord woven into a bracelet where you have to unravel to use it as a cord, a simple hank of cord would be more useful. There’s a bloody firesteel, instead of a simple Bic.
There’s no band-aids for when you inevitably cut yourself on the stupid things that shouldn’t have sharp edges even though there’s also a perfectly good knife right there. And none of those things are likely to matter much if you can’t purify water.
IMHO the wire saw, the flashlight, and the spaceblanket are the only useful things here, and they can be had separately for a fraction of the price.
The rest is fetish gear more than useful tools.
Nate
Something else finally clicked in my head: There’s no information, manuals, flashcards, how-tos, guides, etc.
Someone who intrinsically knows how to use this stuff, won’t have this kit. They’ll have better stuff.
This kit is virtually guaranteed to be in inexperienced hands. Even as goofy as many of the tools are, their utility would be greatly amplified by a virtually-free printed pamphlet or something. Five useful knots, hints on where to find fish, the ultra basics of orienteering, you know?