This 12-in-1 survival tool kit is on sale at Amazon again, for just $17. It’s regularly $33.95, and there’s a clickable coupon that knocks the price down by 50%.
I discovered this Veitorld tool kit last year when Harbor Freight launched their own and pointed out this one’s “compare to” price.
Right now, the Harbor Freight survival kit is at the same $25 price as when it launched last year, and the near-identical kit on Amazon is $17.
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Would I buy it? Definitely not – as I wrote last year, it looks very cheap to me, and I have doubts about its quality.
However, I said the same thing last year, and many readers bought it anyway. I was expecting to see scores of “you were right!” comments, but that hasn’t happened yet.
I still think it looks a bit junky, but I can’t recommend anything better for anywhere close to the same price point.
Thus, it’s on sale again, and it seemed worth pointing out. But I still wouldn’t buy it for myself.
Here’s everything the “11 tools + 1 case” outdoors survival tool kit is said to include:
- Partially serrated folding knife with locking blade and cutting hook
- Multi-use spork-knife
- Flashlight
- Wire saw
- Multi-functional card
- Emergency blanket
- Paracord survival bracelet with mini compass
- Water bottle clip
- Fishing tools
- Fire starter with bottle opener
- Tactical pen with glass breaker
- Water-resistant storage case with space for additional gear
What do you think? Is it worth it for your own use or as a gift? What do you think would be a better buy for close to same money?
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Price: $16.98 $20.37 after clickable coupon
Update: Amazon changed it to a 40% coupon.
Since Amazon raised the price of the kit by a little bit, here’s another equally junky-looking kit by the “XKASE” brand, for $29.98 with a 50% coupon. It’s priced at around $15 after coupon.
I wouldn’t buy this one either, but it seemed worth including since it beats the price of the Veitorld kit.
In case you were wondering, this is Harbor Freight’s version of a 12pc survival tool kit. It’s available in stores for $24.99. The Gordon kit is largely the same as the Veitorld, with some minor differences.
Harbor Freight specifically points out the one shown above as their “compare to” choice, but there are countless other copies and variations on Amazon.
I wouldn’t buy any of these x-in-1 survival tool kits, although I can see the appeal in them.
On a completely unrelated note, I tend to prefer BandAid brand flexible fabric adhesive bandages. Just sayin’.
TomD
That exact same thing is all over Temu – I’d recommend checking it when you see something like this.
(As an aside, the lowest “non sale” price on Temu is $15 for it.)
blocky
As a starting point, it doesn’t seem like a bad list. I’d want some first aid and a water straw as well. I’d love to know what others think should be included.
MM
I think many of the same criticisms that people leveled at the Gordon kit apply to this one as well. In my opinion they both have several flaws:
-Quality of the items is suspect given the low price
-the card-shaped multi tool in the lower right corner is nearly useless
-water bottle holder & spork seem like waste of space in a “survival” kit
-Only one fishing hook/lure? All that space in the kit and there’s just one?
-A lack of first aid supplies
-Needs a redundant method of starting fire
If I were to take that kit camping the first thing I’d do is remove several items: the tactical pen, water bottle holder, paracord bracelet, the “card” tool, the striker for the ferro rod, and the foam padding. I’d then add:
-Biggest Fresnel lens I can fit in the case
-A hank of paracord
-A bic pen with some duct tape rolled around the handle.
-Lifeboat matches and a lighter
-Bandana
-EMT Scissors
-A cut-down hacksaw blade
-Some basic first aid supplies (band aids, BZK wipes, small packets of common medications, fine-point tweezers, sterile scalpel blades, small sealed tube of super glue)
-More than just one fishhook
-Sewing needles
-Kevlar thread
-A multi-tool or SAK
I’m pretty sure that would all fit in the case, if there’s room left over there’s plenty of other things one could add. But like with the Gordon kit this would be a very fun gift for older kids who are into outdoors stuff. I know I’d have loved one of these back when I was in scouts.
Jared
Those are excellent suggestions. This kit is missing a lot of things you’d want for survival – yet I wanted to come at it from the other direction:
– for $17, it’s got a lot of things.
First, if your primary use for the kit is to “play” at survival-related activities, I think its a lot of fun. I got one like this for my kid and he had a blast with it. I’ve got some quality bushcraft gear because I enjoy doing that stuff when I go camping, but I wanted something he could use and wouldn’t cause me grief if he lost or broke any of the pieces.
I could also kind of see having this as a “just in case” kit. The problem of course, is that this isn’t what I’d want to be trusting my life too – but I’d still rather have this kit than nothing. You could do a lot of things with those tools.
Jared
BTW, I don’t understand why these kits don’t just include a bic. If you’re building a kit, don’t be silly – add one in.
The ferro rod/striker is more “fun” and bushcrafty, but you actually need a little skill to light a fire that way. That’s not how you want to spend your time if you’re cold and stuck somewhere.
I realize some object “what if it runs out of gas or gets wet?” The striker in a bic lighter is actually a tiny ferrocerium rod anyway. If you spin it slowly to shred a little off, you can light a fire with a gasless bic just like you would with a ferro rod.
MM
You’re not wrong about the value for money. While it may not be the greatest “survival kit” it is a great price for all the items you get.
And yeah, no reason not to throw a lighter or three in a survival kit. They’re lightweight, don’t take up much room, and even a cheapo bic is highly reliable. I wonder if the lack of them in pre-made kits has to do with shipping or storage restrictions because of the butane? I really like the Blazer CG-001 torch-style lighters, they are very durable and they have a stronger flame than the disposables, and they even make one in neon safety orange.
Jared
Thanks for the recommendation! I’m going to see if I can find one in Canada. I was shopping for one just the day before yesterday.
R
Grappling hook and deli slicer
CMF
What this has is all of the included items, well placed in a zip case, for a cheap price.
You can get of one and slowly upgrade items based on how bad the they are versus how often you might use it.
Great start is the flashlight, if it is decent, keep it. If it is junk, for $10-$20, you have 100’s of choices that will fit in this case and be reliable. If it is a throw in the car kit and need it every 18 months when you are stuck somewhere, maybe a lithium not rechargeable battery type light would best. If you will use this kit on the odd hike, camping, picnic or other activities where you will use it every 30-60 days, then a lithium rechargeable is perfect.
Same with the knife; is it really crap? Lots of decent knives can be had a couple of $$$. I remember quite a while back, Stuart had written about some Smith & Weston knives. Maybe not supreme knives, but for the price, decent quality and will get the job done.
Probably the spork gets the job done, maybe the paracord/compass works fine also.
All in all, I think it is a good starter kit, and with mods you care for, can be upgraded to something you can count on.
* I know, why not just start from scratch and make your own. Everyone says that, but probably 1 out of 20 people actually do, if not less.
To me, this is an easy way to get a kit, and then move on from there. More people would have a decent survival kit, which I think in the world we live in, is a great thing to have.
Richard
Poncho liner. Ziplock bags.
Wayne R.
Everything possible in a survival kit should be in International Orange, so 1) you can find it when you need it, and 2) so your remains can be more easily found when things ultimately go “more wrong” (probably more specific to this particular kit).
A recent rescue debacle here in Colorado was compounded by the rescue-ee being dressed in all black (it’s a good/almost comical story): https://www.advnture.com/news/hiker-stranded-in-overnight-storm-on-14er-during-work-retreat
I agree with MM that this would be a fun & thought provoking gift for an older kid. As an actual survival kit, the best (like any kit) are assembled after research & experience, by the ultimate user.
eddiesky
Plus make the case a solar panel, so that you can charge a flash light during the day, or power weather radio, or charge a phone. And a clear, manual for morse code, signaling, plant tips for food vs poison, a water filteration straw for water…
Walt Bordett
That knife and spork looks like it should come with a free coupon for an ER visit. I guess you could blunt the edge and use it to stir and spread peanut butter.
Rog
You should order one and give us a real-world assessment of it, Stuart
Jared
For what it’s worth, my kid’s kit looked almost identical to this one. Everything “worked”, but it wasn’t necessarily great.
– The pen was needlessly bulky, but it wrote.
– The flashlight was pretty wimpy – but shone (eventually it fell apart too, but my kid wasn’t the least bit gentle).
– The wire saw held together – I was surprised. I’ve used a few cheap ones that broke easy.
– The emergency blanket was a real emergency blanket.
– the credit card tool…. I’m not sure what you’re meant to do with those. I understand the functions it claims to have, but the only thing its good at is opening bottles.
– the whistle whistles
He liked the bracelet – there’s actually a tiny ferro rod and striker built into it. It makes sparks, but it would take quite a bit of skill to produce a flame that way. It has a whistle too – so two whistles per kit!
The plastic case is modelled after a waterproof case – it isn’t though. There’s no seal and it’s just thin plastic.
His kit didn’t come with the knife – that was intentional. He has a knife for these sorts of activities (SAK evo grip s17 with a locking blade), but I keep track of it (he was 8 at the time he got this).
A W
A vendor I trust is Brett Stoffel at Outdoorsafe.com. If I had to put together a kit, I would start with their metal match, some cotton balls with Vaseline, a 98.6° bag, then add a Mora knife, matches, and first aid supplies as budget allows.
I got one of these Amazon kits from a relative, and there’s a huge difference in the quality of spark from one of these budget tools and a high quality ferrocerium rod.
Nathan
Plus one on carrying a lighter in a bag and a set of good matches. Doesn’t take up space and make your life easier. These cheap kits that emergency blanket might be worth the money. The spark maybe and the ring saw if it takes tension.
Whoever said the book absolutely. I don’t camp /hike enough to remember it all and golly a book ain’t that heavy. I keep a sas book that I was given.
Those cards are just a waste unless they are steel and double as a striker. But like any budget bundle I don’t expect either of them to be great
SEBTECHDIY
If you are in a real “survival” situation, the last thing you want to count on is cheap tools.
Adam
If you are in a real “survival” situation, the last thing you want to count on is No tools.
The second last is cheap tools.
Grokew
Instead of tacticool black or camo, they should be Fluorescent orange, Fluorescent Yellow-Green, or Fluorescent red (unless your survival scenario involves hiding from a cartel or some random cannibal cult Leader). It’s so bad when stuff falls on the ground, and suddenly becomes invisible…
Jeff
This article is wrong it’s $24 on Amazon there’s no coupon
Stuart
Looks like the algorithm is detecting interest and raising the prices.
JoeM
Yes, I’ve seen these in abundance on AliExpress. I can attest that the MOLLE Bottle Holding Loops are infinitely more useful than they seem, and in general are of pretty decent quality. The rest I can’t speak for, although a ferro-rod with sparker is hard to do badly, even the cheapest of them does the job.
Now, the painful part is… These are usually between $10 and $15 CAD on AliExpress with free shipping available most of the time. Not only that, the identical ones are sold, in several configurations of included items, by hundreds, if not thousands, of dealers on the site/app. I don’t need to give you a link, because there’s an endless supply of these, with various “brands” stamped on the case. They’re clones, or knock-offs, essentially. And it appears the versions presented from Amazon and Harbor Freight are just imports of these Asian-produced kits, marked up.
Don’t get me wrong, some of this stuff would be good if you could just, I don’t know, step up the brand of the included items if/when they break down or fail. But at the same time, A case like they’re using is also available separately, and probably even moreso from your local outdoors store. I’m not sure one of these cheap kits is much use in the state it is shipped. But it certainly has some of the right things to put in a case like this, so if you could just take the idea and buy the stuff yourself to assemble, these kits are a great image to act as a checklist to build your own. I will say though, this kit is likely trying to take advantage of the infamous “Tacticool” fans out there. It really only Looks tough.
Patric
May I point out the exact place where you destroyed your credibility?
You stated it looked junky to you which means you never ordered one or tested it. One cannot trust your recommendation because anyone who bases their appraisal of any tool or any piece of equipment absolute on pictures from the internet is an absolute fool. Remember the famous paraphrase by Mark Twain.
Stuart
I’m sorry you feel that way. The next time you find a piece of moldy rotten food that looks sickening, are you going to eat it? Sure, it’s green and fuzzy, and smells foul, but you can’t form an opinion based on looks or extensive prior experiences. Right?
I suppose you’ve also never looked at a menu and said “I’m definitely not going to like that.”
Cole Schultz
You would need to be a seasoned expert to be given this to survive with.
This is basically a set of toys.
100% a waste of money.
Could I survive with these tools? Yes
But I would never buy this for someone, and I would never by choice take this with me anywhere. The knife isn’t safe.
I kind of like the spark/knife combo thing but that’s just me trying to find something positive.
Josh
Got almost the same kit for 20 bucks at Menards. Was quite impressed with the quality of the products. My foreman bought four of them after checking out mine. I did actually open up the kit and test the contents. If you do not have the skills to survive with a kit like this you most likely should not be anywhere more remote than a city park. On a side note I don’t like Suzuki products, even though I have never owned or ridden one.
Dave
The coupons aren’t even there bad click bait
Stuart
I’ll have to check – everything was still discounted yesterday. I might need to find more alternates, you guys keep buying everything up.
“You snooze, you lose” comes to mind.
Okay – I checked, and you’re right – these sellers must have thought “we’re selling these things like hotcakes, let’s go back to full price!”
Here are a bunch of alternates – https://www.amazon.com/s?k=survival+tool+kit&tag=toolguyd-20
And here’s a 13-in-1 by a different brand with a $14 price. https://www.amazon.com/Survival-Christmas-Equipment-Tactical-Adventure/dp/B0C8HZN3CZ/?tag=toolguyd-20 I wouldn’t buy that one either, but it looks very similar to the others I initially found on sale.
IndianaJonesy (Matt J.)
I, too, prefer fabric bandaids, but have switched from Band-Aid brand to the Welly brand after all the recent research around Band-Aid and PFAS. Mostly changed due to my kids, but I find they work just as well as the originals and stand up to water really well. Only downside is the obnoxiously bright colors I often end up with due to the aforementioned kids, but I’ll live.
Adam
I like the MyMedic SuperSkin bandages myself. The only problem is that they don’t come in really bright colours.
Blaine
Stuart, _chef’s kiss_ on the BandAids comment!
Stuart
Ha – thanks! I got the idea from Walt’s comment about how these kits should come with a ticket to the ER – https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/survival-tool-kit-sale-102024/#comment-1565024%3C/a%3E .
ElectroAtletico
Junk. The one in HF, also junk.
Tom
If you wouldn’t recommend and I don’t disagree; why write about them?
Stuart
Because when I posted about the set last year, and how Harbor Freight’s “compare to” choice was lower priced, lots of people bought it. I saw that it was discounted again, and figured some readers might want the heads-up.
Since I/ToolGuyd stand to benefit from sales (we’re an Amazon affiliate), I feel obligated to share my unabashed and unadulterated thoughts about it.
JoshtheFurnaceGuy
They seem to be discontinued, but it looks like a few of the old Gerber Bear Grylls survival kits are still floating around online. They weren’t the best kit you could make, but it was decent quality stuff curated by someone who knew something about outdoor survival. (Some of the kits even include water resistant matches.)
That’d be my bet for an inexpensive survival kit. Almost any gear is better than no gear, but anyone spending $15 on a survival kit likely doesn’t spend enough time outdoors for a $15 survival kit to make a difference in a life and death scenario. I know I wouldn’t want to count on a $15 knife in that sort of situation. Most of these kits will sit unused until they get lost or thrown away, but I would hate to be tied to one that failed someone who was fighting to survive.