* Tools, tricks and kits for the everyday escape artist
* You never know when you might need to get out from a close scrape
* From car seat belt cutters to wilderness gear and more
Emergencies and natural disasters can happen without warning. We may be living in an era of civilization, but there’s always the potential for chaos, especially as climate change pushes infrastructure to its limits. Before civilization of course, humans were Bond-film worthy survival experts all the time, making razor sharp stone knives, rope and nets, and even Neanderthals apparently knew how to set broken bones. (Probably came in handy when your work day consisted of climbing up a tree and literally jumping down onto the backs of woolly mammoths). But you don’t have to be paleolithic, or a fringe survivalist, to prepare yourself for the unpredictable. Here are some helpful tools to get (reasonably) prepared to escape an emergency.
1. Car Escape Tool
If you’re trapped in a stuck car as floodwaters or smoke are rising around you, this tool saves you some headaches and elbow scratches, letting you safely cut through seat belts and more easily punch out side windows. Plus, you don’t have to have arms like Dwane “The Rock” Johnson to use it.
2. Emergency Auto Tool
This emergency auto escape tool is compact and fits in a glove-box. It should probably be standard equipment and can really be a life-saver if your seat belt gets stuck or door locks jamb in accident, flood or blizzard.
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3. Emergency Kit in a Bottle
A must for camping and also good to have around the house, this “emergency kit in a bottle,” includes a waterproof blanket, a flashlight with batteries, a first-aid kit and a multi-tool.
4. Paracord Bracelet
This paracord bracelet 5-in-1 survival tool is one of the most compact and elegant multi-use emergency tools around. The clip includes a compass, whistle, knife blade and flint fire-starter. Plus, the bracelet itself can be unwound into 12-feet of 550-pound rated paracord.
5. Braided Rope
Rope is highly useful, and so it’s good to have around in an emergency, especially those that involve water as you can use it as a fishing rope, sling, and even an emergency tourniquet.
6. Water Treatment Filter
Clean water is one of the most essential things if you’re ever stranded. This filtration kit lets you more safely drink freshwater from out in nature, removing over 99.99 percent of bacteria and protozoans.
9. Paracord Survival Kit
Think of it as the MacGuyver starter pack: this paracord-wrapped emergency kit even includes regular paper-clips. Along with all kinds of things anyone can use in a pinch like a card-sized multi tool, alcohol sanitizing pads, compass, wire saw and fire starter.