Gear Patrol

Many of us remember the days of over-zealous and hyper-vigilant guardians of flight security; I’ve had children’s safety scissors, nail clippers (sans nail file), and three wooden toy swords (gifts for my sons) turned away in the name of national security. Being a serving member of the military didn’t help, even on the occasion when I was flying with both a service rifle and pistol on a contract aircraft.

The lifting of the Transportation Security Agency’s prohibition on knives brings both a boon for your every day carry (EDC) and a challenge in deciding on a folding knife that meets the TSA’s parameters. Wading into travel regulations and the many suitable sharp options on the market, we’ve picked five knives (plus a bonus) that will both get the odd job done and actually make it onto a plane.

No, it’s not made especially for a zombie outbreak. The Lansky T.A.S.K. (Tactical Apocalypse Survival Kit) ($200) is aimed at avoiding (or taking down) whatever your own personal apocalypse may be. We break it down.

You’re not the guy who has a frequent buyer card at Sears, so you can’t always find the perfect tool in your less-than-organized garage. Perhaps a versatile multi-tool would be your best ally. Multi-tools have been around for twenty years, and they’re not going away anytime soon. Today’s multi-tools are better than ever, with innovative designs that are only limited by the imagination. If you’re wondering what all-around multi-tool to purchase, we have five of the best full-sized multi-tools on the market today.

Cryo means “icy cold” in Greek; while it may call to mind a faint glimmer of hope that Walt Disney’s body is stored somewhere beneath Adventureland just waiting to be thawed, we’re mostly certain that in the Kershaw Cryo pocket knife($50) it simply means “cool”. Famed tactical knife maker Rick Hinderer, whose creations normally go…

You can tell a lot about a man by his EDC. Zippo, house keys, obligatory pocket knife, handgun, paracord, unspeakably cool shades — we’ve seen it all. The serious carrier, however, is sure to include a flashlight, and we recommend the LensLight Mini TAD Edition ($325) from Triple Aught Design. This miniature light is practical…

Whether it’s for your bug-out bag or your hiking kit, the fundamental survival items — knife, flashlight, multitool, your bag itself — make up 98% of what you’ll use and anchor your camp/hike/escape. The Gerber GO Bag ($274) gives you the whole kit and caboodle. Not only does it provide a laundry list of quality,…

Sitting Bull used his hands, your grandfather used a crowbar, and if you use either of those items today you’re being silly. Appreciation of the past doesn’t mean we need to suffer its inefficiencies. When seconds count, lives are at stake, or a nasty camp job needs an ass-kickin, the TNT Emergency Survival Tool ($215+)…

A list of locales that are not axe-friendly: your kid’s preschool; any school, for that matter; certain churches, chapels, mosques, temples and cathedrals; Apple stores. For everywhere (ok, not everywhere) else, there’s the Best Made Co. Duck Canvas Axe Case ($110+). This perfect answer for card-carrying axemen is designed with safety and protection in mind,…

The Japanese are known for minimalist design and intelligent engineering; Snow Peak embraces those values in its new Mini Hozuki Lantern ($40). Styled after a traditional Japanese paper lantern just like its larger sibling, the Hozuki Lantern, the mini Hozuki is an elegantly simple battery-powered camping light that weighs all of 2.4 ounces, lasts up…

When you need to do a hatchet job, best to have a hatchet at hand; however, sometimes the job requires you cut like a knife. For both occasions, the Gerber Combo Axe solves your tool dilemma, saving you from using the wrong cutter by storing a knife inside the axe handle. Both are outfitted with…

Growing up in the boonies teaches you lots of things: at a young age, you knew that field dressing was neither a female garment nor a salad accessory; your childhood memories were made possible by lax zoning laws; and educating coworkers on the finer points of raising livestock isn’t as difficult as you thought. If…

Bushnell is a brand synonymous with high quality outdoor optics, but when it comes to solar power the brand has been noticeably quiet. But all that may soon change as the company widens its focus (if you will) with their new line of PowerSync portable charging devices debuting next January. The lineup includes solar chargers…

Now there’s officially a headlamp for every scenario. The Black Diamond Sprinter ($54) is designed for low-light runs departing from a consistent base of operations (a.k.a. your home) and perfect for twilight or dawn workouts. As the first headlamp to tout a lithium rechargeable battery, you won’t have to deal with swapping out AAs, but…

Gas powered generators are great but they’re not exactly portable nor convenient. Sun Flare Systems S.O.S in a Box solar powered backup generator systems are compact, powerful and just might save your bacon (and solidify your reputation as “the man”) in an emergency. It’s powered by the sun, thereby not requiring any liquid fuel source,…

The Milwaukee 6-in-1 Diagonal Cutting Pliers ($22) continues Milwaukee Tool’s tradition of useful rough and ready tools. Here, the tool replaces the bolt cutter, nail cutter, nail/staple puller, and wire cutter with one versatile cutting instrument. And not to leave good enough alone, Milwaukee has also added a reamer on the back of the plier arms…

Developed with the Special Forces in mind, the patented, flameless, anodized-aluminum Heatstick ($460) can quickly and turn your 1L Nalgene into a disinfecting kettle. Just attach the fuel, hit the igniter and integrate Heatstick into the included water container, or your own, and boom: hot, clean water. Ideal for turning freeze-dried rations into a outback…

Sound principles don’t always create success, but they certainly don’t hurt. The Bosavi Headlamp ($80) is a multi-purpose light backed by the fundamental axiom of usefulness, something too often taken for granted. While flexible-use lights abound, the Bosavi provides a quality of design and ingenuity that sets it apart. Environmental friendliness and quality hands-on manufacturing…

The latest addition to Wenger’s line of ergonomically-handled utility blades the RangerGrip 90 is all about the grip. Sporting a rubber grip insert within a high-visibility yellow recyclable handle, the 90 is ideal for sweaty palms in hot or tense conditions or stiff fingers in cold ones. The thickness of the four-layer multi-tool also gives…

For 80 years, Norwegian knife maker Helle has been building ornate, wood-handled knives that look every bit as good on your mantle as they do in your backpack. Interestingly, the company has lived to be an octogenarian without ever building anything but fixed blades. That all changes this spring with the Dokka folding knife. Helle…

We’re not exactly sure how this happened, but alas, Victorinox Swiss Army released a glow-in-the-dark version of their most beloved Swiss Army Knife. While the color choice is one that would make grandpa roll over in his grave, it’s certain to be a hit among subcultures from coast to coast. For those of the hipster…

A lamp that utilizes the forces of gravity? Sounds gimmicky. But don’t judge a bud (sorry) by its cover. Instead of using E=MC2 for power, the Snow Peak Tulip Lantern ($150) relies on gravity to determine its method of light distribution. Inspired by the natural shape of a tulip bulb, the operation is deceivingly simple….

Like Edward Scissorhands set loose in a cutlery shop, the Gerber Apocalypse Survival Kit ($349) delivers a bevy of bladed goodness. Consisting of seven tools, including Machete, Camp Axe II, Machete Pro, Parang (our favorite), LMF II Infantry, DMF Folder and Epic, the Apocalypse Survival Kit makes the guy holding his Swiss Army Knife look…

So-called “cloud services” hope to make transferring digital data via physical devices akin to cave painting in the near future. That hasn’t stopped pocket-tool legend Victorinox from evolving the classic Swiss Army Knife to house the latest SSDs and transfer protocols. Their new solid state drive line features a special single connector that’s compatible with…

Your average man doesn’t give much thought to knives, much less fixed blade knives. But if you’re at all a prepared man and you either get to the great outdoors with some regularity or you just want to be ready for whatever may come, you might want to include one of the Cold Steel Leatherneck…

Just because an everyday carry (EDC) is all about necessity, doesn’t mean it can’t or shouldn’t have a bit of custom flair. The G. Wiseman Sodbuster Pocket Knife ($330), exclusive to Kaufmann Mercantile could be that special something in your pocket (cough). This “as good as they get” pocket knife is made by hand by…

If Commissioner Gordon happens to be looking for an upgraded and portable Bat Signal, we’d say the Surefire UB3T Invictus ($695) could be easily retrofitted to light the Gotham night. Machined from hardened aerospace aluminum and anodized in matte black with tempered glass window it’s tactical excess in its most beautiful form. It features multiple…

A flashlight is a flashlight. Right? Think about all the times when you needed to reach for one in the house or the garage and the batteries were dead or if it did work, the beam was weak. Even moreso, your run-of-the-mill flashlight tends to be bulky (hence, bad for small spaces) and the beam…

The idea of SCUBA diving at night can seem absurd, dangerous and terrifying to someone who hasn’t tried it. But for those who have done it, it can be exhilarating and downright addictive. The ocean becomes a different place after dark and a whole new set of creatures emerges from daytime hiding places – shape-shifting…

Just because something isn’t broke doesn’t mean you can’t tweak it. Recasting its popular, stainless steel predecessor the PocketToolX Piranha Titanium ($95) proves that lighter is better. 30% to be exact. An open wrench, pry tip, oxygen bottle wrench, metric wrench, scraper, box ripper, 1.5″ driver bit, knot un-tier, and the requisite bottle opener are…

Milled from solid titanium, the innocuous Barbar ($75) may look like some type of industrial throwing star, but those shapes and edges hide three tools: a bottle opener, prybar, and 1/4″ bit wrench. Avaiable in four colors, it also serves as a handy keychain or a perfect companion to its carabiner cousin. If you prefer…