You’re bugging out, and you’ve got your tools. If you’ve survived long enough, What do you need to sharpen? What kind of knife do you have? I personally like to choose a non-serrated knife for my bug out bag, but the choice varies by where you’re at, and your bug out plan. It’s also nice if you can sharpen a machete or an axe as well if you have one of those in your bag.
AccuSharp Knife & Tool Sharpener
This is the knife sharpener I have in my bug out bag. It’s advertised as being a diamond-honed tungsten carbide sharpener. They’re quick to sharpen and repair any tools, knives, machetes, axes, or even serrated blades. I bought it because I wanted to be able to sharpen the machete and the knives I have in my pack. This would also work well with an axe, but that’s not as relevant in the area where I currently live. I’ve used one of these on a serrated blade, and it works, but its not the best tool for the job. If that’s not the primary purpose though for me, so it’s what I use. I also love the hand protection that protects your hand while sharpening.
Whetstone
If you’re good with a whetstone, you can sharpen most things, other than serrated tools, and can take care of other tools, serrated tools, and don’t add much weight or take up much space to your bug out bag. I’ve never had one of these other options break, but its possible. It’s a lot harder to break a rock, and that’s just what a whetstone is. It’s simple, and it’s worked for hundreds if not thousands of years as a knife sharpener. This is the best selling whetstone on Amazon.
Smith’s CCKS 2-Step Knife Sharpener
This is my dad’s go to knife sharpener when he goes hunting. I’ve seen him skin and bone out an entire elk in the field, and kept his knife sharp with this sharpener. If you’ve got a non-serrated blade, and don’t have tools like an axe or a machete to sharpen, this is the sharpener you want in your bug out bag. It’s inexpensive, effective, and durable enough to have taken care of a few elk and lot of deer.
Smith’s 50264 Adjustable Manual Knife Sharpener
If you’ve got a serrated knife, and love it, this is the sharpener for you. This knife sharpener is designed with both straight blades, and serrated blades in mind. It has 3 slots, a course slot, a serrated slot, and a fine slot. This sharpener is the quickest and best option for serrated knives.
Smith’s Abrasives PP1 hunting-knife-sharpeners
The abrasive rod makes it possible to sharpen the biggest machete or saw blade, down to tiny serrations on a knife. This is your jack of all trades sharpener, but master of none. You can sharpen a non-serrated knife with the slots, and can sharpen serrations, or any tool with the sharpening rod, including saws, serrations, axes, machetes, etc. It’s not the best tool for any of those, but it works for all of them. If you’re looking for versatility and minimalism for your knife sharpener in your bug out bag, this is the knife sharpener you’re looking for.
What’s the Status of Your Bug Out Bag?
A knife sharpener is a vital part of your bug out bag, but you need all the right gear in a SHTF scenario, and there is little margin for error. When your life depends on it, you want to make sure you haven’t forgotten anything. For that reason we put together an extensive bug out bag checklist to help you determine if you’re prepared, should you ever need to get out of dodge.
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