The Clarys review the Schrade SCHEXC Outdoor Survival Kit.
USA – -(AmmoLand.com)- Anyone who has set up a base camp for hunting can attest to the need for one or more of the five tools in this kit. As such, we have either loaded our truck with their full-sized equivalents or packed them into our campers. Either way, the full-size equivalents are bulky and often forgotten, either at home or in the field.
Schrade SCHEXC Outdoor Survival Kit
Schrade put together this kit primarily for use in base camps or campers with limited space. The tools in this kit are not intended to replace their full-sized equivalents around your house. However, at the same time, they are not flimsy clones that will not withstand hard use.
With the above in mind, we opened the nylon carrying case that came with the kit and inspected each tool head. The tool heads are made from 3Cr13 stainless steel that has been enhanced with molybdenum and vanadium for strength and corrosion resistance. 3Cr13 steel is widely used in the US for wilderness survival and diving knives. Although it is not our choice for hunting blades, it is just fine for chopping tools and can be resharpened without much difficulty.
Included in this kit is a Pick Head, Axe Head and Shovel Head, all designed to fit on the handle with the twist-lock head attachment. The collar on the head attachment is Only to be tightened by hand. When a selected tool head is installed on the handle, there is no wobble. The handles are heavy gauge aluminum which forms a tight fit when screwed together. They are wrapped with textured silicone for grip. The folding saw, made from 2Cr13 stainless steel, comes with its own handle and would be a great bone saw in the field.
The heavy gauge rigid nylon carrying case is designed to protect the tools from damage as well as prevent them from damaging items outside the case when they are stored.
The MSRP is listed at $135.04, but it can be found online at prices of less than $100.
About Jim and Mary Clary:
Jim and Mary Clary have co-authored over six hundred published articles (and counting) on shooting and hunting. You can read many of them on AmmoLand News.
more curious as to how well the aluminum handle holds up, do the mid point threads hold up to the abuse? does the aluminum itself stand up to heavy use over a reasonable period of time? How about the head attachment collar, does it remain secure and tight even after hard wood chopping or using the pick in rocky soil? Additionally since they’ve used aluminum, how’s the vibration and impact on the hands… will the silicone grip reduce that and how well will it hold up as well?
How is this a review? Don’t mean to be a downer in this holiday season, but a review usually tells the reader how the equipment actually functions in real world use. Otherwise, it is just an advertisement. Not much substance in this one, other than it doesn’t wobble. OK, but did you cut down a tree or make firewood with the axe? Did you prune a tree or limb that tree you cut down (with the axe, previously) with the saw? Did you did a waste disposal pit with the pick and shovel heads? Did they all stand up? Most… Read more »
What is the resulting size of the package and weight? How long are the handles?
Looks good but time will tell if it holds up.