One of the reasons people usually give for not carrying a personal survival kit, or even just a blade and a light, is that they are bulky. I have tried for ages to get my wife to carry an LED light and a small knife, but even with handbags there’s no available space! If a Victorinox Pioneer is too much for you, consider the Victorinox Swiss Army SwissCard Lite : a complete toolkit that fits in your wallet, purse, or pocket.
The Swisscard is about the size of a credit card (8.1 x 5.3cm) , and the thickness of two cards (3.5mm). Yet it packs a lot of functionality, and has a dozen tools :
- blade/letter opener
- scissors
- magnifying glass
- straight pin
- press ballpoint pen
- ‘Quattro screwdriver’ (3mm, 5 mm, Philips screwdriver 00-0 and 1-2)
- red LED light
- ruler (in cm and inches)
- tweezers
The red LED is extremely low-power so you don’t really have to worry about changing batteries. That said, it provides a miniscule amount of light, and would only be truly useful in total darkness.
Available in translucent red, blue and black, you’ll find that the SwissCard makes a great gift, and probably a keeper. My wife now carries hers religiously; she makes extensive use of both the tweezers and the scissors.
While the tools in the SwissCard are well-made, they should not be considered your primary survival equipment. However, the SwissCard is more likely to be carried on your person at all times – and in some situations, they may be all you have.
Survival Victorinox Swiss Army Knife
