APOCABOX is a bi- monthly survival gear box that’s designed for outdoor and survival enthusiasts!
Shipping every other month, APOCABOX is filled with survival tools, gear, and knowledge that can help anyone learn about and enjoy survival and outdoor skills. From Every Day Carry (EDC) tools and survival knives to outdoor gadgets and survival skills kits, APOCABOX is a monthly survival gear box that will help you not only survival the apocalypse, but also make the best out of every trip you take into the outdoors!
Below are just a few of our past monthly survival gear boxes to give you an idea of what to expect when you sign up!
APOCABOX: Monthly Survival Gear Box for February 2019
The TOBACCO HAWK APOCABOX
This box is inspired by Creek’s Grandpa Tucky, from the great state of Kentucky. For him, survival was a way of life—long before being a survivalist was “cool." This monthly survival gear box is full of items that were either directly inspired by him. Creek also included a couple of items he would have used and appreciated.
One of Creek’s most prized possessions is a tool Grandpa Tucky made that he called the Tobacco Hawk. The blade is a crudely-shaped reverse tomahawk that he cut and ground out of an old saw blade tossed aside by a local lumber mill. The handle is a 36" piece of hickory that he harvested in the woods behind his house. The blade is attached to the handle with a bent nail and some kind of an improvised pounded rivet. Grandpa was a tobacco farmer and used this hawk to harvest tobacco.
Enclosed in your box this month is our own, updated version of Grandpa Tucky’s Tobacco Hawk.
Creek’s Updated Tobacco Hawk
You’ll notice the Tobacco Hawk in this monthly survival gear box comes in 2 pieces—the head and the unfinished handle. Finishing the handle (and maybe even sourcing a wild one) is your skills challenge this month (detailed later). For easy transport, your Tobacco Hawk head is mounted with bolts to a piece of wood. This is great way to pack it as well, or you can make a custom sheath for it. It also includes bolts for mounting it to the handle. This updated Tobacco Hawk is perfect for use as a foraging hawk. It can be used to harvest wild edibles and cut large amounts of vegetation for shelter building, or it can even clear debris, vines, and briars. It’s a multi-functional tool that has a limitless number of uses. This tool is designed EXCLUSIVELY for APOCABOX subscribers. It’s hand-made in the USA, smack-dab in Kentucky’s Arts & Crafts District. It, like all of my tools, is backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Be sure to email me a photo of your finished Tobacco Hawk—I’d love to see how it turns out! Send to: creek@creekstewart.com
Survival Utility Panel
This 2 x 2-foot waterproof utility panel is about to become your new favorite piece of kit. It has countless applications while surviving, camping, hiking, or bugging out. It can be used as a waterproof seat, table covering, food prep area, floor mat, shelter/tent entry mat for shoe or boot removal in inclement weather, or it can even be a waterproof space for prepping fire materials and kindling. One side is printed with a camouflage pattern of the outline of the state of Kentucky, and the other side is printed with SIGNAL orange so that this panel can double as a rescue or blazing marker. The best part is that it folds down small and is easy to stow in a pack or jacket pocket. Be sure to share how you use this multi-functional panel by posting on INSTAGRAM with #APOCABOX.
U-Dig-It Survival Trowel
Grandpa Tucky is responsible for teaching me how to poop in the woods. I can’t tell you how many times we’d be out gathering walking sticks and he’d just squat down right next to me and take care of business. While I’ll never be able to erase those memories from my mind, those were still some valuable lessons! Like Grandpa, I take great pride in using the bathroom more outside than I do inside. These days, I’ve modernized my wilderness toilet game with this handy lightweight digging tool from UST. It’s perfect for digging quick cat holes, foraging for roots, clearing fire pits, or clearing debris. It tucks right in a pack or Bug Out Bag, is durable as all heck, and weighs virtually nothing.
Bushcraft Fishing Kit
My Grandpa never passed up an opportunity to catch and eat some Bluegill from Casey Creek (just a short walk from his house). He always carried fishing supplies in his truck! He would have loved this small hand-reel survival fishing kit! It contains 118 feet of fishing line, winder, 2 swivels, 2 hooks, 2 weights, and 2 lures. It’s the perfect addition to trapping or water-related kits. This kit is normally stocked on life rafts as an emergency fishing kit for those stranded at sea but trust us when we say it works well anywhere the fish are biting in the backwoods, too! No monthly survival gear box would be complete without an occasional survival fishing kit.
Stacy Lyn’s Preserving 101
I wish you could have seen Grandma & Grandpa’s basement! The makeshift wooden shelves were lined with canned vegetables from their incredible garden. Canning and preserving was a way of life for that generation—especially in Kentucky. This handbook by Stacy Lyn Harris over at gameandgarden.com is the perfect introduction for any long-term food storage plan. The methodology, clear instruction, and recipe bank within these pages is a wealth of knowledge straight out of the “old way” of doing things. And if you know anything about long-term food storage, the “old way” is the only way.
MAM Pocket Knife
Grandpa Tucky always carried a pocket knife. He used it for EVERYTHING! MAM Knives, made in Portugal, is one of my all-time favorite knife brands. I’m sure Grandpa would have loved the functionality and feel of them as much as I do. The old world charm of MAM Knives reminds me of my Grandpa. This blade is hand sharpened and the accompanying fork and bottle cap remover are the perfect EDC addition to the blade. The folding 2.5-inch blade is perfect for managing all of the small details of any outdoor adventure. It’s the ideal tool for cutting through the line in your Bushcraft Fishing Kit or shaping the handle of your new Tobacco Hawk.
Survival Skills Challenge
Your Survival Skill Challenge is to finish the handle on the enclosed Tobacco Hawk. I’ve included a roughed out handle so that you can get started right away. Carve, shape, and taper it to be comfortable for you. The three enclosed nuts and bolts can be used to secure the Tobacco Hawk blade when you’re done.
My Grandpa’s original Tobacco Hawk has a 36-inch long handle—and I have to be honest— I prefer it at this length. However, I couldn’t fit that long of a handle in your box. If you’re feeling extra ambitious, I’d challenge you to harvest a hardwood handle from the wild and customize it to fit your Tobacco Hawk. You can use the enclosed handle as a template for drilling the mounting holes. I think you’ll find that a 36-inch handle really adds to the functionality of the Tobacco Hawk design. It really changes the overall feel of the tool.
I’ve filmed a video to walk you through how I’ve shaped my own Tobacco Hawk handle and mounted the head. Watch it here: http://www.myapocabox.com/tobacco-hawk-video
APOCABOX: Monthly Survival Gear Box for December 2020
The December 2020 monthly survival gear box had a very Bushcraft theme to it and included a variety of survival tools and gear to make any venture into the wilderness more exciting. Below are some of the items included in that month’s box.
DOGBONE DRAW KNIFE
I posted a video teaser of this product on INSTAGRAM and it received over 15,000 views the first day! I couldn’t believe the number of people who loved the concept of a “Take-Down” Dogbone Drawknife. This drawknife is the creation of our longtime blacksmithing partner, Reptile Toolworks, in Kentucky. The wooden dowels fit into the holes on either side of the blade to create “instant” handles. It’s truly the perfect drawknife for packing on the trail or going into the backcountry to practice projects. It’s perfect for bow making and a huge variety of other projects that require shaping wood. Watch a video of the Dogbone Drawknife in action at: http://www.myapocabox.com/december-2019
ReelSteel Survival Striking Tool
This awesome tool is the creation of Survival Instructor Jamie Burleigh, and we’re honored to release it for the first time to the public in this box. The ReelSteel Tool is a multifunctional survival tool. It’s not only a carbon-steel striker for Flint & Steel fire lighting, but it can also be lashed or taped onto a stick or limb to make one of the most effective hand-reel fishing poles you’ll ever use. And, there’s an integrated divot so that it can be used as a Bow Drill Bearing Block, as well! We’ve included a FULL KIT of accessories so that you can use the ReelSteel tool right out of the box, including char rope & some flint (be sure to use safety glasses.) See the SURVIVAL SKILLS CHALLENGE on the back page for more photos. Also, watch a quick tutorial video at http://www.myapocabox.com/december-2019. In January 2020, the ReelSteel Tool will be available for sale to the public at https://www.oldworldalliance.com/
Buffalo Bone Spear Point
This 7" shaped and polished spear point is hand-crafted from buffalo bone. Use it to practice hafting spear points OR to open all the holiday gift cards you receive this season. Either way, it’s a conversation starter.
Gerber 7-in-1 Shard Keychain Solid State Tool
Don't let its size fool you, the Gerber Shard keychain tool is the perfect companion when you want the basics. With a unique shape of its own, the Shard has seven useful functions: small flat driver, medium flat driver, cross driver, pry bar, wire stripper, lanyard hole, and bottle opener. It is light enough to carry on your keychain, but tough and durable enough for everyday use. The Shard is made of stainless steel with a titanium coating, and it measures 2.75 inches. It's backed by a limited lifetime warranty.
To order the Gerber Shard on Amazon, click the image below or this link: https://amzn.to/3fmjg76
Cricket Mini-Kicker Snack
Everybody gets a kick out of eating crickets. They’re fun and they taste great! Mini-Kickers are a big handful of roasted crickets seasoned just right. Every flavor is an adventure! Crickets are healthy, raised humanely, and contain iron and protein with all the essential amino acids. Crickets are natural, non-gmo, pesticide and herbicide free.
POCKET FIELD GUIDE: Natural Cordage
This 4x6 pocket-sized field guide is 76 pages packed with some of the most detailed natural cordage knowledge on the planet! In this guide, I cover 6 of the best natural cordage plants & trees. No matter where you live in North America, you’re not far from at least one of these natural cordage sources!
In every one of our monthly survival gear boxes, there is a Survival Skills Challenge. Below is the one for this particular box.
Cricket Mini-Kicker Snack
Everybody gets a kick out of eating crickets. They’re fun and they taste great! Mini-Kickers are a big handful of roasted crickets seasoned just right. Every flavor is an adventure! Crickets are healthy, raised humanely, and contain iron and protein with all the essential amino acids. Crickets are natural, non-gmo, pesticide and herbicide free.
POCKET FIELD GUIDE: Natural Cordage
This 4x6 pocket-sized field guide is 76 pages packed with some of the most detailed natural cordage knowledge on the planet! In this guide, I cover 6 of the best natural cordage plants & trees. No matter where you live in North America, you’re not far from at least one of these natural cordage sources!
In every one of our monthly survival gear boxes, there is a Survival Skills Challenge. Below is the one for this particular box.
SURVIVAL SKILLS CHALLENGE
Your Survival Challenge this month is to use the ReelSteel Survival Striker to either build a hand-reel fishing pole OR to start a fire using the included Char Rope & Flint. Photos of steps for making the Hand-Reel Fishing Pole are featured below. Video tutorials are also available at: http://www.myapocabox.com/december-2019
When it comes to a monthly survival gear box, would you agree that APOCABOX offers a unique selection of survival gear, tools, and knowledge? What’s your favorite item mentioned in this article and why?