In many parts of the country, the first winter storms already have hit. In the rest of the country, those storms are on the way. How prepared are you and your family to deal with the problems that you’ll surely encounter when bad weather arrives? Do you have a portable generator and the gasoline to run it? Have you put a fuel preservative in that gasoline like Sta-Bil to extend the life of the gasoline and to keep the ethanol that’s been added to the gas from causing problems for your generator? Do you have a quality set of hand tools to take care of any problem you may encounter inside and outside the house?

One of the most-useful tools that you can have during storm situations is the Pro Tool Utility Pole Saw. This unique saw doesn’t require gas or electricity to operate, and you can use it to cut limbs away from your house that you may not be able to reach with other tools. The pole saw also extends your reach to 10 feet, enabling you to cut limbs that may be well off the ground on trees or limbs that may fall into your yard. Before the storm, you can use the Pro Tool Utility Pole Saw to cut dead limbs and trees that high winds and snow may cause to break and fall, and to cut-away limbs and bushes that may rub against your house.

Few hunters ever consider the possibility of bad weather when they’re at a hunting camp. I managed over 1/2-million acres of prime hunting lands in Alabama and had several-thousand hunting clubs leasing land. Many of these hunting clubs had clubhouses. Just about every year, a winter storm would cause the lights and power to go off and limbs and trees to fall around or on various clubhouses. Most of these hunting-club members didn’t have the tools they needed to solve these problems quickly and easily. That’s why I strongly recommend that if you’re in a hunting club that has a clubhouse, you purchase a Pro Tool Utility Hand Saw and a Pro Tool Utility Pole Saw, as well as a generator, fresh gasoline with Sta-Bil in it and plenty of long extension cords to run the power from the generator into your camp house. Although many hunting-club members have chainsaws and other power tools at their camps, what do you do if the chainsaw won’t crank, you don’t have any gas in your chainsaw, you run out of gas for your chainsaw, or the blade on your chainsaw is so dull that you can’t use it to cut anymore? That’s why I know that you need hand tools as back-ups for your power tools.

Two of the most-important hand tools you can have, especially during bad weather, whether you’re at home or at your hunting camp, is the Pro Tool Utility Pole Saw and the Pro Tool Utility Hand Saw. You can use these saws to clear roads after a storm, to cut shooting lanes, to clear brush around the trees where you plan to place tree stands and to prune the limbs off the trees you plan to climb with your tree stand. I can think of hundreds of reasons for you to have these two saws always available and ready for use, especially during the winter months.

Here’s a list of emergency supplies you should have in your home and at your hunting camp:

• Water, 1 gallon of water per person per day for at least 3 days, for drinking and sanitation;
• Food, at least a 3-day supply of non-perishable food;
• Battery-powered or hand-crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both;
• Flashlight and extra batteries;
• First aid kit;
• Whistle to signal for help;
• Dust mask, to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place;
• Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation;
• Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities;
• Can opener for food (if you have canned food);
• Local maps; and
• Cell phone with chargers, inverter or solar charger.

Additional Items to Consider Adding to an Emergency Supply Kit:

• Prescription medications and glasses;
• Infant formula and diapers;
• Pet food and extra water for your pet;
• Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records in a waterproof, portable container;
• Cash or traveler’s checks and change;
• Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank-account records in a waterproof, portable container. You can use the Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (http://operationhope.org/effak/) developed by Operation Hope, FEMA and Citizen Corps to help you organize your information;
• Emergency reference material such as a first-aid book or information from www.ready.gov.
• Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person, and consider additional bedding if you live in a cold-weather climate;
• Complete change of clothing, including a long-sleeved shirt, long pants and sturdy shoes, and consider additional clothing if you live in a cold-weather climate;
• Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper. When diluted 9-parts water to 1-part bleach, bleach can be used as a disinfectant. Or, in an emergency, you can use it to treat water by using 16 drops of regular household liquid bleach per gallon of water. Do not use scented, color safe or bleaches with added cleaners;
• Fire extinguisher;
• Matches in a waterproof container;
• Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items;
• Mess kits, paper cups, plates and plastic utensils, paper towels;
• Paper and pencil;
• Books, games, puzzles or other activities for children.

To learn more about Pro Tool Industries’ Utility Pole Saw, click here . For more information about the Utility Hand Saw, click here.

If you are a hunter, camper, scout, law enforcement officer, in the military or just the average “Joe” you most likely need high quality, functional knives. Custom survival knives should be part of your survival pack. You can be more confident with a well-designed knife for its intended function.

Custom knives are well-made tools with sturdy blades for sharp cutting. If you want a high quality product, seasoned artisans make these knives one by one for a knife that you will have for many years. Top-quality knives require top-quality materials and workmanship. High-grade blades that are razor sharp are made to last a long time, and require less sharpening.

Investing in custom survival knives that last a lifetime and are made by hand can be heirlooms for passing down to someone special. They are true works of art made by craftsmen using the highest grade of American raw materials. They also make wonderful gifts for Father’s Day, birthdays, Christmas or any special occasion.

The great beauty of ordering custom survival knives is that the blade and handle lengths are made to your specifications. Knives can be made to fit your hand. Custom knives will be a pleasure to hold and to handle for the user.

If you desire a quality knife, the two first-rate knives you should consider are the “Hunt Utility Knife” and the “Camp Utility Knife”. The Hunt Knife is ideal for using when hunting, skinning, personal safety, or just as a general utility knife. The Camp Knife is the “companion” to the Hunt Knife for every necessary task. There is also a “Chisel” Knife that can cut a 4 x 4 wood pallet. All of these knives are great for outdoor sporting activities or general functions.

There are so many knives that can be used for many purposes. If you are a knife user or a collector, you want a well-built knife that you can admire for it’s appearance, function, and fine craftsmanship.