If you are lost in the woods and relying on a multi-tool to keep you alive until help arrives, the last thing you want is a tool designed by an engineer in a New York cubicle. You want something conceived of by a survival expert and field-tested by that same expert. You want a tool designed by someone who can live off of mice and who’s felled a moose with a homemade bow. In short, you want a tool developed by Jordan Jonas.
Jonas climbed to fame in the bush-craft world by winning season six of the History Channel’s hit show Alone. Surviving for 77 days by himself on a tundra deep in Canada’s Northwest Territories, Jonas had to rely on homemade tools and knowledge gained from living with the Evenki people of Siberia to win the contest.
He brought this same ingenuity to the design of the Jordan Jonas Signature Card from Grim Workshop.
The Jordan Jonas Signature Card is made in the USA, includes a sharpener, and features:
- Net making shuttle
- Paiute deadfall trigger
- Sewing needle
- Arrowhead
- Awl
- Complete deadfall trap
- Four fishing hooks
- Two hook/lure combos
The card slides right into your wallet (it’s the size of a standard credit card) and also slips easily into a glove compartment, emergency kit, or anywhere else you want to stash it. You can even stick it to a surface thanks to a removable covering that reveals a powerful adhesive. After use, each tool snaps effortlessly back into the card – no losing tiny tools on a pine-needle covered forest floor.
The arrowhead and fishhooks are wonderful ways to provide yourself some much-needed meat in a survival situation. But any survivalist will tell you that passive food gathering is the way to go. Save your calories; you are going to need them. That’s why the net making shuttle and trap tools set this card apart.
A net is the best way to catch fish without wasting time sitting on a riverbank, and the shuttle included in the card will help you make one with reduced effort.
There are two trap tools included: a standard deadfall trap and a Paiute style trigger. Deadfalls can be finicky and tricky to balance, especially if you are hungry, have cold hands, or any of the other dozens of conditions that can arise in the wild. The deadfall tool on the Jordan Jonas Signature Card has three pieces (including the trigger) and assembles in seconds. You can adjust the sensitivity, and the trap is large enough to help you catch mice and other small rodents. You get bonus points for adding your arrowhead to your deadfall weight as a spike to prevent larger rodents from squirming away.
A Paiute style deadfall is a little more complicated to set but less prone to blowing over in the wind and rain. Once you’ve gathered the necessary components (a Y-stick, two support sticks, some string, and heavy rock), the Paiute trigger takes the guesswork out of setting the trap.
Once you’ve gathered some food and you’re sitting around your fire (assuming you’ve been able to build one), you’ll need something to occupy your mind and hands. That’s why Jonas has included an awl and needle in this multi-tool. The needle is a must for making delicate repairs to clothing and footwear, while the awl is handy for punching through heavier materials like rubber and leather.
Of course, we recommend practicing with all of these tools before you need to rely on them to survive. Knowledge, skills, and experience are more valuable than tools in the backcountry. But tools help – and the Jim Jonas Signature Card is a handy one to have around in a pinch.