Survival Neck Wallet - Tops Knives

Today we look at a unique product from world famous Tops Knives.  It is called the SNW-01 or the Survival Neck Wallet.

SNW-01 Survival Neck Wallet

It was nice to see Tops, who has traditionally been a more tactical and hunting type knife producer, move into the realm of survival products.  With Tops legendary attention to detail and quality, it ought to prove an interesting test.

Technical:

It comes packaged in a heavy duty nylon type wallet.  Has open top velcro flap.  Inside is a clear pouch for your ID or other items, and two zig-zag pouches that run the depth of the wallet.  On the top of the flap itself is a small zippered compartment.  The rear of the wallet has one open pocket that runs the length and width of the wallet, and is covered with an emergency orange and reflective stripe surface.  (pictures will follow)  The wallet is approximately 6 1/2in tall x 5 1/2in wide.  It includes the following items:

1. TOPS Survival Whistle tested at 126 decibels.
2. TOPS Pocket Survival Saw.
3. Compass.
4. The TOPS Firestarter with Ferrocium and magnesium rods.
5. P38 military can opener/Fire striker.
6. Offset Phillips/flat head Screwdriver.
7. TOPS Dog Tag Signal Mirror.
8. Lighthound LED Flashlight.
9. Lansky Quick Fix Pocket Sharpener.
10. Monofilament HD Line 24 ft
11. Snap Link  3/16 " x 2.0 "
12. 2 Ranger Bands
13. Razor Blade
14. Heavy Duty Sail Needle
15.  Fresnel Lens x3

 Impressions:

As with most pre-packaged "survival" items, I will be honest and say I expected very cheap, low quality items.  I do not like survival kits.  I prefer to build my own, but this one was different.  I was pleasantly surprised at what I found.  The whistle is a flat whistle with 3 holes.  Each hole makes a different pitch, or can be used all together.  Tops claims 126 decibels.  My car stereo friend tested it, and it reached 128 decibels.  I like its shape and size.  The saw is not the old key ring and wire saw I expected when you think survival saw, but a heavy duty hacksaw type blade set up like a folding knife.  It performed well on small camp tasks and fire work.  I also used it to make a few stick traps, wooden camp tools and a fire bow set and it performed well.  The compass was not a name brand compass that I could see, but when I tested it against three other compasses I had lying around, it held to true north and was very responsive, with the needle returning to true within a 2 second count when forced out with a steel nail.

The fire starter is actually a three piece unit, with 3 rods pressed into a metal hub, so that it can be used with a lanyard.  It holds 2 small magnesium rods, and 1 small ferro rod.  It performed well, even in damp conditions, even though it was a different configuration than I was used to.  The P38 can opener does it's job, and has been a military icon for years.  It also works well for throwing sparks on your fire rods.  (as does the saw blade just so you know)  The offset screwdriver is well made and easy to use, although I did not use it during this test.  The small plastic dog tag signal mirror is adequate I suppose.  (I will talk about that later)

The small keyring squeeze type LED light was surprisingly bright.  It stays on until you squeeze it a second time.  It came with the key ring and carabiner attached, but you can remove them.  (I took off the carabiner to use elsewhere.  It is NOT load bearing!)  Anyone familiar with Lansky products knows their quality.  The pocket sharpener did well as expected, with a carbide side and a crock stick honing side.

The kit was rounded out with 24ft of monofilament fishing line and 2 small hooks, a standard razor blade with a paper sleeve, (fire material?) a fresnel lens, a #13 sail needle, 2 ranger rubber bands, 2 large safety pins, and a 5ft wire small game snare with lock.  All in all a very decent, usable kit.  Everything in the kit was usable and functioned as advertised.  It would make a good starter type kit for a novice interested in getting started with survival items.  A more experienced survivalist might find other items he or she would replace or add, and there is plenty of room in the wallet for upgrades.  It was comfortable around the neck with a long lanyard with a cord lock.

One of the things I liked the most was the way the items came packed separately, forcing the user to unpack each item carefully and place it in the kit, allowing them to become familiar with the contents ahead of time, so they know what they have on hand.  I also like the ease of getting items in and out of the wallet.  At a price of $49.95 USD it is also easy on YOUR wallet.

The only thing I really didn't care for was the plastic dog tag type signal mirror.  It did cast a weak signal in direct sunlight, but I would not want to rely on this and only this in a true survival situation.  It could easily be replaced with an actual safety glass signal mirror of similar size pretty cheaply, and not impact production costs, and that is the one suggestion I would mention for the designers at Tops to consider changing for newer models.  (Maybe the inclusion of a mylar space or survival type blanket for warmth/shelter, and a few water purification tablets as well?)  All in all a good buy for those interested in getting their personal kit started on a budget.  I would recommend to friends.  Well done Tops.  9/10

UPDATE:  It appears there was a very thin plastic film over the dog tag style signal mirror.  It is difficult to see and remove, but once removed, it becomes as reflective as any glass mirror it's size.  My mistake.  Sorry TOPS.