When I first saw the Trucker’s Friend, I wasn’t sure it was something our readers would be interested in. But with car camping and single day adventures by car being so popular, it seems to be a good fit. This is one of those tools you keep in your vehicle for emergency and non-emergency events. It covers several outdoor functions, and would work for dispatching zombies in a pinch too.
So what is the Trucker’s Friend? Well, it’s an axe, hammer, nail puller, pry bar, and lever. That means you can split wood, pound in tent stakes, and pull them up later. When you’re not using it at your campsite, it comes in handy around the house and yard too. Use it for twisting wire or breaking up and clearing ice and debris. Actual truckers will appreciate the tire chain hook too. Its size (19.25 inches long) and weight (2 pounds, 4 ounces) also make it an excellent outdoor demo tool. I wish I had it when we tore down our old fence. The fiberglass handle with “Power Grip” is comfortable during hard use, which is another nice bonus.
Since it arrived during the winter, I had to wait for it to warm up a bit to really test it out. Because breaking ice in my driveway was not a legit test, and I don’t have a truck. But I also split some kindling. Then I tried it out for pounding in some tent stakes. Since there’s no shortage of nails to pull in my scrap wood pile, I gave that a go too. And it handled everything with ease. For safety, a simple but durable cover protects the axe blade, and the user. Pulling it off and pressing it back on was no trouble. Just take care not to cut yourself, and don’t lose it.
Made in the USA from heat treated steel, the Trucker’s Friend has a lifetime guarantee. I appreciate both of those points, which is one of the reasons I’m sharing it with our readers. Another thing I like is that it fills several roles. Because it tries to be so many tools, it doesn’t really excel at any one job, but that’s okay. Sure, it’s not the best axe or hammer. But in a pinch, it will do both. And I can leave it in my car for our next camping trip, or the odd task that might come up before then. As mentioned there is a cover for the blade, and you can sharpen it easy enough. Overall, this is a tough and handy tool, with a price ($59.99) that’s quite reasonable.
If this is something you might find useful, check out their Handy Rescue Tool as well. Adding a handy slot for shutting off gas valves improves the utility for home emergencies. And coming soon is the Survival Axe Elite, with even more features. Find them all at offgridtools.com.
Brian
I’d like to thank OffGridTools for providing their Trucker’s Friend for this review.
That is a wicked tool! My first thought was WTF is that!!! But then I started reading and I could really see this being in my truck for all sorts of reasons. Can you open a beer with it?
If you’re thirsty enough, you can open a beer with anything.
Truth!