Barrel & Blade

What's in the box: A typical box centers on a knife plus other tactical tools, everyday carry items and compact field gear, while the blade plan sends one premium knife each month.

Barrel & Blade is a monthly tactical gear subscription built around knives, tools and everyday carry equipment. It fits loosely under emergency preparedness. You get useful field gear, but it is not a planned survival kit with food, water or first aid supplies. There are two plans. The Primary Drop is a full gear box for $119 per month. The Secondary Drop is built around a single premium blade and costs $99.99 per month. The company says each box holds $150 to $250 or more in value. That is its own estimate, and the site does not list retail prices for individual items to back it up. Both plans are sold with no contract and you can cancel anytime, so trying a month or two carries little risk. Past drops are grouped into themes like field ready tools, premium blades and compact performance gear. Still, the site says little about specific brands or what a given month will include. Plan names on the site also seem to have changed over time, so the tiers can be confusing. The site does not state shipping costs, delivery times or how it handles state knife laws. If you already enjoy knives and EDC gear and like a monthly surprise, it is a fair bet. Preppers who want a structured readiness kit should look elsewhere.