Be Prepared In A World Where Anything Can Happen: Off-Grid Survival Axe
Spending time in the outdoors, or traveling cross country presents a number of challenges and unforeseen mishaps that individuals must deal with. Getting stranded or lost without the proper tools can be an unpleasant if not dangerous experience. However, it is almost impossible to plan for every circumstance and carrying a multitude of tools isn’t practical. Marvin Wienberger’s solution was to combine multiple implements into one versatile compact unit, which is what lead to the development of the Off-Grid Survival Axe.
“I’ve been an entrepreneur and inventor for more than a decade. I have invented a highly-regarded set of tools for cleaning vehicle windshields called the ice dozer and snow mover, as well as other products. I worked on a few internet projects, but have always liked physical products and have liked making things. I just stubbornly fell in love with the Trucker’s Friend and kept on going.”, this is how Founder and CEO of Innovation Factory Marvin Weinberger describes the journey to his newest creation, the Off-Grid Survival Axe. Mr. Weinberger’s invention while originally designed as a rescue tool for firefighters has found a home with survivalists and outdoor enthusiasts.
“We began conversations with firefighters to determine what they might value in a rescue tool. One group in particular that had been involved in on scene rescue operations after the Joplin, Missouri tornado, described a need for a tool very much like the Trucker’s Friend, but smaller and with other features that would help them out in the field and not near their truck. That’s how we decided on all of the features, with the exception of the can opener and bottle opener that are on the current model”, explained Mr. Weinberger.
“The specs were really created for me by these rescue workers. Of course, the product had to have a glass breaker and seat-belt cutter. The axe can cut through anything, including front windshields. They also needed a pry bar, nail pullers, and a spanner wrench, which is a special wrench that firefighters use to open valves and connect hoses. There is a tool for closing gas valves, various hex wrenches, and the most important feature that was requested was the incorporation of a fold out sawzall blade. The firefighters wanted a blade that could cut through steel bars, locks, or chains, but that could easily be swapped out for a wood blade and one that they could find at a hardware store relatively inexpensively.”
The inspiration for the Off-Grid Survival Axe came from the Trucker’s Friend, a multi-tool invented by Gys Jansen van Beek. Mr. van Beek, aside from being an inventor, was a decorated war hero serving in the Dutch Resistance in World War II. Mr. van Beek assisted refugees and enemies of the Nazis utilizing forged identity papers. He also helped numerous downed fighter pilots escape enemy lines. Mr. van Beek received honors from Canada, Great Brittan, the Netherlands, and was awarded a Presidential certificate by Dwight Eisenhower. Van Beek emigrated to the United States and after losing his family farm, worked to develop inventions and hand tools. His most successful invention, the Trucker’s Friend, was purchased by Innovation Factory and served as the predecessor to the Off-Grid Survival Axe.
“I came across his product on a remainders rack at a Travel Centers of America. I fell in love with it and bought one while on my way to New Hampshire. A couple of weeks later, I came by the same store and thought I’d buy some more as presents for friends, however they were sold out and had no plans to sell any more of them. I was able to track down Gys and arrange to buy the rights to his design and arranged for it to be made here in the US.”, recalls Mr. Weinberger. “I got to know Mr. van Beek during the last couple of years of his life. He and I would talk once or twice a week, he was an amazing individual.”
The transition from the Trucker’s Friend to the Off Grid Survival Axe was not an easy one. Mr. Weinberger’s insistence that the product be manufactured entirely in the United States posed some challenges. “It took more than three years to go from design to this week, when we are shipping products to the 10,000 people that have pre-ordered. One of the big challenges to getting the tool to market was my stubborn commitment to making it in the United States. The original design was quite expensive, and we wanted to produce something that was first class and affordable.”, stated Mr. Weinberger. Through his perseverance in seeking domestic manufacturers, his goal was met. “The casting for the product is completed in Utah, the handle for the survival axe is made outside of Harrisburg Pennsylvania, the saw blade is manufactured by Milwaukee tools, and the final assembly of the product takes place in Minnesota”, explained Mr. Weinberger.
Mr. Weinberger predicts that everyone will find a use for the Off-Grid Survival Axe, “While the tool was created to serve the needs of professional firefighters, our Kickstarter campaign was supported by regular people around the world who wanted to use it to be prepared for any contingency. Many people have bought it to keep in their vehicles or homes just in case. I think it would be of real interest as an all-around tool for many people including RVers and outdoor people.”
Jared Langenegger
A graduate of New Mexico State University with bs in wildlife and fisheries biology Jared spent 15 years working in fisheries and parks management. He enjoys camping, fishing, hunting, painting, and wood working.
Make Sure To Check Out:
Off-Grid Survival Axe, which is one of the many multi-tools avaibae by Innovatin Facrty. This survival axe is designed with an all-steel head and tang combined with lightweight glass-filled nylon handles and has over 10 features.