non power survival tools

You may not have a use for all 46, non-power tools, but this comprehensive list will jog the survival brain for tasks you might want to perform in a survival scenario. Honestly, this list is comprehensive but it’s fast and loose because I didn’t limit it to the typical tools like an axe, adze, and saws for cabin making. Also included, are a lot of items used to cook, and process staple foods and also handy gadgets that take the place of the electric versions of odd-ball survival tools.

Let’s get down to the list.

#1 Grain Mill (non-power survival tools)

The backbone of my prepper pantry is dry staples like wheat berries and dried beans. As far as I’m concerned manual grain mill is a must-have because it mills flour from any grain or dry bean I have in the pantry.

I personally own the Country living grain mill in the picture above. All I can say is it’s built like a tank and works well.

Some hand-cranked mills can be converted between hand and electrical power so you might want to consider this. Milling anything by hand is hard work.

#2 Coffee Maker(s)

I have used the percolator-type off-grid coffee pot and the french press. I prefer the french press because you are pouring boiled water into the pot with coffee versus boiling the coffee and water at once as with a percolator type.

If you use a percolator type it’s better to keep it up off the heat of a campfire if you can. More than once I’ve placed it on hot coals and had it bubble out all over the campfire. Still, if you are going for cowboy coffee with eggshells the percolator is the way to go.

Let’s take a look at both types of coffee pot that don’t require electricity.

#1 French Press

A french press is easy to use. The basic concept is to boil water in a pan or other single-walled vessel and pour it into the french press which is pre-loaded with coffee.

How To Use A French Press (7 Steps)

Remove plunger
Add 1 TBSP of coarse-grind coffee per cup of water. Add More Coffee for a more potent brew.
Pour hot water into the press
Put the plunger back in the press-pot, and push down to just above the waterline
Let sit for 3 to 4 minutes
Press the plunger, slowly, to the bottom of the pot
Pour and drink

#2 Camper’s Percolator

Follow directions when using a coffee percolator, pay close attention to direct heat, and how much water is in the pot, most containers have a fill line inside. I didn’t pay attention, overfilled the pot, and had water and coffee bubbling all over the campfire. This will also happen if you put it on too much heat.

I find it easier to raise the coffee pot with a grate, up above the campfire.

How To Use A Camper’s Percolator (7 Steps)

Fill the pot up to the fill line, too much water, and it will boil all over.
Add coarsely ground coffee to the percolator basket (paper filter or not)
Place the lid on the percolator basket
Place the assembly inside the pot
Put the top on the pot and heat over medium heat on a grill or campfire grate
Let the pot percolate for 10 or 15 minutes, depending on how strong you want the coffee.

Tip: (When the coffee is percolating, you can hear it bubbling.)

How To Make Cowboy Coffee (9 Steps)

Bring water to a boil.
Let the water stand for thirty seconds
Place 1 to 2 Tablespoons of finely ground coffee per cup or 8 oz of water. For a more potent brew add more coffee
Optional: Throw in some eggshells to neutralize acidity and create a more mellow brew and reduce bitterness
Stir the grounds
Let sit 2 minutes and stir again
2 more minutes and sprinkle with cold water
Slowly pour coffee into your cup. Slow and easy so you don’t disturb the coffee grounds
Enjoy

Adding sprinkles of cold water forces coffee grounds to the bottom of the pot.

Check out the comprehensive article, 26 Ways to Prepare for Societal Collapse.”

#3 Hand-crank Coffee Mill (non-power survival tools)

I’ll be honest I’ve never used a hand-crank coffee mill though I want one. Most of my beans are ground in an electric coffee grinder so I’d be out of luck if the power goes out.

To mill coffee, adjust the grind to be coarse or fine, depending on how you are making coffee. Coffee mills come in all shapes and sizes.

A coffee grinder will also work on dried herbs, nuts, and spices.

#4 Mortar and Pestle

Mortar and Pestles are used to grind and crush herbs. I’ve used mine to make Pesto with basil and pine nuts and I’ve crushed fresh mint out of the garden for a honey mint tea. Finally, I used it once to make an awesome Chimichurri sauce for a Brazilian-style steak.

A Mortar and Pestle is used to grind or crush

Spreads and sauces
Fresh-salsa
Pesto
Chimichurri
Crush Garlic
Pound nuts into fine powder
Crush herbs to release flavor
Make medicinal poultices

#5 Hand Crank Food Mill

The Amish use this type of mill to process food in the kitchen. It does just about everything you need it to do it just takes a lot more work.

8 Things A Food Mill Is Used For

Hot or cold Puree
Processing sauces before canning
Puree Fruits
Puree Vegetables
Remove seeds, skins, and stems
Makes smooth preserves and jellies
Make Apple sauce
Make Tomato sauce

#6 Hand Crank Blender (non-power survival tools)

These manual blenders are as simple as they sound, clamp them to a table or the tailgate of your truck, fill them with ingredients, and turn the handle.

Hand-crank blenders are popular at tail-gart parties to make mixed drinks but they would work great to mix up canned tomatoes for a homemade spaghetti sauce.

Hand-crank blenders aren’t as efficient as electric blenders, but they are great for off-grid or power-out applications.

What You Can Do With a Hand-Crank Blender

Crush ice
Make smoothies and protein drinks
Make smooth vegetable soups like butternut squash
Use for car camping or tailgating to make mixed drinks

Tip: If you are using dry ingredients, add them a little bit at a time. If not, blending is more difficult.

#7 Rotary Egg Beater

I remember watching my grandma use one of these and my mom had one in her kitchen though I never saw her use it. This is another tool that would come in handy off-grid.

5 Things You Can Do With An Egg Beater

Scrambled Eggs
Make Cream
Stir Salad dressing
Make Sauces
Whip up smooth batters

When making the batter, add the dry ingredients a little bit at a time for easier mixing.

#8 Hand-crank Dough Mixer And Food Processor

Skip hand-kneading your dough mix. Add dry and wet ingredients to your dough mixer to make: bread, pastries, pizza, and pretzel dough.

I recently milled white wheat berries and then hand-kneaded dough for homemade pasta. It was a lot of work.

Depending on the brand, some mixers come with other attachments like food processor blades and different types of whisks.

There is an Amish mixer that is considered all-purpose.

#9 Waffle Pie Iron

A mini-cast-iron-pan, on a stick. Used on an open campfire, or an outdoor grill to create delicious mini-waffles.

There is a learning curve with pie irons, keep at it, and you’ll be the most popular person in camp.

Tips For Using Your Pie Iron

Season your waffle Iron before you use it (A gas grill is an excellent way to season)
Oil the iron on both sides before putting the batter in
Let your iron cool and clean it with a clean rag, don’t immerse it in the water when the iron is hot; you may crack the metal.

*Use caution pie irons get hot and stay hot for quite a while.

Check out this article on long-term food storage, “36 Top Foods For Societal Collapse.”

#10 Campfire Pie Irons (non-power survival tools)

It’s hard to say when or where campfire pie irons originated. Similar cooking implements have been around since the 9th century.

In modern times these little campfire irons, on a stick, are also known as a pudgy pie iron, sandwich toaster, snackwicher, jaffle iron, or toastie iron, and are available in various shapes for hotdogs, brats, burgers, pies, pizzas, and hobo sandwiches.

The square version makes the famous “pudgy pie,” which consists of one or two pieces of bread or dough and just about any tasty filling you can think of.

Season your Pie Iron before you use it. A gas grill is an excellent way to season it.

The downside of the pie iron is the small servings.

Make Meat or vegetable pockets, fruit pies, s’ mores, breakfast sandwiches, dough filled with apples, sugar, and cinnamon, or plain grilled cheese

Coat the inside of your iron with oil or use bacon strips on the outside of any sandwich.

Cook with low to medium campfire heat.

Let your iron cool and then clean it with a clean rag, don’t immerse in water when hot, it might crack the metal.

Learn more about pie irons in Ready Squirrel’s comprehensive article, What Is A Pie Iron?

*Use caution pie irons get hot and stay hot for quite a while.

#11 Cast Iron Tea Kettle

Cast Iron kettles are used a lot in bug-out locations with wood heat. Fill them with water and set them on the wood-burning stove to humidify the space.

Take care of your cast iron teapot, and it will boil water for generations.

Kettle Tip: Rusty cast iron won’t hurt your tea, Japanese tea connoisseurs prefer it.

Boil water on your campfire or woodstove for:

Tea
Coffee
Hot cereals
Instant soups
To humidify the air

#12 Cast Iron Tripod And Chain (non-power survival tools)

Cook like a chuck wagon BBQ master on the open prairie. If you have a bug-out cabin or shelter off-grid this is a great thing to have for an outdoor kitchen. You could also do some bushcraft and make one from green wood but the steel ones are sturdier.

A campfire tripod is a three-legged cook stand that sits directly over a campfire. Suspend a cook-pot, such as a dutch oven, from a chain hooked to the center of the tripod.

The chain can be moved up and down to increase or decrease the pot’s distance from the heat of the fire, which allows you to control cooking temperatures.

A tripod and a couple of excellent cast iron pans are a great way to provide an outdoor cooking station where the family can congregate.

#13 Round Tripod Grill

A tripod grill is hooked underneath a cooking tripod and suspended over the fire—a convenient addition to an Off-grid outdoor kitchen.

Cook directly on the grill or use tinfoil.

Use to set your kettle, coffee pot, or pan for hot drinks

Put your cast iron pan or flat-grill down and use it as a stovetop.

Raise and lower the grill to control heat.

Tip: You can make a tripod from small saplings

Coalcracker Bushcraft: World’s Simplest Tripod

#14 Camp Dutch Oven

A dutch oven is a heavy cast iron pot with a solid lid, legs, and a bail-wire handle.

I use my dutch oven when camping but also in the oven. The last thing I made was a pork roast with onions, carrots, and potatoes. I ate on it for 3 days and man was it good.

Dutch ovens are incredibly versatile; you can bake, boil, stir-fry or stew just about any food.

Cook directly on coals or hang from a tripod and use it as a cauldron.

If I could only afford one piece of cast iron cookware, it would be a 5 quart, Dutch Oven, because it is versatile.

Tip: Turn the lid over and use it as a frying pan

#15 Flat Kebab Skewers

Flat kebabs skewers are for “fast-food” campfire cookery.

Push skewers through meat, vegetables, or dough and cook directly on a grill or from the radiant heat of a campfire.

Limited preparation required
Easy cleanup
Customizable-pick and choose what you put on each skewer

Tip: Say No To Round Skewers-food likes to fall off or spin around, which makes it harder to get foods evenly cooked.

#16 Cast Iron Skillet (non-power survival tools)

Cook directly on campfire coals or an outdoor grill.

I use a cast-iron skillet for cooking steak. I apply high heat on the stovetop to crisp the outside of the flank steak, add chopped onions, and then throw it into the oven to finish. Make some Chimichurri sauce, and you’re eating Brazilian steak.

5 Things You Can Do With A Cast Iron Skillet

Pan-frying
Searing
Sauteing
Broiling
Roasting

Tips:

If you hate cast iron, it might be because you haven’t learned to season or clean your pans.
If you put a hot cast iron pan in cold water, it may crack.

#17 Seed Sprouting Kit

Seed sprouting is the hidden gem of food prepping. You can sprout seeds with: a ball jar, a piece of cheesecloth, a rubber band, and seeds.

5 Interesting Facts About Sprouting

Sprouts Grow in the dark. (finish in sunlight for chlorophyll, but it’s not necessary for nutrition)
Use your stored raw grain to create fresh produce
Baked or heat-treated grain won’t sprout
Sprouts take up minimum space
Start sprouts indoors during winter months.

Check out Ready Squirrel’s comprehensive article Sprouts Are An Excellent Survival Food

#18 Cast Iron Loaf Pans

Loaf Pans are used for baking bread, sweetbreads, or meatloaf.

Take care of them, and they will last forever.
Cast Iron heats evenly, so you get a perfect crust.
Loaf pans can be used to bake bread in a solar oven.

#19 Hand-crank Noodle Machine

Forgo a wooden rolling pin in favor of a pasta maker. Roll dough super thin for:

Pasta
Meat-rolls
Egg-rolls
Perogies
Potstickers
Empanadas
Turnovers, or anything that requires thin dough

#20 Hand-crank Meat Slicer

When you think of a meat slicer, you may think of cold cuts for sandwiches, but there are many other things you can slice with a meat slicer.

Bread-to uniform thickness
Cheese: to uniform thickness
Potatoes, for thick-cut fries
Cabbage, for sauerkraut or kimchi
Onions for sandwiches
Tomatoes for sandwiches

#21 Hand-crank Meat Grinder (non-power survival tools)

Hand-crank meat grinders are used primarily to grind beef, pork, or wild game.

With the right attachments, meat grinders can also be used to make homemade sausage.

5 Steps To Use A Meat Grinder

Use Bolts or Clamps to secure grinder to a table or countertop
Cut meat into small pieces and grind it several times
For a finer grind, change to a die with smaller holes between each grind.
Drop cut-up meat chunks into the top of the grinder
Turn the handle slowly

Tips:

Chill meat before preparing, it makes cutting and grinding easier
Run moist bread through your grinder to clean

#22 Indoor Propane Range

Small ranges rated for indoor use, not a camp stove.

These babies are not cheap, but they work well if you have an off-grid cabin or use them as a backup. Only use UL-rated stoves.

Get a stove with a battery ignition system that works without electricity.
Newer gas stoves/ranges, rated for indoors, can not be lit manually. If the electricity is off, more modern stoves, have safety solenoids that stop gas flow and ignition.

#23 Wood Cookstove (non-power survival tools)

I’ve always wanted a wood cookstove. For most of us, these are a pipe dream because they are super expensive. You may want to look into a wood cookstove if you have timber on your land or access to inexpensive firewood.

Wood Cookstoves aren’t considered a primary heat source, but they put off quite a bit of heat.
You can purchase Cookstove models that are for wood heating and cooking.
The Vermont Bunbaker has a stove, a broiler, a range top, and a wood heating component. (I have no financial interest in the Bun Baker Oven, it’s just a good example.)

#24 Propane Refrigerator

Propane refrigerators come in all shapes and sizes, from small portable units to full-size refrigerators.

Propane refrigerators are a good option for short-term power outages; a place to keep expensive cuts of meat, or a couple of gallons of milk.

Commonly used in RVs
Require no electricity

#25 Manual Water Filter(s)

If the power goes out, backpacker-type water filters are a flexible way to get your drinking water.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency suggests storing a minimum of 1 Gallon of water, per person, per day for emergencies such as power outages.

Backpacking filters come in family-size and small personal filters.

Gravity-fed filters are much slower to filter water, but there is no pumping involved. Example: Platypus Gravity Works

Squeeze Filters: A small filter that fits in your hand, I used the Sawyer mini on a recent 110-mile hike, and it worked well. The Sawyer Mini is lightweight, compact, and filters 100,000 gallons of water.

Filter water on the move.

One gallon of water weighs 8.3 lbs, carrying a large supply of water is not an option. (suggested pack weight is 20% of total body weight)

To give you an idea of water storage, I have a 55-gallon drum filled with water as a back-up.

For a family of four, a 55-gallon drum provides 1 gallon of water, per person, per day for 13.75 days. (Used for drinking, cooking, and hygiene.)
The average American shower lasts 8.3 minutes and uses 17.2 Gallons of water.

#26 Kilner Butter Churner

Hand Crank Device for churning butter. This device screws onto a Bell-type jar filled with heavy cream.

Using a Kilner Butter Churner

Place heavy cream into the jar
Screw the top on
Turn the handle for approximately 10 minutes, and you have butter.

#27 Hand-crank Nut Chopper

These come in all shapes and sizes—the ones I like the best screw on top of a ball jar for secure storage.

#28 Hand-Powered Potato Ricer

A potato ricer is an alternative to hand-mashing potatoes.

A few things you can do with a potato ricer:

Mashed potatoes
Applesauce
Guacamole
Cooked squash-spread
Smooth Pie fillings

#29 Hand-crank Cheese Grater

There are many models and price ranges to choose from. Pick a model that best suits your needs.

Suitable for grating cheese, nuts, and chocolate

#30 Rotary Food Mills

Food mills are a staple of every Amish Kitchen. No electricity is needed. This hand-crank kitchen tool comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Excellent for canning or everyday use. Make everything from baby food to tomato sauce.

Fresh juices
Applesauce
Baby food
Refried beans
Canning
Let your fruits and vegetable breath by hanging them in a string bag.

#32 Non-power survival tools (16 hand tools)

You choose what edged items, tools, and equipment you need for maintaining your homestead.

Maybe you depend on a chain-saw for cutting wood, an electric boning knife for processing game or livestock, or you till your garden with a diesel-powered lawn tractor.

Have manual substitutes to replace the tools and equipment you use to survive. Maybe you’ll have gas, and perhaps you won’t. If you depend on fossil fuels, you’ll need to store extra for emergencies. If the power is out, gas pumps don’t work.

Tools that use fossil fuels are absent from the following list.

16 Hand Tools That Don’t Require Electricity

Axe for cutting wood
Knives for processing food-stuff, cutting rope or green woodwork
Hand saws for making and fixing
Wood chisels and files for building and fixing
Saw Horses If you don’t have electricity you might be working outside
Shovels of various shapes and sizes for gardening and repair work
Rakes for gardening
Hoes for Gardening
Scythe to keep the grass and weeds down and to mulch
Machete to clear weeds
Pickaxe to excavate the ground if you are putting in a new garden bed
Wheelbarrow to carry anything heavy
Rope and parachute cord
Pruning Shears for harvesting
Crow Bar for removing rocks in your garden
Seizing wire and chicken wire for mending fences

#33 Items For Tool Maintenance

Whetstones
Manual Sharpening System
Manual Grinding wheel
Replacement-blades
Replacement Handle or wood to make them
Honing oil
Leather strop

#34 Manual Can-opener

If you’re looking for a lightweight can opener for backpacking, consider a lightweight P38 or P-51 used by U.S. armed forces to open canned rations.

You will probably want a manual-can opener that’s a little beefier and easier on the hands for everyday use.

#35 Mechanical Egg Timer

In a power-out or off-grid environment, it’s a good idea to have a timer that doesn’t require power.

Most mechanical timers have a minimum set-time of 1 minute and a maximum of 60 minutes.

#36 Manual Juice Press

This is another gadget that comes in all shapes and sizes.

Some of the larger units can juice just about anything. A less expensive option is small hand juicers used for juicing citrus.

#37 Cleaning Implements

This is kind of a catch-all section. In a power-out or off-grid situation, having a washtub for your clothes and a couple of water bins for a washing station is a way to create a centralized cleaning station where you keep your bleach and soaps. Other useful items to have when it comes to staying clean:

10 Gadgets To Keep Clean When the Power Is Out

Washboard
Clean 5 Gallon Buckets
Composting bucket toilet
Composting mixture of 60% Organic material like wood chips and 40% peat moss.
Wash Basin, and Pitcher
Bleach
All-in-One Castile Bar Soap or liquid soap that will clean clothing and bodies
Quick Dry Towels and Clothing- I learned this on the Appalachian Trail, cotton clothing takes so long to dry you stay wet.
Clothes Horse for clothes Drying
Hand crank washing machine

#38 Sun Shower

If the power is out and the water is not running a sunshower makes an excellent addition to your hygiene kit, and they are simple to use.

A couple of years ago, I helped build an off-grid cabin with no power or running water. After working hard all day and getting sweaty, I looked forward to taking a sun shower. A warm shower is a huge psychological boost.

How To Use A Sunshower

Fill with 5 gallons of water
Set in the sun with the dark side up
Wait an hour
Take a hot shower (make sure the water isn’t too hot)

#39 Fermentation Crock

Large stoneware crocks with heavy stoneware lids have been used throughout the ages to pickle and ferment.

Pure filtered water and salt are used for fermentation
Sizes from 1 to 10 Gallons.
They are used to make Sauerkraut, Pickles, and Fermented Vegetables.

#40 Hand-cranked Cider Press

A Cider Press is used to press chopped apples and other fruit into cider. When homesteading, Colonial Americans planted apple orchards and fruit bushes before building a house or barn. That’s how important a clean source of drinking liquid was for survival.

Cider, the non-alcohol variety, will last 10 to 21 days before it begins to ferment
Hard Cider has a shelf-life of two years
Hard cider was a colonial survival food; raw milk and freshwater were disease carriers

*Note: A typical colonial family of six drank about 90 gallons of cider each year; 15 gallons each.

#41 Hand Crank Emergency Radio

A hand-crank radio is powered by a magnet and wire. When you crank the radio’s handle, an electric charge is generated that is stored in a battery.

Most hand-crank radios also come ready for solar, 12 v charging, and are equipped with a flashlight.

11 Reasons To Have A Hand Crank Radio

Emergency Lighting
NOAA Weather Reports
Entertainment
News
Emergency Updates
Off-grid Living
Solar Charge
Car charge
Manual Charge
3 AAA Battery Charge
USB Charge

#42 Hand-crank Pump

Use to transfer liquids
Use a manual pump to get water out of 55-gallon water storage
Install a hand pump on your water well if your pump runs on electricity

#43 Hand-crank Lantern

Hand crank lanterns have an internal battery that can be charged by hand cranking and usually have LED lights. Most of the new models also allow you to charge via solar, from an outlet, or with a 12-volt charger from a car battery.

4 Uses For A Hand-crank Lantern

Emergency Power outages
Off-grid
Car Camping
Tail-gating

#44 Hand-crank Ice Cream Maker (non-power survival tools)

A Hand crank ice cream maker is a frivolous item. The ice cream is so good I thought it was worth mentioning.

You need ice to make ice cream with these makers.

Check out this YouTube video on manual ice cream making

#45 Treadle Sewing Machine

Treadle sewing machines are powered mechanically with a foot pedal, so your not relying on electricity.

Refurbish an antique or purchase a modern machine.

#46 Crank Winch

A device used to pull or lift heavy objects with a rope, straps, or cable.

Also called a “come along,” ratchet strap, tie-down strap, lashing strap, or cargo strap.

7 Uses For A Crank Winch

Vehicle recovery and survival
Moving logs
Construction
Farming
Hunting
Camping
Gardening

Items You May Need With Your Crank Winch

D-Ring Shackles
Heavy Duty Towing or Nylon Strap
Chain

Warning: rope, cable, and lines under strain can cause serious personal injury. Ensure that all the materials you use to move or lift an object are rated for the weight being moved.

Ok, that sums up everything I could think of that you might need in a power-out scenario. Let me know in the comment section below if you have ideas or suggestions.

Keep on Prepping!

Downloadable PDF Copy of 44 Tools And Gadgets That Work Without Electricity Click Here

Video Summary of 44 Tools And Gadgets That Work Without Electricity

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