A piece of equipment that is essential for survival is a good knife. Now, we know, most folks carry either a belt knife or good folder into the field. They are necessary.

In the military, I used to have an emergency backup knife attached to the front strap of my gear, right at chest level for quick access. Since I don't wear military gear any more, there is nowhere to attach such a blade.

Enter the Stone River "neck" knife. It gets its name from the fact that the sheath for this little gem hangs around your neck and is adjustable so that it is readily accessible with either hand.

The black ceramic zirconium oxide Tanto knife is 5 -3/4" overall with a 2-1/4" blade. The handle is wrapped with 500 weight paracord and comes with a Kydex sheath. The Tanto blade is perfect for straight cuts, such as skinning game or cutting rope. With an MSRP of $49.95, it is a good price for an emergency backup blade.

For those who prefer a different shape, they also makes the neck knife with a white zirconium oxide skinning blade with a 5-1/2" overall length and a 2" blade. Both neck knives stay sharp 10-12 times longer than conventional steel and will not rust or pit, so you never have to worry about the weather degrading their usefulness.

These knives are light enough that you won't even notice that you have one around your neck, but they will be there if you need them. The Tanto style (SRG3NTB) or the Skinner style (SRG3NSW) can be ordered directly from Stone River Outdoors on their website at http://www.stoneriveroutdoors.com