When you have your food sorted but find yourself in a survival situation, the last thing you need is for your eating utensils to fail. Relying on the best survival utensils is the way to go, with durable and versatile cutlery to keep you fed without using your fingers. Survivalists get to pick from a wide range of sporks and other tools, but some models are better than others.
This is where we come in. We’ve researched the best survival utensils, tested them, and now the results are in: the overall best, a budget option, and an upgrade option. If you need a lightweight spork with durability that you can trust, one of our suggestions will help you feast.
Contents (Jump to a Section)
The Best Survival Spork
Nesting, Long, and Versatile
Take your survival utensil to the next level with this versatile 3-in-1 spork that easily reaches into the deepest MRE pouches.
*Price at time of publishing; check for price changes or sales.
I’ll be the first to admit I’m not a fan of hollow-handle multi-tools. In our survival knife review, I shout into the sky how bad of an idea it is to swap a full tang out for a hollow place to stow survival gear.
This spork, however, is making me eat crow. In my defense, it’s a plastic spork- you aren’t going to be abusing it to the point where you need full-tang steel. Nesting additional tools in the handle lengthens this spork and adds some versatility. The length is perfect for reaching into the long MRE pouches or some of the larger Mountain House food pouches.
I’m usually not a fan of serrated survival knives either, but it makes sense here- it’s great for tearing into food. The tiny ferro rod is a nice backup, or convenient if you just don’t want to get out your fire kit.
Here is everything you get with this unique spork:
- 2 color options (orange, green) – I prefer the high-vis orange to avoid losing it.
- Stainless steel and molded BPA-free plastic polymer
- Spork (fork/spoon), serrated knife, and swappable ferro rod fire starter
- 8.8″ length
- 2.0 ounces
With great versatility packed into a long, durable spork- it’s easy to see why the Tapirus Spork tops the rest.
Budget Survival Spork
Slim, Lightweight, and Proven
This small but versatile utensil set nests and stows easily, plus it comes at an unbeatable price.
*Price at time of publishing; check for price changes or sales.
These little guys are cheap, effective, and stow away to virtually nothing. They have a bit of flex to them, so they are forgiving to pack pretty much anywhere in your pack without worrying about them breaking.
The cord to keep a pair together is a smart design, and having a pair in your bag works out quite well. You can use the pair as tongs or toss one to a friend you might meet on the trail.
Here is how this utensil set measures up:
- 2-pack
- 4 color-combination options
- Reinforced glass nylon (dishwasher, microwave safe)
- Fork, spoon, serrated knife edge on fork, and shock cord to hold pair together
- 7″ length
- 0.5 ounces
If you are looking for a lightweight and inexpensive option for any survival kit, this UCO Utility Spork Utensil Set is the best option.
Upgrade Survival Utensils
Lightweight, Practical, and Indestructible
These lightweight titanium utensils will have you feeling right at home with a well-balanced fork and spoon with plenty of reach.
*Price at time of publishing; check for price changes or sales.
If you never want to worry about a spoon or fork again, just grab some titanium! These are shaped close enough to your typical dinnerware to make them familiar and easy to handle and use.
Durability is no question, as you can’t get these to break. They are long enough to reach into the corners of any camp food pouch or slimy MRE menu without getting your hands dirty.
Here are the specs:
- Titanium
- Fork, spoon, and canvas case
- 8.4″ length
- 1.4 ounces
If you need bomb-proof silverware, the Snow Peak Titanium Utensil Set will outlast us all.
Everything We Recommend
Tapirus Spork
Take your survival utensil to the next level with this versatile 3-in-1 spork that easily reaches into the deepest MRE pouches.
Where to Buy
$13* at Amazon
*at time of reviewing
UCO Utility Spork
This small but versatile utensil set nests and stows easily, plus it comes at an unbeatable price.
Where to Buy
$6* at Amazon
*at time of reviewing
The Utensils We Compared
Our research narrowed the field down to a few brands and types of forks, spoons, and sporks that we compared: UCO, Tapirus, CRKT, Snow Peak, CMB, Kershaw, Roxon, humangear, Sea to Summit, TOAKS, and more.
You can see our full list of review criteria below in the What to Look For section, with an explanation for each.
We considered a wide range of silverware, multitools, and utensils. Many prioritize storage profile and weight over usage, and you can tell just aren’t practically suited for regular use without being limited in what you could do with them. (Looking at you, tiny spork keychains!)
We’re always looking for new and better gear, so if you have a spork or utensil set that’s versatile and effective, let us know in the comments. We review most of our tested gear annually so we can try to get it in the next roundup round and see if it will beat out our top picks.
What to Look For
The best survival utensils have a few features to look for:
- Value
- Durability
- Material Type
- Size & Weight
- Versatility
When you get the right blend of these, you can find the perfect utensil set for a wide range of survival tasks. Below, we break down what each of these features means for the sporks that truly set themselves apart.
Value: Cost vs. Benefit
The amount of money you spend on something like eating utensils shouldn’t blow out your entire budget. Most of them are inexpensive and our budget pick is a screaming value that should fit any budget.
Even in a pinch, regular old silverware could fill the roll just fine. It may weigh a bit more and take up more space, but it’s practically free out of your drawer.
You never want to spend too much money on one type of tool, even when it comes to eating. It’s better to diversify your spending to make sure you are covered for a wide range of scenarios.
Durability
Like most survival tools, you want your cutlery to last. Whether it is an inconvenience or your life on the line, broken simple tools just don’t cut it.
Durability is pretty easy to test through regular use. Tines break off the end of forks, knives lose their edge, and spoons can bend. Most of our testing was done just through daily use and noting failure points.
The utensils with moving parts are especially prone to breaking, and the testing proved the point. We didn’t end up selecting any, mainly because moving parts are a weakness unless they are manufactured with high precision and quality.
Material Type
Most survival utensils are made of metal or plastic. The metals that are most commonly found are aluminum and titanium- both very lightweight. Titanium has the edge when it comes to durability and not bending.
Plastic does have the leeching concern, so we did not consider any with BPA. Nylons and other polymers without BPA were tough enough to bend slightly to prevent breaking, making them more forgiving on packs as well.
If you don’t keep sharper metal utensils covered or in a case, you may end up with a hole in your pack.
Size & Weight
We can borrow a lot from the backpacking community when it comes to utensil size and weight. Ultralight backpackers have been getting weight down or pitching their forks and spoons for years.
Many of the utensils we compared were camp utensils, proving that they were ideal for bug out bags, get home bags, and more since they are also designed to stow in packs and be as lightweight as possible.
Nothing we saw went past a few ounces in weight, so utensils shouldn’t be a concern weight-wise in your survival bags.
Versatility
There is a surprising amount of versatility out there for survival utensils. Sure, we have the spork touting its fork and spoon combo (how versatile!), but some manufacturers are really packing in the functions.
Knives, pot holders, pliers, clips, straws, can openers, and wrenches were common for multitool-style utensils, but none of them were impressive enough to merit all of the weight.
Our top pick did impress me and still came in under two ounces. It featured a “good enough” knife and a ferro rod- great backups and convenient to have with the spork.
DIY Survival Utensils
Tools, utensils, and other gear are great for many survival tasks but especially come in handy around a campfire or camp stove. But, you might not always have what you need. Don’t let that stop you from eating since there are plenty of workarounds.
In a pinch, funnels are always a good way to get food and drink into your mouth. Cutting the corner of the MRE or survival food pouch to turn the pouch into a funnel can work as well.
If you are looking to craft something more permanent, you can make a fire fork out of wire, whittle a spoon out of wood, and even (God forbid) use your survival knife. Just make sure you clean it afterward.
Felix shows off his hand-carved cutlery using a Swiss Army Knife and is a fun watch:
Who Needs Survival Utensils?
Nobody needs survival utensils. As we pointed out before, you can grab silverware for your drawer, or if you’re the crafty type- you can whittle yourself a spoon out of a branch.
Although they aren’t considered essential for survival, I do suggest that you consider one for your survival kits:
If you have more than you need, you’ll find that they are useful for camping or hiking. The plastic ones also make great kid’s utensils.
How We Review Products: We research thoroughly before selecting the best products to review. We consult experts in the field for a better understanding of what makes the gear great. Hours on end are spent field testing gear in stressful conditions. We assign performance criteria and impartially rate each tested item. You can support us through our independently chosen links, which can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. After our review process, some of the items reviewed end up in our giveaways.
Sources and References
All of our experience and the testing we do to determine the best survival utensils are useless without listing our research sources and references. We leaned on these for the book knowledge that we paired with our hands-on testing and practical survival experience:
Hitchens, A. (1942). The Sanitation of Eating and Drinking Utensils. The Journal of School Health. Volume 12. Issue 8. Pages 259 – 264. (Source)
Feagans, J., et al. (2010). Meals Ready to Eat: A Brief History and Clinical Vignette With Discussion on Civilian Applications. Military Medicine. Volume 175. Issue 3. Pages 194 – 196. (Source)
Mellergård, E. (2017). Development of an extendable outdoor cutlery set and matching eating kit. Chalmers University of Technology; Gothenburg, Sweden. (Source)
The Final Word
The first multitool (made by the Romans) was centered around eating with a knife, pick, fork, spatula, and spoon built in over 2000 years ago. It is heavier than what we have today, and humans have refined spork technology over the years.
Here are a few other gear reviews and guides our subscribers have found helpful:
We presented quite a lot of information, but as always: if you have any questions let us know and we would be happy to help. Our testing found the Tapirus Spork to be the best option given its value, durability, material type, size/weight, and versatility.
Keep exploring, stay prepared, and be safe.
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