The 10 Best Collapsible Weapons for Your Bug Out Bag

An LEO favorite, the baton is quick to deploy even though it is collapsible down to a very small size. A telescopic baton can give you even more leverage in a close-quarter encounter. The baton is very inconspicuous when not extended. Deploying the baton with a flick of your wrist is a quick way to show you mean business and gives you much better reach.

As with any weapon or fighting technique, you can’t just go throwing one into your bug out bag and then call it a day. You will need basic training at the very least. A baton is well worth the time you spend training with one, due to its portability, packability, and the element of surprise.

The Cold Steel Expanding Baton is 26″ extended and topped out our baton review: Best Expandable Baton for Self-Defense

The odds that you will need a recurve bow immediately for hunting is fairly small, so having to put it together and string it is not a big deal. The huge amount of space savings more than makes up for the hassle.

Takedown bows also have the benefit of being able to swap out limbs if they are damaged, or if you need to change resistance.

The Samick Sage Takedown Recurve is 62″ long but is 25″ when disassembled. Each limb pops on and off easily with a single, sturdy threaded knob. It is also very light at less than four pounds.

Simply unfold, and you are ready to sling away. While most do not envision a slingshot as the ideal weapon, you cannot deny its simple-to-use functionality and portability.

Besides using it for defense and hunting small game, you can use it to shoot string or line over tall limbs. This helps you stow packs and food out of the reach of predators, string up tarps, or even climb a tree with a safety line. It is a silent weapon for the most part too.

There are several types of slingshots to consider, and we’ve reviewed survival slingshots already. If you’re willing to put in the practice, it could be a worthy addition to your bug out bag.

A solid .22 takedown rifle has become a survival kit and bug out bag staple. The collapsible nature of the rifle makes it a great choice for a semi-automatic weapon for when SHTF.

While the length can vary by model, most disassemble to less than 23″ long. This makes them extremely easy to store. When taken apart and stowed away, the small outline lets you move much less noticeably and does not bring attention to you as a traditional long rifle would.

Most camp shovels are collapsible. Most camp shovels make a great impromptu defense weapon as well. This SOG Entrenching Tool makes an intimidating defense weapon and doubles as an even more useful tool, all by adding a sharp serrated edge to the camp shovel. 

The one drawback is the very thing that makes it so versatile- the sharpened edge. If you are not used to using one, you could possibly hurt yourself when chopping. Survival situations can make us have more accidents, just from stress and fatigue. 

The SOG topped our recent survival shovel review as the clear choice.

While not typically referred to as a collapsible weapon, the AR comes apart by pushing two pins and detaching the upper receiver. Stowing it in two separate pieces may not make you as ready for any situation you could encounter, but it takes up much less space. The reduced length is really where detaching the upper receiver comes in handy.

Most rifles have to stick out beyond the edges of a pack and make you easily identified as someone carrying a firearm. This is not the case with the AR when disassembled. You can easily bug out quietly and unnoticed with an AR disassembled in your pack.

We know: folders are not as good as full-tang knives for survival situations. But they do take up less space and are easily packable.

We prefer using folding knives as part of our EDC for utility purposes rather than self-defense, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth considering for a bug out bag. While you don’t want it to be your only blade in a survival scenario, they make great utility knives or backups.

There are many models of folders to pick from, but we annually review the best survival folding knives to help out with decision-making.

Multitools have folding knives and other tools built in (usually) and can be a last-resort weapon. Using a knife (or other tool) from a multitool as a defense weapon will be clumsy, but it is possible.

Multitools are great as backup tools for the wide range of functions they provide, and their collapsable versatility makes them great for bug out bags. We dedicated a whole review of multitools for survival tasks, and the best model for you depends on your skill set and budget.

Hiking poles aren’t ideal weapons, but they are collapsible and can make do in a pinch. Many older practical preppers opt to include these in their bug out bags if they have any distance to travel by foot in their emergency plan.

If you have them around anyways, being resourceful might help you out and give you some reach.

There are a few folding shotgun options out there to consider that can greatly reduce space without modifying the barrel length.

The best takedown shotgun for survival isn’t a stand-alone shotgun but the unique Chippa M6, which is an over/under with .22LR and 12 gauge barrels for immense versatility.