Speaking of "beloved axes," if I were to pick and pack an edged tool, I would want to get my dainty little hands on a Pulaski, basically an axe blade on one side married to an adze head on the other. It is a most versatile tool for fire fighting because you can grub in the dirt with the adze - it would probably do for chopping steps in ice (if you were desperate). A lot of lightning strikes never made the headlines because I and my trusty Pulaski were there (along with a nice sharp shovel).

Probably the best tool is the one that each of us has experience with, and is the tool in which we have trust and confidence.

The Colorado Plateau is definitely Rock Shelter City, where they occur around every bend in the canyon, but they can be found in granitic areas as well. Keep an eye out for random boulders piled up on flood plains. If you find one, you have just about guaranteed yourself a good night's sleep.