Do you carry knives in your kit

If so, do you have a separate kit for hiking a separate kit for camping. Which knives do you carry in either?

If you think that carrying knives in either is crazy please refrain from answering I do not want to go back and forth arguing with people

I am looking for people who actually carry knives in their kits

I carry a Swiss Army Recruit knife. It rides in my pants pocket full time, whether I am backpacking, car camping, hiking, shopping for groceries, sitting in front of the computer... like I said: full time.

The Recruit model has: one large and one small blade, a can opener and a bottle opener (with large and small screwdriver blade tips), a toothpick, and tweezers. It weighs a bit more than 1.5 ounces (my cheap gram scale says 48 grams).

But knife preference varies widely and knife-using habits are equally individual, so what anyone else here uses will reflect their needs, habits and opinions, and may not fit your needs very well.

Do you have any large knives, fixed blades 5 inch or bigger like esse junglas, do you carry large Chopper knives ever hiking or camping not in your backyard?

When going into the actual Woods

there's a thousand people on YouTube discussing what they pack in their gear and they always have Choppers and yet I have talked to over a hundred people on these Camping forums and every single one of them has told me they only carry small folder

I am beyond surprised

personally I always have at least one 6 in knife on me if I have a bag

I only carry you a folder as a Leatherman in my pocket as my EDC

for the woods I don't feel safe without at least one fixed blade

then again I think that hiking more than 15 miles is Ludicrous I would never even attempt to hike a hundred miles like some pwople do, nor is it fun for me

I carry a tiny little folding blade to cut the salami and cheese we carry for lunch. It also comes in handy for any repairs--which are going to be more about sewing than anything else.

I don't carry anything with a screw or a nut, so tools like a Leatherman are just dead weight in my pack. And a big fixed blade knife? I can't think of any way I would use it.

Car camping is different, because my wife is a chef, so she likes a few cooking knives in the back of the van for her use.

You should try hiking 15 miles. You see things that you can't see any other way.

I moved this thread to General Discussion, as a better fit than Make Your own Gear, since we aren't talking about making our own knives.

Where do you hike, JohnyH? A Michigander or Arkansan is going to look at gear differently than those of us who hike in the big mountains out west, especially out here in states where wildfires are an enormous problem.

It's not surprising that most backpackers don't carry a fixed blade knife. There's really no need, and it's extra weight. I think those involved in "bushcraft" are more likely to carry a fixed blade, though. It sounds like that might be the perspective you're coming from.

Personally, I carry a Swiss Army Classic in my pocket all the time, so it goes along, and when hiking I also take a small folder, like a Gerber LST.

I like knives, and have a couple of fixed blades, but wouldn't be likely to take them backpacking.

I understand that people like to go lightweight especially when backpacking a long distance.

I still cant believe that a lot of you hike well over Twenty Miles at a time. I don't think I've heard of too many people hiking anything close to 50 much less 400 miles.

Anything over 15 would be crazy

The longest trail I have hiked so far was 5 miles (not flat tough) although I have done it on well over 20 times, but each time was less than 5 miles

I can understand if you're really into hiking well over 50 Mi why you would not want your pack to be heavy tough

As far as what type of gear I have in my pack yes I'm definitely coming from the Bushcraft side

I too, even with my relatively non extensive experience have shed weight in my pack but in the beginning, I, had axes in my pack I still have care have a large blade but it seems to me people who like the backpack light may have started with a just a 5 inch fixed blade and downgraded to a Swiss army knife

That's that's kind of funny to me but I can still understand it

Personally I like to have a large blade for batoning wood for making a fire I haven't really talked about other additional issues like sleep systems and such if it's really cold outside I don't like to sleep without a fire that's why I need a big knife or an axe

Im in Louisiana

Most backpackers don't do 20-mile days. I think those that do are mostly through-hikers hiking the long trails like the PCT or Appalachian Trail, where they need to maximize their daily mileage in order to complete the trail in one season. And they don't start off doing 20-mile days, but build up to it. There are exceptions, of course. Some very fit hikers may go that far daily on an "ordinary" trip, but they're a small minority.

For perspective, I would imagine most people go 5-12 miles in a day on a typical trip. At least, that's true for me. A lot depends on the amount of elevation gain, and of course, pack weight.

I've never done a through-hike, but it seems that most of the people who do are able to build up to 20-mile days, occasionally 30, and very occasionally 40 miles. With very light loads.

In any case, it's not a contest or a race. Whatever pleases you is the right way.

You should pack the equipment you need for your intended purposes (within the rules). People who feel they need a large fixed blade knife often talk about batoning wood. How often do you actually baton wood? When I hike in areas that allow camp fires I usually have one. I can usually find plenty of dead 1" diameter and smaller branches that can easily be broken up with my feet. I've never felt the need to baton wood. It seems like a lot of work for vacation. I'd rather spend that effort getting farther down the trail to see more of nature.

One more note: most of where I backpack is in areas of limited campfires, either because of the dry fire season, or because I am above timberline. I have never used a fire for heat at night, and I couldn't do that where I backpack.

Thus no need for the larger knife.

Bushcraft and survivalism are very different from backpacking, but they all get conflated with each other. My EDC tool is a Leatherman Wave (the old version), but that's too heavy for hiking. When I'm hiking, I carry a Leatherman Style PS (because I like having pliers) and a tiny fixed blade knife (2.5 inch blade). The most demanding task I've ever used it for while camping was cutting cheese and sausage. Truthfully, even the small fixed blade is probably overkill, but I suppose it gives me some sense of (false?) security.

EDIT: I meant to say, I almost never have a fire, unless my fire bug of a teenager is with me.

Yes, I do the same

Ther is always one knife in my pack, an Opinel in either No.8 or No. 9 size. They come with wooden handles and a very slicey thin blade, excellent for food prep and wood carvings should one need that. They fold and are very light for their size but nothing fancy. The French company that manufactures them is 130 years old and the practical knife has changed very little.

Testing uploaded image of aforementioned knife as it rests with the accoutrements of a trail snack.

Yes, I carry a knife or two when in the woods. Also a small hand axe .

Now, I starting woods hiking in the mid sixties, and a pen knife, at the minimum, was considered de rigeur, and a nice marbles knife would be high class amongst we kids.

Of course, cowboy blankets we're usually the sleep "system", or maybe a sears or coleman bag, but they were so heavy nobody wanted to carry them more than 50, 75 yards of so.

But a knife of some sort? Absolutely!

And if it was a solid back knife that went in a belt sheath , so much the better!

Opinel make a nice, affordable knife that sharpens easily. Will caution the older models have blade locks not as dependable as newer ones, which lock securely. Was glad they redesigned them.

Cheers,

The new locks are a good advancement. The No. 9 in my image has the new lock. One thing I always do is melt a little beeswax in the joint, the handle ends and all over the wood. It keeps moisture from swelling and blade sticking. And they have a size for everyone.

I got an Opinel a year or so ago and really love it. Nice blade; lightweight; and they come in just about any size you would want. Now I just need to convince myself to leave behind my jumbo swiss army knife I bought as a kid with my paper route money (but what if I need the magnifying glass to start a fire? ).

I carry a Gerber LST with 1.75 inch blade. It is extremely light (16 grams or 0.6 ounces), the plastic handle is big and square-edged and knurled for a good grip, and the blade locks open securely for safe operation. The blade is long enough for my common tasks of cutting packaging and food, and it could also whittle an improvised tent stake or whatever. It is reasonably priced, $17 on Amazon.

When I was a teenager, I spent two summers in a work program in Yellowstone Park, with a bunch of other teenagers. As soon as we could, we each went to the nearest gift shop to get snacks, t-shirts and knives. I watched all my new friends buy the biggest knives they could afford. I wanted to buy a big knife too, but I only had $20, and that happened to be the price of a Gerber LST.

I spent weeks watching everyone else throwing their knives into trees or the ground. They all had little side-pouches on scabbards with sharpening stones. They had fishhooks and string and matches in the handles. I had to keep my LST in my pocket, where I usually forgot about it.

After awhile working with their knives weighing down their belts, the fish hooks stabbing their fingers and the handles falling off, most of the other guys threw them away. My LST stayed sharp, because I used it to cut a few pieces of string, or carve a stick for marshmallows. I brought it back to work the next summer and I carried it for several years because it just did the job.

Now, I carry a swiss army knife every day, because I have a house that keeps falling apart. The burliest thing I end up doing in the woods is occasionally sawing sticks short enough to go into a folding stove. The rest of the time, it's just scissor work: cutting the top off of a food bag, cutting a cord, a ripped nail...

If I could find a small SAK with just a saw, scissors, tweezers, toothpick and maybe a short blade, I'd buy it and face the wrath of my wife. On trips when fires are banned, I'll bring an Ambassador (a little bigger than a Classic).

I carry a CRKT SIWI inverted on my backpack strap near my collarbone area. Really handy access but I have to be super careful putting it back in its sheath. When in camp an ESEE 3.

one model better ..

Victorinox Swiss Army Nail Clip 580 Swiss Army Knife

Just gave one to my nursing-student granddaughter; she loves it. Considering getting one to replace the Classic I carry in my backpack when on the trail (and my pants pocket, every day.)

I’ve found what seems to be the perfect pocketknife for my use. The Spyderco Chaparral has a very small footprint closed but when open gives a full five fingered full fisted grip with the most ergonomic handle I’ve ever experienced in a knife that lays flat and unobtrusive in the pocket. The steel is amazing with a very toothy edge and holds that edge very nicely. Overall the knife is very strong and locks up like a bank vault. The edge is about the size of the scout knives of yore, the ones I grew up with. There are several different versions in regards to scale material. This one is the Sun & Moon in G10, a very strong material. The thin blade is the best slicer I’ve ever used. I was hoping it was close to the slicing performance of an Opinel. It is palpably better. At 2.2 oz it’s not ultralight but in the spectrum I look for.

Hello. Forgive me if this thread has been posted before; my search yielded no results. If you’re carrying just one, or multiple, or a fixed blade, how do you prefer to carry your knives?

Personally I prefer the outside corner of my right rear pocket. If I don’t have that pocket into my waistband it goes!

I’m curious to see everyone’s opinions on this aspect of the hobby.

I carry my pocket knife in my pants pocket. It's a small SAK, the Recruit model, as mentioned above. Ironically the toothpick probably gets more use than any of the blades.

For hiking I avoid fixed blades. Even my small fixed blades are significantly heavier and the sheaths add more unwelcome weight. The sheaths collect grit that dulls the blade. There is no great method of carrying them. They are awkward, flap around and hang up on brush and boulders when moving through the landscape.

I wear a pack with a proper hip belt and there is no good attachment area there. They are too bulky and don’t tuck away well. My hip belt has small zippered pockets and that’s where my folding knife rides, securely tucked away. I’ll use it mostly for educational foraging and light food prep. It’s there for fire craft if ever needed but I’ll normally never have a fire. It doesn’t hardly ever rain here but I don’t leave my rain gear behind either. It’s a useful tool but I draw the line at anything larger than a Swiss Army knife. That’s the range I look for.

I do use fixed blades in the kitchen and my 2004 flat ground little Dozier cuts through chicken bones, carves frozen baking chocolate into quick fine pieces so it melts into the mix with little energy use and last week it made a fine secure ice pick. My San Mai carbon steel Traditional Santoku is the knife for 95% of the kitchen work.

I carry a tiny foldable knife backpacking. It does all that I need: slices salami and cheese, cuts an occasional thread or Paracord, weighs next to nothing, and takes up no space.

I can't imagine a scenario where I would need something bigger...

Splitting wood? Campfires are illegal in many parts of the fire stricken West. No need to hammer anything...except maybe a tent stake into the ground.

In general, I try to carry the smallest knife I can get away with.

Since building fires is pretty much out of the question here, what I'm carrying is a Victorinox Ambassador, basically a slightly larger version of the Classic. I don't have giant hands or anything; I just like the extra size of all of the tools. I use scissors far more than a blade, but I do like to have one that can carve a tent stake in a pinch.

I carry it on a tiny carabiner clipped to the edge of my pocket so that it rides vertically and doesn't slip out. It's also useful to loop over my pinky as a little extra retention. This one is my EDC, lately.

Generally if one is experienced with sufficient skill sets they should be able to stay warm and dry without a fire. If I really needed a fire for some reason I can easily make one with no knife at all.

Backpacking is different than the bushcrafting types who camp right next to their vehicles. When carrying everything and hiking far away, weight starts takes on a significant meaning.
The standard size Swiss Army knife is what I’ve used for many decades of travel. I’m very comfortable with this in my wilderness that goes from saguaros to ponderosas right out my door with zero driving.



The Spyderco weighs 2.5oz which is heavier than some will accept but far lighter than a big fixed blade and sheath where some come in at half a friggin pound. However it’s still half an ounce lighter than the Swiss Army Farmer shown for size and it holds an edge forever.

Mobile food prep knife means it must be very slicey with hard veggies. Ergonomics are important to me but so is a very small footprint.



I like it to be able to carve wood though I’ll probably never need that.



And corrosion resistance is a must. I like a weatherproof knife. Sweat and acidic fruits as well as salami can quickly pit or corrode the blade and sharp edge. I’ve seen damage after one backpacking trip so I avoid blades with steel that don’t measure up. I don’t have time to worry about that with everything else going on.

Those are the tests and criteria mine must pass. But that’s just me and others will have their own criteria. The only thing I cut today was a bbq chicken Epic bar so girlfriend could have half, so way more knife than actually needed. Sorry for being long winded. The dog kinda got off the chain. Lol I’ll be good for the rest of the night.

@arizona You could do worse than carry a Spyderco, but living near Golden, I may be biased. ;-) I love their ergonomic shapes and the thoughtful design of every part.

It looks like you live in a wonderful area, right next to the serious mountain terrain. There must be many fine adventure opportunities there.

The first Spyderco in my pocket was around 1987. They see things from an ergonomic point of view with performance at the top of their priorities. One of the tests I did was cutting the backbone out of a chicken through the ribs and pelvis with an ease that was surprising. After that, the veggie slicing on a cutting board and the wood curls, the edge had zero damage, no chips or rolls. It’s a very sturdy design too with super lockup and no blade play.

Those smaller Swiss Army knives are very popular. Colin Fletcher carried a little Classic on his Walk Through Time. He had previously carried a rather large Marbles hunting knife during his Thousand Mile Summer but found it not very useful. He also carried two cameras and lots of fishing equipment but never fished. His kit really shrank after those thousand miles.

I'm lucky to live in a very nice place. Various opportunities for whatever outdoor rec you want and lots of cottage companies, too. Katabatic Gear used to be right down the road. Warbonnet is up the hill.

I grabbed a Spyderco about 25 years ago. I brought it home and demonstrated for my wife by cutting through a tough blister-pack ...and into the couch cushion between us. It was like the plastic wasn't even there. The look she gave me was almost as cutting as the knife.

I just go for Victorinox because I like the extra tools, including the toothpick and tweezers. But now that I've decided to do more cooking on-trail, you've got me reconsidering. Awhile ago, I saw how someone built a custom SAK with a Spyderco blade. Maybe I should check that out again...

The custom SAK with Spyderco blade sounds intriguing. I’ve taken a Classic along with my main folder lots of times for the scissors and nail file but for tweezers a pair of Silver Grippers are always on board for any and every hike. Lots of cacti around these parts. Lol

I went down the internet rabbit-hole on Friday evening, watching videos of people customizing Victorinox and Spyderco knives. Some of the craftsmanship was truly amazing, with acid-etched tools, fancy new scales, colorful liners... It looked really expensive, probably crossing over the break point where I'd worry about hurting it.

I probably have a once and a half gerber or something, but I've found that scissors and nail clippers are more usefull. Jim