Four day hiking trip and no knives allowed?

M

Marzola

Joined
Apr 7, 2007
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32
Hi, i've been reading these forums for a while and figured i'd make my first post.

So i'm entering my freshmen year of college and am doing a pre-orientation hiking trip. It is four days of hiking in Western Connecticut and Massachusetts (i believe we are hiking part of the Appalachian Trail). I'll be in a group of about ten other students and a person from a wilderness school in CT (great hollow wilderness school). I am quite looking forward to this trip as a way to meet some of my new classmates and hopefully do some quality hiking (I even got a new backpack for this trip).

So I got the list of equipment to bring about a week ago (a very basic list with out many details and somewhat lacking). On the list of what not to bring it said no knives of any type. Like many people here, I always EDC a good folder and feel naked with out it, and I wouldn't even dream of going on a long hiking trip with out at least a SAK.

So I figured I would ask some people with more experience than I have. Should I go knifeless? Or should I bring a SAK or even my EDC (a kabar MULE), or forget i even read that and pack my RAT 5 (inside my backpack until i actually need it)?

Another odd thing is the list said no watches, which was happeed to be in bold and underlined. Any idea why they would say that?
 
they probably think you will become a crazy maniac and kill your
fellow campers if you break out your SAK. as for the watch.
that allows them to brainwash you easier because your time perception can
now be manipulated easier.
 
Another odd thing is the list said no watches, which was happeed to be in bold and underlined. Any idea why they would say that?
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Because they're unnecessary and a distraction.

The no-knife thing is very odd. I traveled on educational outdoor trips in college, including an entire semester. The Ten Essentials was ~always~ enforced. I wonder if your group leader is a member or Certified Leader in the W.E.A. or other professional organization?

-Bob
 
The only place I will go where I can't carry a knife is a commercial airplane and a courtroom, and I hope I can avoid both of those the rest of my life too.

Not being allowed to carry a knife on a four day wilderness hike is just stupid.

My condolences.
Scott
 
Marzola said:
Hi, i've been reading these forums for a while and figured i'd make my first post.

So i'm entering my freshmen year of college and am doing a pre-orientation hiking trip. It is four days of hiking in Western Connecticut and Massachusetts (i believe we are hiking part of the Appalachian Trail). I'll be in a group of about ten other students and a person from a wilderness school in CT (great hollow wilderness school). I am quite looking forward to this trip as a way to meet some of my new classmates and hopefully do some quality hiking (I even got a new backpack for this trip).

So I got the list of equipment to bring about a week ago (a very basic list with out many details and somewhat lacking). On the list of what not to bring it said no knives of any type. Like many people here, I always EDC a good folder and feel naked with out it, and I wouldn't even dream of going on a long hiking trip with out at least a SAK.

So I figured I would ask some people with more experience than I have. Should I go knifeless? Or should I bring a SAK or even my EDC (a kabar MULE), or forget i even read that and pack my RAT 5 (inside my backpack until i actually need it)?

Another odd thing is the list said no watches, which was happeed to be in bold and underlined. Any idea why they would say that?
Click to expand...

My first reaction is to tell THEM to take a hike!

I don't know them, and I guess I shouldn't shoot my mouth off, no, that won't work. They're f***ing idiots! To quote Alton Safford, "A good knife is everything! And, if you do not want to carry a knife, you should stay out of the woods". I agree 100%.

Anyhow, you're left with 2 choices, either you go along with them and keep your knives out of sight, or, 2, decide you wouldn't want to be caught dead in the woods with a bunch of new age yahoos who wouldn't carry the #1 most important tool (excluding your brain and your skills, of course) for the woods. (You'll notice I didn't include going without a knife - that is not a choice).

I understand about learning how to improvise tools, and support that idea, but that's no reason to leave your knife at home. You can take it and not use it, if that's the object. As far as no watch, perhaps they want to teach you primitive methods of telling time, and that's also good, but there's just too many rules for me.

You know I'm so nonplussed at the idea of this, that I went back and reread your post, and I saw this: "On the list of what not to bring it said no knives of any type", do you think this is a double negative and it's a test of your reading comprehension skills?

Now it's starting to make sense. :rolleyes:

Doc
 
no knives allowed thats a little unnerving,makes me think whats this guy up to..?
 
I guess they're planning on catered meals with cute little plastic utensils at each stop. If they ask you to bow your head before eating and sing Kumbaya, get up and leave before they pass around the Kool-Aid.

Breaking the law is not a good idea but these people are not the law. They're nuts. You don't need an armory, but stick that SAK deep in your pocket ... just in case ...
 
I would have to agree with most people's thoughts so far. I also feel naked without some sort of knife (ESPECIALLY in the wilderness). I just got back from a trip out East and had at least two with me whenever I was hiking (fixed 4-5" and a 3.5" folder). I am almost always for following all of the rules, but these don't make sense. I would probably ask the trip leader for reasons behind them. If they stick by the rules, my most likely course of action would be to bring at least a folder or small fixed blade anyway. However, it would be good to know the consequences as well (like you can't go on future trips where they might allow or encourage the use of a knife)-because if I brought a knife, I would certainly use it at some point. Barring that, I would carefully weight how much fun the trip might be with how much I would hate being without my knife. Tough dilemma. I think either way I would look for clarification first.
Nick
 
Okay this says hiking so I doubt they are going to do any improvised knife making or survival training or anything just hiking. So I ask you, how do you get the dehydrated food/MRE open without a knife? I would at least take an SAK or Leatherman. Thats what I told my boss about my old Leatherman, it is a tool kit the knife really isn't that good (well compared to my Spyderco it wasn't:) I bet they are trying to prevent students who don't know how to use a knife from bringing their boot knives and compass in the butt survival knives. I bet the instructors have usable knives and believe if someone needs them and seems responsible they can borrow theirs.

I know this sounds like a violation of rights of sorts and at first I agreed. But as a firearms instructor I have to comment that even the most intelligent young people have no knowledge of tools and firearms anymore. A lot of 25 year olds have handled a knife less than I had at 6 and have never....NEVER fired a gun or built a fire or used a hand saw or hammereed a nail or....... It boggles my mind. Perhaps that is the reason.
 
if no knives on a four day hike is one of their rules I would think that is only the tip of the iceberg and if I were in your shoes would not even consider going on the trip.
 
I would pay no attention to this crap and take a folder and the RAT 5 in the pack. What a load of crap.
 
Thanks for the quick replies. Here is the complete list of equipment besides clothes they say to bring.

sleeping bag (rated to at least 30 degrees F) and stuff sack for sleeping bag.
Backpack (internal or external frame)
ground mat, insolate pad or thermarest
water bottle (aprox 1 qt)
flashligt w/ extra batteries
cup and bow (not-breakable) and spoon

Note how there is no mention of a compass, matches, fire starter, first aid, etc.

I'm going to take a knife. If i happen to get in trouble for it, oh well. It an essential tool. Now its just a question of if I should pack my fixed blade or not.
 
custombuff said:
I would probably ask the trip leader for reasons behind them.
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Do NOT question any of their rules. No sense drawing attention to yourself & getting pegged as a troublemaker. Keep your head down, enjoy the hike, be alert for more stupid stuff.
 
I'm thinking that because it reads like a school function, that knives aren't allowed. If it isn't a school function, like Doc, I'd tell them to take a hike without you.
 
I'd be taking at least my SAK and probably a small fixed blade in my pack. Like others it makes me wonder what you're going to eat with?
 
If you're taking one, I would have to say that I would take the fixed blade as well.
As far as not asking questions, I think that's a bad idea. I really can't see the harm in asking. If you are reasonable in your request and non-combative (and politely nod regardless of what they say), you're no more likely to draw attention to yourself as a troublemaker. And if you're caught, you'll be in just as much trouble having asked as not (either way you didn't follow their rules-I doubt they'll care if it's out of claimed ignorance or plain defiance of stupidity). At least by asking you can see where they are coming from and decide if the trip is for you at all.
Nick
 
FOOD! maybe he's going to hump four days of food for ten college kids,or maybe he's going to have them live off the land...?
 
Get ready for the PC college world. This won't be the last time you run into pointless rules. Follow them unless it does you harm, but don't buy into the indoctrination and idealism that runs contrary to reality and common wisdom. Take a pair of Fiskars scissors that can be used in place of a knife, and a small folding saw if you really want to go on the hike. If you don't have them already, it's not money wasted. Have fun, :) ss.
 
Yeah, I really have to think that the pathetically inadequate list is either
1) Poor planning
2) A lesson in making do, or
3) The guide plans to bring everything else you need (not likely IMO)
In any case, I would probably pack everything I would pack if I weren't going with the group. Better safe than miserable for 4 days. Forgetting about the knife issue for a minute, I would probably ask the person running the trip about some of the items that were missing from the list that you thought might be helpful. Perhaps then asking about the knife thing as an "afterthought".

Nick
 
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