A Day in the Life of a Field Knife Updated with Fire Making

gusbuster said:
Great post Andy! Are you going to be reviewing the the FK2 prototype for Nathan?
Click to expand...

No idea; once I get my hands on one hopefully in a pre order if nothing else I will compare a side by side. Nathan had hinted at doing an evaluation in a seperate thread but everyone is busy this time of year so wasn’t going to bother the CPK crew abput it until after the New Year.
I had mentioned that I am not a “hard user” as far as durability and stuff; more just an everyday-in-the-field user. To me axes are for chopping and jackhammers are for concrete smashing; knives are for slicing, cutting, and making coffee-I mean LIFE (same thing) easier as well as stabbing if needed although I carry specific knives for that however.

That being said I like having a knife that can take the hard use if warranted (emergency helipad clearing, cutting firing ports into walls, the usual Red Dawn stuff).
 
never.truly.lost said:
1600-1700m (5250-5580ft). Not crazy elevation like Colorado for example but high enough for a biogeoclimatic zone classified as Englemann Spruce/Subalpine Fir (ESSF) which of course has both those species present. Similar to what you would find at most ski hills*
Click to expand...
Thanks! Was just curious. I was thinking it must be somewhere in the 1500-2000m range, but don’t know where in the NW (how far north) you are..

ETA: just saw the link you provided. Cool. When you mentioned you were a timber cruiser the other day, I ended up spending a good two hours on a cruiser blog where guys were swapping stories about their various adventures and what gear they carry etc etc
 
Last edited:
Great thread never.truly.lost never.truly.lost ! Really enjoying it.

I was just wondering what kind of vest you use. I have been getting more field work lately, and I am in the market for a cruiser/surveyor vest. The museum has visibility vests in my size (of the mesh no-pockets variety), but I'd prefer to have an actual pack vest in the field.
 
abbydaddy abbydaddy I run 2 different vests. For cruising specifically I use this:

http://theextremecruiser.com/product/the-rouge

It has the best pocket layout for days when you are continuously using different items like spray paint, data logger, hypsometer/vertx, ribbon, notebook, and more. I like it a lot for the layout which will be familiar to .mil guys with the magazine-type pouches for the items you are using all the time and admin above. The Extreme Cruiser also is great for customizing pockets, colours and materials.


For my other vest as pictured in the start of the thread the model is this:

https://www.irlsupplies.com/subgrouping.htm?cat=5879

While it isn’t as user friendly as the EC vest, the pack frame allows you to carry more and be comfortable all day/less fatigue = more productive. In the summer especially when you can move fast and the temps are high, extra water is needed and more supplies like ribbon so the weight begins to add up.


Let me know if you have any other questions; can chat via PM*

Cheers,
Andy
 
never.truly.lost said:
Updated post #3 and #4 with fire photos!
Click to expand...
:thumbsup::thumbsup:
Hey, really, thanks for taking the time to share these!

Great looking dog, btw. I‘m sure he makes an excellent companion out there.

Also have another question: I see you carry an axe with you in the winter to check the thickness of ice (maybe other uses as well) and so pairing it with the FK probably has you pretty well covered. Are there other times (maybe other seasons) where you prefer to leave the axe behind and opt for a bigger knife, eg the HDFK, instead (for overall weight considerations)?
 
Last edited:
Oyster said:
:thumbsup::thumbsup:
Hey, really, thanks for taking the time to share these!

Great looking dog, btw. I‘m sure he makes an excellent companion out there.

Also have another question: I see you carry an axe with you in the winter to check the thickness of ice (maybe other uses as well) and so pairing it with the FK probably has you pretty well covered. Are there other times (maybe other seasons) where you prefer to leave the axe behind and opt for a bigger knife, eg the HDFK, instead (for overall weight considerations)?
Click to expand...

I generally have an axe of some sort (in this case when I don't have any blazing or chopping to do I carry a tomahawk) always. I will leave the axe in the warmer months or when I am specifically laying out a ton of ribbon and need to free up as much space and weight as possible.
In addition to that, I still carry a large knife with me regardless. For years I carried a Gossman Tusker and that is one of the most used knives that I own. Right now I am rocking a Spartan Harsey Model 1 as my big blade/stabby tool. The FK is more of a do everything beside an axe/hatchet/hawk, big knife as a backup and for defense.
 
Last edited:
I do enjoy threads like this. This is the sort of thing this pattern was created for. I like seeing our knives used by these sorts of folks in these kinds of environments. Also, it looks like a really cool job.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top