Backpackers! What knives are you carrying?

If I am going wherever trees are arround, I carry a Vic Soldier (the saw makes sense). If I am going above the tree line, I carry a Spyderco Centofante III (lightweight and cuts like a laser). If I am going to be arround ropes, I swap the Spyderco Centofante III for the Spyderco Rescue.

If I am going to be "playing", then I also take along whichever fixed blade I decide to take.
 
For ultra light trips where I rely on prepackaged dehydrated foods (like cous cous) and precut meat and cheese, I carry a Leatherman Squirt PS4. It covers the essentials from 1st aid bandage prep, cordage, gear repair/sewing, and package opening.

When I take meat & cheese or peanut butter, I carry an Opinel Inox #9 or #10, depending on my mood. Usually the 9. The Opinel 9 weighs about 1/2 of what any sheath knife will, even a light Mora, and i will do 95% of a what a sheath knife will. It can be pressed into batonning work if you leave the lock ring disengaged and know how to pack off of stubborn knots, which you should even with a sheath knife.

For the above, I'm relying on either an alcohol stove (3 season) or white gas stove (winter), so fire making is a last resort safety move, not a nightly comfort thing. Our local woods don't stand up to regular fires well.

The only places I plan on making fires is along routes near rivers. The lower elevation hard woods have more wood and better soil to absorb ash. I limit fires to stove (Emberlit) to minimize ash and avoid fire rings and scorched soil. I'll carry a 4" to 5" fixed blade (Mora Companion or old Schrade) and an Opinel folding saw to feed the stove.

There are 1 or 2 places that we go where I know there are established fire rings and plenty of wood. These are very rare. In these rare cases, I'll carry a 6" fixed blade (Buck Reaper, modified) and a Silky saw. If the Reaper isn't enough to split out wood, then I'm gathering wood that's too big.
 
TAH said:
Nice knives and hiking staff, Sam. :) :thumbsup:
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Thank you! Won't derail the thread, but the staff performed great. Very happy.

You chose the Mora for weight?

Ps: Great avatar. Fits you.
 
Sam Wilson said:
Thank you! Won't derail the thread, but the staff performed great. Very happy.

You chose the Mora for weight?

Ps: Great avatar. Fits you.
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Well, your staff is awesome, just like your knives. :thumbsup:

Yes, Mora for weight. I have discovered - the lighter the knife, the more food I can take. :D

Regarding my avatar of John Wayne's iconic scene in the The Searchers, it absolutely fits me....in my own mind. :D
 
Well.. I am a Dayhiker.. ;) I usually have 4 knives with me.. SAK Classic on my truck key ring, Wenger EVO 18 that stays in my pack, fixed blade on the belt and a traditional always in the rfp.. Now.. Their uses.. Since I been carrying the Wenger(3-4yrs) I think I have used it maybe a dozen times.. The (various) FBs I have carried thru the yrs used very little..:oops: The (various) trads.. Who knows??:rolleyes: But Hey.. Ya never know!!! :D John:)
 
TAH said:
Well, your staff is awesome, just like your knives. :thumbsup:

Yes, Mora for weight. I have discovered - the lighter the knife, the more food I can take. :D

Regarding my avatar of John Wayne's iconic scene in the The Searchers, it absolutely fits me....in my own mind. :D
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I lost 10 lbs. on this last trip, and was eating constantly. Snow and uneven terrain definitely added up. Staff worked great, absolutely thrilled with it. Joints stayed tight (3 piece breakdown staff) and it just worked exactly the way I wanted.

Do you bring a multi tool with you? I usually do for the saw and for moving hot pan/plate around the stove. I normally don't take a folder, but I did this time because I wanted a steak knife for the sirloin I brought for the first day's supper.

Sam
 
I always have two: a Camillus Barbarian fixed blade on a pack strap and a Mora Companion or similar in my pack. I also typically will have a folder in my pocket, usually an inexpensive Coast FX350 that happens to be a great slicer.
 
Sam Wilson said:
Do you bring a multi tool with you? I usually do for the saw and for moving hot pan/plate around the stove.
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No multi tool, just the Vic Bantam, mostly for the can opener. We only hike in about 4-5 miles, so we can take heavier food like baked beans - hence the importance of a can opener. I have an ultra-light pot holder to remove cans/pans from a fire or stove.

As for a saw, I carry a 28 year old Sawvivor for processing firewood. Best backpacking saw ever made and long discontinued. Only weighs 9.5 oz and cuts like a chainsaw.
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Depending on how I feel when I pack up for anything ranging from overnight to nine day backpacking trips, I usually choose more than one from this list:

Ray Laconico fixed blade (several options there)
GEC 73 cocobolo
GEC 15 ebony
Victorinox Farmer
GEC 85 blackwood
GEC 72 blackwood
Spyderco Bradley
Spyderco PM3 cruwear
BM 890
ZT 0566
Otter small sodbuster blackwood
Opinel #6 or #8
 
It’s been a while since I’ve backpacked but this would be what I’d take with me now. Mora Companion, VIC Farmer, and Skeletool. I don’t mind the weight (or lack of) because each has their special place. For me I have to have a set of pliers. I can improvise most things but having a good set of pliers for fishing, repairs, etc. is a must have for me.

43C90A03-2F75-4FB3-97CB-40C459FE07D4.jpeg
 
B14DB103-E6BE-4340-B220-03CF5140B872.jpeg 5DEA2D8C-78DA-4A0D-9FF9-F8523BEA8D6E.jpeg Here is a themoelectric pot that charges ipads, iphones, and/or batteries while boiling anything on a cloudy day. It helps if your ipad has cellular data capability. No more reliance on solar. Any heat source will work. Will work on your gas stove when the electric is out. The boil part can be used to melt snow, sterilize water, simmer food, make hot water for freeze dried stuff. So a knife like this can be used to make fuel for the chimney stove.
 
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Considering that the weight is a very crucial factor during a 3-day hiking in the mountains I had a difficult time in order to decide and choose the right knife…. 15 days ago.

I would like to have my ESEE-6 as a general purpose knife, plus my folding knife…

BUT ...the total weight of the OSPREY ATMOS 50 AG, reached the 15 kgr… (4,5 of them due to the tent, sleeping bag, self-inflating mat + 2 kgr of the backpack itself), so I chosen finally the Terava Jaakaripuukko 110 (4.3’’ blade, 6.17 oz weight etc.) and the DAK folder (Deutsche Army Knife, the military version of Victorinox One Hand Trekker knife)….
As far as the fixed knife is concerned other alternative (very light) choices - under the barrier of 6 oz were: TOPS CUB, Fallkniven F1, Cold Steel Master Hunter....
 
I am aware of every extra ounce I bring with me backpacking. For many years, I sacrificed a little weight savings to always have my Gerber Big Rock with me. For such a cheap knife, that thing served me well (in utility and sense of security). I struggle to leave it at home when I go on a trip somewhere but once I got a Benchmade Bugout it was all over. It literally disappears until I need it. It is big enough to clean fish, slice up whatever, etc. yet small enough to deal with the lighter tasks. I can't speak highly enough of the Bugout for the purpose of backpacking. I admit that it is difficult to leave my fixed blade behind but I very rarely need one.
Having said that, if I know I will need to chop on anything for any reason I'll go ahead and bring my Bark River Bravo 1 LT (or maybe the Fallkniven S1) with me. I have a Mora Companion and, although I have definitely considered bringing it because it is light and cheap, I trust my Gerber or Bark River WAY more in the back country so the decision is pretty easy to carry a few extra ounces. Why have a fixed blade with you if you can't chop with it?
 
Rtak2, Tak mod piggybacked on rd9, fallkniven s1, CS trailhawk, rat3 limited d2,3 spyderco militaries. Rtak2 across the back or tied to backpack, all other knives on Alice belt with suspenders(except the millies in cargo pockets with 2 aa cell flashlights and rat3 on leather belt.
 
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My choice is pretty close to yours TAH in fact the black bantam is what drove me to get black scales for my SAK walker

I paired it with a Mora light my fire in Black/Grey - it not only give me a small saw it also adds a firesteel

thought about geting a Kydex sheath for it but the standard one is fine for now
 
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