Lightweight Backpacking Knife (Folder or Fixed)

Folder: Benchmade Bugout. With the blue scales so easy to see. Amazing piece for the weight.

Fixed: White River Backpacker. Again, amazing for the weight. Orange scales for visibility.

But that Fairly piece listed above is pretty sweet!
 
If you want something really bare-bones like the Izula, look at the Baryonyx Grimalkin (a little smaller) or one of the Varusteleka minis, either the mini Puukko or the mini Skrama (a little bigger, and all a lot cheaper than the Izula).

Me, I’d bring a Kansbol.
 
I prefer the Varusteleka Terava-Jaakaripuukko 110 [Weight: 175 g (6.17 oz), Blade length: 110 mm (4.3''), Blade thickness: 4,20 mm (1.65'')].
Design simplicity, full tang, scandi grind, sharp edge, reliable... in carbon steel or stainless.
 
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wacki said:
(I don't care folder or fixed)
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Well, that is kind of a big factor. You might want to choose.

I don't go into the woods without a fixed blade. I'm not concerned about a couple extra ounces though, I'm a knife nut after all, so having what I enjoy with me while doing other things I enjoy is important. If I were concerned about weight, something like the size and weight of an Esee 3 would be the minimum I would feel comfortable going with.

For an UL folder, the bugout seems like a good choice. I wouldn't go with an opinel because of durability, lock, and maintenance concerns. For me, a vic SAK is vastly more useful.
 
The White River Backpacker in any of it's 3 variations makes a nice little fixed blade ... comes with a cord wrapped handle ... upgrade to G10 ... and another upgrade to Micarta if you prefer.
 
I carried a Spyderco Pacific Salt serrated for most of the AT (section hiked). Truth is I barely used it but I liked having a large blade with me. It's about 3oz with a 4" rust proof blade. Good option I think. Centofante 3 is another good one and the pivot is pinned so no risk of loosening. VG-10 has good corrosion resistance. I like a back lock for reliability.
Sure you could go with Axis - I carried a 940 for a stretch - but I don't really trust the Omega springs especially if they get wet and corrode.
 
Mora Companion is an enormous amount of knife, for a tiny weight. I have one in every backpack / pack setup . Stainless or carbon - your choice .

If you want smaller, a BK14 is a great all-rounder .
 
Both of these have been suggested and they would both be an excellent choice! The nod goes to the Backpacker for quality of finish and a nod to the Fastpak for weight and ELMAX!!!!
I love both of them and I’m confident neither would let you down. If you want a little more knife check out the White River Firecraft 3.5
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These are my three when I’m intending on keeping weight down. Bugout, Bradford G3, and as always the Cadet. They’ve always been more than enough.
 
You have a lot of good suggestions. Personally I would rule out anything that is heavier than 2 oz (including sheath, if fixed).

Only thing I would add is that I pair my backpacking knife with a key chain sized multi tool. I like the Squirt but the Gerber Dime would be another option. I find them helpful for gear repair and first aid.
 
Spikediesel said:
Both of these have been suggested and they would both be an excellent choice! The nod goes to the Backpacker for quality of finish and a nod to the Fastpak for weight and ELMAX!!!!
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Those both look good to me. I used to do a lot of backpacking but haven't been in a long time. On one of my last trips I carried a Gerber LST, which is a pretty minimal folder. Truth is I didn't need a knife very much. Right now I have a Bradford G3 and I would probably carry that.
 
Thread by-product purchase #1,768,475

Thanks to @Akcir I went to the Rainier Knives website. They didn’t offer shipping to the UK, so I sent a message asking if they would. Tom replied within minutes that he had immediately added it as an option, so I now have a Fastpak on its way to me - trans-Atlantic Elmax goodness! :)
 
Most in the ultralight backpacking community eschew a knife, although I think doing so is folly.

For a long time I carried a Gerber Ultralight LST, which did everything I needed it to do at the office, in the car, and at home (where bigger knives were readily available if needed). I felt the ULST was more than adequate for outdoor endeavors, but one weekend I ventured into a temperate rainforest and realized my little Gerber was nowhere near up to the job of processing kindling in the wet environment if such activity was required. Fortunately, I was using an alcohol stove so had no need for a fire, but it was all too apparent that getting soaked could quickly foster such a need.

When I returned home from this outing I embarked on a search for a small fixed blade knife that was capable of batoning without weighing too much. I opted for a Bark River Mini Fox River with a stout, 2.9-inch, 3V blade. At 3.9 oz it's not ultralight, but it does provide great utility and insurance.

Given a knife is considered one of the outdoors 10 essentials, I recommend carrying a small fixed blade knife into the bush for anything more than a casual day hike. Take a look at the ESEE Izula.
 
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