Share your story - Stopped by police with a Survival Knife enroute to a camping site

RCS

Joined
Aug 1, 2011
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I'd like to purchase a Fallkniven S1 Forest knife with a 5.1" blade for camping purposes but the transport laws to/from camping sites is grey at best. From what I understand you cannot carry in your vehicle a knife with a blade edge 4 inches or over. However, there seems to be an exclusion when traveling from residence to residence but that exclusion doesn't specifically state campsite.

So, have you ever traveled with a knife with an edge 4 inches or larger and been stopped by police when traveling to or from a campsite? If so, what happened?
 
What the hell kind of a knife law is that? What re you supposed to do with your knives if you cant carry them in your car? buy a trailer? charter a helicopter? Where are you? NAZI Germany circa 1939? Let the comments begin...
 
It all depends on where you live. Here i can carry a fixed blade knife on my belt just about anywhere
 
I'd like to purchase a Fallkniven S1 Forest knife with a 5.1" blade for camping purposes but the transport laws to/from camping sites is grey at best. From what I understand you cannot carry in your vehicle a knife with a blade edge 4 inches or over. However, there seems to be an exclusion when traveling from residence to residence but that exclusion doesn't specifically state campsite...

What state? Always first piece of information needed.

- OS
 
Dude..... if you have all of your camp gear, LEO's are not going to hassle you for having a knife on you even if it's a 16" long machete. If you're that paranoid, just put your knife in your trunk or in your pack.

If you for whatever silly reason choose to put it on your passenger seat in plain view, and then for whatever silly reason choose to put ALL of your camping gear in your trunk. Then you will probably get hassled for it.

Common sense buddy.... use it.
 
Yeah, the only reason an officer would give you a hard time is because the knife looked as though it could be readily accessed, whereby the officer could choose to treat it as a concealed weapon.

Like TLO said, I doubt that the officer would give you a hard time if all your gear was in your passenger seat, but what's the point? Why not just put it in the trunk, in your pack/among your gear? Do you really need to have your knife in your front seat? I know Fallknivens are pretty, but you don't need to be ogling whilst your driving.
 
The state is Connecticut. The knife would be packed in the camping gear (tent, sleeping bag, air mattress, etc) on a large touring motorcycle.
 
I wouldn't worry about it too much. If you aren't doing anything wrong you probably won't get searched. And if you do just make sure to explain what the knife is for. (not self defense)
 
I'd like to purchase a Fallkniven S1 Forest knife with a 5.1" blade for camping purposes but the transport laws to/from camping sites is grey at best. From what I understand you cannot carry in your vehicle a knife with a blade edge 4 inches or over. However, there seems to be an exclusion when traveling from residence to residence but that exclusion doesn't specifically state campsite.

So, have you ever traveled with a knife with an edge 4 inches or larger and been stopped by police when traveling to or from a campsite? If so, what happened?
Purchase the hunting/camping sheath knife of your choice and just pack it away with the rest of your camping gear. If the knife is in your backpack and it is locked in your trunk, you should be OK. If you do not have a trunk (pickup truck, etc.), just put the knife in the bottom of your pack and pile your clothes on top of it. Put the pack behind the seat and you still should be OK. As long as it is not in your glove box, console or on your person, a LEO would have a very hard time proving that you could have had immediate access to it. During hunting season, I carry a (unloaded) rifle or shotgun in a long gun case, along with a box of ammo and my hunting knife (has a 4.5" blade) in the gun case. The case goes behind the seat of my truck. I have a Massachusetts Firearms Identification Card (F.I.D) for my firearms and a hunting license in my pocket. Have had LEO encounters (Environmental Police game wardens, checking hunting licenses and gun permits). They saw the knife, but it was never a problem. Again, this is Massachusetts, a notoriously anti-gun, anti-self-defense state.
 
The state is Connecticut. The knife would be packed in the camping gear (tent, sleeping bag, air mattress, etc) on a large touring motorcycle.

Are you a Bandito? I just stopped 3 traveling banditos who said they were coming from South Dakota after going on a week long trip to visit other chapters...they had the same gear you mentioned on the extra seat of their bikes....:eek:
 
The state is Connecticut. The knife would be packed in the camping gear (tent, sleeping bag, air mattress, etc) on a large touring motorcycle.

Sorry. No can do in Connecticut. Hiking or camping is not an exemption for our "sub 4" edged portion of the blade "law.

Hunting ,fishing, or trapping only. If you have a fishing license and fishing gear packed OK, otherwise nope.
 
Sorry. No can do in Connecticut. Hiking or camping is not an exemption for our "sub 4" edged portion of the blade "law.

Hunting ,fishing, or trapping only. If you have a fishing license and fishing gear packed OK, otherwise nope.

Just another reason for me to move out of this God-awful state as soon as humanly possible.

-nate
 
Oh wow! I need to call a friend of mine who ended up with my presidio fixed blade (6.2" blade). He lives in that state :-O
 
I swear, many states will be outlawing testicles next--for many, it's already nearly de facto. Put it in your pack and obey the speed limit. As far as I know, they actually still have to have a REASON to stop you, let alone search you. In twenty years of driving all across the country I haven't been pulled over once.
 
I swear, many states will be outlawing testicles next--for many, it's already nearly de facto. Put it in your pack and obey the speed limit. As far as I know, they actually still have to have a REASON to stop you, let alone search you. In twenty years of driving all across the country I haven't been pulled over once.

^This.

Publicly law-abiding, responsible adults have almost nothing to fear.
 
Oh wow! I need to call a friend of mine who ended up with my presidio fixed blade (6.2" blade). He lives in that state :-O

The statute.....

Sec. 53-206. Carrying of dangerous weapons prohibited. (a) Any person who carries upon his or her person any BB. gun, blackjack, metal or brass knuckles, or any dirk knife, or any switch knife, or any knife having an automatic spring release device by which a blade is released from the handle, having a blade of over one and one-half inches in length, or stiletto, or any knife the edged portion of the blade of which is four inches or more in length, any police baton or nightstick, or any martial arts weapon or electronic defense weapon, as defined in section 53a-3, or any other dangerous or deadly weapon or instrument, shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than three years or both. Whenever any person is found guilty of a violation of this section, any weapon or other instrument within the provisions of this section, found upon the body of such person, shall be forfeited to the municipality wherein such person was apprehended, notwithstanding any failure of the judgment of conviction to expressly impose such forfeiture.

(b) The provisions of this section shall not apply to (1) any officer charged with the preservation of the public peace while engaged in the pursuit of such officer's official duties; (2) the carrying of a baton or nightstick by a security guard while engaged in the pursuit of such guard's official duties; (3) the carrying of a knife, the edged portion of the blade of which is four inches or more in length, by (A) any member of the armed forces of the United States, as defined in section 27-103, or any reserve component thereof, or of the armed forces of the state, as defined in section 27-2, when on duty or going to or from duty, (B) any member of any military organization when on parade or when going to or from any place of assembly, (C) any person while transporting such knife as merchandise or for display at an authorized gun or knife show, (D) any person who is found with any such knife concealed upon one's person while lawfully removing such person's household goods or effects from one place to another, or from one residence to another, (E) any person while actually and peaceably engaged in carrying any such knife from such person's place of abode or business to a place or person where or by whom such knife is to be repaired, or while actually and peaceably returning to such person's place of abode or business with such knife after the same has been repaired, (F) any person holding a valid hunting, fishing or trapping license issued pursuant to chapter 490 or any salt water fisherman carrying such knife for lawful hunting, fishing or trapping activities, or (G) any person while participating in an authorized historic reenactment; (4) the carrying by any person enrolled in or currently attending, or an instructor at, a martial arts school of a martial arts weapon while in a class or at an authorized event or competition or while transporting such weapon to or from such class, event or competition; (5) the carrying of a BB. gun by any person taking part in a supervised event or competition of the Boy Scouts of America or the Girl Scouts of America or in any other authorized event or competition while taking part in such event or competition or while transporting such weapon to or from such event or competition; and (6) the carrying of a BB. gun by any person upon such person's own property or the property of another person provided such other person has authorized the carrying of such weapon on such property, and the transporting of such weapon to or from such property.



Publicly law-abiding, responsible adults have almost nothing to fear.

Yah...it is the almost part. The chances of being arrested and charged while hiking,camping, and traveling back and forth is small. But it is there..... A LEO might not care about your intent, and just might see a felony arrest.
 
OK, I don't know about Connecticut, but here in NC "carrying" means "on your person where it is accessible." Pocket, belt, wherever. "Carrying" does not mean "packed in your luggage."

Connecticut may have a different definition of "carrying." Somewhere in the legal code (maybe in Secs. 53-200 through 53-205?) or in case law this term has been defined. Quit screwing around with internet forums and find a Conn. lawyer who is actually knowledgeable about this stuff. The local NRA folks might know of one.

Or else go about your business lawfully and peaceably like they say and don't sweat it. Or get a cane pole and a daggone fishing license and bungee the cane pole prominently on the scoot. LOL.
 
"Carrying" does not mean "packed in your luggage."

Sec. 29-38. Weapons in vehicles. Penalty. Exceptions. (a) Any person who knowingly has, in any vehicle owned, operated or occupied by such person, any weapon, any pistol or revolver for which a proper permit has not been issued as provided in section 29-28 or any machine gun which has not been registered as required by section 53-202, shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than five years or both, and the presence of any such weapon, pistol or revolver, or machine gun in any vehicle shall be prima facie evidence of a violation of this section by the owner, operator and each occupant thereof. The word "weapon", as used in this section, means any BB. gun, any blackjack, any metal or brass knuckles, any police baton or nightstick, any dirk knife or switch knife, any knife having an automatic spring release device by which a blade is released from the handle, having a blade of over one and one-half inches in length, any stiletto, any knife the edged portion of the blade of which is four inches or more in length, any martial arts weapon or electronic defense weapon, as defined in section 53a-3, or any other dangerous or deadly weapon or instrument.

(b) The provisions of this section shall not apply to: (1) Any officer charged with the preservation of the public peace while engaged in the pursuit of such officer's official duties; (2) any security guard having a baton or nightstick in a vehicle while engaged in the pursuit of such guard's official duties; (3) any person enrolled in and currently attending a martial arts school, with official verification of such enrollment and attendance, or any certified martial arts instructor, having any such martial arts weapon in a vehicle while traveling to or from such school or to or from an authorized event or competition; (4) any person having a BB. gun in a vehicle provided such weapon is unloaded and stored in the trunk of such vehicle or in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console; and (5) any person having a knife, the edged portion of the blade of which is four inches or more in length, in a vehicle if such person is (A) any member of the armed forces of the United States, as defined in section 27-103, or any reserve component thereof, or of the armed forces of the state, as defined in section 27-2, when on duty or going to or from duty, (B) any member of any military organization when on parade or when going to or from any place of assembly, (C) any person while transporting such knife as merchandise or for display at an authorized gun or knife show, (D) any person while lawfully removing such person's household goods or effects from one place to another, or from one residence to another, (E) any person while actually and peaceably engaged in carrying any such knife from such person's place of abode or business to a place or person where or by whom such knife is to be repaired, or while actually and peaceably returning to such person's place of abode or business with such knife after the same has been repaired, (F) any person holding a valid hunting, fishing or trapping license issued pursuant to chapter 490 or any salt water fisherman while having such knife in a vehicle for lawful hunting, fishing or trapping activities, or (G) any person participating in an authorized historic reenactment.


Case law cite....

Section concerns unlawful possession of both firearms and weapons, and possession does not necessarily mean "carrying". 298 C. 1.

Statute does not require state to prove that defendant possessed the knife in the vehicle; it is sufficient for state to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that defendant knew the knife was in the vehicle. 63 CA 228.


------------ I am not a lawyer, just a guy who doesn't want to be fined $500 or get up to three years or both--------- It is not legal, with few exceptions, to have in your vehicle to or to have on your person when you get to where you are going.
 
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It almost makes me sick to my stomach to read all these laws and know that this is happening in the USA. Home of the free? Yeah right. Time to take the power back. Know who your voting for folks.
 
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