Campfire -v- Stove, and Knife Selection
Do you plan to have campfires or cook over a fuel stove? I love a good campfire, but their downside is that they produce sparks that can burn holes in tents, tarps and other things that you'd prefer to avoid having holes in.
If you're not going to have campfires, then saws and axes won't be of much use.
Just thinkin' out loud . . .
Depending on the exercise, I would lean toward carrying the saw & axe over a fuel stove. Yes, the saw and axe mean more effort and assume the availability of firewood but there is considerably more versatility in having cutting tools handy. A stove will do one or two things (cooking and heating), but its usefulness stops when the fuel runs out. A saw and axe will not only provide fuel, but shelter as well -- on top of which they enable you to make other tools and weapons.
Again, all of this depends on the exercise at hand, but I would tend to lean that way.
Even in a scenario where I would take a stove, there would be a selection of basic cutting tools in the truck, if not on my person.
What is your survival system when you are in the woods? Do you believe in having one knife that does it all, or do you believe in having multiple knives? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Disclaimer: it's been a while since I was in the woods, so my remarks are partly based on "the way it used to be" and partly on what I've learned of knifes and my uses for them in the last five years.
Back In The Day (tm), I mostly carried a bolo knife (like a machete, but shorter and heavier). It was fine for light-to-medium chopping, and was effective in certain brush clearing. Today, if I wanted an all around chopping tool, I think I'd look at a kukri, which can be a bit longer, weighs about the same, and is better balanced for chopping without giving up the brush clearing utility. Failing that, I'd go with a light axe or hatchet. Unless you're carrying your own shelter (tent, etc.) you'll need a chopper to fashion what you require.
Back In The Day (tm), I always carried a four-blade army/scout-style knife (a SAK clone) in a pocket or pouch. On one memorable occasion, it was the only can opener we had. Very handy. I'm very comfortable with that kind of knife, having carried one (that same one) for twenty years. Today, although I still have a SAK clone either on my person or nearby (in the truck), I carry a Leatherman Wave on my belt. It's everything the scout knife is (save only for the corkscrew, and I don't carry wine when I'm roughing it), and more, with two kinds of main knife blade, pliers, can/bottle opener, screwdrivers, file, small saw, and scissors. I have no problem at all recommending a Leatherman-type multi-tool. Pick a brand you like and a tool combo that suits you.
Back In The Day (tm), I carried a fixed blade of some kind (I had an old Western sheath knife for a while, and later I carried a Gerber Shorty [no longer made]). Today, that would be two knives. My everyday carry includes a full-sized folder, usually one of the EKA locking blades (check my other posts for pictures). I use it for all kinds of stuff, including kitchen duty. It's the next best thing to a fixed blade, and carries more easily. Rides on my belt in a horizontal pouch. However, on the trail I'm gonna have a fixed blade of some kind. Something with some quality. Length not to exceed six inches, with four or five inches being preferred.
Now, that's four knives: a chopper, a general handy knife (multi-tool), a full-sized folder, and a medium fixed blade.
(BTW, in this discussion, a
"full-sized" folder will have a
blade of three to four inches.) |
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If I knew I was headed out for a specific activity, like fishing, there would be a folding fillet knife in the mix somewhere. If hunting, then my fixed blade would be suited to field dressing and such. If just hiking/camping, I would take care that at least one of my knives would serve well in the kitchen, and be prepared to clean random fish or game as needed.
Looking over the above, I see that I've selected four knives that ride on my belt, which is fine, since there's room on it, but I see that leaves me with an unoccupied front pocket. Well, nature abhors an unoccupied front pocket. There's just something indecent about it. So, for the front pocket, I would take a good quality multi-blade knife, something like a medium stockman or a whittler, to occupy that space. Others will prefer a different pattern, like maybe a Barlow or a peanut or a trapper.
Now we're up to five knives (well, maybe four knives and a hatchet).
So,
could I get along with just one or two knives? Sure. I did it for years. Over two decades it was a SAK clone and a bolo or small sheath knife -- sometimes both. Now that I'm better acquainted with the different patterns, I don't mind the extra couple of ounces for the extra function.
As I type this, I'm currently out in the wilds of our software development lab, and I'm carrying four knives: full-sized folder, multi-tool, SAK, and a gentleman's folder. Out in the far reaches of the parking lot, the truck has an axe, survival machete, saw, large and small folding knives, bait knife(s), fillet knife, SAK, and a fixed blade (but I can't remember which one). 'Cuz, hey, you just never know.
Oh, and just to wrap this up, if you have a hankering for
a handy knife to hang from a strap or loop on your pack,
have a look at the Buck Short Revolution (under 3 oz).
It has a carabiner-style clasp that lets you hang it from
[whatever]. I prefer the plain edge. |
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