Alone

XtianAus

XtianAus

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I am currently watching the tv show alone. It involves 10 survivalist who are set to stay alive on the Vancouver Island, British Columbia, alone by themselves.

It got me thinking, if you were in the same situation and restricted to just one knife, what would it be, and what steel type would you choose?

Keep in mind your knife choice would double as your primary defensive tool against predators.
 
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If we're sticking to the GSO lineup any of the mid size ones would work well for me, 4.1, 4.7 or 5.1. Yet I would go with the GSO 6 in 3v.

Now I love the 10 yet for food prep it's getting a little big. The 6 wouldn't be the best either yet still do-able. It could also do a heap of other camp/survival/defense tasks with ease.

GSO 6 all the way.....
 
Yea the few clips with the bears I have seen. And knowing the BC has more to offer then just them I would go with the 7/7.

Its large enough for defense and small enough for meal prep. Its not ideal, but I believe avoiding being mauled in the face by a bear would priority number uno.

I could also go with a 6 and feel the same comfort level. 3v only. I'd feel confident it would be OK in that environment.
 
Texas_toothpick said:
Yea the few clips with the bears I have seen. And knowing the BC has more to offer then just them I would go with the 7/7.

Its large enough for defense and small enough for meal prep. Its not ideal, but I believe avoiding being mauled in the face by a bear would priority number uno.

I could also go with a 6 and feel the same comfort level. 3v only. I'd feel confident it would be OK in that environment.
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"OK" as in just acceptable?
What would you prefer to improve your confidence?

I agree with 6 being valuable. I dont think i would feel confident with anything smaller than a 6
 
Is there a knife I can use to build a rifle?

I'm in with a GSO 6, in 3V, new heat treat and here's hoping it's got the same corrosion resistance.
 
Thanks, Xtian, I didn't realize another season started. I had mixed feelings on the first episode, but now I want to see the new contestants.

The 6 sounds like a good option. I wouldn't want a knife that is too big because I'd plan on having a giant axe and saw.
 
Silver Needle said:
Thanks, Xtian, I didn't realize another season started. I had mixed feelings on the first episode, but now I want to see the new contestants.

The 6 sounds like a good option. I wouldn't want a knife that is too big because I'd plan on having a giant axe and saw.
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I concur with all above. Was really hoping to see the lady (can't remember her name at the moment) that received the cut nerve damage I believe injury from her GFB Axe, just proves a momentary lapse of situational awareness can be seriously damaging. Seemed as she had enough skills and available resources to have lasted some period of time.
 
Silver Needle said:
Thanks, Xtian, I didn't realize another season started. I had mixed feelings on the first episode, but now I want to see the new contestants.

The 6 sounds like a good option. I wouldn't want a knife that is too big because I'd plan on having a giant axe and saw.
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No prob, i didnt realise either, i was just watching replay episodes of the previous season on foxtel to be honest haha. But i am glad i accidently helped lol :D
 
Id use a GSO 5 I would use it to make a bat for defense. If you go hand to hand with a big cat or bear you will loose no matter what size knife you have. The goal will be to separate yourself from the attacker as far as possible. For me (IMO) the larger knifes you loose some of the finer skill tasks. Plus the extra weight.
 
I had already been contemplating this. It would be the GSO 6 for me as well. Although I have considered my Carothers Light Chopper as well.
 
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The notion that a very large knife can be used as an effective weapon onto itself against a large predator is most often a nice fantasy. If one is pinned down by a big cat or a bear, during shiiting one's pants, better hope to be able to stick that animal in the eye with something sharp that is still sticking to one's weakend hands fingers! (blood rushes away from the extremities toward the heart in perilous situations) In such scenarios even a GSO 2.7 would do, I mean for gwad's sake, a good few years ago some lady here in Cali had fought off a mountain lion by repeatedly stabbing the animal in the eye with a pen while the animal was mauling her husband! Otherwise I agree with the above poster who had mentioned anything to keep the distance or even better a capable firearm :)

Back onto the subject: A GSO 6 which is very capable of doing it almost all and most importantly a tool for making other tools. Oh did I say that I have one on preorder and I am biased? :D

For the purpose of sticking wild hogs and boars, some of our wiler Texans and Floridians will probably go with the GSO 10 ;)
 
I've watched a lot of martial arts movies so I don't think I'd need any kind of weapon to deal with large predators. I think a good roundhouse kick from me would send any animal running... if it wasn't completely incapacitated that is.

I want to amend my earlier post. I think I'd stick with a GSO 6 and large axe, and I'd leave out the saw because of the gear limitation.
 
Silver, just make sure that you don't round house kick a Polar Bear because you may just start spinning in perpetuity around your own axis and in the process earn an Olympic Gold Medal for figure skating :D
 
What's funny is the knife i'd choose is one I don't own. Some sort of Kukri Bolo Hybrid. This would only be the case in the scenario posed by the show. It seems shelter building is a huge must and while i'd likely bring a saw and axe as well, I would want my knife to be "able" to help build shelter if all else failed. A straight bladed chopper like a GSO-10 might also work, but in my head seems too heavy? I do enjoy this show though...despite being completey miffed watching how people split small pieces of firewood while holding the wood....with an axe....
 
My knife would be a GSO 6…

As for the part about “fighting a bear”… I believe the quote that said about it being fantasy. I write this next part knowing some may totally believe I am making this up. That’s okay.

In 1992 my boss at the time offered to take me to the Sportsman Show in Harrisburg, as he was an avid hunter, and a lifetime NRA member. And the NRA had taken over the Show sponsorship. I was about 23 at the time, and was very happy for the chance. He bought the tickets, and paid for travel and food. At the show as we walked the HUGE buildings looking at all things outdoors, we came to a booth where there were photos of men and women in Alabama diving underwater into holes and sticking their entire arm down the throat of massive catfish! And then wrestling with the fish while it has swallowed your arm, up on to the bank! My boss thought that was great! I thought it was nuts!
Then as we entered the small arena, they announced that there was several openings for a 10.00 fee, for volunteers to wrestle Caesar the wrestling bear. I said, “I will”! Then my boss told me I had lost my mind. But I did it. I signed up and got my wrestling headset on, and was taken up on stage in front of several hundred people, and introduced to Caesar. Around 900 lbs, and supposedly friendly if well fed on bakery overruns…

Casinostocks said:
The notion that a very large knife can be used as an effective weapon onto itself against a large predator is most often a nice fantasy. If one is pinned down by a big cat or a bear.......... )

I agree with this quote!

The round was 3 minutes long. And at the end when the bell rang, I was so exhausted they had to drag me off to the side. That bear was just sitting there, and playing with me with one or 2 front feet. And when he pinned me to the mat, even with one front foot, it was almost impossible to get free. If he would have been motivated to move fast? And been mad? I would have been dismembered in 30 seconds… If I had a knife, and was lucky enough to get in 1 or 2 stabs, it would have to be again extremely lucky to hit a artery or something significant in that first strike, or I would be dead or trapped almost instantly.

It was fun, but I had knee pain for months afterwards due to my yanking against the leg Caesar had pinned repeatedly… Hopefully the pic in the Penn Live link will give you a glimpse into what I experienced. It is NOT me. This was the man right before me. I have old video, but no pics from that night.

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2015/02/vintage_photos_of_bear_wrestli.html

This is the same bear, and another article I found on him….

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1990-11-09/news/9004020835_1_caesar-bar-owner-animal-rights
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redwood22 said:
I do enjoy this show though...despite being completey miffed watching how people split small pieces of firewood while holding the wood....with an axe....
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It's a shame that Mary Kate had that happen. It is an example in my opinion of when using a mid size knife to baton that small firewood down would have been much safer. That axe was unwieldy in that application, and it may have cost her 500,000. Wow.

For those of you wanting to learn much more about the show... here is a good read...

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1383504-Alone-Season-2/page10
 
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When speaking of bears, let us not forget the 70+ year old hunter who fought off an angry wild grizzley with a Buck 110, to the point he was able to then get to his .30-06 rifle and finish off the wounded bear. Then walk a mile or so out of the woods to his truck, and drive himself to the hospital. And survived.

Never underestimate a blade, determination, and probably more than a little bit of luck.

I certainly believe the story of wrestling Caesar. But that is a different situation.

Actually, he was just under 70. And he didn't drive his truck to the hospital. He was flown there after he walked/crawled about 2 miles out. In the snow.

Google it. There are a couple of interesting (funny) write-ups about it.

http://www.badassoftheweek.com/genemoe.html

A little embellishment, I think. But an amusing read. There are other articles on it. That was just the fun one.
 
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I'd take a good machete, a saw, sleeping bag, the 20m of paracord, a hammock (made of paracord) a gill net, 5 lbs of pemmican, pot and lid, hooks and line, and a slingbow with 6 arrows. 2 of them with rubber fletching and fishing heads, 2 with flu flu fletching, and the "cloverleaf" spingwire bird heads, and 2 broadheads. You gotta use the hammock to sleep up out of bear reach until you make your ladder and your tree platform. Bait in bears and arrow them from the safety of your platform. Boil off seawater until you get brine, to help you preserve that fatty meat.
 
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