Backcountry knife setup

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BChou-E29

Joined
Dec 4, 2009
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Since the folks here on BF are probably the most knowledgable on stuff related to sharp things, I'd like to pose a question. What kinda sharps do YOU carry on a trip into the backcountry? Knives, hawks, machetes, hatchets, axes, ya know... No wrong answers here, just curious as to what you guys carry.

As for me, I'm more of a day hiker so I'm usually just toting a Spyderco Endura 4 FFG and/or Mora 711G.
 
Honestly if you are just sticking to well beaten trails a spydie should be fine. I usually have a 4"-5" fixed blade and a sak or slippie in my pocket, with the occasional large blade. check my tenkiller post and i have a pic of what i had that trip. I usually drift far off the trails and like having something a little more substational should the need arise.
 
I carry a Victorinox Farmer, Huntsman or other SAK with a saw and a Mora, but I usually stick to trails and have a tent and sleeping gear with me.
 
For any overnight I take:
A 3" folder like a delica.
Plus a 4-5" fixed blade like a Bark River Aurora, Bravo1 etc.
Plus a folding saw or small axe/hatchet or large blade for chopping.

I haven't really settled on which combination works the best.

If I'm just hiking or bushwalking I always take the fallkniven F1. It's tough enough that I can depend on it if something goes wrong but small and light enough that I'm not cursing taking a large or heavy blade/tool half way through the trip.
 
Hi all,

I carry E. Kreps style, and then a small folding saw.

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Sometimes I carry a Kephart style knife a non folding hand saw and my axe.

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Just depends on what I am planning to do for that day. If I am going to go bird watching then my sling bag goes if I am going to do some cooking and woodcraft stuff then my pack goes.


Bryan
 
for extended trips into the backcountry I'm generally going light & fast (15-20 miles/day)- a small fixed blade for wood prep (I use a small woodburning stove), food prep and cleaning fish/fowl (grouse in season) fits the bill for me

I set mine up as a "kit" w/ some basic survival bits in the off chance I was to be separated from my pack

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A chopper 9"+, a small fixed blade, and a Vic Farmer. Sometimes I may pack a larger saw, it really depends.
 
If it's just a day trip I'll carry my slippie, a med. fixed blade of some sort, and my pack. For hunting or overnights I carry all the above plus a machete or a hatchet, and of course whatever hunting weapon for the season.
 
Unless I plan on some significant wood processing, I'll only take along a folder (either my Mini-grip, or Vic Outrider), a multi tool (Vic Spirit), and a Mora (mostly for food prep/cleaning fish). Since I do mostly car camping lately (2 small children are part of the team now), I can take whatever the heck I want. Mostly a large machete, folding saw, and hatchet, in addition to the above, and whatever new blade I want to play around with. FYI, I thru-hiked the AT in 2002, and all I had with me was a Vic Explorer. So you can go pretty minimal if you have a mind to.
 
Thanks for the replies guys. It looks like a bit more folks here prefer a smaller fixed blade oriented system supplemented with an axe or saw. THose who carry a larger knife 7"+ in lieu of a saw/hatchet, what advantages do you believe this system offers over say...a smaller fixed blade like the mora, saw, and maybe a hatchet?
 
BChou-E29 said:
Thanks for the replies guys. It looks like a bit more folks here prefer a smaller fixed blade oriented system supplemented with an axe or saw. THose who carry a larger knife 7"+ in lieu of a saw/hatchet, what advantages do you believe this system offers over say...a smaller fixed blade like the mora, saw, and maybe a hatchet?
Click to expand...

I prefer a large fixed blade if I figure there's batonning in my future. Much easier to process wood in this way than with a hatchet or saw, IMO.
 
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