Backpaker Magazine - three best knives for survival

Thomas Linton

Thomas Linton

Joined
Jun 16, 2003
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I had known that Backpacker had pronounced the Gerber Bear Grylls Paracord Fixed Blade Knife to be one of the "10 essential wilderness survival tools."

I have now come across Backpacker's article on what it says are the three best knives for survival: http://www.backpacker.com/survival-tested-the-final-cut/survival/16711

Giving no idea of by whom or how this list was compiled, Backpacker tells the masses that:

The Bear Grylls Ulimate Survival Fine Edge is the "BURLIEST, hailing its magical abilities as a chopper.

The MORA Light My Fire model is the best all-rounder. (Even a blind squirrel . . .)

The Tec X Inceptra, distributed from China by Case, as the "BEST FOLD UP." (A safety comment?)


This last knife is somewhat obscure and has undergone major revisions since originally put on the market. The article refers to the one with aluminum handles and Chinese "440" blade.


Remembering that this is the magazine that said a couple of years ago that all one needs in the wilderness is a single-edged razor blade, one might say they have progressed up the Learning Curve - but not very far.

In defense of Backpacker, Gerber is a big advertiser, so they may merely be corrupt.
 
They realy are just serving thier demograhpic, which are mostly urban weekend backpackers, dayhikers and the like. Groomed, well marked trails type f folks.If you are are on well marked, maintained trail in a "wilderness area" that does not allow campfires, requires a permit that had to applied for months in advance for a specific campsite in a "wilderness area"or nation park, there is not much knife needed.
 

In defense of Backpacker, Gerber is a big advertiser, so they may merely be corrupt.

That is the point. :D
Just look on BLADE magazine cover. They need something for every issue. Sometimes it is great knife, sometimes - not so... But inside - it is allways praised :D
 
Beans is water mixed with other stuff. All good - and extra push for those tough uphill stretches.

Where is Canmore in relation to Edmonton? (I'd ask about Stony Plain, but it's more obscure [if gentrified from sixty years ago].)
 
It's interesting that a magazine that pushes $300 tents, bags, packs, and boots will then recommend cheap knives. When I get the annual Gear Guide issue, I always look at the (very meager) cutlery section first to see what they have come up with.

I guess the Light My Fire Mora wouldn't be that bad of an idea for a non-knifeknut. I was looking at one in an outdoor store today. A person could to much worse for cutlery.

I don't agree with the assessment that BP is geared only toward the regular trail "civilized" backcountry. I don't know about other parts of the country, but I know that some of the routes that they recommend in Sequoia/Kings Canyon have some pretty hard core cross country.
 
stupid article. Everyone with any sense at all, knows a Swiss Army Farmer model is the only knife a back packer needs. :rolleyes:
 
IMHO, BP magazine is ok. Like any special interest magazine they run shy on appropriate gear and adventures to review and seldom do any reviews that are negative. And they try to cover a lot of interest/participation bases as well as support the advertisers that support them. Some of our BF members have written articles for them in the past and a few of their authors have come here to discuss their experiences. Backpackers, like paddlers and knife users, vary widely in experiences and interests.

I've found the same thing with paddling watersports magazines. Every new canoe/kayak/paddle/route is the best and they struggle to cater to the latest fads of interest to their core readership (which is constantly evolving) without losing the interests of long time readers who found their comfort and participation level years ago. BP is still a worthwhile occasional read even if one doesn't suscribe. And of course there is also the online version which costs nothing.
 
My wife has a subscription to Backpacker and it does have some good articles but like most magazines, they’re fed by advertisement money. I don’t read it for their knife choices, that’s for sure! Even with regular gear, that looks interesting, I’ll do more research before reach for the wallet.

I find this such good at timing as we just did the 30 mile trek from Fontana Dam, NC to Nantahala, NC. We stayed in hammocks near the shelters and I also provided a ride for a co-worker who was doing his next section through the Smokies, headed North. So that next morning at the shelter, I’m saying “safe-hiking”, another guy is talking about knives. Some family member sent him a $30.00 Gerber gutting knife…he knew my truck was parked at the Dam and just gave it to me as he didn’t want the weight. Another guy pulled out a pair of nail clippers that had a knife on it…that’s all he carried, saying “I only need a blade long enough to cut through the diameter of my pepperoni”.

I packed along my Spyderco Para-Military…which is my favorite distance backpacking folder. I also have a SAK Rucksack (older model) in my Kit Bag and I brought along my Martin Knives BT fixed blade. I really didn’t need the fixed blade, but I wanted to see how it would carry for distances with a pack (it worked great). It really didn’t get used except for the first night where we couldn’t make it to the planned gap area and settled in an area that wasn’t too good for hammocks (we had six hammocks to hang every night). I really didn’t want to chop at vegetation, but I had to clear some smaller saplings and briars for the areas to hang hammocks. Either the Spyderco or SAK would have worked, but it was still raining, already dark and we were all pretty tired and the fixed blade was just much faster. Although I pack my own fly stakes, the fixed blade is much more efficient/faster than a light-weight folder to improvise as well.

I will admit the Spyderco Para-Mil earned it’s keep by opening meal bags, cutting some small cord, slicing pepperoni and doing minor de-limbing or removing briars.

I do think I’ll add a small Leatherman (PS4) mini-pliers to my smaller Kit Bag when I want to really go lighter. My wife’s was very handy at working with cookware, it has scissors to cut duct tape and mole skin and was used daily.

If I need to go light and still want to pack a fixed blade, it will be my Mora 510; simple and effective…at least for trail hiking wear stoves are used for cooking and there often isn’t enough time to make a fire.

I saw several fellow Soldiers this weekend and although I know all most likely had knives, I never saw a large knife of any type. Climbing 3000 feet and hiking through the rain, every ounce is felt! It’s a balance to be both light and prepared for the unexpected. My stove is a combo alcohol and wood-fuel kit; I measured out enough alcohol, but if needed I could use smaller twigs…feather sticks are very effective for wood-fuel in the Bushbuddy and a purpose-designed fixed blade is the most efficient at making them.

Sorry, I’m tired and rambling…it’s been a long day!:D

ROCK6
 
lambertiana said:
It's interesting that a magazine that pushes $300 tents, bags, packs, and boots will then recommend cheap knives.
Click to expand...

Order of importance combined with a population that thinks spending more than 50 bucks on any knife(even kitchen knives) is a waste of money. Skurka was mentioned here and I've personally talked with backpackers who've done it all in all types of conditions. Not a single one has recommended anything more than a SAK and I agree. The only thing I use a knife for is to make kindling and to prep meals. If I don't have a fire and eat out of a bag then I have no use for a knife other than the entertainment it brings me. So a magazine telling readers they need a 400 busse isn't going to happen. Unless they're making a joke.
 
I have always had a love/hate thing going with Backpacker. In general though, any magazines that cater to, and encourage life in the outdoors is a good thing. I take gear reviews from any magazine with a grain of salt anyway, but I really got a bit of a chuckle form this particular article.

Now only if bearthedog could get an article in there and sneak in some cool knife stuff, that would be awesome!
 
Backpacker's best contribution is their trail/trip and trail menu/food suggestions and tips. Their "Gear Review" section has always, like any ad-revenue-driven publication, been marketing biased. It's the nature of things.

Backpacker hasn't been a good source for traditional type camping info for decades with the advent of the "leave no trace" camping ethic.
 
Backpacker magazine hasn't provided any quality content for probably the last 10 years, with every issue getting thinner and thinner. I'm guessing they can't afford to keep up with the amount of information available on the Internet, and the fact that no one subscribes to magazines anymore.
 
lambertiana said:
I don't agree with the assessment that BP is geared only toward the regular trail "civilized" backcountry. I don't know about other parts of the country, but I know that some of the routes that they recommend in Sequoia/Kings Canyon have some pretty hard core cross country.
Click to expand...

True, they do provide greeat info on alot of great places, but I think the avaerage reader of BP magazine is not heading for the hardcore cross country stuff.
 
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