Best cheap folder for traveling to Africa

Don't take a knife that (a) looks valuable, and (b) looks interesting. Take a boring looking knife of good quality and take it to someone who can acid etch your initials and surname of the blade on both sides. In Africa they wouldn't know the difference between a CRK and Chinese knockoff ... if it looks valuable and interesting (earning bragging rights) it will disappear.

An ugly looking framelock where only the one side has a scale fitted can work surprisingly well. To many the knife looks broken and they don't steal broken knives to go brag to friends and family.

And please don't bring a knife that has "Made in the USA" stamped on it. That is a sure gift. Spyderco makes excellent knives in Taiwan, for example. Not a bad idea to bring cheap items along that clearly says "Made in the USA". They will go for that instead. Some say they do not get into bribes but sometimes you may not have a choice and then you would rather lose a few Hershey bars.
 
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Doxycyline is not effective against malaria, period. Malarone and Lariame are your two choices. Lariame is very strong but has been accused of having some serious side effects (hallucinations, depression, nausea and even suicide) it is now becoming increasingly difficult to source but "we" preferred it simply because you take it only once a week, therefore within a military structure it is easier to ensure that everyone takes their pill at the same time on the same day etc. Malarone is expensive and should be taken daily, you will need a supply and not forget to take the pill every day etc. Little to no side effects, some complain about nausea shortly after taking the tablet. No malaria treatment can be taken for prolonged periods of time and it is necessary to start some time treatment prior to likely exposure. Check the notices.
Prevention is better than cure, sleeves, FINE nets, sprays etc (Mosquitoes love ankles) Remember that NO tablet is a guarantee against malaria. If in doubt; ask the African Doctors, they have the greatest experience with dealing with the illness. We gave up taking medication due to extended times living in the jungles of Central Africa and just tried to be careful or lucky. Hope this helps.
Get vaccinated against Yellow Fever, normally its obligatory.
 
Victorinox one-hand Sentinel. Basically its the blade-only version of the One Hand Trekker. I bought a sentinel last week for 25 bucks Canadian.
 
I'd personally go with a yellow, SE Pacific salt for several reasons:

-yellow makes it look like a tool, not a weapon
- it also doesn't look that "cool" or expensive
-H1 won't rust, ever, which may be useful depending where in Africa you are
-H1 in SE has an RC hardness of 67- giving it incredible edge retention
-it's light and thin enough that you can keep it IWB

25islzs.jpg


Rub some dirt on the handles to make it look used, and pack it loose in the pocket of a pair of folded pants at the bottom of your suitcase.

Pair it with a LM Squirt, and you're GTG
http://www.good-kit.com/leatherman-squirt-the-most-efficient-tool-on-earth/
 
Allmenatwar said:
Doxycyline is not effective against malaria, period. Malarone and Lariame are your two choices. Lariame is very strong but has been accused of having some serious side effects (hallucinations, depression, nausea and even suicide) it is now becoming increasingly difficult to source but "we" preferred it simply because you take it only once a week, therefore within a military structure it is easier to ensure that everyone takes their pill at the same time on the same day etc. Malarone is expensive and should be taken daily, you will need a supply and not forget to take the pill every day etc. Little to no side effects, some complain about nausea shortly after taking the tablet. No malaria treatment can be taken for prolonged periods of time and it is necessary to start some time treatment prior to likely exposure. Check the notices.
Prevention is better than cure, sleeves, FINE nets, sprays etc (Mosquitoes love ankles) Remember that NO tablet is a guarantee against malaria. If in doubt; ask the African Doctors, they have the greatest experience with dealing with the illness. We gave up taking medication due to extended times living in the jungles of Central Africa and just tried to be careful or lucky. Hope this helps.
Get vaccinated against Yellow Fever, normally its obligatory.
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Well my folks are doctors, and doxycyline is what they gave me to prevent me from getting malaria when I went to the Zambezi river, so I trusted them 100%. In fact I come from a permanent malaria area, low risk mind you, so I think I have a basic knowledge of malaria (Although I have heard only of a few cases of malaria in the area where I come from)

I'm not sure why you would think doxycycline isn't effective in preventing malaria. There are many scientific papers proving the effectiveness of it. I do however agree with the added prevention of wearing long sleeves, sleeping under nets, sprays, etc. I'm curious as to why you are not pro-doxycycline? Please explain why if you don't mind?
 
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emjay said:
I took doxycyline to prevent me from getting malaria when I went to the Zambezi river, and we slept under a mosquito net, but honestly I'm not a doctor go ask your doctor what pills to get. I think with doxycyline you have to take it a week before you heading off to the malaria area or something like that. I was told to take it first thing in the morning on an empty stomach but honestly that just made me vomit it out so I had something to eat before I took it. If you vomit it out you have to take another one. Some malaria pills give you very funky dreams. But go ask the doctor for professional advice. As for taking a mosquito net, very very good idea. Not only will it prevent you from getting bitten but do you know how annoying a mosquito buzzing in your ear is?? The net will obviously stop that pesky critter from getting close to your ear so you can have a good night's sleep

As for grocery stores, well it's better than what it used to be, and the shelves are more packed as far as I know. Like I said I have family there and they do alright

Regarding fuel, I remember there being a serious shortage at a time, but I don't know what it's like now
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Yes I do! I spent 2 weeks in the amazon jungle fighting the bugs. But even worse than that are the Jamaican mosquitos.... I thing they are the national bird on Jamaica
 
Dang a 67 rc hardness!?!?! I got my gf the aqua salt fixed blade in that steel with yellow handle... awesome knife
mark greenman said:
I'd personally go with a yellow, SE Pacific salt for several reasons:

-yellow makes it look like a tool, not a weapon
- it also doesn't look that "cool" or expensive
-H1 won't rust, ever, which may be useful depending where in Africa you are
-H1 in SE has an RC hardness of 67- giving it incredible edge retention
-it's light and thin enough that you can keep it IWB

25islzs.jpg


Rub some dirt on the handles to make it look used, and pack it loose in the pocket of a pair of folded pants at the bottom of your suitcase.

Pair it with a LM Squirt, and you're GTG
http://www.good-kit.com/leatherman-squirt-the-most-efficient-tool-on-earth/
Click to expand...
 
Zemapeli said:
Hmm. Consider a Camillus Cuda folding knife. I own two. They are great knives and hold up to a lot of use and beating. I picked mine up at a local wally world (for around 30 dollars). Also a great knife for the price is my Puma one hand knife #314711 ($20). Both Puma knives (www.pumaknifecompanyusa.com/) and Camillus (www.camillusknives.com) Make excellent knives in a $20-$70 price range.

My Puma #314711 is my current EDC knife and I have been carrying it everywhere with me for almost a year now with absolutely NO complaints. I did take out and replace *one* of the two silicon discs that separate the knife blade from the liners on either side because one disc was slightly smaller than the other, which caused the blade to touch the liner when the knife requires tightening (I think this is done intentionally). The steel holds and edge fairly well, extremely well for the price. I also switched the direction the pivot screw was facing so the knife can be tightened without removing the pocket clip. Other than those two adjustments, my puma folding knife is one of the best folding knives I have ever owned. Period. I have a lot of praise for the quality of their folding knives. FYI I did some quick research and Puma does not sell this knife in the US, and you have to go to their German website to purchase. I strongly suggest you consider this knife. Link to German site for PUMA: www.Pumaknives.de
Specs: PUMA TEC one-hand knife
Item Number: 7314711
Blade length: 80 mm
Blade steel: AISI 420
Length closed: 115 mm
Knife weight: 133 g
Scales: aluminum, belt clip
Price € 20.00
Including 19% VAT plus shipping costs



My Camillus Cuda 9" was my EDC all of last year and the summer before that and is still going strong. I have used it to carve, open packages, pry doors open and just about everything else. It is a great knife for the price as well as for carrying as an EDC. The Camillus Cuda has a coating on the AUS8 blades that is tougher than nails. The steel on mine holds an excellent edge. It is robust and can take a lot of hard use and abuse.
Specs: 9'' Carbonitride Titanium® Cuda® Folding Knife with Quick Release and G10 Handle
AUS-8 Japanese Steel / Carbonitride Titanium won't flake, blister, chip or peel and is up to 10x harder than untreated steel so the blades stay sharper, longer. Hollow ground blade. Quick-action blade release. Ergonomic G10 Fiber handle. Lifetime Warranty.

Just some suggestions.
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Sorry to say this but that "Carbonitride Titanium" coating on the Cuda will not keep it sharper longer. It's more of a marketing ploy to sell more (though it probably will inhibit the formation of rust). It's only a thin coating on the surface of the blade and is not on the cutting edge. If it was on the edge, it would probably have adverse effects on performance and would come off the 1st or 2nd time it's sharpened.
 
Derek the Destroyer said:
Dang a 67 rc hardness!?!?! I got my gf the aqua salt fixed blade in that steel with yellow handle... awesome knife
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Yeah it's one of the many cool properties of H1. H1 is a work hardening steel, and something about the grinding process used to put the SE into the H1 hardens the hell out of the edge, while keeping the rest of the blade at a much lower hardness. This gives you a very tough blade, with excellent edge holding.

I recall reading a few years back that the H1 SE held the edge longest of any steel Spyderco tested, beating out even the ZDP189.
 
Hi, As far as I understand it, the French Military tried some long term tests using "Doxy" in Central Africa and it proved ineffective. The Red Cross Doctors in DRC told us no way was it any use in short or long term. (they actually laughed at us for taking it and told us "ask us what to take, we have the experience with the disease not the Europeans etc") We had one man down when we tried it which resulted in an eventual casevac situation. (we needed a cheaper alternative to Malarone and some thing that had less long term health issues when used over extended periods of time) All said, no treatment is guaranteed apparently and nothing should be used over extended periods of time. Like I said, eventually each man did his own thing, most of us gave up taking any thing apart from precautions and a dose of luck. Hope this helps and No I am not a Doctor!
 
mark greenman said:
Yeah it's one of the many cool properties of H1. H1 is a work hardening steel, and something about the grinding process used to put the SE into the H1 hardens the hell out of the edge, while keeping the rest of the blade at a much lower hardness. This gives you a very tough blade, with excellent edge holding.

I recall reading a few years back that the H1 SE held the edge longest of any steel Spyderco tested, beating out even the ZDP189.
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What's the RC of the PE H1?
 
Derek the Destroyer said:
Yes I do! I spent 2 weeks in the amazon jungle fighting the bugs. But even worse than that are the Jamaican mosquitos.... I thing they are the national bird on Jamaica
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Damn!

Ahh geez speak of the devil I tried to have an afternoon nap and got constantly harassed by a mosquito buzzing in my ear. By the way, a good method I have found to get rid of mosquitoes in your room is to turn the fan on. They get blown away. You'll be in Zimbabwe, it's mostly hot there so you'll probably have your fan on anyway

But ya there are a lot of things to prevent mosquitoes. Walk into any shop there and they should have a stock of mozzie repellents. Sprays have been mentioned, rub or spray Peaceful Sleep or Tabard on your skin during the day and night, light a mosquito candle at night, wear a mosquito repelling bracelet (I used one in Mozambique, I'm not sure if it worked or not), you even get a little battery operated device that sends out a frequency of sound waves that we can't really hear that the mosquitoes don't like and chases them away, although I'm not sure how well it works. Apparently eating lots of garlic helps, but you may be chasing more than just mosquitoes away if you do that (le girlfriend ;) ).... Interesting what Allmenatwar had to say about doxy

Back to knives, sorry that I strayed off topic, personally I think that Spyderco Pacific Salt is too attractive, and those serrations a bit menacing looking. This is Africa yes, but there is also a stigma surrounding knives here too, and people might feel a tad uncomfortable by a guy pulling a 4" serrated blade out their pocket. You mentioned you recently got some Enlan EL02B's? That should be fine. They seem to be inexpensive but quality knives, so take them along. I had an Enlan knife and was quite happy with it, just didn't like that you needed a special tool for the pivot screw, prefer the torx screw setup as finding a torx wrench is a lot easier than those funny three prong tools, but if you have the three prong tool, cool then you won't have a problem
 
Your right on your Mozzy techniques; aircon also works if you can get it, those bastards hate the cold. Another thing, when you spray a room, most people spray into the air which is ineffective. The droplets end up on the floor and they don't go there. So spray the walls, nets etc. Don't even think of sleeping against a net, they stick their straws right through and suck you right out. FINE nets or they get through to boot.
Knives? Always carried a Military, worked just fine for me, love that knife, does what it says on the box and mine has miles so its not shop attractive.
 
I heard read that people use small needle nosed pliers for the pivot screw. I was gonna get a el01 but there is just something about an axis lock that is cool. Part of the reason why I got 2 of these knives is so that I can trade them/gift them. In other words, they are going to stay in Africa. I would really like to get a rustic looking hand made machete/speer/knife/ or one of those cool african axes just to hang on my wall. LOL when I was in jamaica (jungle around spanish town), we had 3 mosquito coils, a fan, bug spray (banned in the US), and we even burned green leaves & branches outside of the cabin to create smoke... We still got eaten alive! I was like a walking blood bank for those little flying bastards.
emjay said:
Damn!

Ahh geez speak of the devil I tried to have an afternoon nap and got constantly harassed by a mosquito buzzing in my ear. By the way, a good method I have found to get rid of mosquitoes in your room is to turn the fan on. They get blown away. You'll be in Zimbabwe, it's mostly hot there so you'll probably have your fan on anyway

But ya there are a lot of things to prevent mosquitoes. Walk into any shop there and they should have a stock of mozzie repellents. Sprays have been mentioned, rub or spray Peaceful Sleep or Tabard on your skin during the day and night, light a mosquito candle at night, wear a mosquito repelling bracelet (I used one in Mozambique, I'm not sure if it worked or not), you even get a little battery operated device that sends out a frequency of sound waves that we can't really hear that the mosquitoes don't like and chases them away, although I'm not sure how well it works. Apparently eating lots of garlic helps, but you may be chasing more than just mosquitoes away if you do that (le girlfriend ;) ).... Interesting what Allmenatwar had to say about doxy

Back to knives, sorry that I strayed off topic, personally I think that Spyderco Pacific Salt is too attractive, and those serrations a bit menacing looking. This is Africa yes, but there is also a stigma surrounding knives here too, and people might feel a tad uncomfortable by a guy pulling a 4" serrated blade out their pocket. You mentioned you recently got some Enlan EL02B's? That should be fine. They seem to be inexpensive but quality knives, so take them along. I had an Enlan knife and was quite happy with it, just didn't like that you needed a special tool for the pivot screw, prefer the torx screw setup as finding a torx wrench is a lot easier than those funny three prong tools, but if you have the three prong tool, cool then you won't have a problem
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This reminds of discussions in the bike and ski magazines where people would paint their bike or skis with a slightly stirred mixture of orange and black paint applied with a broom. The idea being to disguise or devalue the otherwise useable bike or skis and prevent theft. So besides turning your knife into a kit (thieves are lazy), distress or uglify the parts that the thieves have access to. Carry the handle, the small parts, and the assembly tools on your person and leave only an ugly (but sharp and useful) blade in your check in bag. You may even be able to padlock the loose blade to a structural part of the suitcase. Use your imagination and think like a thief.
 
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