Best knife for backpacking?

Shotgun said:
There's no reason for name calling. I met a guy who's written several books and has been on every trail, EVERY trail, in the NW in all conditions and spends more time backpacking then he does indoors. He's not a nancy at all and could leave most of us in the dust.
Click to expand...

Yes, but that's in the real world and this is the Internet. Obviously if someone can do more than you with less equipment, there is something wrong with them. Otherwise you'd have to feel bad about yourself!

My vote is also for the Mora.
Click to expand...

If you want a compromise, you could carry a Mora Robust - the blade is, what 3.5mm thick? The BK2 is silly: you're almost to the weight of a Fiskars hatchet, which can do massively more.
 
meanwhile said:
The BK2 is silly: you're almost to the weight of a Fiskars hatchet, which can do massively more.
Click to expand...

The BK2 weighs MORE than the fiskars. I can't for the life of me understand that knife. Lots of people love them though.
 
bracer028 said:
a BK11, BK2, or a BK7

It will be the only knife I carry.
Click to expand...

Before I give you an answer to your question I need to know a few things. Mind you I am a long time backpacker.

Where are you planning to go?
How long have you been backpacking?
How far are you going?
Are you going to be doing trailed hikes or off trail?
Day hike or overnight or multi day?
Are you dead set against carrying only one knife?
How much does your pack weigh?
How much are you used to carrying ie weight wise?
Do you own all three of these knives or are you in the market? And would you consider a different knife?
What type of whether are you expecting?
Lastly, what altitude will you be at?

If you can answer some of these questions for me I would be more then happy to give you my two cents on the topic in detail.
 
Last edited:
Shotgun said:
The BK2 weighs MORE than the fiskars. I can't for the life of me understand that knife. Lots of people love them though.
Click to expand...

I can't understand it a backpacking context where every gram you carry is an extra bunion! I'd only carry the weight of anything more than a SAK/Mora if I was either going to chop wood every night or hiking in conditions where I might have to take apart a tree truck to get dry wood to survive. If you take the BK2 over an X7 for the first, you're a masochist, a fetishist, or an idiot. (Because, hey, it's not rocket science realizing an X7 seriously out chops a choad knife!) If you take the BK2 for the second and you really have to take apart that trunk, then you're probably a dead idiot. I'd want at least something a Battle Mistress before I'd give an axe for taking apart a tree.

In other contexts ("I mostly have to slice but sometimes pry or chop") I'm sure the BK2 must applications.
 
Keep in mind that backpacking means different things to different people. While the essence of it is to get up and get out, there are ways to go about this that become a kind of game. How much weight can you shed, how high-tech is your gear, how little can you get by on? It's like a bucket list: I'm not going to spend the next 14 days going from one scenic location or grand hotel to another. But they are on the list, and each trip I take, I'll try for the next in line.

Backpacking plus: backpacking AND learning to use the essentials, not the excessive. Some of us really need backup, we're not as experienced or we have physical handicaps. A Classic? Always on my keychain. But a Farmer is always in my left front pocket. It has a saw!

There is zero excuse for mocking or insulting people who choose another way. That's what we are here for: to learn more, which is always better.

* ****** **** ****** *

By the way, General Knife is good for talking about all these different knives, but we also have outdoor forums where we often discuss the same topic with more reference to the surroundings involved in these decisions. This thread is doing fine here, we don't need to move it.

But check out The Great Outdoors forums, too.
 
Where are you planning to go? - Azusa Mountains
How long have you been backpacking? 2 years
How far are you going? about 7 miles
Are you going to be doing trailed hikes or off trail? trailed then off the trail
Day hike or overnight or multi day? 2 days
Are you dead set against carrying only one knife? yea...gotta carry one knife, otherwise it gets too heavy
How much does your pack weigh? 20 lbs
How much are you used to carrying ie weight wise? decent
Do you own all three of these knives or are you in the market? And would you consider a different knife? - i have a smith and wesson folding knife right now...but that thing gets dirty as hell when i cut food. lots of stuff stuck in the knife and the bearings.
What type of whether are you expecting? - clear day.
Lastly, what altitude will you be at? about 2000 ft up.
 
Any lowly Mora should suffice; but the gear nerd/tactifool in me says BK2 all the way... Who's worried about weight anyway?

;):D
 
In my mind it really depends on the other gear you are carrying.

As long as you are packing shelter, stove and fuel, and say freeze dried food there is no reason a SAK of your choice won't do.

Should you decide to rough it with shelter ,fire, and food (and are in an area where wood collection is allowed) then a decent fixed blade, hatchet, or saw would be a good idea.
 
bracer028 said:
Are you dead set against carrying only one knife? yea...gotta carry one knife, otherwise it gets too heavy
Click to expand...

A Mora and a Bahco saw will weigh less than, say, a BK2. And they will do far more. Although I think most people would never need the Bahco. Another esoteric pair would be a Mora Clipper and a Mora Farrier's knife - basically a hiker sized froe/splitting knife for batonning.

But personally I'd go for a SAK Solider - locking (serrated) blade, screw drivers, wood saw, good ergonomics.
 
I consider myself in the ultralight/lightweight end of the backpacking spectrum, but I do prefer a fixed blade when out.

This is what I'm using these days: Fallkniven WM1. The complete package of knife, Kiahdex sheath, paracord belt loops, and LMF Army firesteel weighs 168.6g/5.9oz. You could get a lower weight without the firesteel and a less robust sheath; the knife itself weighs (spec'd) 70g/2.5oz.

IMG_9913_zpsc3f6e931.jpg


IMG_9920_zpsf5daedde.jpg


If I'm going somewhere where I think I may want a bigger knife, then the Fallkniven F1 goes. Same set up as pictured below but minus the pouch and pouch anchor.

aed9bc8d.jpg


That set-up weighs 308.8g/10.9oz.

I like the Fallknivens for the corrosion-resistance while having decent wear-resistance and toughness, and the WM1 is a very light knife while still offering great blade length and profile as well as a usable handle. The thermorun handles are also nice to use when it's cold out. The carbidized Ti knives such as the one Daniel Fairly posted earlier are also good options (I had an excellent one made by Ban Tang), but I prefer the fine edge steel can provide. Mora's are also a great affordable option, and definitely light.

I also carry a custom SAK and a Leatherman Style CS for the excellent scissors.


A good knife is not something I'm willing to give up even on backpacking trips. Most folks are probably carrying a few extra pounds around the waist...drop that and you'll more than make up for taking whatever knife you wish.
 
Last edited:
Haha, I'm just pointing out something that often goes overlooked. I know when I started down the UL path, I focused first on dropping unnecessary body weight and maximizing lean mass (on going process). In the first year after I started "seriously" hiking and changing my diet, I lost 30lbs. That's more than 3x my current base weight for UL trips. When I realized that, it put my gear selection and money spending in perspective. I still prefer to go lighter, but I allow myself luxury items because I can, now that I'm not lugging around as much extra fat mass.

So nowadays, if LNT isn't an issue, I CAN bring that Silky Super Accel 210 or Fiskars 14" hatchet for fire play if I want... In my buddy's case, it's more scotch. :D
 
meanwhile said:
A Mora and a Bahco saw will weigh less than, say, a BK2. And they will do far more. Although I think most people would never need the Bahco.
Click to expand...

I have about the same setup. I'll use a Mora or an Izula 2 with a Silky Pocket Boy if the weather looks iffy. In the summer I'll take the Izzy 2/Mora and my EDC folder. And they usually sit unused for 99% of the trip.
 
HikingMano said:
I consider myself in the ultralight/lightweight end of the backpacking spectrum, but I do prefer a fixed blade when out.

This is what I'm using these days: Fallkniven WM1. The complete package of knife, Kiahdex sheath, paracord belt loops, and LMF Army firesteel weighs 168.6g/5.9oz. You could get a lower weight without the firesteel and a less robust sheath; the knife itself weighs (spec'd) 70g/2.5oz.

IMG_9913_zpsc3f6e931.jpg


IMG_9920_zpsf5daedde.jpg


If I'm going somewhere where I think I may want a bigger knife, then the Fallkniven F1 goes. Same set up as pictured below but minus the pouch and pouch anchor.

aed9bc8d.jpg


That set-up weighs 308.8g/10.9oz.

I like the Fallknivens for the corrosion-resistance while having decent wear-resistance and toughness, and the WM1 is a very light knife while still offering great blade length and profile as well as a usable handle. The thermorun handles are also nice to use when it's cold out. The carbidized Ti knives such as the one Daniel Fairly posted earlier are also good options (I had an excellent one made by Ban Tang), but I prefer the fine edge steel can provide. Mora's are also a great affordable option, and definitely light.

I also carry a custom SAK and a Leatherman Style CS for the excellent scissors.


A good knife is not something I'm willing to give up even on backpacking trips. Most folks are probably carrying a few extra pounds around the waist...drop that and you'll more than make up for taking whatever knife you wish.
Click to expand...

Woah this knife is an arm and a leg.

so the knife works with the firesteel?

Would the BK11 work with the firesteel?
 
bracer028 said:
Woah this knife is an arm and a leg.
Click to expand...

Such is the Way Of Knives: basic functionality is often cheap, then you pay hugely for small increments in performance and unquantifiable gains in style.

A Mora Robust will do exactly the same thing for about $20. Or a Bahco (curved tip) wrecking knife for $25 will make the Falknivens look like Girly Men Knives - but the heavy duty handle is 100g of extra weight to hike with.

so the knife works with the firesteel?

Would the BK11 work with the firesteel?
Click to expand...

Any knife will work with a firesteel as long as you make sure the spine is square to the point of sharpness. Of course this terrible ergonomics, and firesteels don't work as well as cheap lighters, but there you go.
 
I agree with meanwhile, the Mora can usually do everything one would need a knife for. Generally, everything else is tweaking performance and attributes, and identifying what you like in a knife. Hell, if you're doing mundane backpacking and everything goes right, you shouldn't really need to use anything more than a SAK Classic on your entire trip. I've done a trip with a Spyderco Ladybug that weighs even less than a SAK Classic and didn't have a problem because nothing went wrong. As for the cost, well, like everything else in life we choose what we spend money on. I spend money on trips and outdoor gear, a good friend of mine drops all his dough on gaming, and another his cars and motorcycles...

As for the firesteel, "don't work as well" is situation-dependent. I never have to worry about fuel, ambient temperature, wind, or water with the firesteel. Ergonomics are fine on handling the firesteel, but I'm assuming you meant the ergonomics of striking the steel with a knife are bad, in which case, I agree to some extent, but I wouldn't go so far as "terrible." I do prefer using a dedicated striker if given the choice. Anyway, I also carry a Bic and stormproof matches, because, why wouldn't one? When conditions are right for them to work, they work well and would be what I'd try first. But I think the firesteel is hard to beat for a last resort fire-starting tool.

ETA: I don't know what the BK2 is selling for these days, but I can't imagine it's that much more than the WM1...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top