Best knife for urban survival (Northeast hurricane and serrations content).

[bladerique]

I'm not really sure that I would need a knife in a hurricane any more than any other day.

When hurricanes are coming they report them on the news giving people plenty of time to either evacuate or stay home.

At home I would have a wide variety of tools and don't imagine I would need a special "hurricane knife".

If I happened to be out in my car getting supplies, etc, when the hurricane hits I would have a variety of emergency tools in my car. Of course I would be an idiot for trying to drive in a HURRICANE.

If I were walking the streets when a hurricane hit then I would REALLY be an idiot.

I'm trying to think of what special need an ordinary person would have for a knife in a hurricane, and I can't think of one.

So as far as being stuck in a storm, spit happens, but that wasn't the premise of my post. I'm thinking about the aftermath of any disaster in an urban/suburban setting. Serrations are making more and more sense to me. I'll likely get something like a LMFII

 

[SkrufKnifer]

Serations are very good at cutting rope and webbing quickly. I keep these little 1 inch serated I guess youd call it a fist knife, has that arrow head shape,fits between your index and bird fingers, on my life jackets. Half serations are nice for cutting seatbelts in a hurry.Serations sure due muck up human flesh on the quick, making it harder to close up the wound.I supose that would be useful at defending against some sort of muraders on motorcycles. Like you see in them post apocolyptic movies. I think serations are great for emergency responders, and absolutly on boats. Great for divers

 

[whateatsrabbits]

I live in westechester NY, lots of trees down, power outages all over (not me). The storm was not bad at all IMO. My car is in the shop so Ive been riding my motorcycle to work. Carrying a bk2 in my back pack just in case I need to clear some trees out of the street. The back back also has a skyline fixed blade and 3 flashlights. On my belt is a swisstool spirit, in my pocket kershaw rake and another flashlight.

 

[Balldboy]

My Super Storm Sandy knife was a Victorinox One Hand Trekker and a large hank of paracord.

When my son and I went out during the storm I added a stout 4" fixed blade and a multi-tool.
In the truck we had an assortment of pry bars and Hammers.

 

[zombywoof]

I'm trying to think of what special need an ordinary person would have for a knife in a hurricane, and I can't think of one.

Yeah, from my personal experience living out a big Northeast hurricane (and subsequent week-long power outage - Gloria, 1985) what I'd advise having on hand is a deck of cards and lots of candles...

 

[killgar]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to be a jerk, but this thread kinda reminded me of topics like "What knife would you choose for a zombie apocalypse?".

I wonder what people think they are going to do with a knife either during or after a hurricane. Do you think your knife, any knife, is going to serve you well for chopping up fallen trees? From what I've seen on the news, a lot of BIG trees were knocked down. It would take a man with a chainsaw a good part of the day to cut up just ONE of those trees, and he'd need a lot of help, maybe even a crane to move the pieces of the tree trunks (some of the trees were 100 years old).

Or maybe people are just indulging in "survival" fantasies. Perhaps they imagine themselves using a knife to build a raft out of salvaged debris so they can cross some raging river rushing down main street.

Or maybe people are imagining themselves rescuing people trapped in their cars, with the water rising around them, and they have to use their knife to pry open the car door or cut the roof off.

Like I said, not trying to be a jerk, these just happen to be my thoughts on the subject. When it comes to dealing with emergencies and life threatening situations, I was always taught to focus on reality, and choose my gear accordingly.

As mentioned already, I think that in a hurricane a person would get a lot more use out of flashlights than knives. Other things to focus on are bottled water, non-perishable food, propane stoves, radios, first aid kit, etc.

 

[dman62]

Killgar, I think you are pretty close to the mark. Let me have a multi-tool, my Para 2, and a machete for yard cleanup and I'd be good to go.

 

[kaosu04]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to be a jerk, but this thread kinda reminded me of topics like "What knife would you choose for a zombie apocalypse?".

I wonder what people think they are going to do with a knife either during or after a hurricane. Do you think your knife, any knife, is going to serve you well for chopping up fallen trees? From what I've seen on the news, a lot of BIG trees were knocked down. It would take a man with a chainsaw a good part of the day to cut up just ONE of those trees, and he'd need a lot of help, maybe even a crane to move the pieces of the tree trunks (some of the trees were 100 years old).

Or maybe people are just indulging in "survival" fantasies. Perhaps they imagine themselves using a knife to build a raft out of salvaged debris so they can cross some raging river rushing down main street.

Or maybe people are imagining themselves rescuing people trapped in their cars, with the water rising around them, and they have to use their knife to pry open the car door or cut the roof off.

Like I said, not trying to be a jerk, these just happen to be my thoughts on the subject. When it comes to dealing with emergencies and life threatening situations, I was always taught to focus on reality, and choose my gear accordingly.

As mentioned already, I think that in a hurricane a person would get a lot more use out of flashlights than knives. Other things to focus on are bottled water, non-perishable food, propane stoves, radios, first aid kit, etc.

Some people just like knives. Every knife I own above my $20 dozier is a worthless toy. Doesn't stop me from buying them and for some buying them for certain situations. Definitely agree on the flashlight though. Multiple quality bright lights. Spare lithium primaries, rechargeables and maybe even a method to charge them from solar power. If I had a choice between a flashlight or a knife in any kind of natural disaster it would be the flashlight.

 

[RemyKaze]

I frequently carry a Cold Steel Gunsite with a 5-inch blade. It has a partially serrated blade and it works out quite well for me, giving me the best of both worlds.

Serrations also are great for self defense as they cut through almost anything. I also like the Vaquero Grande (bottom) and the Rajah II (top). Large folders are a plus, and Cold Steel makes a bunch of them.

Cold Steel's Voyager 6-inch, Vaquero Grande and Voyager 5-inch plain. All are
exceptional knives!

These are some of Cold Steel's NEW Voyagers. The tanto model (top) is a great
survival knife in that it has a heavy spine and a hollow grind blade. This makes it
an incredible chopper and a superior self defense tool. Want to baton your knife?
The tanto version won't let you down. I wouldn't try it with the flat grind models,
which are only so-so at chopping and weaker for batoning.

Lynn, is that you?

 

[Angus McGunnigl]

Leatherman Wave.

 

[Stainz]

I am afraid I'd have a small selection to choose from for a serrated knife. For a folder, it'd have to be a wave-serrated Victorinox Swiss Army Knife, like one of my Mariner series, the New Soldier, or the Trekker (below)... or the Gerber folding camp saw (below). Fixed blade serrated is easy - if I can find it: A Gerber LMFII, a gift some years back from my son.

During the last two tornado disasters (4/11 & 1/12), I carried my Buck 192 - and my EDC Benchmade 755. What they wouldn't reduce cost me $4k to finally have felled, chopped up and removed... it took real motorized implements.

Stainz