Bug Out Bag Survival Knife

GotThemKnives said:
Hi everyone, I've recently started building my B.O.B. I have everything, but I have had trouble finding an ideal knife to keep in my B.O.B. I ordered a Ontario Pilot Survival knife to keep in my B.O.B, but I wanted to know if that would be a ideal knife to keep in it or should I choose another. I wanted a decent priced knife that would get the job done if I need ever arised. I'd like to see what you all think.

Thanks For Reading,
GotThemKnives
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If your jet goes down and you need to saw through sheet metal or plexiglas it's great. Get a 3-4 inch fixed blade slicer and a folding saw if you want to "...chop small limbs for firewood and gut game...". Then you have two tools purpose-designed to excel at each of those two tasks, that, together, probably weigh less than that 2-in-1 compromise that excels at neither of them.
 
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GotThemKnives said:
I have a Mora Scout and Camilous Carnivore. I was looking for a 2 in one type of knife. Something that could chop small limbs for firewood and gut game if needed. I was seeing if anyone else had bought the Ontario Pilot Survival knife to give me the capalbilities of the knife.
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I had a Camillus, the real Camillus,Pilot knife as a kid/ early teen. Worked well enough for woods bumming for a lot of years. The saw is useless for anything but notching.

Fast foreward another 30+ years and a Fallkniven F1 lives in my daybag. A much better Pilots survival knife ....IMHO.

If I need to cut saplings or branches the saw on my SAK is more efficient.

I could make do with the US Pilot Survival Knife, did it for many years. I just really prefer the F1, tougher, better ergos, better at fine knife work.
 
I'd say it really would depend on what you think you would need more. If you are looking at mainly cutting or chopping down trees and such something like a hi khuk would serve you well. You could go with the WWII model which would do the job and work as a self defense top. I personally would carry one of those and a light fixed blade such as a ratmandu or an esse.
 
I've been assuming that I would pack a Becker BK, but lately I've started making serious thoughts and acquisitions regarding a bug out bag, and I'm thinking about weight. My Moras are so light that I might go with one of them; I guess it depends on the disaster scenario. If it's really bad (civil war, riots) I might upgrade to something sturdier.

Actually, I'm thinking of the BOB as a last resort if escaping by car, which means I could put the heavier tools and knives in the car and only hoof the bag when I run out of gas or somebody shoots out my tires.
 
My personal thought on this is that having a couple knives is better than trying to do it all with one. In the event one is lost, damaged or stolen, you would still have a backup. Additionally, even though it adds more weight, there is always the option to ditch or stash a knife or two at some point rather than having to continue carrying it. When an unknown emergency happens, I would rather have 1 or 2 knives in my bag that I probably don't need, than scrambling around my house looking for the one that best suits the given emergency. I am just in the beginning states of setting up a BOB right now so I don't have too much advice other than that to give. Currently I have a leatherman wave, and a 15 inch custom chopper in my vehicle that is 5/16 thick and handles any chopping faster than a hatchet, and would also be a formidable defence weapon. I my bag also has an Ontario abaniko 7 fixed blade which would be passable as a utility, but is basically a fighter. Add to that my ZT 0561 that I carry everywhere, and the delica or griptillian in my small pack that rides in my cargo pocket of my pants every day and I am fairly well set for anything.
 
For an urban environment I'd go with a multitool too. Easier to use in public then a big sheath knife and I can't think of any task where a belt knife would be a better option to actually do work that needs to be done within a city. Saw, pliers, drivers, file...think about it this way; What will you encounter in the city that needs chopping vs what will you encounter in the city that needs a bolt turned, a screw loosened, etc?

For the wooded environment let me ask you this, do you edc a pocket knife? If so I'd just put a small machete or hatchet in your pack. You already have the small stuff covered with the edc so instead of getting an in between knife, get something that is actually good at processing wood. You'll have a much more versatile tool set. If you don't edc a pocket knife(hard to believe, this is bladeforums but I guess it could happen:D) then a mora and a good saw like silky or lapplander would be my pick. Lightweight, relatively cheap, and a heck of a cutting duo. Or the machete/hatchet and a mora would also be a good pick. Just a little heavier.
 
IMO the morakniv bushcraft would not be the best choice. A fine knife but something a bit stronger like the BK10 is what I would want when I don't know how hard I will push it. Still a fine blade for camping or wood walking.
PS I am in Lincoln also welcome.
 
I think personally , a big factor in what is the ideal knife,is , what situations are you preparing for ?

A bug out bag is usually desigened around bugging out from here , to there , it has a few essentials and extras that you will likely require on that trip .
An emergency bag is designed toward a more broad range of situations , it holds the gear youll need to actually get thru whatever emergency you are dealing with .

That is a crucial point .. what are you expecting to deal with ? are you expecting to be staying home but your bag is an easy way to keep your gear in that youll use in case of power out .. are you expecting to head bush and survive in the wild , killing your meat , foraging for wild food ? or is it more a combination , or anywhere in between ?

If its just a general survival bag , that is geared a bit in every direction , but not much in any particular one ... yeah grab a mora . Youll not go wrong with one .
 
I think the main question here should be: where are you bugging out to? Realistically, most people will be staying in an urban environment where there are more resources (just think how many people plan to bug out to the woods-there really isn't that much wilderness left in most of the US. Just think how hard it is to find a good camp site on a busy weekend.)

I think a Leatherman and Becker BK2 is a good all-around combo for just about any situation, urban or wild. It's not a bad idea to throw in a decent folder and a small fixed blade like a BK11 or BK16 either. I think thinner blades like the BK9, BK10, BK7, Ritter MK2/BK12 are good choices but are more suited to wilderness survival. The BK2 can handle it all.
 
Not to thread jack, but in my case my bugout bag will probably double as a hiking/survival bag. I'll add or remove items as necessary. I want a bag available for the zombie apocalypse as well
 
I carry a HEST 2.0 assault in my day bag. It's a stout, but smallish knife. I keep a magslab fire starter in the sheath pouch and some goodies in the handle. That plus my leatherman super tool 300 and whatever knife I have on me should have my cutting need covered. I also have a large survival tin in my bag also. Not an altoids tin, much bigger. The Trangia Aluminum Mess Tin. Big enough to have fishing supplies, fire staring, signal mirror, compass, a small amount of food and other stuff. And you could cook/boil water in it.

I have all kinds of stuff in my bag. Everything important is kept in dry bags.
 
Best knife in the world in that situation is the one you have available. If you really are in this position the maker and brand won't matter much as ling as you get home. My point is have at least 3 to get you through.
 
Greetings!

Agree with the above poster; decide first if this an urban or rural bug out area. For an urban situation, I don't see much use for a big chopper or saw. I think a few smaller knives like a multitool, a folder and a 4-6 inch fixed blade knife would cover alot of scenarios.
 
I have a Cold Steel SRK (3/16" thick, 6 long" carbon steel blade) and a Greco Explorer (handmade .2" thick, 9" long carbon steel blade.) Because of blade length and width, the Greco is a MUCH better chopper, yet it works well as a slicer, too. However, the SRK is more easily packed and worn on my belt when hiking.

Traditionally, a 7 1/2" blade is known to be the 'ideal' survival knife blade length - long enough to chop and do big work, small enough to be easily worn. Along those lines, and given internet prices, the Kabar BK 7 is ideal - carbon steel blade, full tang, 3/16" thick. Jack of all trades, master of one - doing everything good enough to survive.

If you're going for a shorter-bladed knife, I find the Kabar Becker BK 10 - a pilot's survival knife - to look VERY appealing. If you like a longer blade, the BK 9, with its 9" blade, is VERY nice. The ESEE line is also quite attractive.

I'd recommend the following specs for a BOB knife - carbon steel blade, at least 3/16" thick, 5"-9" long blade, comfortable handle, and tested after you get it to make sure it's not a dud.

Get yourself a small Swiss Army Knife or multi-tool with a good saw, Phillips head screwdriver and flathead screwdriver, can opener, bottle opener, and perhaps a file, and you're good to go. I believe you can do every task you'd need to with a SAK Farmer and a BK 2/5/7/9/10. I prefer multitools with locking tools, so I'd take a Leatherman (my preferred brand) and a carbon steel knife of some kind. Let us know what you get, we love this topic!
 
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IMO, the Ontario Pilots Survival knife is the about as close to the ideal BOB knife as you can get. I use the same knife myself and have multiples. The Pilots knife is made of 1095 at a low heat treat so it's very easy to sharpen and unlikely to break in a catastrophic manner. The solid steel bolt butt cap can be used to hammer or as a glass breaker. The saw will cut metal in an emergency, which is something most other knives simply can't do. There is a video on youtube of a guy that easily cuts a large nail in half with the saw back. I have not tried it but I would be pretty sure you could cut a piece of Rebar if needed. So, in my opinion you already have one of the best urban survival knives available. The only thing I would suggest is to buy two more, one as a back up and one to use the heck out of so you know it's capabilities.
 
i have a large (machete or bigger) blade, a midsized blade between 5 and 7 inches, and a small 2-4 inch knife in or on every one of my bags. I could do without the intermediate, but the large and small are necessities.

I prefer the Tops .230 machete, Swamp Rat 1311 or Busse AK47 for my large blade and there are hundreds of excellent options for small ones
 
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