Car camping knife - folder adequate?

T

tim808

Joined
Jul 30, 2009
Messages
34
Planning to do a 3 day car camp in a city run botanical garden on the windward side of the island

I don't think we can cut or forage wood so we'll likely bring in a small propane grill

I'm thinking a 3-1/2 folder will be way more than enough.....a cheap Kershaw Tremor. I'll likely keep the Tremor in my pack and carry a cheap $5 2" Lansky since it is so light
(We'll have kitchen knives for food prep and machetes as a precaution)

I can't really think of any reason to carry a fixed blade or a larger blade but I haven't done any hiking/camping since I was in the Boy Scouts or car camping since elem school at the beach with my parents. They did all the planning/work.

I have bigger fixed blades (7" crkt ultimate and a cold steel I got for Xmas) but I don't see any need for them.

Tnx for any advice!!!

Edited 7/6/15 - Hoomaluhia Botanical Garden - 400 acres with a 32 acre pond
 
Last edited:
I think I would get a Cold Steel Finn Wolf, instead. It has a much stronger lock and a scandi grind. Plus, it is only $34 or so.
 
A folder should suffice for you working out of a car. If you plan on a campfire and buying firewood though, I'd toss a hatchet or axe in the vehicle just in case you want to break down the firewood for tinder. My family sometimes camps out in the park settings and I see so many people trying to figure out how to break down the large wood to start a fire. Once I helped out a guy trying to split off some wood with a tire iron! Some folks look for twigs on the ground but I have been in camps where it was cleaned up already from previous campers or against the camp rules.
 
Good points! Doing s'mores over a gas grill wouldn't be right

Guess I'll be bringing in some wood. If the wood is already cut/split into small pieces, I should be okay. Otherwise I have an excuse to get a hatchet and another fixed blade. The fixed blades I own aren't really meant for camping. The ultima is ninja mallish and the CS appears to be meant for throwing but I'll double check.

I thought it was strange when my tenant told me about a fire pit he bought and how he buys wood from a hardware store. It never gets cold here. Now here I am......about to pay for wood. My dad would just bring a chain saw when we went car camping.
 
I would get a cold steel ultimate hunter. Just about the size your looking for and a great edc knife with a great steel and few things beat cold steels tri-ad lock. All that for around $120 and it will last you a long time.
 
Well, from what I read around here, car camping has become a life and death struggle for survival that requires a large full tang fixed blade capable of bashing trees, clearing brush for your snipers nest, and hand to hand combat. I'm praying for for your safe return brave man!

Personally I've found it far less dramatic, and that a folder like a Vic Farmer is more than enough, and anything beyond that are just toys to bring along for fun.

Maybe I'm doing it wrong.

Me, I'd also assume that in a city run botanical garden, even looking the wrong way at a plant is going to get me thrown in jail. So the saw blade on the Farmer might be extraneous and something with more "tools" like a Super Tinker might be handier.

Don't forget survival beer, survival salami, and your survival smart phone charger for the car. Without any of those, death is a certainty. Come back alive! Survive!
 
marcinek said:
Don't forget survival beer, survival salami, and your survival smart phone charger for the car. Without any of those, death is a certainty. Come back alive! Survive!
Click to expand...

For where the OP is headed, this sounds about right. ;)
 
marcinek said:
Sounds right for any car camping, to me. And it sounds like a good time.
Click to expand...

For some reason I'm getting an image of a bunch of cars at an indoor greenhouse, even though I know that's not right. Never been camping at a city run botanical garden.
 
I generally carry a fixed blade to split out kindling when car camping. I split one or two of the rounds that I buy to get the fire going. Then the knife gets put back in the car. It's a scrapyard 711. Works faster and it's safer than a hatchet. Otherwise you'll be fine with a folder. I have to admit that I carry a fixed blade(mora or something light) in the summer because I like them. Not because I need them. In the summer it's more about staying hydrated and not getting sunburned which a knife can't help you with. :D
 
for car camping.I prefer a cut down Martindale machete.whith a headliner tuckaway sheath..I'm not kidding Lol
 
It depends on what you want to do. I always take a fixed blade knife with about a five inch blade camping not to mention a small axe to process firewood.
 
If I were to bring my own logs, which are usually 8" diameter, I'd bring a kukri to baton, i often use my pocket knife for feathering the smaller pieces.
 
Car camping? Bring an axe.

Car camping means you have the car at camp. You don't need to worry about weight when you have a vehicle.
 
marcinek said:
Well, from what I read around here, car camping has become a life and death struggle for survival that requires a large full tang fixed blade capable of bashing trees, clearing brush for your snipers nest, and hand to hand combat. I'm praying for for your safe return brave man!

Personally I've found it far less dramatic, and that a folder like a Vic Farmer is more than enough, and anything beyond that are just toys to bring along for fun.

Maybe I'm doing it wrong.

[...]
Click to expand...

Lol, yes, you are! You should be carrying a Huntsman, you never know when you need scissors! :D

In all seriousness, all you need is a SAK. But it's fun to bring fixed blades along.

The choice is yours.
 
When I go car camping I bring everything!

Screen%20shot%202012-10-19%20at%209.47.35%20AM.png


As others have said you'll have everything at your disposal since you're not hiking in/out so why not bring a plethora of blades and use the opportunity to use as many as you can.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top