carrying a fixed blade while hiking and camping.

[TheGame]

I take a fixed blade everywhere I go, and a larger one while anywhere in the woods. I never get a second look as far as I can tell. I don't really care what others think anyway.

 

[monster]

For the most part I never get a second look when carrying any of my 4-5" fixed blades, but anything bigger like my choppers or machetes and all the Rambo comments come out. A group of us from work started annual camp trips some 15 years ago and on our first trip out (not my first trip mind you) we packed in about 3 miles to a lake. Once tents and gear were set up we sat down to have lunch and to my shock and horror I came to find that i was the only one in our group of 5 carrying a fixed blade that wasn't part of a mess kit! As I produced my Buck camp knife to open my freeze dried pouch I got all the comments and wise cracks one would expect from non knife people. Anyway after three days and two nights of roughing it and hourly requests to borrow my blade for many cutting tasks which included making some tent stakes to hold down a buddy's rig when the winds kicked up to cooking and wood splitting we hiked back down the mountain to talks of which blades would I suggest they buy for our next trip.

Now Im proud to say that I have shown at least a dozen or more people the importance of a fixed blade as a tool and when we go camping we all proudly wear and show off our latest blades.

 

[Tilley Knife]

I find combining a sizeable fixed blade, like my Ontario machete, with a gillie suit and some face paint smooths things over at the state campgrounds :thumbup:

Lol, that's sig worthy.

 

[Faiaoga]

Living outside of the USA as I have for a number of years, I am sometimes confused by the large amount of time and space devoted to discussions of acceptability for knives and other edged tools. Sometimes, the discussion of blade length, locking or not locking, pocket clip visible or not and number of sharpened edges seems a little bit ridiculous.

I left the USA to become a teacher in Western Samoa as a Peace Corps volunteer. In Samoa, an 18 inch machete is standard for everyone from 6 years old on up. At the same time, the society is such that people understand that the bush knives are not to be waved about, carried in a threatening manner or used to intimidate people. When walking through a village, the knife is carried by the blade with the handle down or placed in a basket of food harvested from the plantation. After purchasing a new machete in town, a Samoan will carry it on the bus wrapped up in a newspaper or otherwise covered. Over there,knives and axes are tools and are treated as such - they are not status symbols or threats to other people. School cleanup days include public school students bringing knives to school on the bus - unlike the USA, where multiple parental permission slips must be submitted for mundane activities.

I think farmers, fishermen, hunters and campers who use edged tools appropriately do not need to apologize for having tools and having them visible. If other people, unused to the tools and perhaps incompetent in their use, choose to make an issue then the problem is their own. Knife owners should defend their right to have and use necessary tools - they do not need to apologize.

 

[bearhunter]

I carry a fixed blade routinely, I've gone through Petco with no strange looks but then again, no one here cares.

Same way here in Montana!

Heck, I use my own knife when I'm out having steak.

The only thing I've got to worry about is that some old cowboy might try to steal it from me

 

[neeman]

.........
I'm taking the family camping for the 4th.. with the little ones it;ll be at a campground.
............

By choosing to be in a camp ground you take upon yourself the social norms of the campsite
So working within these, you need to use your discrection in what knife you will carry

 

[RescueRiley]

THanks for all the great comments guys.

 

[bearhunter]

By choosing to be in a camp ground you take upon yourself the social norms of the campsite
So working within these, you need to use your discrection in what knife you will carry

Nope not me... I would simply carry what I wanted and if someone didn't like it, well then that would be their problem. Not mine!

 

[22-rimfire]

RescueRiley, how did your family campout go? We had plans for the 4th, but here it was pretty much nothing but rain rain rain and we canceled. We have had close to 10" of rainfall in the last 8 days here. It has rained every day except Tuesday.

 

[coaldigger]

I carry a few knives on myself everyday, a couple of folders & usually my Izula or Wohlwend EDC . When I'm in the "OutDoors" if it's fising or hunting or just hiking/woods bumming around, I Always have a good solid fixed blade & so does my boys !
you can see their Mora Scouts on their side, they love these knives !

[/URL][/IMG]
& if you look closely in my pic you will see my BK2 on my side while I'm fishing

[/URL][/IMG]
Never without a knife...a rule my Daddy put in my head

 

[neeman]

Nope not me... I would simply carry what I wanted and if someone didn't like it, well then that would be their problem. Not mine!

So it would also be okay to play loud music in the middle of the night?
What makes you decide when their problem is yes your problem?

Asking

 

[RescueRiley]

.22 Rimfire.. It was great thanks.. Just ht as the dickens... I'll try to get some pics up soon

 

[WJC01]

So it would also be okay to play loud music in the middle of the night?
What makes you decide when their problem is yes your problem?

Asking

Carrying a knife in a campground is legal-Playing loud music in the middle of the night in a public campground is not.
I usually carry a med to small fix blade camping-BRKT Bravo 1, Randall mod #28 woodsman, or my JK Anniversary EDC.

 

[mtangent]

So it would also be okay to play loud music in the middle of the night?
What makes you decide when their problem is yes your problem?

Asking

Loud music is an assault on the ears of everybody nearby.
Any knife carried is only comparrable if used to threaten or assault somebody.

 

[MAURICE]

I carried my BK5 with me last week on a two day trip. Most of the time I would forget it was there. Then we would come across other hikers who would look at it hanging off my belt, and then I remembered i had it. Kind of funny. I did not have much opportunity to use it, other than lightweight camp tasks, but I was glad I carried it.

 

[Hammer67]

I think one's demeanor goes a long way, at least with those who may be unfamiliar with knives, but are still fairly open-minded. I try to be nice to people and not act like an asshole when interacting on the trail, etc. This way, people who are freaked out about what they aren't familiar with will hopefully at least be able to say, "well, that guy had a knife on his belt, but he was very nice and courteous. Maybe not everyone who carries a knife is a Rambo wannabe dickhead." I also see no need to go strolling around a public campground with a big machete swinging off my belt.

But beyond that, I don't give a second thought.

 

[wjswiger]

As the quote in my sig indicates, I carry a lot of steel with me in to the woods. I like using, experimenting, and honing my skills with different tools and mediums. I'm usually in my woods or in a designated wilderness, where I rarely if ever encounter anyone who wasn't invited. I typically have my SAK Farmer, Opinel, at least one 4 inch'ish fixed blade, and a 12" machete. When my son and I do hike on busy trails, I carry my SAK and fixed blade attached to the strap of my pack. No one has ever looked at me twice. Not carrying a fixed blade knife in to the woods would be like me going to the store without my wallet.

+1 on that. I live in New Hampshire, and when I step out my door I'm in the woods!! I also agree that when I'm in the woods it tends to restore my faith in humanity.....

 

[ignatius]

This is a really interesting thread! I Often carry a fixed blade out in the open, and in fact I enjoy choosing the right knife for the activity I am enjoying. For example : when I am surf fishing on the beach, I like to carry a neck knife ( Becker BK-11)that is coated to resist rust and corrosion, it is surprising how many times a blade comes in handy when fishing. Seems like I am always cutting line/leader or slicing a piece of bait etc. When I am fly fishing, it is usually in a secluded area and while I am probably not in a survival situation, I might be in a position to need a fire if I get dunked so I carry a fixed blade on my belt with a fire steel. Finally when I am camping in a wilderness area, I go with a big fixed blade like a BK 7 and it is always on my belt.