Desert Survival knife Q?

psy-ops

psy-ops

Joined
Sep 27, 1999
Messages
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I have never been to a desert, unless you count Joshua tree.

What types of shelter can one build? What are the knife needs there? I would imagine a machete is not one's first choice.

Thanks
 
What kind of desert? There are many kinds. Are we talking Middle East deserts, California deserts (deserts with sand)? And what would you be using your knife for?
 
Thanks for asking,

I am interested in all types of deserts. So what ever experiences people have had in deserts I would like to know what their knife needs were.
 
Desserts?

Love 'em!

I use Moras for apple pie and Busse's for cake, unless it is a wedding cake and then I use a MOP handled custom.

Jello and ice cream require a hobo.

Uh....oh..sorry, you meant DESERT, not DESSERT!
 
i do a lot of camping in the mojave desert, and i would even go so far as to say that i'm more experienced with desert than i am with forests. as far as the high deserts, i think something like a rc-3, rc-4 or similar size would work nicely. there won't be too much woodworking in the desert, and as for survival, not too many large animals to skin and gut. a good shovel i think would be a better tool.

as for shelters, i'd imagine you could gather enough wood from various shrubs to build some sort of buried lean-to which would block the wind and filter out sand. if you're lucky enough to have some form of desert trees (such as joshua trees), you can do all sorts of stuff with them.
 
Knife needs dont really change as much as some may guess" that includes machettes", shelters may be an issue as some places are going to be easier then others to build one.
 
By definition, deserts are dry. That means corrosion is not going to be a factor. Your knife need not be able to cut back brush, but you may need it as a hunting tool or weapon. A small paring knife should be able to skin and prepare snakes (if you're into that), as well as getting into the moist parts of cactus and bugs. If you're going to have to remove or kill snakes, a large, light knife might be just the thing. I recently got a Cold Steel War Head, and I was very much impressed by its size, light weight and balance. It would be fine to use to probe holes, kill snakes and slice open cactus and so forth. You can even strap the blade onto a pole as an extension.

As for shelter, I can't help you much there. Back in the 70s, I had to live in the California desert for a few months and during that time I traveled into some blisteringly hot areas where there wasn't so much as a gas station. I was amazed that so many people had grown accustomed to it. I'm fond of cool weather with mists that roll in over the mountains and I hate seeing the sun directly. Had there been a fire hydrant, I would have tried to cram myself into the shadow. I was miserable.

Anyway, good luck. Maybe there are some desert rats here that could give you better advice. As for me, I use a solar umbrella when I have to be out in the sun.
 
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