Sorry I didn't explain to much. I live in Texas, the longest blade I can own and use is 5.5 inches so around that size, it wouldn't be an edc. I want a good fixed blade for hunting camping hiking etc. Sorry for the confusion I'm new to this. 😛
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KNIVES FOR BACKPACKING AND HUNTING
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I've been asked by several friends for recommendations on knives for backpacking and camping. Here you go.
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Knowledge
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Knives are fun and they're useful. But knowledge is more useful. For backpacking, I recommend books by Chris Townsend. For general camping, I recommend books by Cliff Jacobsen. Before spending money on a knife, I highly recommend getting a book as your first investment.
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Stoves
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Knives are used primarily for 2 things: food preparation and starting fires. There are other uses, but these are the big ones. Before relying on a knife for starting fires, first learn how to use a camp stove. Canister stoves are the easiest to use but require that you monitor the amount of fuel left in the canister. White gas stove burn hottest and on long trips are lightest since the fuel burns so hot. Alcohol stoves are light and simple and for short trips are very light.
The most important aspect of any stove is your experience with the stove. Regardless of what stove you get, my recommendation is that you use it to boil water with it every day for 2 weeks straight and regardless of the weather. After this you will have confidence that you can operate the stove in any conditions and knowing all of the quirks of your stove.
My opinion is that if you are 100% confident in your ability to use your stove, you will be more confident in what knife you choose.
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Light Backpacking
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For light and ultra-light backpacking, I recommend the Leatherman PS4 Squirt.
When backpacking light, food preparation needs are reduced to opening packages. There is no need to build fires. Safety and warmth is provided by the clothing and shelter that you carry. Cutting needs are generally reduced to cutting thread and cordage. The scissors are useful for cutting bandages and material for equipment repairs. The pliers are useful for driving a sewing needle through heavy webbing. The screwdriver and pliers are useful for equipment repairs. People routinely through-hike the AT and PCT with nothing more than a tool like the Squirt.
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Normal Backpacking
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For normal backpacking, I recommend a small tool like the Leatherman PS4 Squirt combined with a small folding knife.
When backpacking with more than an ultra-light load, food preparation will likely increase to include cutting meat and cheese and perhaps vegetables. If you fish, it may also include the cleaning of the fish. When backpacking, again there is no need to make a camp fire.
Many people prefer to carry a multi-function knife like a Swiss Army Knife. Personally, I find most of the tools on SAKs to be less than useful for backpacking. I recommend choosing a model with folding scissors and also carrying a small set of pliers to drive a needle and thread.
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Car Camping
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For car camping, I recommend a hatchet, a full sized multi-tool and a folding knife like an Opinel #8 or #9.
When car camping, food preparation will be more like food preparation at home. You will need a can opener provided on a multi-tool and a knife blade suited for both slicing food and spreading. If you prefer to have a fixed blade knife, I would recommend getting one that has a drop point and a thin flat ground blade.
Nearly all car camping locations have established fire rings which make fires possible. However, many car camping locations prohibit foraging for wood because hundreds of visitors a year will quickly denude the area. Typically precut local firewood is available at or nearby the campground. This wood is typically cut to length and split for use in a fireplace. To start a fire at a campground fire ring, you will need to further split the firewood to get kindling sized wood. A hatchet or axe is an excellent way to split firewood and, if you make a mistake, go to an emergency room for stitches. A safe way to split firewood with a hatchet is to place the blade on the end of the wood and baton the hatchet with another piece of wood.
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Backpacking with Wood Stoves
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If you want to backpack and you want to have a fire, I recommend purchasing a small folding wood stove, such s the Bush Cooker or Emberlit. These stoves run on finger sized wood and minimize and simplify the wood harvesting needs. Often they can be run successfully entirely on wood gathered and broken by hand with no knife needed. They also minimize ash production, making it possible to have a fire without causing undue impact.
For camping with folding wood stove, I recommend carrying a small folding saw and a fixed blade knife with a blade in the 4" to 5" range. I further recommend that the knife not be hollow ground. The Silky Boy saw and Mora Companion are solid choices.
I find a small saw to be a very efficient way to cut wood to length. A knife with a blade in the 4" to 5" range will split wood in the 2" to 3" range to get dry wood for starting a fire. The knife can also be used to make shavings to start the stove more easily.
