Good Camping/Backpacking Folding-Knife

the new FFG FRN endura is hard to beat, just wish they would offer it in a more attractive color.
 
I agree that a multitool or SAK would be a better option. Personally I would take a mora over a folder 100% of the time.

There are a few things I notice any time I go camping, first is I always bring more knives than I need or can carry, and second I usually only use my leatherman a mora 2000 and sometimes another small fixed blade. My folder usually gets put in my bag until its time to go back to civilization.

I like folders for EDC city life but in the woods they lack the strength and comfort and usually performance I get from a similar sized FB. My suggestion is small FB like a mora or Izula and a multitool.
 
humm always thought I was the only one who carrys more than I could ever use. oh wait I use them all ok maybe not but anyways you never know.I am glad to see I am not the only one was looking like a lonely path. I do keep a good fixed blade on me as well they cant be beat at anything that requires some backbone and they are faster than any tactial folder to use . I do like a good 3-4 inch fixed blade and never go with out my sog MT. I use it for picking up hot stuff like pots and taking fish hooks out well that bout all I use it far. however the blades on most MT are well there if you need them but there are always better options.You will be glade you have that blade if you need one but will wish you had a regular knife blade after a while .But will work just akward to use. My sog still has the factory edge on it and I have owned it for 3 years humm bet it will still shave. Get what fits your needs the most if you need backbone get a fixed blade. i would give up any of my tactial style folders for a fixed blad anytime. I think everyone uses knives for different reasons. Get what fits you. i have seen a lot of people go out in the wilderness without a knife. I am truly amazed at the sheer number of people who would put there life at risk by not having a knife of some sort and this was in Alaska. Any knife is better than none some not much but I rather have a 3 dollar fleamarket knife than nothing.
 
when backpacking i like a leatherman wave and kabar dozier folding hunter. i guess with your price range you might find something you like better but for a small inexpensive lightweight folder, i think its awsome
 
All I have ever needed camping -

Cheap machete
FFG G10 Endura (perfect folding camp knife IMO)
SOG Powerassist multitool

If you add hunting or survival camping to the plan, you might change it up a bit, but this combo works best for me.
 
My only backpacking knife...

Wenger Ranger 56

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You will use the saw as much as the blade. :thumbup:
 
One thing to consider is how you plan to carry the folder. I like to have my knife handy, but I don't trust a pocket clip if I'm hiking all day. I use a piece of paracord through the lanyard hole and looped through my beltloop, so that the knife dangles in my pocket. My dad always carried a SAK this way on backpacking trips when I was as a kid. I use a Delica and carry a multitool in my pack. That way I don't have the weight of the extra tools bouncing around in my pocket.
 
Depends on what your idea of camping is... To be honest a lot of folks who go camping don't even feel a need for a fixed blade since they don't build shelters from scratch and use a camping stove for cooking. A good multitool would round things up nicely. I'm biased to a plier based tool rather than a knife based one like the victorinox since I've found a pair of pliers to be immensely useful.
 
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I think that all of my folders have been backpacking/camping/hiking. To be honest, they all work fine. I usually just throw whatever is convenient into the lid-pocket of my pack.

While all of my folders are acceptable outdoors, I try to pick something that isn't too fancy. I only take one of my classy, wood-handled folders when I feel like I won't trash it. My favorite knives for camping/climbing are my Delica and my ZT 0500. I like the Delica because it is small, light, functional, and ugly (no worries about damaging it). I like the 0500 because it is solid, easy to use with gloves, and incredibly reliable. I don't have to worry about getting dirt or ice in the pivot and it can be used about as hard as a fixed blade.

Think about exactly what you will be doing while in the field and decide based on that. I don't often go camping just for the heck of it; I'm usually just on the way to a climb or something. Because of this, I don't like to waste time building a shelter or collecting firewood. I just hike, set up my tent, eat, sleep, and get moving again. Most of my cutting chores consist of opening food packages and cutting climbing (athletic) tape.

The weight of the folding knife isn't as much of an issue as you might think. I'm a "fast and light" type of guy and I have yet to notice a difference between packing a big folder and a small one. The difference between a huge folder (like the ZT) and a tiny folder is nothing compared to the rest of the stuff in your pack. Regardless of what knife I carry, my pack weight is always under 50lbs, and that's with 20-30lbs of dedicated climbing gear. Your pocket knife is not the place to be saving weight, just pick one that's comfortable.

Phillip

p.s. Last weekend, in the North Cascades, I brought my carbon fiber Ritter Grip as my primary knife. It rode in the lid of my pack. I also had a Delica in my emergency bag, and a small Boker Rescom clipped to my climbing harness. I used the Ritter to cut up an apple to share, and to shorten a strap on my gaiter.
 
Thank you guys for all the help and great suggestions. I was able to narrow it down to two knives, and I'm curious about your opinions.

Benchmade 15020 (link: http://www.benchmade.com/products/15020 )
I am leaning towards this knife, although there is not much information / youtube reviews about it. Could anyone who owns it tell me their observations and experiences?

ZT 0200 (link: http://www.kershawknives.com/productdetails.php?id=9&brand=zt )
I like this knife, but I'm curious about how hard it is to sharpen that recurve. Also, it looks like more of a weapon whereas the 15020 is more of a tool.


Which knife would you rather have in the backcountry?


Thanks again everyone. You have all been so helpful :D
 
dolfan723 said:
Thank you guys for all the help and great suggestions. I was able to narrow it down to two knives, and I'm curious about your opinions.

Benchmade 15020 (link: http://www.benchmade.com/products/15020 )
I am leaning towards this knife, although there is not much information / youtube reviews about it. Could anyone who owns it tell me their observations and experiences?

ZT 0200 (link: http://www.kershawknives.com/productdetails.php?id=9&brand=zt )
I like this knife, but I'm curious about how hard it is to sharpen that recurve. Also, it looks like more of a weapon whereas the 15020 is more of a tool.


Which knife would you rather have in the backcountry?


Thanks again everyone. You have all been so helpful :D
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Neither. Both are poor choices in my opinion.

If I have to go out with one knife, and its not a swiss army knife, I'd be taking either a Fallkniven F1, or an ESEE Izula.

-Freq
 
freq18hz said:
Neither. Both are poor choices in my opinion.

If I have to go out with one knife, and its not a swiss army knife, I'd be taking either a Fallkniven F1, or an ESEE Izula.

-Freq
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I appreciate your post, but I just wanted to make sure that you are aware of what I am looking for. My brother (who I would be making all my trips with) has a fixed blade; I am not interested in a knife for the heavy-duty work. I am more interested in a folder for the best money.

Thanks again for the post.
 
dolfan, I think there are better choices for the same amount of money of those two. Better steel and grinds for outdoor work too.

Lots of folks recommended Spyderco, I think models like the millitary or para millitary offer better options for your intended purposes for around the same price as your final two. Do you not like the looks of the spydies or something? As someone who used to refuse to buy spydies because they looked strange.. I can tell you that after you pick one up and use it, you'll forget about the looks and fall in love with the feel. I think you should give them another shot. And If you want to go cheaper, the Endura4 in sabre or FFG are great choices too. I use mine in the field a lot.
 
dolfan723 said:
Thank you guys for all the help and great suggestions. I was able to narrow it down to two knives, and I'm curious about your opinions.

Benchmade 15020 (link: http://www.benchmade.com/products/15020 )
I am leaning towards this knife, although there is not much information / youtube reviews about it. Could anyone who owns it tell me their observations and experiences?

ZT 0200 (link: http://www.kershawknives.com/productdetails.php?id=9&brand=zt )
I like this knife, but I'm curious about how hard it is to sharpen that recurve. Also, it looks like more of a weapon whereas the 15020 is more of a tool.


Which knife would you rather have in the backcountry?


Thanks again everyone. You have all been so helpful :D
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Of those 2 the BM would be a better choice. Recurves are easy to sharpen if you have the right tools. If utility is your priority then the BM is the way to go. The ZT 0200 wins in the looks department but there are better choices for a camp/ hiking knife. I'm a big Spyderco fan and most of my knives are from Spyderco but the Axis lock is a lot easier to manipulate. In the case of outdoor use though I'd prefer a linerlock as the chances of grit and dirt affecting the locking mechanism is a lot lower. Buying the "best" (in terms of price) knife may not be as critical as buying the right one. Cheaper does not always equate to inferior.
 
Jake Bauer said:
dolfan, I think there are better choices for the same amount of money of those two. Better steel and grinds for outdoor work too.

Lots of folks recommended Spyderco, I think models like the millitary or para millitary offer better options for your intended purposes for around the same price as your final two. Do you not like the looks of the spydies or something? As someone who used to refuse to buy spydies because they looked strange.. I can tell you that after you pick one up and use it, you'll forget about the looks and fall in love with the feel. I think you should give them another shot. And If you want to go cheaper, the Endura4 in sabre or FFG are great choices too. I use mine in the field a lot.
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Thanks, yeah, your definitely right, I couldn't dig the looks of the spydies. The one that I could stand was the Manix2 (how is that?), but the thing is, I want this knife to be one that I can just love (both performance and appearance).

If these two choices are lacking in performance that much, than I do get that I'll need to in some ways sacrifice the looks of the knife.

Do you guys really think the performances of those 2 are that bad? (Please tell me about what you've heard on the performance of the 0200 and the 15020.)

(I could always go with a Ritter-Grip too, cause those look nice - especially with the black S30V - and I hear there fantastic knives too.)

Thanks for all the help guys!
 
Another vote for the Buck 110 and a good Swiss Army Knife. Those are what I like to take camping. IMO, you get more than what you pay for with both of these.
 
Benchmade Onslaught is a great knife, 4.3" blade, Axis lock, flat grind, thumb hole opener, 154cm, tip up carry. The reason I bought it was for camping.
 
Doug S said:
Another vote for the Buck 110 and a good Swiss Army Knife. Those are what I like to take camping. IMO, you get more than what you pay for with both of these.
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For years, I did long distance backpacking with a SAK and a 112 Bucklite
I used the SAK for almost everything and hardly used the Buck 112

Your brother has a massive blade

I would suggest lightweight combo
A SAK Huntsman with scissor and a saw
And a new Buck 112 Ecolite lockback

Less than $50!
 
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