Good knife for a long road trip

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kalisti

Joined
Jan 4, 2015
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7
Hi,

I'm going to be taking a long (about 10,000 miles) motorcycle road trip in 18 months. I intend on mixing back road travel with highway travel, so I'll be doing some camping out along the way. I will be taking a knife with me for practical use, and perhaps self-defense. I'm a small woman, 5' 4", 59 years old, and I'll have better than average strength for my size on the trip, because I've already started weight and endurance training. I'd like to have some suggestions about what sorts of legal knives I might consider, and what sorts of training I might want to look into.

thanks!
 
It is hardtop say about which knife might be "legal" because it sounds like you will be traveling through many different states. There is a knife law section in these forums that might help you. I would think a good folder would meet your needs. Anything in the $50-$100 range should be fine, depending on your budget.
 
I like this knife when I travel, backed up by another SAK (like a Swiss Champ) in my daypack.

Victorinox One Hand Trekker (also available in black)
CammieOHT_zps2ee185e0.jpg
 
A Victorinox alox Farmer, a small fixed blade such as the ESEE Izula, and the Victorinox Swiss Tool Original; if you know how to shop, should be about $150.00 total.
 
I would say something like a pink Spyderco Delica would be handy to have.

I say pink not just because you're female but because as stated above we don't know where you'll end up. And even if not legal I would think a pink knife would be overlooked more often than say a black bladed knife.
 
I think more details will help a lot of people here. Folder or fixed, price range, and size.
 
I would go with that Victorinox that SAK guy recommended and pair it with a small ESEE, Becker, or similar knife. I think it would depend on what type of camping you'll be doing. If you're going to designated campgrounds and have firewood already available I think it will suit you well. You may want something a little bigger if you need to gather your own firewood and such, but then you might not be legal. As far as I know if a knife is stored out of arms reach (such as in the backpack without easy access it is usually not considered concealed, I know that's the law for several places at least).

For self defense (politics aside), I would recommend the SOG Flash 2 (<$50 with 3.5" blade), Spyderco Native FRN (about $85 and a 3" blade), Kahr Arms Spyderco Delica (legal everywhere in the US, about $85 and a 2.5" blade, but a full handle), if you have a bigger budget and can find one then the Spyderco Paramilitary (about $150 and a 3.5" blade).
 
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legal knife.... i'm not an expert of american laws, but i know that every states has different laws... so the question is where?? another good question is: fixed?? folder??

state-knife-possession-laws-know-your-rights_5245c7771e420_w1500.jpg
 
I did a trip like that back in 2000, on a Harley-Davidson sportster. I'd never done a real coast to coast, and since I was getting a little burned out on bikes, I didn't want to quit motorcycling until it did. I went from Maryland to Bay City Oregon and back, camped out all but three nights on a month long trip.

In my pocket I had a Case yellow handle sodbuster with a CVC blade. Reasoning was it's innocent looks and shed utility for camp stuff. In the T-bag on the bike was a 12 inch Ontario machete. It stayed out of sight in the T-bag and only was out when camped out in the boonies. Handy for kindling and camp site use. For defense I had mine of my Irish blackthorn sticks bunggied on the side of the T-bag. Most places I didn't need much, and the trip was actually a little anti-climatic. America has great roads, and enough towns that it was easy to re-supply during the day. It ain't the wild west anymore. I'd have lunch on the road and cook dinner over a campfire or small Sterno stove.

If Ihad to do it again, I'd just have a SAK like shown by SAK Guy, and leave the machete home. Out on BLM land, there was plenty of small kindling to break up and make a fire and out west rain was rare. I had two days of rain west of the Mississippi in the month I was on the road. This was September-October of 2000.

If you are worried about defense, carry a couple of cans of pepper spray. One small to go on you at all times, and one bigger police size can to keep in camp. Or even a can of bear spray.:thumb up:

Beware of some places that don't like what they call "bikers". I was rousted in one small wyoming town and they made me empty my saddle bags and T-bag, and when they didn't find anything, they kept me there while they ran the registration on my bike. Very maddening. This was the reason I didn't take any knife that could be wildly conceived as a "weapon" as it may have made that deputy's day. Hard to find a yellow handle Case sodbuster as threatening. He looked long and hard at he machete, but it had sap and dirt on it on purpose, and it looked like a camping tool.

But on the whole, people were nice, and the KOA campgrounds I stayed at often for the shower and laundry machines were clean and well run. One camp ground I had my little stove set up on a picnic table and was preparing to heat up a can of chill, and the people on the next campsite had a big RV, and invited me over for dinner. Spaghetti and Italian sausage. How could I say no?

Keep it simple and have a great trip. What kind of bike are you on?
 
Drakul Mihawk said:
legal knife.... i'm not an expert of american laws, but i know that every states has different laws... so the question is where?? another good question is: fixed?? folder??

state-knife-possession-laws-know-your-rights_5245c7771e420_w1500.jpg
Click to expand...

That map isn't right for KY. The law does not give any maximum blade length for pocket or hunting knives.
 
SAK Guy said:
I like this knife when I travel, backed up by another SAK (like a Swiss Champ) in my daypack.

Victorinox One Hand Trekker (also available in black)
CammieOHT_zps2ee185e0.jpg
Click to expand...

This looks like a great camping, etc. knife. I like to keep things simple, so this appeals to me a lot. Thanks!
 
Pink is ok with me. Not many people know at the turn of the last century pink was for boys and blue was for girls. It got switched in the 20s, I think. And you might be right about pink not being a red flag. ;)

aquaman67 said:
I would say something like a pink Spyderco Delica would be handy to have.

I say pink not just because you're female but because as stated above we don't know where you'll end up. And even if not legal I would think a pink knife would be overlooked more often than say a black bladed knife.
Click to expand...
 
kalisti said:
This looks like a great camping, etc. knife. I like to keep things simple, so this appeals to me a lot. Thanks!
Click to expand...

You're welcome! :thumbup:

That's the non-serrated (NS) version which I prefer. It's also available with a serrated main blade so something to look out for when you shop.
 
Thanks, jackknife... all good info. Sounds like you had a good time.

I love to drive and to ride, so the longer the trip the better. I'm planning on a circumnavigation starting and ending in Oregon. I've traveled alone quite a bit and I've found people are generally more than decent, especially to a woman traveling by herself, so I'm not really anticipating serious people problems. But I'm sort of a calculated risk-taker, so having a little protection is a good thing. Pepper spray is not a bad idea. Bear spray sounds good, too. If all goes to plan, I'm going to leave Oregon in time to catch Sturgis 2016 on my way east, just because popping in there will make one of my best friends very jealous.

I'm a fan of KOA campgrounds, myself. Lots of good peoples run them and stay at them.

I've been saving my pennies up for years for a bike, and I'll have about 15k when I'm ready to buy a new one. I haven't ridden in a very long time, so I'm gonna get a small, light beater to practice picking up a dropped bike with. Later, when I'm past that stage again, I'm gonna get an Indian Scout. The new engine is very nice from all reports, gearbox too. It has a low center of gravity, which I think I'll like on a long trip. It's a good size, too. Big enough for long distances, and small enough for easy handling by smaller riders like myself. The plan is to have my Scout 4 or 5 months before I start my trip so I can break it in easy, and put in a few multi-hundred mile trips on it.

I'm a fan of Harleys, too. Had a small Harley that I modified for off-road use, but that was decades ago. I'm going to do some test rides before I make my final decision. A Sportster is a great bike, too. But all things being equal, there's just something about the Scout I'm drawn to.
 
kendric said:
I think more details will help a lot of people here. Folder or fixed, price range, and size.
Click to expand...

I think a folding one for every day use. I don't want anything that looks intimidating or showy, although I personally like all knives. I'm already going to be an older woman traveling alone on a motorcycle. I don't want to be the crazy old knife lady traveling alone on a motorcycle. :-) I'm not sure about for self-defense. I just am completely ignorant about that. Someone suggested pepper spray, which is also a good idea.
 
I have done several 5000 mile trips on my Harley and camped many nights.
As space is an issue on a bike I find that besides a keychain swiss army knife which I always have, one good folder is all you need. I carried a large sebenza but you might prefer a small Sebby. If you are going to do hard core camping which I did not, take a small belt ax if you have the space.
This pretty much follows the" Nessmuck Woodcraft" book which was written long ago.
Best wishes for a safe trip

Solman
 
I was thinking of something along the lines of a Falkniven F1. It has more of a "sport" look rather than tactical - and if you have the camping equipment…Then maybe a SAK or Delica for smaller jobs.

Jordan
 
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