Help me pick the perfect backpacking knife

All good advice it comes to taste For backpacking AK hiking in the woods - the combination of BM Ritter fixed balde (or Mora) and SAK looks good to me. Though I have the fallkniven S1 or F1

Personally for light weight back packing that fits your spec, for my taste it would be my Benchmade Ritter Mini Griptillian. Google "griptillian review" and see what comes up - a number of positive reviews from back packers who use them in the wild. The axis lock is fast fast to open ....ANd is fast to fold away one handed as well - so open, cut, put away in one smooth process. It means the knife gose back in my pocket rather than on the ground, balnced on a rock .... The others are preety good like the Delica (I have beside me now) but it involve repostioning the hand folding against leg etc.

This seesm to be a good review from an expereinced hiker backpacker

http://www.backpackgeartest.org/rev... Mini-Griptilian/Owner Review by Cathy Kerry/

The delica is pointier with less belly so a good point but possibly not as good a slicer or skinner out of the box. So I think the grip is better for food prep

For backpacking, as in going around Europe or general travel - A SAK and Spyderco ladybug in VG10 are what I will take with me next week

Lock knives are problematic in several countries (UK France) though I figure the lady bug is so small it won't cause offense
 
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brians said:
Carry both., Here's the lightest fixed/folder combo I carry for backpacking - modded BM Fixed Grip (4.6 oz) and SAK Farmer - redundant, functional and light:

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You dirty bastid. I don't follow Benchmade enough to know that a Fixed Grip came out. Now you have me knife shopping.

That looks like a handy little blade. 154CM is a favorite, and I saw a D2 version at Cabela's. :thumbup:
 
^ Guyon, you won't believe how light it is. In hand, it almost feels lighter than a mini Grip, and it's a very good sized knife.
 
As an avid backpacker I can tell you what I carry now.

The most required chore around camp is cutting open packages of food.
I carry a Kershaw Chive clipped to the inside of my pocket.
That’s my folder. It is readily accessible and covers 90% of my knife needs.

I do carry a fixed blade as well, just in case I find I REALLY need a knife.
I have a Fallkniven WM1 with the Zytel sheath. This can be carried on the belt or around the neck. It usually stays in my pack though.
This knife is as tough as they come, and yet, is very light, 4 oz w/sheath.

I carry a very light pack, around 25lbs. This includes an UL .44 magnum, campstool, insulated coffee thermos and other luxuries. You can go light and not suffer.
 
I have to agree with a fixed blade.

I see you are concerned with weight..

How about 2.5 oz?

Becker BK11....at $32.50 add a SAK of your choice (mine is the Vic Hiker) and you will be set,and well under your price range.

Though I love mine I do prefer a larger more comfy handled knife for general use.

BUT....The BK11 will handle any emergency hard use you might need it for.

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Wow! You guys are awesome! I posted last night as I was leaving work hoping for a response or two when I came back to the office this morning. I love a good forum!!! Thanks! Now I have some shopping to do...

A couple thoughts:

Several of you are right - I've never considered a fixed blade. I don't know why not, I've just never backpacked with anyone that used one. I've been scuba diving with a fixed blade and really like it. I'll look into several of the knives you have suggested.

As a couple of you have mentioned, the open assist is mostly for the "cool" factor. Not necessary as there are many knives out there that open very fast manually. I would go without if it was an easy open like the Carson Flipper. I've never seen/used a wave knife. That looks intriguing...

Thanks again! Looks like I won't be getting much done at work today.
 
The next time I go this will probably tag along....
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Several have mentioned a SAK, and I do to regardless of fixed or folder.
 
guaps said:
Wow! You guys are awesome! I posted last night as I was leaving work hoping for a response or two when I came back to the office this morning. I love a good forum!!! Thanks! Now I have some shopping to do...
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Bladeforums is a very active forum with a lot of knowledgeable folks. So knowledgeable that this durn thread has me price comparing that BM fixed blade.

If you change your mind and decide to go the fixed blade route, just ask for recommendations and you'll probably get more than you can handle.

Edited to add: Be aware too that Bladeforums has a Wilderness and Survival subforum with lots of outdoorsmen who backpack, hike, camp, paddle, etc.

.
 
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I'll join the community in recommending a small fixed blade.
Chances are that the lion's share of your knife use will be food prep... in which case cleaning a folder is simply a chore.

Here's a tiny, super-light option:
Benchmade Activator

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It's just 2.1" long, and weighs just 2.4 oz, which is less than some of the folders mentioned here.

Carry one of these, as well as a SAK or multitool for personal grooming and misc tasks.
 
I used to do long distance backpacking, a couple of weeks at a time.
Every ounce counts!

I carried a small SAK, and a smaller Bucklite.
A SAK Classic stayed in my First Aid kit as a clean knife.

Given that I was carrying everthing I needed on my back, I was not going to do a survival thing.
The SAK did everything I needed.
I almost never used the Bucklite, but continued to carry it in case....as part of my emergency gear

Press the lock on the Bucklite and it swings open or closed.

If you are going to make small cooking fires, then do carry a sheath knife instead of a folder
Most of your wood is just picked up.
A Mora is very light and very reliable.

For shorter trips were I would be carrying vegetables and wet food (cheese or sausage), I had a very small no-brand kitchen paring knife.
It is more hygenic as it is easier to clean than the SAK.
 
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IF you are stuck on a lightweight folder with safety and A/O ... the SOG Aegis is sweet for the money ($65-80 ??) and crazy light.
 
Lots of good suggestions here I think. But I am on the fixed blade side. I understand the thing about counting every ounce, cutting the extra length of of straps, taking patches off, sneakers instead of boots, etc. I get it, I do. But a folder on a multiple day backpacking trip? I don't understand SAK-only for trips like this (let alone folders). Don't get me wrong I love folders. You have to balance saving ounces with dependability. If you get lost or in trouble (however slim the chances), you aren't going to care about .03 oz. or whatever. But you are going to care if your knife has a built-in breaking point. Same goes for Moras (sorry guys). Light and cheap, sure. In a worst case scenario though, who cares? Cheap and break-easy will leave you in a lot worse shape than the other guy who packed a sturdy, full-tang knife.

All that to say I second the neck-knife w/ paracord idea.
Try becker or RAT's Izula.

And just want to add: don't carry it on your pack either ;)
 
Fixed blade, no question. About 4" to 5" blade, about 8" to 10" overall length. Thickness between 0.125" and 0.17". And 3 oz? Why would you want to trust your life in an emergency situation with a 3 oz knife? Remember that most accidents occur on quick backpacking trips. Get something that will hold up well for a long time, is comfortable in the hand and doesn't cause blisters after extensive use, and is easy to maintain and sharpen away from the house. For the money, I'd look at a Scrapyard Scrapper 5 (SR101) for $99.
 
Old Painless said:
Lots of good suggestions here I think. But I am on the fixed blade side. I understand the thing about counting every ounce, cutting the extra length of of straps, taking patches off, sneakers instead of boots, etc. I get it, I do. But a folder on a multiple day backpacking trip? I don't understand SAK-only for trips like this (let alone folders). Don't get me wrong I love folders. You have to balance saving ounces with dependability. If you get lost or in trouble (however slim the chances), you aren't going to care about .03 oz. or whatever. But you are going to care if your knife has a built-in breaking point. Same goes for Moras (sorry guys). Light and cheap, sure. In a worst case scenario though, who cares? Cheap and break-easy will leave you in a lot worse shape than the other guy who packed a sturdy, full-tang knife.

All that to say I second the neck-knife w/ paracord idea.
Try becker or RAT's Izula.

And just want to add: don't carry it on your pack either ;)
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I would trust my life to a Mora. Cheap and light doesn't equal fragile in this particular case. I think that's especially true of some of the offerings from Eriksson that have a nearly full tang. I wish I could remember the thread where someone posted an xray of several injection molded handles showing how long the various tangs were. The Eriksson's fared very well.
 
Some liked folders here for back packing. As much as I love folders, I despise them for the hikes I do. I live on the coast and tend to camp on sandy beeches. There is noting I hate more than sand in my folder. That crunchy sound of sand when closing the blade just burns my ears. And if you think you will avoid getting sand in your folder on the beech, you may, but you better make sure that ziplock bag is real tight ;).

In all honesty, if you want really light, and thats all you want, just take a sak. You probably won't need it. I like to take a larger fixed blade personally. Its the one spot where Im willing to get some extra weight. I wear it on my belt and for me its a motivation because I just love setting up camp with a nice knife. Making fire and such is something i really enjoy and I just wouldnt have as much fun without it. So if i took that weight away, it would be like throwing 25 lbs on my back because the fun factor just wouldnt be there.

What can i say, im a knife guy and i like to play with them. Ever try to taking your kids favorite toy away? they lose motivation to do anything real fast ;)

So if you want a bigger knife, i say go for it. If you want aa, go for it. Personally i think aa knives are totally useless. You want one with a lock...that kinda takes the quickness factor out eh? Seems very stupid to me. Ive had one and fond it totally useless and unsafe. IMO they are just for mall ninjas not for knife users but im a jerk sometimes:)
 
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