Hiking kit

[Knives&Lint]

Growing up in rural Florida, I did my fair share of bushwhacking and trail making for our ATVs (3-wheelers, as God intended). Used a manchette obviously. However, even though I spent a good portion of my life walking in the woods I never even thought to consider any of it hiking.

I've been in the PNW for 7 years now, and since we've been here I've been an avid hiker, with many of our favorite destinations being waterfalls and alpine lakes. Nothing overnight yet, but in the summer 2-3 times a week typically, and 10-15 milers are not unusual. I do go off trail here and there, but the brush isn't thick enough to require any chopping, plus alot of it is in areas where it would be frowned upon.

I've found what gets the most use is a small fixed blade, mostly for cutting my apple and carving the occasional walking stick to be honest. It rides in the belt pocket of my pack. My meal on trail (other than berries that I gather) is most often homemade jerky, nuts, and maybe cheese (which I slice with an SAK that I carry). There's always a folder in my pocket as well, but that could be said for everywhere I go. Also a Swisstool, especially if I'm wearing snow spikes (it has saved me before). I keep a silky saw in my pack JIC.

SAK gets used back at the trailhead as well

 

[EngrSorenson]

If you're trying to blaze a permanent trail, I recommend a machete and some kind of saw, but 5-15 miles is a long hike to also be bushwhacking.

No one has mentioned a saw as an option.

 

[Roamad]

EngrSorenson Sorry, missed your post!

 

[SwiftDream]

Who made that top KOA knife?

Blind Horse. That is their flat ground Bushbaby, the first of the series to use O1. Previously they used a soft saw blade steel. It was also the last time they used the curly maple or fiddleback maple for the scales. All afterwards were micarta. It’s a collector’s piece and it is a high performance piece of work. Now of course Blind Horse has been disbanded for a long time and the two previous owners are on their own. Every once in a while you hit the lottery. It would look stunning in some of your leather work. Hmmm…

 

[Sharp & Fiery]

Blind Horse. That is their flat ground Bushbaby, the first of the series to use O1. Previously they used a soft saw blade steel. It was also the last time they used the curly maple or fiddleback maple for the scales. All afterwards were micarta. It’s a collector’s piece and it is a high performance piece of work. Now of course Blind Horse has been disbanded for a long time and the two previous owners are on their own. Every once in a while you hit the lottery. It would look stunning in some of your leather work. Hmmm…

Sounds like fun!

 

[AntDog]

Hey Ant Dog, I’m 30 miles south of Dallas on HWY 45. Know of anyone in our area who could put a handle and a little bit of an edge on this thing for me?
View attachment 2689804

I know a few fellas that could get that done for ya. It really depends on what materials you want, how good of a job you expect, etc. Hell, I could do it (and do it well) but don’t know when I could get to it.

If it was mine, I’d probably throw a good, tight, sturdy cord wrap on it, grind a good edge on it, and put it to work. If the cord wrap ate my hand up I’d dunk it in plasti-dip.

 

[Monofletch]

I carry one of these two knives when I hike. My pack is an old Badlands Hyper Hydration. Always carry a first aid kit and a water filter. In bear country my .357 is along too.

 

[Triton]

Oh yeah, I see some blades I really like in this thread.


We hike very rugged, steep, rocky trails usually with a good bit of bushwhacking several times a week. We start walking from home as we live in the Sonoran desert right next to 400 square miles of National Forest and wilderness with numerous canyons and mountain peaks. Our routes take us from saguaros to ponderosas. We have backpacked all over the southwest and have thousands of bag nights but we normally day hike these days.


I value navigation skills so those and the necessary tools are essential. Even my two year old iPhone can send text messages via satellite link to anyone now and yes I’ve thoroughly tested it. It also has SOS should I or anyone with me needs a dust off.


We always have full, lightweight rain gear as the elements kill more folks quickly than anything else. My insulation is the Montbel Plasma 1000 down jacket. It cost about the equivalent of a couple mid range knives. It’s a bit spendy but the elements can kill in three hours. These are always in the pack.


Water next and an ultralight mug to make hot drinks and soups as well as a method for sterilizing water if needed. I like the convenience, speed and stealth of a lightweight isopro stove but will switch to a tiny wood fire if need be.


Aside from some trail food and a few odds and ends including a couple mini Bics that’s about it. We like to travel light and fast. I’ve used a plethora of blades. It’s such a personal choice but predominantly I’ve kept them on the smaller side. Most fixed blades always pick up grit in the sheaths and dull the edge. They are the strongest choice but also the heaviest including sheath weight and the bulkiest. I’ve taken folders since I was need high to a pissant.im really not a bushcrater and can make a fire without a knife. I’ve made fire in exceptionally wet conditions with a folder and a Bic. Light food prep is easy with the normal things one takes on the trail. A small knife will cut anything else I need to cut. I’ve gone knife heavy a few times but didn’t find the value. I do value good steel and have a soft spot for carbon steels since that’s what was available in my formative years. I’ve exclusively carried the Spyderco Dragonfly in K390 for a year and a half over approximately 1500k in the wilderness as well as everywhere else urban. I am very impressed with the piece. I used to carry a similar sized Spyderco into foreign countries and it never let me down or left me wanting. It weighs 1.16oz. I fully realize this won’t work for everyone for various reasons. It works well for me.

There are a few things I’ve changed from this photo, doesn’t have 100% in the frame and the stove setup isn’t here for the colder weather hikes but again I do like to travel light for the terrain and age. I simply cannot hump an 80 lb rucksack anymore so rejoice young man in thy youth.

There is a whistle on the sternum strap and my new seat pad is day glow orange.

I like your approach. My thought is always buy the best gear you can afford, or you will buy it twice.. Also in my never to be humble opinion anyone carrying 80 lbs of gear is either doing it wrong or is on some sort of military mission.

 

[The Zieg]

For those who like capable choppers. Found this at an antique store, way out in the country, almost middle of nowhere.
Think it’s WW2. .25 thick, no distal taper. 11.25 blade. Tapered tang which I thought was interesting. Should make a hell of a chopper and brush cutter. Could also be used as a shovel or light pry bar.
Hey Ant Dog, I’m 30 miles south of Dallas on HWY 45. Know of anyone in our area who could put a handle and a little bit of an edge on this thing for me?
View attachment 2689804

USMC corpsman knife. Various stories on what they were used for, but a capable bush tool no matter what. Type "restore corpsmans knife" into YouTube and enjoy the restorations.

 

[RLB0414]

Growing up in rural Florida, I did my fair share of bushwhacking and trail making for our ATVs (3-wheelers, as God intended). Used a manchette obviously. However, even though I spent a good portion of my life walking in the woods I never even thought to consider any of it hiking.

I've been in the PNW for 7 years now, and since we've been here I've been an avid hiker, with many of our favorite destinations being waterfalls and alpine lakes. Nothing overnight yet, but in the summer 2-3 times a week typically, and 10-15 milers are not unusual. I do go off trail here and there, but the brush isn't thick enough to require any chopping, plus alot of it is in areas where it would be frowned upon.

I've found what gets the most use is a small fixed blade, mostly for cutting my apple and carving the occasional walking stick to be honest. It rides in the belt pocket of my pack. My meal on trail (other than berries that I gather) is most often homemade jerky, nuts, and maybe cheese (which I slice with an SAK that I carry). There's always a folder in my pocket as well, but that could be said for everywhere I go. Also a Swisstool, especially if I'm wearing snow spikes (it has saved me before). I keep a silky saw in my pack JIC.

SAK gets used back at the trailhead as well

Oooh yea, 3-wheelers. I had a Kawasaki 250 and the farmer I worked for had a Honda Big Red. I spent a lot of hours on those machines.
I hope the thirst quencher spent some time in the cold stream before you cracked it.

 

[Alone]

I'm at pretty damn-near "sea level", so weight is rarely a concern. Despite that, when it comes to hiking, sometimes "real estate" can be an issue in my kit.

That's when I choose to go small, light, and (*relatively) robust...





Most of the time, f*ck that(!), I just choose to go straight-up robust/overbuilt "field" knife...

 

[SwiftDream]

I like your approach. My thought is always buy the best gear you can afford, or you will buy it twice.. Also in my never to be humble opinion anyone carrying 80 lbs of gear is either doing it wrong or is on some sort of military mission.

We used to go into a desert place where the obstacles were intense and the water sources zero so I would have to carry about 30 pounds of water and containers on top of the other gear. I also carried all of the communal gear like tent and kitchen equipment. We found artifacts that littered the ground so thick that it was impossible to walk without stepping on them, stone tools, projectile points, painted pottery, beads, etc. and dinosaur fossils. We liked to stay three days without resupply so with all the gear, water, food and fuel as well as dog food and gear that pack of mine was a pig. I can’t do that anymore but my spirit of wanderlust has never subsided so I’ve figured a method of keeping on keeping on. My pack base weight now for day hikes is 3.5 lbs with all the weather protective clothing, empty canteens, knife, stove, mug and empty isopro fuel canister which I refill as needed and the few other items I carry. After adding water, food and fuel that weight goes up. Funny how light a pack feels until one adds water, food and fuel. For years now I’ve used the REI Flash 18 to carry the day gear. As I previously said the country is rugged wilderness and we are doing this several times a week. Amazing how therapeutic these adventures are.


Here is the favorite little rucksack down in a rocky drainage.

And here is one view of the terrain we frequent. We will go up through this place into one of seven major canyons close enough for us to walk to from home and continue on up or bushwhack across the ridges. There are some very strange and wild places out there as well as creatures that only exist here.

 

[vinprom]

shinyedges , if you are very fond of cutting wildflowers, like my wife - a pruning knife will come handy. Not sure whether a karambit is a good substitute due to the "wrong" direction of the sweep of the handle, but maybe somebody with a hands-on experience will clarify.

 

[shinyedges]

 

[shinyedges]

Hiked in to this waterfall today, made some coffee and ate jerky. My family had a great time and it's good exercise. Weekly waterfall chasing is fun.

The water was cold, I went in, I tested my hiking shoes (topo traverse) and my pants (fjallraven vidda pro ventilated) drying time. Both did very well. Great day

 

[shinyedges]

I should have also added the large cold steel rajah. I've beaten the heck out of mine in the backyard and woods and have been really impressed with it for a folding knife, and for the money. I've chopped a lot with it, split wood, dug out the end of drainage pipes, and other sorts of things I don't like to subject nicer knives to. The weight is very reasonable and it easily carries in leg pockets of carpenter pants, cargo pants, and several of the leg pockets of my hiking pants.

The inside of the scales were really sharp on mine and were wicked hot spots. A few minutes with folded up sandpaper to knock the edges off of the plastic made it much, much better. That applies to many of cold steel's budget-ish plastic handled knives, the plastic really could use a debur or chamfer step or something similar.

I've started carrying folding knives a lot more the past few years as they're just a lot easier for me to manage with kids around. I can get the edge put away where ever the knife is, not where the sheath is. Those little boogers just always seem to walk right up to me while I'm cutting stuff, especially food on a cutting board when they're too impatient to wait for me to finish. If it's just me in the woods or backyard though, fixed blades for the win.

Also shinyedges , if you want to try anything I have, just shoot me a PM for a trial run of some things. Save you a little coin while getting to try more blades too.

Much appreciated! Bladeforums has the best members of any forum. I appreciate the offer. Oh Alone I appreciate your offer too, one of these days we'll have to send each other a package.

I have a small first aid kit in mine as well and one of those space blankets. Also a whistle and pepper spray.

Definitely, I have several maxpedition pouches I turned into first aid kits so I can move them from bag to bag. Super glue, bandages, allergy meds, migraine meds, tourniquet, and more. Med kits are vital.

Growing up in rural Florida, I did my fair share of bushwhacking and trail making for our ATVs (3-wheelers, as God intended). Used a manchette obviously. However, even though I spent a good portion of my life walking in the woods I never even thought to consider any of it hiking.

I've been in the PNW for 7 years now, and since we've been here I've been an avid hiker, with many of our favorite destinations being waterfalls and alpine lakes. Nothing overnight yet, but in the summer 2-3 times a week typically, and 10-15 milers are not unusual. I do go off trail here and there, but the brush isn't thick enough to require any chopping, plus alot of it is in areas where it would be frowned upon.

I've found what gets the most use is a small fixed blade, mostly for cutting my apple and carving the occasional walking stick to be honest. It rides in the belt pocket of my pack. My meal on trail (other than berries that I gather) is most often homemade jerky, nuts, and maybe cheese (which I slice with an SAK that I carry). There's always a folder in my pocket as well, but that could be said for everywhere I go. Also a Swisstool, especially if I'm wearing snow spikes (it has saved me before). I keep a silky saw in my pack JIC.

SAK gets used back at the trailhead as well

Beautiful pics, I love my silky pocket boy, it's amazing how efficient it is. I'm from South Florida, grew up fishing in the everglades.

 

[shinyedges]

shinyedges , if you are very fond of cutting wildflowers, like my wife - a pruning knife will come handy. Not sure whether a karambit is a good substitute due to the "wrong" direction of the sweep of the handle, but maybe somebody with a hands-on experience will clarify.

I'm not much of a wild flower harvester. Well, depends on which flowers I come across lol

 

[RokJok]

Thank you for sharing this great IMHO photo. Wonderful eye candy!!

 

[vinprom]

I'm not much of a wild flower harvester. Well, depends on which flowers I come across lol

Frankly, behind my probably kind of humorous post is my very recent order of my first pruner - an A. Wright & Son 3 5/8" Pruning Jack Pocket Knife. I assume, because I have no experiece with pruners, it should be good for cutting small branches, twigs and mushrooms. This, plus a traditional slipjoint for whittling, and a puukko for an all around knife would cover the needs.
Unless I've missed, but seemingly nobody mentioned the puukko - an all purpose knife tested for centuries.

 

[shinyedges]

Frankly, behind my probably kind of humorous post is my very recent order of my first pruner - an A. Wright & Son 3 5/8" Pruning Jack Pocket Knife. I assume, because I have no experiece with pruners, it should be good for cutting small branches, twigs and mushrooms. This, plus a traditional slipjoint for whittling, and a puukko for an all around knife would cover the needs.
Unless I've missed, but seemingly nobody mentioned the puukko - an all purpose knife tested for centuries.

I have used pruners for garden work pretty extensively, as we grow large gardens, gardens as in multiple of them. Pruners are actually awesome. You'll love them.