How Large Are Ya Prepared To Carry ?

midnight flyer:

I'm not going to quote your post, due to length.

My post wasn't directed at "correcting" your load-out, but to answer your somewhat implied question of "where are these situations where a large(r) knife was required". So I posted situations where it can easily become necessary, why you won't read about them in the papers, and where to look for such stories (SAR guys).
 
FLIX said:
. . .This reveals that an alarming mindset has crept in, classifying knives as toys and survival as a hobby, rather than serious tools and responsible skill sets for safely traveling in the wilderness! :eek: This is a sobering realization.

. . .

Third, they can cause alarm from other woods users. Fourth, they can provoke "chechako" and "tenderfoot" type comments from crusty old woods bums that think the ideal knife for skinning a moose is a tiny Old Timer folder.
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Good post!

I'm especially bothered by the mindset that we should adjust what we carry because someone who is oblivious to their use may be bothered by their presence. I'm encountering that reasoning a lot lately, and believe it is quite faulty.

When one is "preparing", they aren't playing the odds (the people who don't prepare, i.e. the "I only need my bottle of Evian and cell phone" crowd are playing the odds. If you're preparing, you're already moving into the less likely territory, but that territory may kill you if it ever does happen.
 
DOC-CANADA said:
Has everybody got a chip on their shoulder right now? The examples I provided were incidents I knew about. I thought it was helpful. I won't make that mistake again. :thumbdn:

Doc
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Doc, it's awfully easy for people to mistake the tone of a post. I've been a victim of that, myself.:o

FWIW, I felt your post was insightful.

Maybe you are right in general, though. Times are tough and I've noticed a lot folks' tempers have indeed grown rather short.:(
 
DOC-CANADA said:
Thanks th. I don't know what's going on right now - kgd was accused of being arrogant, in another thread.

This forum has alway been the most polite forum with the least amount of pissing contests. I'd hate to see that change. :(

Doc
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It certainly does not have to change.

Maybe we can learn to expect more frequent outbursts and find some way to tamp them down, quickly.:confused:
 
I figure that when it comes to an actual survival standpoint you'd really appreciate every little scrap of gear that you could carry. Somehow when you're freezing, disoriented, and far from help...you don't mind that you've been carting around three days rations, cooking utensils, five kinds of firestarters, water purification tools, first aid kits, space blankets...and yes, a big ol' fixed blade. :D
 
Cpl Punishment said:
midnight flyer:

I'm not going to quote your post, due to length.

My post wasn't directed at "correcting" your load-out, but to answer your somewhat implied question of "where are these situations where a large(r) knife was required". So I posted situations where it can easily become necessary, why you won't read about them in the papers, and where to look for such stories (SAR guys).
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Sorry if it seemed like I was jumping on anyone, or their posts. It can be difficult to tell what the intent of the written word actually is sometimes.

I understood your post, and agree with what you wrote.

And I further agree that if the right equipment is along, there is a possibility of tragedy averted, so no story at all.

I was just trying to make the point in regards to my own personal experiences with my own equipment.

Hopefully, no harm, no foul here with the other fine folks of the group.

I enjoy WSS more than any other place on the site. :thumbup:

Robert
 
I've thought about this.

I think I should stay within 10 lbs. There's just no good reason I can come up with to go farther than this.

I mean ... I could do 30 lbs, but that's just too much like "belt and suspenders and another belt.":o
 
Well, just to clarify, I'm personally offended by everything I've read here...and actually everything I've ever read period! :) And the more weight the better...it builds character and strong thighs.

I think it's pretty easy to spot that most of us typically prepare for the situation that we're expecting plus a little more in case we run into the unexpected. I isn't often that I actually need to use a knife at all on a day hike. That said, in the relatively predictable and fairly well traveled locations in which I take my day hikes, I carry a 4.5" or 5.0" blade. Seems like a good balance between not needing a knife at all, and needing a good strong sharp blade to help get me through an ugly situation. Again, this is based on the type of day hikes I do.
 
I just set my Busse Battle Mistress up for carry over the shoulder. It will be carried with a Badger Attack Tac on the belt and a Game Warden/SAK Farmer/Cold Steel Finn Bear combo in my 10 lb. + pack in late archery season. I don't care if I need them. It's what I want, what I'm capable of and makes me happy. Good on everyone who has had positive input. Whether your experience gels with mine or contradicts it, Thanks for sharing.
 
I usually carry a 4 inch fixed and a 3-4 inch folder. Although I have been drawn back to my BATAC as it was so mch fun to use to process some wood. Great knife. Its a bit unwieldy for carving etc but it works great for hard work.
 
Since I own more sharp things than I have excuse to use, I sort of go 'Eeeny meeny minie moe'..

But on the knife I built for myself, which gets awfully close to fitting me, the blade is just at 5" long and so is the handle. 10 inches less an eighth..

But I'd be liable to have a hatchet, or maybe a take down bow saw.

Not a thing wrong with being prepared, and I've found that proper tools are less work than 'just barely' ones.
 
Several things can push us toward not carrying a big chopper, though. First, they are heavy. Second, they can be difficult to carry, especially if you are wearing a sidearm. Third, they can cause alarm from other woods users. Fourth, they can provoke "chechako" and "tenderfoot" type comments from crusty old woods bums that think the ideal knife for skinning a moose is a tiny Old Timer folder. Finally, all of the above can really add up if the knife has gone unused on several outings.

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if i worried about what other people think about the gear i carry, i would stay home and hide under the covers, never going out. Truth is I dont give a rats :eek: out about wether or not i upset someone or hurt their feelings in the woods. Their insecurities and media driven brainwashing are their problem not mine, and will not affect how i load out for a hike. As for "crusty ol timers and ol wood sages", i have no time for their stuck on the porch thinking. I think outside the box, i march to the beat of a different drum and i will damn well do what i please, when i please and how i please.

and if that means using a big chopper to make a little fuzzstick, hell yah! :thumbup: knives are not accessories for me when i go into the woods, they are the REASON i go into the woods!

as for chopper knives being heavy, MAN UP! grow some muscle on those bean stalk arms! heck, i'm in the middle of making 1/2" thick solid steel handle slabs for my BK2.
 
I'm 55. I weigh 140 lbs on a wet day. It wasn't Jim Bowie made men equal, it was Samuel Colt.

Everyone should pick their tools carefully, to match their skill set and intended use. My opinion isn't nearly as relevant as your experience, and vice versa.
 
I'd hope that most people here could carry anything they wanted in the way of a knife all day long. If not, get out and exercise more.
 
I always bring a big knife. I don't care about the weight. So for me it's a folder, a 4" FB and a chopper. Often a multitool as well. My firesteel is a Toollogic, another cool little folder.

I just see no reason to leave any of them at home.
 
Wow, old thread! Oh well, I'll answear anyway.

Depends on the situation, where I'm going, what I plan to be doing.

I always have a smaller knife or two on me no matter what, but I prefer having/using larger blades. If I plan on being out somewhere void of other people I'll have something like my Swamprat Waki strapped to my back (17.5" blade). Or a 12" bladed Kukri.

If I think there will likely by other people around I will take something like a 10" bladed bowie that can be comfortably concealed in my waistband if I don't want people to see it. Or maybe I'll take a decorative but functional tomahawk because I find that if it looks beautiful and old-timey enough people seem to be less scared by it.

I take these large blades because I enjoy them. I use them, and they do more for me than a small knife alone can do, and I don't mind the extra weight. :)
 
pitdog said:
I guess this is a similar take on threads of the past but here ya go anyway:

Whenever a thread comes up about the perfect size for a survival knife, the most common answer I see is a blade around the 5"-6" mark, this knife will get ya by for most tasks cutting, slicing and even moderate chopping.

This is where it gets a little complicated, when the question gets asked what length knife you usually carry for day hikes etc, a blade length of 3" or there abouts often gets mentioned.

Taking into account that most survival scenario's occur during day hikes that go wrong, not big planned expeditions in unchartered places,you'd think that we would be a little more prepared.
We often quote that your survival knife is the knife ya have with you when you need to survive so why are we not carrying the larger knives ?

So to get to the point ' what is the maximum length of knife you are prepared to carry when on day hikes etc, please give the overall length and not the blade size !!!
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If we're talking day hikes, like you said, we're not goiing on a wilderness expedition. A few hours from the parking lot/trail head. That means that when you really get right down to it, you're not going to be far from both where your car is, and civilization. A day pack with the ten essentials is just fine. For most of that kind of hike, a small puuko type knife or other 3 to 4 inch knife should be just fine. If you're really wanting to be ready for an emergency, put a folding saw in your pack.

Most day hikes can be done with a folder of some type.
 
jackknife said:
If we're talking day hikes, like you said, we're not goiing on a wilderness expedition. A few hours from the parking lot/trail head. That means that when you really get right down to it, you're not going to be far from both where your car is, and civilization. A day pack with the ten essentials is just fine. For most of that kind of hike, a small puuko type knife or other 3 to 4 inch knife should be just fine. If you're really wanting to be ready for an emergency, put a folding saw in your pack.

Most day hikes can be done with a folder of some type.
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But, you see, the most times when problems occur, they are on this very kind of hike.

One can say that this is because far more people dayhike, so there will be more incidents, or you can argue that there are more incidents because people think "it's just a dayhike" and go fairly unprepared, compared to how they'd prepare for a longer trip.

I think it's a combination of the two.
 
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