stabman
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How about a huge knife and a tarp?
It isn't a one or the other type of thing.
What I need to get is a survival GPS.
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How long should a survival knife be?
- Thread starter outdoorgeargeek
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How about a huge knife and a tarp?
It isn't a one or the other type of thing.
What I need to get is a survival GPS.
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How about a huge knife and a tarp?
It isn't a one or the other type of thing.
What I need to get is a survival GPS.
Good point! I was strictly going by a weight/space perspective.
stabman
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As something to carry just in case, it makes a good point.
A tarp and a Rajah 2 would work well as a not-to-big option too.
I'm not a Cold Steel fanboy, but the Rajah 2 is a useful tool that doesn't take up too much space.
And some cordage helps out; I always have about 40 feet of paracord in my backpack.
stabman
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Okay that is a sweet setup. Can I have you along in a survival situation to set that up for me?!
Sure...but you bring the GPS.
How about a huge knife and a tarp?
It isn't a one or the other type of thing.
What I need to get is a survival GPS.
How about a chainsaw, GPS, 12 knives and 5 tarps plus 4-wheel drive:
Maybe a survival system with kitchen and porch?
stabman
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How about a chainsaw, GPS, 12 knives and 5 tarps plus 4-wheel drive:
Maybe a survival system with kitchen and porch?
If you want to buy those for me, plus pay for gas and insurance, I'll gladly drive my cool SUV to my quaint little cabin.
Slight difference between that and carrying a couple of pounds though.
Today marks a milestone; the first time in years that I have managed for four days without muscle-relaxers required to remain upright.
My back is prone to spasms that have thrown me to the ground, where I could not even crawl anywhere for 10 minutes...
If I have no issues with taking a large knife into the woods, despite my back sucking rotten donkey dicks, it shouldn't be an issue for most other folks either.
And if you like tarps, you can find lightweight versions of those too.
I just went with dollar store tarps that were rather heavy for their size, because they were cheap, and why not.
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I like those tiny houses. If I weren't married, I might actually do something like that. A friend keeps saying he wants to get a largish utility building, insulate it, and put it in his back yard for the folks that don't have a temporary shelter and come to him for help. That keeps them out of the house. They can get their water from an outside faucet. Toilet, well.... just have to figure that out.
stabman
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If I had the cash, I'd put one of those on about 40-80 acres of land in northern Ontario.
Surprisingly good land prices up there...if you have any money.
@RX-79G, I don't know about all that... but you could have a bunch of other useful stuff for the weight of the big chopper.
Here is a bushcrafty example.
@stabman, sounds like you want a backtrack GPS. Worthy item to have.
Here is a bushcrafty example.
@stabman, sounds like you want a backtrack GPS. Worthy item to have.
stabman
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Looks like that would work.
I just keep buying knives rather than other gear.
I know I should really get a bunch of other things, but I just don't get that excited urge to do so.
At some point I will get one though.
And a better compass wouldn't be a bad thought either.
stabman
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For "real survival", I'm doing that really well right now.
I'm in a somewhat comfy chair, in an apartment in a building made of cement, stocked with food (some of which I'm about to go and eat), running water, stored water, electricity, flashlights, knives, axes, guns, books and other entertainment items...yep, surviving just fine.
And now to go make a survival coffee. :thumbup:
I'm in a somewhat comfy chair, in an apartment in a building made of cement, stocked with food (some of which I'm about to go and eat), running water, stored water, electricity, flashlights, knives, axes, guns, books and other entertainment items...yep, surviving just fine.
And now to go make a survival coffee. :thumbup:
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My survival mostly consists of being able to pay the bills and keep a roof over my head. Those little houses are not cheap, but I could easily live in one that is perhaps 800 square feet or sort of a free standing studio apartment.
For "real survival", I'm doing that really well right now.
I'm in a somewhat comfy chair, in an apartment in a building made of cement, stocked with food (some of which I'm about to go and eat), running water, stored water, electricity, flashlights, knives, axes, guns, books and other entertainment items...yep, surviving just fine.
And now to go make a survival coffee. :thumbup:
This week... on "Naked and Afraid"...
stabman
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Did you read my post at all?
I found hollow grinds did have a tendency to roll, but even then it can be held in check.
Broad flat grind blades never roll, even with a round handle.
Hollow handles transfer quite a bit more force than other handles, since they are wider: Unlike form-fitting handles, they strain the stretchable web of skin you have between your thumb and forefinger, which makes for heavier strikes: I did not do a side by side specifically to demonstrate this, but here you can see two knives with identical blades and the same number of hits, and the difference is obvious... They are my Model 14 and a Model 18: One has a form-fitting micarta handle, the other a tube handle: Despite near identical blades, you can see that for the same number of hits the difference in performance is quite noticeable: In reality, I can tell you from handling them it was not even close, the full tang micarta handle being absolutely horrible, with the worst chopping performance of any knife I have ever owned...:
I think I have daggers that chop better than the Model 14 did... And it was beautifully sharp... The handle fitted my hand perfectly, and that made me realize such things are an illusion under hard use...
As for high end hollow handles being structurally compromised, I have long ago challenged anyone to produce a picture posted anywhere showing a broken tang among any of the high end models, and so far no one has posted a pic of even one... I found one Aitor, and one old article by Bill Bagwell about an early Buckmaster, which knife model subsequently got an annealed tang, as most of the custom ones have... Martin Knives state outright they have never had a failure, and so can most top makers.
Gaston
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Did you read my post at all?
I found hollow grinds did have a tendency to roll, but even then it can be held in check.
Broad flat grind blades never roll, even with a round handle.
Hollow handles transfer quite a bit more force than other handles, since they are wider: Unlike form-fitting handles, they strain the stretchable web of skin you have between your thumb and forefinger, which makes for heavier strikes: I did not do a side by side specifically to demonstrate this, but here you can see two knives with identical blades and the same number of hits, and the difference is obvious... They are my Model 14 and a Model 18: One has a form-fitting micarta handle, the other a tube handle: Despite near identical blades, you can see that for the same number of hits the difference in performance is quite noticeable: In reality, I can tell you from handling them it was not even close, the full tang micarta handle being absolutely horrible, with the worst chopping performance of any knife I have ever owned...:
I think I have daggers that chop better than the Model 14 did... And it was beautifully sharp... The handle fitted my hand perfectly, and that made me realize such things are an illusion under hard use...
As for high end hollow handles being structurally compromised, I have long ago challenged anyone to produce a picture posted anywhere showing a broken tang among any of the high end models, and so far no one has posted a pic of even one... I found one Aitor, and one old article by Bill Bagwell about an early Buckmaster, which knife model subsequently got an annealed tang, as most of the custom ones have... Martin Knives state outright they have never had a failure, and so can most top makers.
Gaston
I'm not saying anything about hollow grinds, and yes, I would rather have a Randall mode 18(actually my Grail knife) than a mora, but in my experience, round handles have a tendency to turn in your hand when chopping, no matter the grind, I have found. I love Parangs, and I love using them, and they have round handles. It's all about technique when chopping, if I'm using a standard machete, I use a pinch grip.
I know that a high end hollow handle will hardly, if ever, fail.
But budget wise, a standard 18 inch machete and a small fixed blade will get done what you need to do.
Cobalt
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There are a lot of important tools other than a knife. Carry what you feel comfortable carrying. The fact is that having the ability to navigate in thick forests and making shelter and fire are much more important than what you carry. A compass and ranger beads along with the skill to use it will get you out of a lot of situations. Having multiple fire starting methods will help. Carry a poncho liner or large trash bags. The fact is that there is usually plenty of dead fall in the forest and the need to chop or baton is not usually the primary need. Conserving energy is
I wonder how many "know" to carry beads and a compass, but don't know that they are useless without a map.