How much knife for hiking

Smithhammer said:
I've done many extended trips in the backcountry with nothing more than a SAK. Bushcraft is largely an optional hobby, not something one has to do when they go hiking. In fact, in many places now, particularly in the West, hacking down trees and making fires on public land is not even legal. As with so many things, I think it's just a matter of anticipating your needs and then choosing a tool accordingly. If you're not planning on carving bowls, hacking a shelter out of the forest and processing firewood, then there's really no need for a larger 'bushcraft' type blade at all.

Still, I think there are some good reasons to have a decent fixed blade on you, even if that's in combination with a small folder/multi-tool. If you'd like a compact and very lightweight, but still very capable, fixed blade for hiking/backpacking, I think the Bark River 'Ultra Lite Bushcrafter' is a great lightweight hiking blade. There was just a fresh run of these, and lots of choices still to choose from at the usual dealers (I have no affiliation with BRK):

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Looks like a nice knife... I want one.
 
coolbreezy37 said:
I think the only real difference is blade length.
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I can’t decide. In the end, the UF gets more carry time. Same length as BFK, same weight as FK2.

Regarding the OP, there was a time when my family depended on my SAK, for 1-3 day mountain hikes. First my parents and two sisters, later wife and 2 daughters. Not camping though, typically staying in Alpine Club cabins over night (primitive but warm and with water; bringing our own food).

Nobody really ‘needs’ a larger knife for hikes, unless you hunt, camp, &| cook. Therefore, carry what you like, it’s for fun :)
 
RugerNurse said:
I feel underprepared if all I have is a folder.
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scdub said:
If you’re feeling underprepared, I would suggest you listen to that feeling.
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I think education is the key. People often feel uncertain because they lack information...

...or wisdom, which comes from experience and gives you the confidence in your ability to handle yourself in difficult or dangerous circumstances.

A folder is plenty of knife to do everything that you would need a knife for. If you don't know that, then it probably doesn't make too much difference what knife you're carrying anyway. The only real difference it will make is in how secure you feel.

If you need a big knife to compensate for your insecurities, then I suggest that you at least try reading some books first. That would definitely be much better than just watching youtube videos of people savagely banging their knives into wood with stick clubs...

Or maybe you're more worried about being attacked by a bear or a mountain lion, and needing to fight them off with your rambo knife...

You're probably more likely to die of hypothermia or dehydration.
 
RugerNurse said:
With all this bushcraft stuff on YouTube promoting larger fixed blades, how many people head out into the woods with a folding knife? I’m expecting a Buck 112 slim to try out soon on some small hikes. Can’t image needing a 6” fixed blade unless bushcraft is really your thing.
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What do you plan to do with it? If you're not going to build shelters and other big stuff from natural materials or process large pieces of wood into smaller pieces of wood for a fire, you probably will find less need for a bigger fixed blade.
 
RugerNurse said:
Thanks everyone. I was just curious what people took along. I don’t do multi day hiking trips but sometimes I bring a medium fixed blade along, because I like fixed blades, but never actually use it. But then I feel underprepared if all I have is a folder.
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If the weight doesn't adversely impact your activities, it doesn't hurt anything to have a more capable tool with you.
 
Day hiking in civilized areas with great cell phone reception , minimalism works .

Stuck out in the wild is different .

If you have to do a lot of clearing , build shelter , and /or keep a fire going just to survive , your SAK or 3" short fixed is only little better than nothing .

Think saws , camp axe , machete , BAK choppers . Survival is about economy of energy / efficiency .
 
rhino said:
What do you plan to do with it? If you're not going to build shelters and other big stuff from natural materials or process large pieces of wood into smaller pieces of wood for a fire, you probably will find less need for a bigger fixed blade.
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On youtube they're all about batoning firewood with their knives because it looks cool. Never mind that it dramatically increases the likelihood of you breaking your knife. But if you really must baton with a folder, you absolutely can do it. There is a simple technique for it. But the youtubers don't teach it. They just tell people to buy fixed blade knives instead.

You can also watch people build insanely good shelters without fixed blades. I don't know why you would think you'd need one for that.

People, please. Don't baton. Carve wedges instead. Then use the wedges to split the wood.
 
DocJD said:
Day hiking in civilized areas with great cell phone reception , minimalism works .

Stuck out in the wild is different .

If you have to do a lot of clearing , build shelter , and /or keep a fire going just to survive , your SAK or 3" short fixed is only little better than nothing .

Think saws , camp axe , machete , BAK choppers . Survival is about economy of energy / efficiency .
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Ok, but who is talking about "being stuck out in the woods" or "survival?" - I thought the OP's question pertained to a simple knife recommendation for hiking.
 
DocJD said:
You can dig a ditch with a spoon , but a shovel works much better ! :rolleyes:

Seriously , anything that conserves energy / effort contributes to survival .
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That works both ways. I mean if big knives did not weigh anything. Then everyone would have them.
 
DocJD said:
Yup .

But a "hike" in some places can turn into something more serious .

Some people can get lost just out of sight of civilization and tend to panic , run in circles . :(
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Sure, things can always go wrong. But when they do, it's usually because other skills are lacking, like not knowing how to read a map and getting lost. I live in a place where it is pretty easy to get remote very quickly. I take along contingencies for the "just in case" possibilities like a 1st Aid kit, methods for signalling, etc. But I still don't feel like every time I step out the door for a day hike I have to be loaded up for a "survival" scenario. Jus sayin - most of the dudes I see on the trail with 50 lb "survival" packs and their ESEE 6 can barely hike more than a mile or two uphill. But boy, are they "prepared!" 😉
 
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With one of those cheap disposable plastic drop cloths from the paint department at Walmart and a ball of jute twine, you can make an emergency shelter that is way more weather proof than any you can make with the large knife. And in 8 to 10 minutes. Add a space blanket and you'll be warm as well as dry.

Add in an alcohol stove made from a soda can and you'll be out of the wind and weather sipping hot cocoa while the other guy is still hacking away and gathering materials for a leaky shelter.

In all the years of my younger days that I wasted time carrying that Randall 14 as my go-to woods knife, I never used it for anything a SAK in the pocket would've handled.
 
Guy McVer said:
I think education is the key. People often feel uncertain because they lack information...

...or wisdom, which comes from experience and gives you the confidence in your ability to handle yourself in difficult or dangerous circumstances.

A folder is plenty of knife to do everything that you would need a knife for. If you don't know that, then it probably doesn't make too much difference what knife you're carrying anyway. The only real difference it will make is in how secure you feel.

If you need a big knife to compensate for your insecurities, then I suggest that you at least try reading some books first. That would definitely be much better than just watching youtube videos of people savagely banging their knives into wood with stick clubs...

Or maybe you're more worried about being attacked by a bear or a mountain lion, and needing to fight them off with your rambo knife...

You're probably more likely to die of hypothermia or dehydration.
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Please read (or re-read) Doc's post # 46, above.

A big knife can do small-knife stuff. The reverse is simply not true.
 
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Guy McVer said:
You can also watch people build insanely good shelters without fixed blades. I don't know why you would think you'd need one for that.
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Yes, you "can", until you break it. Folders are mechanical devices that have hinges. Any engineer (or otherwise intelligent person) will tell you that a hinge is a weak point on any mechanical device.

If you are ever in a true survival situation, you would be a fool to think that your folder is more reliable and robust than a (quality) fixed blade, assuming you have both. And if you don't have both, you will wish that you had a fixed blade if you only have a folder.
 
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Guy McVer said:
I think education is the key. People often feel uncertain because they lack information...

...or wisdom, which comes from experience and gives you the confidence in your ability to handle yourself in difficult or dangerous circumstances.

A folder is plenty of knife to do everything that you would need a knife for. If you don't know that, then it probably doesn't make too much difference what knife you're carrying anyway. The only real difference it will make is in how secure you feel.

If you need a big knife to compensate for your insecurities, then I suggest that you at least try reading some books first. That would definitely be much better than just watching youtube videos of people savagely banging their knives into wood with stick clubs...

Or maybe you're more worried about being attacked by a bear or a mountain lion, and needing to fight them off with your rambo knife...

You're probably more likely to die of hypothermia or dehydration.
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Right - hypothermia. So if you aren’t carrying a shelter, and it’s getting cold tonight, a big knife makes sense to help make fire and shelter FASTER and BIGGER than is possible with a small knife.
I’d rather use my pistol (which I also always have on hikes) on an attacking bear/lion.
That’s just me - you might have enough wisdom and experience to not need a firearm any more than a large knife. ;)
Guy McVer said:
You can also watch people build insanely good shelters without fixed blades. I don't know why you would think you'd need one for that.
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In some places, with certain availability of materials, for sure. If you know your area well enough and it’s not too cold - you can get by in a swimsuit and nothing else.
If you DO need to cut material to build a shelter, a larger knife, machete or axe will work FAR better than a small folder.

Smithhammer said:
Ok, but who is talking about "being stuck out in the woods" or "survival?" - I thought the OP's question pertained to a simple knife recommendation for hiking.
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The issue is that lots of people that are “just hiking” end up stuck in the woods in survival situations. Those of us who have personal experience with this generally find these folks with LITTLE TO NO survival gear. That’s dumb, and I hate seeing people die for stupid reasons.
 
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