How much knife for hiking

Just to return to the OP:

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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He wasn't talking about a survival situation. So my point remains. He doesn't "need" a large knife, should pick whatever he likes.

Now, I've carried a 5-6" blade since Dec all the time, sometimes larger. And it's useful, sometimes more around the house than on a hike. More than 10oz gets kind of awkward, from a purely practical perspective (driving, etc.). And I'm convinced, without the social knife stigma, people would use more fixed blades than folders, they are easier to clean, more robust, etc. But just because you go on your Sun afternoon hike, you don't "need" to strap up with a large fixed blade. :)

And for the OP: try to cut a loaf of bread with your Buck 112 vs a 6" blade. Larger blades are not just for bushcraft.
 
shane45-1911 said:
Yes, you "can", until you break it. Folders are a mechanical device 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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That is certainly true. A fixed blade, preferably thick, full tang knife, is obviously more robust than a folder. Yes. It will take more abuse. And if you ever are in a survival situation, you're lying if you say that you'd rather have a folder instead.

But guess what? An axe would be even better. If you're ever in a survival situation, you'd be lying if you said you wouldn't like to have an axe handy. But I'm not going to carry one around every time I go out for a day hike. You can do that if you want. Knock yourself out.
 
Guy McVer said:
That is certainly true. A fixed blade, preferably thick, full tang knife, is obviously more robust than a folder. Yes. It will take more abuse. And if you ever are in a survival situation, you're lying if you say that you'd rather have a folder instead.

But guess what? An axe would be even better. If you're ever in a survival situation, you'd be lying if you said you wouldn't like to have an axe handy. But I'm not going to carry one around every time I go out for a day hike. You can do that if you want. Knock yourself out.
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Agreed.

The real issue is that the OP never really defined what "out in the woods for a hike" entails. How far away from home? Are you alone? For how long? How isolated? Other people always within earshot? How intense is the terrain - danger of slip and falls? Etc.

Ask any park ranger or warden services officer how many "short hikes", turn into multi-agency, multi-day search-and-rescue operations when the hikers don't make it home as expected. Shyte can unexpectedly go south pretty easily, even for experienced outdoors people.

I agree, a stroll in your neighborhood conservation/picnic area hardly warrants a machete strapped to your thigh. But again, the parameters of the OP's hike were never really clarified.
 
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scdub said:
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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That's actually not the issue, if you consider the issue to be the OP's question. They weren't asking for a "survival knife" recommendation. I understand that some people who go out "just hiking" get lost, but suggesting that everyone who goes for a little day hike should carry a 6" blade on them is akin to the logic that some people who go swimming end up drowning, and therefore everyone who goes swimming should have water wings. Not every single outdoor-related question needs to automatically get re-framed in terms of desperate "survival."

As for whether a large knife is the best solution to not getting lost, or that having a large knife is the best thing to have on you when you get lost, I'd say that's highly debatable. Most people who don't have the basic outdoor skills to not get lost in the first place are probably also not going to have the skills with a large knife to effectively apply it to their surival. And I say that as someone who led and guided extended international expeditions for 13 years in some very remote places.

"A knife for hiking" is one topic.
"How not to get lost" is another topic, and also very worthy. But just like "survival" knives, it wasn't really the question.
 
Obviously the type of hike/adventure is important, but unpopular opinion? If you’re in trouble and a lowly Opinel No 8 isn’t sufficient to get you out of it, you’re in a pretty dire situation.
 
shane45-1911 said:
I think you would be surprised at how often they are the same thing.

30 years as a LEO interfacing with many other agencies supports my above statement.
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Really? How many S&Rs were you involved in where the outcome would have been different, solely by virtue of someone having a large knife on them? Would that knife have somehow changed the mentality and/or lack of skill that got that person into their predicament in the first place? Did those people, who apparently didn't have enough skill not to get lost, have the skill to construct a fire and a shelter using a large survival knife?
 
Smithhammer said:
Really? How many S&Rs were you involved in where the outcome would have been different, solely by virtue of someone having a large knife on them? Would that knife have somehow changed the mentality and/or lack of skill that got that person into their predicament in the first place? Did those people, who apparently didn't have enough skill not to get lost, have the skill to construct a fire and a shelter using a large survival knife?
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In some cases, there ABSOLUTELY are different outcomes. Experienced outdoors people have a higher chance of survival if they have the right tools to survive overnight (or longer) in often-times harsh conditions. Rapid and drastic weather and temperature changes are fickle tricks of mother nature, especially in mountainous areas.

And it is not just about getting lost. Injuries are just as high on the list. A broken ankle can turn a "casual" stroll in the woods into a potential survival situation, depending upon the location of the hike (again, not clearly defined by the OP).
 
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shane45-1911 said:
In some cases, there were differences ABSOLUTELY. Experienced outdoors people have a higher chance of survival if they have the right tools to survive overnight in often-times harsh conditions.

And it is not just about getting lost. Injuries are just as high on the list. A broken ankle can turn a "casual" stroll in the woods into a potential survival situation, depending upon the location of the hike (again, not clearly defined by the OP).
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I'm not questioning any of that. But I would contend that, 1)Truly "experienced outdoor people" get lost a lot less than the inexperienced, and that "experienced outdoor people" are usually far more capable of, and prepared to, spend a night out in the woods. The length of blade they have on them in those cases is of little consequence, compared to other far more important things.

I was a Wildneress First Responder for 13 years, and responsible for the safety and first aid care of many people over that time in remote situations. I'm well aware that people can get injured outdoors. In not one instance in all of that time did I ever need a giant "survival knife" to deal with any situation.

Look, I get it - this is a knife nerd forum, and there will always be a contingent of people who believe that one should never set foot in the woods without a big survival knife, or they are taking their life in their hands, and who view every outdoor endeavor as a potential "survival" situation. The fact that a simple question about recommendations for "a hiking knife for small hikes" has turned into a survival knife debate is hardly surprising, and is why I generally stay out of these conversations, even though I love knives myself (or I wouldn't be here). Everyone makes their own choices, and I'm sure the OP has now been presented with a wide spectrum of opinions from which to make theirs. Carry on.
 
Smithhammer said:
I was a Wildneress First Responder for 13 years. I'm well aware that people can get injured outdoors. In not one instance in all of that time did I ever need a giant "survival knife" to deal with any situation.
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There is the fundamental flaw in your reasoning, right there.

YOU aren't the one that necessarily needs a survival knife. The ones you are searching for very well might.
 
shane45-1911 said:
There is the fundamental flaw in your reasoning, right there.

YOU aren't the one that necessarily needs a survival knife. The ones you are searching for very well might.
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I think you are missing what my reasoning actually is here. They may need a lot of things, and what I'm trying to point out is that a large knife is probably not the biggest priority in those cases. I'll leave it at that.
 
Smithhammer said:
Did those people, who apparently didn't have enough skill not to get lost, have the skill to construct a fire and a shelter using a large survival knife?
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They don’t have the skills to survive, that’s why they don’t carry adequate equipment and fell in to your radar. Whoever have basic skills knows that 6”-8” knife as ESEE6 I.e. will replace any small axe, foldable saw and probably will work for digging dirt too.
‘Your experience, therefore - your opinion is based on the level of skills of the lost people during your S&R situations.
‘I’m nobody in this matter but I had my time roaming in Russia’s tayga and Balkan mountains. I will always carry small set of stuff, regardless if I’m out for 2 days or two weeks. SAK type of knife with twizers and scissors, 6” blade suitable for chopping, gloves, magnesium block with ferro rod, some paracord, small first aid kit with painkillers and 5 days course of antibiotic, tourniquet, good quality gloves and one of those space blankets, small canister and water bottle, compass. All this takes minimal space and will serve you well if you get lost.
‘It helps if you also have basic understanding how long you can live without food, water or shelter but this have nothing to do with op.
 
Smithhammer said:
They may need a lot of things, and what I'm trying to point out is that a large knife is probably not the biggest priority in those cases. I'll leave it at that.
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I agree. but this isn't WaterPurificationForum or BestEmergencyTentForum or FirstAidKitForum or ShelterBuildingForum or SpaceBlanketsForum or FireStartingForum or EatingOffTheLandForum. We are strictly talking knives here.

No one plans to get lost or hurt while hiking. But it happens all the time. All other things being equal, I would prefer to have a largish fixed blade with me if I am lost and/or hurt while hiking.
 
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Guy McVer said:
That is certainly true. A fixed blade, preferably thick, full tang knife, is obviously more robust than a folder. Yes. It will take more abuse. And if you ever are in a survival situation, you're lying if you say that you'd rather have a folder instead.

But guess what? An axe would be even better. If you're ever in a survival situation, you'd be lying if you said you wouldn't like to have an axe handy. But I'm not going to carry one around every time I go out for a day hike. You can do that if you want. Knock yourself out.
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So you understand the utility of having a large knife or axe in a survival situation. Thank you - that’s 1/2 of the point that myself and others here are trying to make.

The second half of the point is that people often underestimate their chances of ending up in a survival situation. You’ve worked rescuing people from the wilderness so you’ve probably seen cold people without adequate gear.

The OP question was what knife to take on a hike. NOBODY here said they must take a large fixed blade. Many people have tried to point out that depending on the hike, they might want to anticipate an unexpected “survival situation”, and if that happens, as we all agree, a chopping tool, (along with other survival gear) might be nice to have.
 
I always bring my SAK or Letherman for starters. Then a larger folder. Either my ZT 0350 or 0562 or CQC 15. Then I always have a fixed blade in my pack.

Maybe overkill but better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
 
For a "day hike," I usually don't bother carrying a knife but, if I'm carrying my day pack, it has a Swiss Army Explorer already in it.

Haven't gone on an overnight backpack trip for quite a while but, in the past, I never carried more than my Swiss Army knife on such trips either because I just carry (freeze) dried food that only requires water to prepare and a spoon to eat. I just use the SAK to open the packages. LOL! ;)

Water purification devices (and tablets) were always more important to me than knives on such trips.

If I were on a "hunt" (which I haven't been on for a long time either) that would be a different matter and, in that case, I'd probably carry my MagnaCut Mule (and maybe my DEK1 or UF1) along w/my Swiss Army knife.
 
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