Good luck in your search.
My experience with small fixed blades for hiking didn't work well nor did it last long. In some sense, I found them to be the worst of all worlds. I found 3" blades to be too short for food prep and too short for effective battoning. And I find folders to be infinitely easier to carry.
For general hiking when making a fire is a distant possibility, I prefer a larger folder with a blade in the 3.5"-4" range. That knife easily gets carried in my fanny pack at the 12 o'clock position, or it goes in a pocket out of the way of my pack's belt.
If I think a fire is a likely option (rare as they are forbidden or discouraged on the public lands I frequent), I jump up to a 5" blade fixed blade that gets carried in my pack.
This really saddens me. I totally love the Mora Companion for wood crafting as it just fits my hand great and sometimes, I'll replace the bigger knife with the Mora. But I can do so much more with a 5" knife in terms of more effective battoning (in my woods, your woods may be different).
I do have a short Loveless style fixed blade. It makes a nice deer knife, where the shorter blade and easier clean up are more of an advantage.
