Knife recommendation - My life may depend on it.

bark river lite hunter, 3.8 ounces, very sharp, easy to keep that way in the field without a sharpener(just a small piece of cardboard or similar material for a strop), very strong...

the sheath is a custom one, the knife comes with leather....

litehunter.jpg
 
eyeeatingfish said:
Or someone who actually knows what they are doing...
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:jerkit:

3 knives, a hatchet and a gun certainly does not prove to anyone you know what you are doing. I suppose you could take 10 lbs. of unnecessary steel on a thru-hike. Just leave your tent, your cookset, your stove, your sleeping bag and your common sense at home.
I have hiked extensively in Alaska, Montana, Minnesota and Scotland and never have I seen anyone toting that quantity of tools. A good folder or small fixed blade and possibly a mini-multitool are all thats needed.
But be my guest, walk into a shelter area rattling like some sort of Mr. Bojangles scrap-iron collector and see what happens. The hikers who aren't intimidated enough to leave will get a good yuck out of it. The joke will truly be on you when instead of spending the night batoning firewood you'll be wrapping blisters and wondering how it's possible to have that sore of a back.
 
comoha said:
:jerkit:

3 knives, a hatchet and a gun certainly does not prove to anyone you know what you are doing. I suppose you could take 10 lbs. of unnecessary steel on a thru-hike. Just leave your tent, your cookset, your stove, your sleeping bag and your common sense at home.
I have hiked extensively in Alaska, Montana, Minnesota and Scotland and never have I seen anyone toting that quantity of tools. A good folder or small fixed blade and possibly a mini-multitool are all thats needed.
But be my guest, walk into a shelter area rattling like some sort of Mr. Bojangles scrap-iron collector and see what happens. The hikers who aren't intimidated enough to leave will get a good yuck out of it. The joke will truly be on you when instead of spending the night batoning firewood you'll be wrapping blisters and wondering how it's possible to have that sore of a back.
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Lets do a little check of what kind of wildlife one could expect to encounter on the trail.
http://www.appalachiantrail.org/site/c.jkLXJ8MQKtH/b.1080243/k.832E/Wildlife_FAQ.htm#sub2
Whats this? bears, moose, possibly mountain lions? Doh!
You must not have been a boyscout otherwise youd know the motto be prepared.
I wasnt talking about massive quantities of tools. A leatherman and a small fixed blade should weigh less than a pound, and a hatchet or heavy duty knife only a couple. All in all I was talking about 5 or less pounds of gear.

And lastly nothing called for your initial rudeness. Whether its some superiority complex or youre just over judgemental, dont talk down to me bub.
 
Within the bounds of the laws of course.
Ive hiked and camped in washington, alaska, Idaho, montana and hawaii. since ou wanted to know.

I have no problems debating about what tools are important and what may just become extra weight. I just prefer that you learn to play nice then we can all get along like adults.
 
All I know, is that I use to plan the HF communications for ODA members that hiked the trail...each had about 20lbs of commo and batteries...the rest was mostly on beer:eek: . The idea was that if you could talk, bribe or threaten your way out of a sitaution, than at least you won't feel the after-effects of the fight with the rest of the beer:D

Personally, I like big knives and usually have one with me. However, for 99% of your tasks, a simple SAK (I prefer the rucksack) will do you for trail hiking...not knocking AT hikers, because it's the distance that is the kicker, but it is a highly travelled trail and as most already mentioned, close to main roads and several small towns. I know the issue with firearms-carry being a no-no, but laws don't keep whacko's from the trail, this is a carry-at-your-own risk rule...no something I would advocate though. Somebody mentioned a good walking stick...great recommendation.

If you want something more than a SAK, take a look at AG Russell's Deer Hunter (or the smaller bird and trout, which they have in VG-10 or D2) or Spyderco's Moran; the simple Mora would be a good choice as well (I prefer the M2K version).

ROCK6
 
I have hiked extensively in Alaska, Montana, Minnesota and Scotland and never have I seen anyone toting that quantity of tools. A good folder or small fixed blade and possibly a mini-multitool are all thats needed.
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Really? It's quite common to see people in the alaska wilderness with a firearm of some type. In fact I'd call it more odd than not to see someone without one. That is unless you're just hiking in and around anchorage.
 
Actually I have run into some hikers carrying handguns on the Ressurrection Pass trail near Seward. They did not however have a ax, large blade, small blade and multitool. But that was Alaska, not the AT.
 
Make sure to bring a good sharpener, because no matter what the steel, 4 months of use is going to dull any blade.
 
Regarding camping in Alaska, I spent nearly a month floating a river, backpacking , and hitch hiking and honestly cannot remember using my knife. We would gather firewood, and break it with our hands, cook with a SVEA stove. Ate freeze dried foods, gorp, jerkey, and supplement with fish that we cooked in foil, and picked apart with our forks. On second thought, maybe we did gut the fish with our knives, but that could be done with any sort of knife, including a SAK or Multi-tool. Never needed a hatchet, or saw. Did have firearms, but only saw two
grizzlies, and a couple of Moose at distance (thank goodness). All this is to say, that for backpacking with a tent, and stove, you rarely need a hatchet or large knife.
I believe on the AT, the greatest danger will be from other people, rather than animals. Use your head and be wary. Try to avoid individuals that your gut tells you to avoid.
 
No gun needed on the AT. Most non-thru-hikers you meet on the trail are harmless bubbas. I did get shot at once, crossing into PA from MD, but that was with a bb gun, from a car, after we just crossed a road. Bastard missed with his shot, but I didn't (rock). Other tools (axe, saw, big chopper), as already mentioned, are sure to be a burden, and unneccessary. Hiking the AT is not like car-camping, or even your run-of-the-mill overnight, where you can indulge in a few extra lbs of fun items, knowing you'll be stuck with them for only a day or 2. You're in it for the long haul on a thru-hike, and if you don't start out with the ounce-cutting mindset, you'll get the idea once you get to Neels Gap (where most overburdened hikers start mass-mailing their extra junk home).
 
I would advise anyone getting ready to hike the AT to definately read "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson. It is one of the funniest and best insights on the whole AT thru-hiker culture. There's a hilarious protion on choosing gear and even reference to the knife he brought...
"I shuffled on my knees to the foot of the tent, cautiously unzipped the mesh and peered out, but it was pitch black. As quietly as I could, I brought in my backpack and with the light of a small flashlight searched through it for my knife. When I found it and opened the blade I was appalled at how wimpy it looked. It was a perfectly respectable appliance for, say, buttering pancakes, but patently inadequate for defending oneself against 400 pounds of ravenous fur..."
 
That book inspired my wife and I to thru hike in 2002. However, I would caution anyone who reads that book that it is hardly an accurate representation of an actual thru-hike (as Bryson is quick to point out). A better way to get insights into trail life is visit Trailjournals.com, and you can read past and present online journals of thru-hikers doing the AT, PCT, CDT, ADT, ECT, JMT, and even some overseas hikes (like the West Highland Way, in Scotland).
 
raindog101 said:
No gun needed on the AT. Most non-thru-hikers you meet on the trail are harmless bubbas. I did get shot at once, crossing into PA from MD, but that was with a bb gun, from a car, after we just crossed a road. Bastard missed with his shot, but I didn't (rock). Other tools (axe, saw, big chopper), as already mentioned, are sure to be a burden, and unneccessary. Hiking the AT is not like car-camping, or even your run-of-the-mill overnight, where you can indulge in a few extra lbs of fun items, knowing you'll be stuck with them for only a day or 2. You're in it for the long haul on a thru-hike, and if you don't start out with the ounce-cutting mindset, you'll get the idea once you get to Neels Gap (where most overburdened hikers start mass-mailing their extra junk home).
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Considering that the initial post of this thread said that his life may depend on the knife it seemed reasonable to recomend a gun and a few good knives.
 
eyeeatingfish said:
Considering that the initial post of this thread said that his life may depend on the knife it seemed reasonable to recomend a gun and a few good knives.
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Are we talking about the same Appalachian Trail here, or is there one that goes through South Central LA?
 
With all respect to the OP, but I think that comment ( his life depending on his knife) can be construed as a bit of hyperbole. Certainly not having a knife for general tasks can be inconvenient, but a walking stick or even some pepper spray would be a better choice for SD in the woods than a knife. A walking stick and pepper spray have the additional advantages of being light (lighter than a gun anyway), and at least the stick can be multi-use.
 
raindog101 said:
With all respect to the OP, but I think that comment ( his life depending on his knife) can be construed as a bit of hyperbole. Certainly not having a knife for general tasks can be inconvenient, but a walking stick or even some pepper spray would be a better choice for SD in the woods than a knife. A walking stick and pepper spray have the additional advantages of being light (lighter than a gun anyway), and at least the stick can be multi-use.
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True on both accounts. However i would still veture to say that a knife is more useful.
Of course if you have both then you basically have a spear!
 
eyeeatingfish said:
True on both accounts. However i would still veture to say that a knife is more useful.
Of course if you have both then you basically have a spear!
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Which you would have to put together in the stress of a life threatening encounter... Sorry in the context of this discussion this isn't even worth contemplating.

This argument isn't serving anyone.

And so this isn't completely off topic look into a good pair of trekking poles for your thru-hike rather than a heavy stick. And just because I know that self-defense will come up, remember that they have a semi-pointy carbide tip on the end that could be used like a spear, although I doubt you will ever need to. :rolleyes:
 
eyeeatingfish said:
All in all I was talking about 5 or less pounds of gear.
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No offense friend, but my guess is that you haven't done any multi-day backpack trips before. Living in Colorado, I've done several. One learns quickly about what's essential and what isn't.

All one needs is an SAK, such and the Camper model, a medium fixed blade like the BR Gameskeeper (like it better than the F1 because it's better for battening), and a "cable" saw. That's it. All total, less than 1 lb. If you want protection from those big "scarey" animals, take some pepper spray. You really want to carry all that extra steel or an extra 4 lbs. of food or cooking fuel or clothing or water, etc? Or maybe just a lighter load?

Click image to enlarge:
Bark River Gameskeeper.jpg

Regards
 
bladeprince said:
No offense friend, but my guess is that you haven't done any multi-day backpack trips before. Living in Colorado, I've done several. One learns quickly about what's essential and what isn't.

All one needs is an SAK, such and the Camper model, a medium fixed blade like the BR Gameskeeper (like it better than the F1 because it's better for battening), and a "cable" saw. That's it. All total, less than 1 lb. If you want protection from those big "scarey" animals, take some pepper spray. You really want to carry all that extra steel or an extra 4 lbs. of food or cooking fuel or clothing or water, etc? Or maybe just a lighter load?

Click image to enlarge:
View attachment 76428

Regards
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Ahh yes, forgot about the saw option, that of course would be lighter than a axe of some sort.
I know they recomend pepper spray for bears but i havent heard anything about use of it on mountain lions or moose.

Of course total weight has more to do with the person carrying it than jsut the weight itself. One should pack to what they can carry. Larger guys can often afford to pack a little bit more.

When I camped in alaska we had to hike in and out with all of our gear. We had about... 10 people or so and we had a few rubbermaid containers and they did get annoying sometimes. Takes a lot of food to feew 10 people.
In that case its better because one guy brought a gun, 2, including me, guys brought axes, which was a good thing because one the head went flying cause it was a cheap axe. We also had bear mace too. So the more people the better in some ways i guess since there are a larger variety of tools but not as much strain on one person. Personally i wouldnt hike the AT alone, i prefer comapny.
 
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