Need a good backpacking knife! (Philmont)

I'm gonna go ahead and be that guy, and tell you to get and Opinel No.8 or 9. or better yet, buy one of each, or one stainless and one carbon. You'd still come in wayyyyyy under budget.
 
JAKs Bladeworks said:
Too bad you could never go! Take the chance if you ever do, even as an adult :-) I've been on Northern Tier and I've had friends say that NT is even better than philmont. But yeah definitely taking a SAK! Those things are crazy useful backpacking. A SAK will be in my pack, then a small Leatherman Style ps will be clipped to my pocket. So you go with mini grip? Sounds like you've done a lot of backpacking so that speaks a good deal towards that knife :)

Thanks a lot mate!
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I feel blasphemous saying it, but I honestly don't even need the mini grip when I go. It's more of a comfort item for me than a tool while backpacking :p
 
Should be an awesome experience. I was there, uh, 50 years ago or so... we were issued wooden army issue pack frames, canvas tarps and learned to do the diamond hitch. Probably things have progressed somewhat. A SAK or a Griptilian should be all you need.
 
Went to Philmont as Crew Advisor in 2005. 4 adults and 6 scouts (my son was one of them). Loved every minute of it.

You won't need anything more than a SAK. The only thing you'll be cutting are the dehydrated food packages. When you get there, your orientation will include the importance of having a crew mindset, which means sharing everything. That means that only a couple of people in the crew need to carry a blade. Our crew shared a couple of Vic Classics and we never needed anything heavier or more substantial.

Remember: Weight is EVERYTHING at Philmont.
 
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Swiss Army Knife, thats what I would carry. Those things are just infinitely useful on hikes and camping trips. After that a leatherman to fill that same role. Than a good fixed blade knife if you want some real cutting tasks. Though for a folder the only one that I own that fits the bill of what you want is the ka-bar dozier, weighs a little over 2oz and most of that is in the blade itself which is Aus 8. It's a good budget EDC knife but it won't stand up to extreme abuse if thats what you wanted to do but for normal cutting tasks it will get the job done and at around $20 it's not a huge investment if you lose it. And personally I just clip the thing to the outside of your backpack strap if you can, as thats what I do on hikes as it offers quick access and it doesn't annoy you.

Personally if it were me I bring my swiss army knife in the backpack, and ka-bar dozier attached to my backpack sleeve if I wanted to keep things light as possible. As I find that provides a good combination of cutting ability and utility, I find the Aus 8 steel of the ka-bar cuts things easier than the swiss army knife.
 
Bob W said:
I worked at Philmont for ten years, mostly as a backcountry camp director. Congrats on the upcoming trip!

More backpackers carry Swiss Army Knives than any other tool. There's a reason. In addition to a great cutting blade, the extra tools can really come in handy - tweezers, scissors, etc.
I usually carried an Opinel when working there. It easily performed every cutting task encountered.

You want a folder that's thin, modern, and lightweight, you gotta check out the AG Russell Featherlite. Thumbs-up.
My current backpacking and hiking knife is the AG Russell Hunters Scalpel. 0.5 ounces, can't beat that! Plus the hard locking sheath makes for a very safe carry.

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Some general suggestions:
Leave your valuable knives at home!
Light weight is key.
Lanyard, lanyard, lanyard. Either tied to yourself or your pack.
Bright color on knife = good. At least a small piece of orange reflective tape.
A fixed blade, no matter how good an idea it is, may not be allowed at Philmont.
No-Trace is strictly enforced. You won't be chopping trees, digging holes, or whatever "hard use" your knife might experience at home.
Looks like we're in for a dry summer. That means fire bans in the backcountry.
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Thanks a lot for the feedback Bob! That's really helpful. Yes I definitely plan on carrying a SAK, those things carry their own weight for sure. I don't know if I'll want to hike with one of those in my pocket though because they're a little bit thicker. What I plan on doing is carrying (in my pockets) a small Leatherman Style PS and then a main blade. The Style doesn't have a blade on it, I'm trying to be pretty haha. But I guess that is true... I know there definitely won't be a huge need for much of a blade, but I'd still like to carry one. :) And whatever I buy won't be for just Philmont, if I'm happy with what I get I'll keep it as my outdoor work/camping/backpacking knife. I'll look into the Featherlite. I've heard good things about it

The Suggestions are great! Thanks! I never would have thought about making sure a knife is secure/easily seen and found.. That makes a lot of sense though. And yeah I wasn't planning on being able to build any fires anyways. That's why I wasn't interested in a fixed blade to begin with, not really necessary. And not really "allowed" haha
Thanks again! I will have a TON of fun!
 
bpeezer said:
I feel blasphemous saying it, but I honestly don't even need the mini grip when I go. It's more of a comfort item for me than a tool while backpacking :p
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BLASPHEMY! OFF WITH HIS HEAD!

Haha! well yeah... it's kinda true. But since I don't carry a fixed blade when backpacking I actually do get a good amount of use out of a folder. Especially a lot of food prep etc.
 
Daddyo16 said:
Went to Philmont as Crew Advisor in 2005. 4 adults and 6 scouts (my son was one of them). Loved every minute of it.

You won't need anything more than a SAK. The only thing you'll be cutting are the dehydrated food packages. When you get there, your orientation will include the importance of having a crew mindset, which means sharing everything. That means that only a couple of people in the crew need to carry a blade. Our crew shared a couple of Vic Classics and we never needed anything heavier or more substantial.

Remember: Weight is EVERYTHING at Philmont.
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Thanks for the tips! I've never thought of sharing SAKs or something. NOO! I'm carrying my own knives!! PLEASE! lol. That's actually very smart though. Thanks for the tips!



@Bob6794 Kbar Dozier! Good idea! I didn't think of that one. I'll look into that. Thank you!
 
Blade-fiend said:
I have never had any issues with any of benchmades coatings they hold up very well you might get some surface scuffs which is typical but I have never broke through them not on a handle anyways. I have nothing but good things to say about the 707.
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Sweet! I really want one now. I've only ever heard a couple bad things about it. Almost all good. I think I'll go for it! Thanks!

@flatblackcapo Man! 2 votes for the Fairly Backpacker! and from 2 knifemakers... That says a lot. Thanks for the tips guys! Even if I don't get it that knife will have to be added to the ever-growing knife wishlist lol Thanks!
 
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