Need a good outdoor/survival knife

F

Force9000

Joined
Sep 15, 2011
Messages
3
I don't know much about knives and I need a good one for camping and if ever needed, survival. I have a budget of about $120, but under 100 would be great.
 
I'm a long time backbacker, winter hiker and ski tourer (over night trips on skis) and bike tourer. IMO, "camping" and "survival" are issues that are very, very closely tied to a) location and b) style of travel.

Taking a cue from the ultralight backpacking crowd, I've found that the only knife I "need" for modern backpacking is a tiny key chain type of swiss army knife and most of that is for the small scissors which are handy for routine 1st aid needs (moleskin for blisters, bandage shaping) and equipment repairs (sewing). Some modes of travel require tools for repair and these tools can sometimes be approximated by blades on multi-tools or SAK type knives. But in general, I find carrying specific tools for repairing specific equipment is a better bet. My crampons need a specific metric allen key size to adjust. Ski bindings typically use posi-drive screws and using a phillips head in an posidrive screw is a recipe for a stripped screw head.

I live in New England and this statement is definitely tied to my location. I'm most concern about no-kidding survival issues in the woods in the Fall through Spring seasons, as hypothermia is a real threat if you can't get out of the woods quickly. For emergency shelter and fire, I would rather (and do) carry a small folding saw. This isn't a ding against the bushcraft crowd in any way. But in my woods, I can more with a folding saw faster and with less energy output than I could with a knife.

I do choose to carry a knife in the backcountry with me. Its location of carry explains my thinking. It can either be found in my pocket or the food bag in my pack. That is, I choose a knife that will double for EDC general cutting needs and a more rewarding and fun eating experience. I can and have spread peanut butter with my spoon or cone wrench (bike repair tool), but an EDC knife with a widish blade is just a bit nicer.

My current go-to knife for backcountry travel is my Opinel #8. It's insanely light for its size and cutting ability and it's shaped nicely for general kitchen use (peanut butter spreading, cutting hard salami or cheese). I may replace it with the new Buck Ecolite 112 but the primary reason for this is emotional, not functional. I just prefer the feel of the 112.

Summarizing: My suggestion is to pick a knife that is EDC light but large enough to work well for meal prep. For survival, my suggestion is to read as many books on backcountry travel as possible. I think the books by NOLS are excellent, as is "Freedom of the Hills" (Harvey Manning - Seattle Mountaineers), "The Complete Walker" by Colin Fletcher.
 
You can't go wrong with a Victorinox Farmer. I am literally NEVER without one when I'm in the woods. That would be my first purchase, and some might argue, the only one you'll ever need. I would have a hard time disagreeing with them.

If you feel that you need a fixed blade, fasten your seat belt, the recommendations will come pouring in. A Buck Vanguard is high on my list, as is the Fallkniven F1. I'll step out of the way and let everyone else chime in.
 
F1 is nice at that price point. Of course, you could try some of the offerings from CS. Honestly, I like the Buck 119. Get one and use the rest of the dough for your insurance or phone bill! There are some of us that are slowly 'shedding' our collections and going back to the basics: Ontario machete and the wonderful SAK.
 
sodak said:
You can't go wrong with a Victorinox Farmer. I am literally NEVER without one when I'm in the woods. That would be my first purchase, and some might argue, the only one you'll ever need. I would have a hard time disagreeing with them.
Click to expand...

This is a really excellent recommendation, imo. The spear point blade is great for meal prep and you get the bonus of the included saw blade.

I should have noted above that I carry a Leatherman Wave in the winter for the sake of the pliers and saw blade - the latter of which is similar to the Farmer's saw blade. I find I can do a lot with that.

Really, the Farmer is the most intelligent update of the old Camper style I've seen. (I don't consider cork screws a survival issue). That's a stellar suggestion.
 
Shotgun said:
Why are you looking at a knife and not a machete or axe?
Click to expand...

Because he hasn't realized he needed them yet! Good question, though. I know a machete would be my number one choice for a survival tool. A normal knife is good to have for fine tasks too (though a machete can handle them too, with practice). I have a knife (several actually), machete, and a saw with me every time I'm in the woods.
 
If you want something that's pretty cheap but should still do a decent job, look at the Gerber Big Rock camp knife. It should be around $30 or less and should be decent for a camp/survival knife. If you want to upgrade and spend more, Kabar makes some excellent knives and the Becker line from Kabar is terrific for the money(Bk-2, Bk-7, Bk-9). Some people don't like the handles and prefer micarta but there's nothing wrong with the handles and the Becker knives run in the vicinity of $60-75. Another company to check out is ESEE. The ESEE 3, 4, and 6 would all fit in your budget. They are more expensive than the Kabar and Becker knives but come standard with micarta handle scales as opposed to the grivory on the beckers. There are tons of knives that people like and will swear by and these are just a few recommendations. If you can, try to find a knife shop that has some of these knives and handle them and see if you like the feel. Some people like the handles on the Kabar knives and some people don't like Kraton. Some people like the grivory on the Becker knives, some don't. Some don't like the handles on the ESEE knives because they might feel thin to them. Basically, it's personal preference on what you like and what is comfortable to you. None of the knives I've seen mentioned so far are bad knives at all so if you don't want to handle or try the knives out before you buy, anything so far mentioned would be a good choice.

Jc
 
The reason is, because I already have an axe, I'm in a outdoor ed program at my highschool where they recommend to have some sort of outdoors knife but they never recommended anything, there are about 20 camping trips throughout the year which some of them include having to survive for two days on your own, you can bring a little bit of food and water but the rest is up to me to find.

Also thanks for all the great suggestions guys, I think I'll take a look at the f1 and the Farmer.
 
Force9000 said:
The reason is, because I already have an axe, I'm in a outdoor ed program at my highschool where they recommend to have some sort of outdoors knife but they never recommended anything, there are about 20 camping trips throughout the year which some of them include having to survive for two days on your own, you can bring a little bit of food and water but the rest is up to me to find.

Also thanks for all the great suggestions guys, I think I'll take a look at the f1 and the Farmer.
Click to expand...

sounds like a great school. where are you located if you don't mind me asking. also for other great blades. check out the bark river bravo 1 or gunny, check out the makers here on the forum like jk knives, mark wohlwend, AA forge, they make some nice blades for good money. i believe there is a couple bravo 1's with sheath for 110 dollars in the exchange right now. watch the exchange lol you can usually find great deals.
 
Well, as long as your talking about 'survival' as in keeping dry, fed and warm for a few days and since you have an axe, I have to agree with a stout 3 3/4 - 4 3/4" knife with a good, hand filling handle. I've got several in that category from a Bark Fiver Aurora (about $175 new) to an ESEE 4 (about $100 new), to a Condor 2011 Bushlore (about $30 new).

I'm an OTR truck driver and each time I leave my house it's the Bushlore I take with me. Great little knife, good steel, good edge (I've heard ppl complain but mine came new in great shape) and the handle fits my hand. You might want to consider a Mora as well. You can pick them up for about $20 - $25. If it's good enough for Mors Kochanski what more do you need?

Just my 2 cents worth and you know you usually get what you pay for.
Jester60
 
Scrap Yard 511 seems to have a lot going for it and is inexpensive.
 
If you are looking for a fixed blade, I recommend the becker bk2 campanion. my favorite camp knife, it batons through wood like a champ. And if for some reason you find yourself in a situation where you have to baton through a lawn mower, it can do that to!(there is a thread on here somewhere). The becker bk7 also excels as a woods knife, and it is lighter than the bk2, also both the bk2 and the bk7 are under $100. I got my bk2 for $67 with shipping. If you are looking for a folder, then I agree with sodak that the farmer is a great choice.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top