Pick a knife to live in my kit bag

D

DMG

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I frequently carry a HPG kit bag in the woods with a pistol, some very basic gear and usually my phone stuffed in there. I have a lighter, fire steel, a small flashlight and a lifestraw in there too. I want to add a knife. Here are my ideas but I would like to tap into the collective wisdom on this forum so the next time a lost dog or a bad shot on a deer causes me to spend an unplanned night in the woods, I have a spare knife.

As it will be a spare, I don’t want to spend a ton of money on it.

Skeletool. Does knife stuff ok but also has very basic tools

Buck Paklite. Cheap, simple, takes up no space and will be hard to break.

Bugout. I have one in the rotation but the Bailout and MC Deka get more pocket time.

SAK. Hard to argue with the utility.

Suggestions?
 
Cheap and light are the answer here. Mora is a great option that is also easy to field sharpen should the need arise as well.

As others have said, a SAK is also a good choice but I would try and combine further and get a multitool maybe a Leatherman. That way you get the pliers as well.

Should have all your needs covered with those two.
 
SAK with a saw would be perfect, or no saw if you know how to notch and break. A stainless mora as well, both lightweight and inexpensive.
I rarely have a need for pliers in the woods, but if you might also need it for impromptu car or gear repair then a leatherman type of multitool would be better than the SAK. If not expecting the aforementioned tasks, then I vastly prefer the SAK as a knife and woods bumming tool to a leatherman.
 
A plier-based multitool could be great, but they're usually heavy, although you do get a lot of tools for the weight. I'll suggest a Mora as well, I have a Companion Spark which is super light, has a ferro rod in the handle (you already got one, but two is one and one is none) maybe paired with a multitool (I have a Leatherman Wave, it's amazing, going very strong after 13 years of use).
 
The victorinox soldier. Or whatever the other version of that is.

If you want to build any sort of structure. A walking stick, a splint, a shelter, a stretcher, a tripod. You need the ability to make wood consistent lengths.

The little saw on those knives while inefficient will do all those jobs. Plus open a can of food, cut string, re hole your belt, tighten the screw of whatever equipment you have.

It is possibly the biggest bang for the smallest package.

Unless you need pliers. In which case, soz.


By the way the other versions have tweesers which is good for ticks. If you have them.

Side note. I like one hand opening knives because I am more inclined to put them away in between tasks. Then I don't inadvertently cut myself.
 
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By the way. I use pliers, or more often a billy lifter for cooking with fire. Because it is highly likely I will burn myself.

But I would probably use a MRE or the cheaper grocery store equivalent. And a heater bag. For your purposes.
 
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