Picking knives for BOB

F

Fuori

Joined
Oct 13, 2014
Messages
628
Many of you have helped me pick various knives since I joined the forum and I'm trying to decide which to put with my BOB.

-Fixed blade BK16 or ESEE6

-My SAK Trekker is going (I have light pliers to pair with it instead of a multi tool)

-Endura/Manix Translucent/Recon 1

How would you rank the folding knives in terms of which should go with me? Would I be better with a Mora or Izula II?

Lastly, am I on the right track?
 
What does bugging out look like for you?

Are you urban or rural?
Duration of refugee state? Distance to the rally point?
What are your bugout scenarios/trggers? earthquake, fire etc.
 
Zombies RUN.....................................................................................................................

Sorry had to.
 
c.t.smith said:
Zombies RUN.....................................................................................................................

Sorry had to.
Click to expand...

It had to be said :)

Rural. Mostly wild fires and earthquakes. I've started to see the wisdom in having a bag to grab and go. If that's 48 hours, two weeks or a Katrina I'd rather have something.
 
Mmkay. Do you have somewhere to go indoors (relatives, friends, motel etc) or are you thinking outdoors overnighters? Is sleeping in your vehicle an option? Are you likely to need to clear a fallen tree on route to wherever?

So a knife to me is an improvisation tool. Yes you want a knife but I doubt you'll want to be running around building brush shelters and trying to find firewood in a wet forest. The point of being a refugee is to minimize the time spent as a refugee. Pick a destination and make all haste to that destination. You might need some recovery/ pioneer type tools to get where you are going though. Axe, shovel, saw, that sort of thing.

Priority #1 for very damaging events like these will be your information. Proof of insurance, identity, finances etc. Having a copy with you when you leave would be great. Having a backup in a safe place (safety deposit box etc) would be a close second. This is the stuff you NEED to get back into a first world existence.

Priority #2 shelter. Your vehicle is option #1 for mobile shelter and fast transport to safety. If you have to spend some time under the stars you'll want shelter. A tent is about the bare minimum. Especially if you have other people around. Then you need sleeping bags and sleeping pads for everyone. I don't know how much workable firewood there is in your area. I'd personally not rely on being able to find any in a pinch. Murphy's law and all that.

Priority #3 Clean water and sanitation. Why leave that to chance either? A water filter of some sort is a good idea... but so is a supply of honest to god bottled water. A trangia cooker (model 27 or 25) and a supply of alcohol is a very bombproof method of cooking. Pack some food with a good shelf life too. It sure beats hunting.
 
Good points, thank you! You touched on a lot of areas I need to work on and gave me some ideas.

Let me say I used the term BOB because that is the popular term for what used to be called a 48 hour emergency bag. I'm not preparing for Walking Dead or to evacuate to the woods. I'm just trying to get ready for emergencies and having a few knives are on my list after a few other priorities you mentioned.
 
1 for cutting dirty stuff and 1 or 2 lightweights for preparing food.

A quality locking folder in my eyes is pretty much equivalent to a fixed blade of equal size and weight. You can make some shavings to start a fire or do some forceful cutting. Not too much thumping though. The SAK or any of the others would do me for a BOB dirty knife. I'd like a secondary food prep blade that stays away from the nasty stuff like oil lines etc that might need cutting. One of those victorinox paring knives with the plastic sheath would do a good job.

The 4+ inch fixed blades start to make sense when you are doing a lot of heavy wood cutting and thumping. Strictly speaking I don't think they are necessary if you have your other gear squared away. The exception being that fallen tree I mentioned earlier. If there is storm damage preventing you from getting where you want to go that is a problem... unfortunately there is no guarantee even a larger knife will cut it in that case. You might need the axe or saw.
 
Fuori said:
It had to be said :)

Rural. Mostly wild fires and earthquakes. I've started to see the wisdom in having a bag to grab and go. If that's 48 hours, two weeks or a Katrina I'd rather have something.
Click to expand...

We are very rural and I have trouble bags as well (wildfires, tornadoes etc). They contain various SAKs (Farmer and Swiss Champ, a Trekker or a 130mm Ranger style SAK), folding bushcraft and pocket chain saws, flashlights/batteries mini water filter (Sawyer), paracord, firestarting items, SW radio, scanner, FRS radios personal/hygiene items and meds. The bag along with packs with a folding mini stove. 22lr pistol and various items I need to carry/save all goes into the truck. Axes, various fixed blades and Heavy Duty Moras are in the mix as well (Bushcraft Blk, Companion HD etc.) A lot of the contents are things I want to save as well.
 
I don't have a BOB. I do have my edc backpack, which for me is a blue osprey talon 22. I dont want anything that looks too tactical. Id rather not be a target in an evacuation scenario. I usually have a change of clothes, first aid kit, and few handy tools and items (flashlight, multitool, small screw drivers of varying sizes, a bit of paracord, bandana, firesteel, lighter, matches, batteries). I always have a 32oz Nalgene with me and a SAK, medium folder, lighter, and usually a small fixed on my person.

In my car I keep 2 sleeping bags, a wool blanket, towels, tarp, jacket, gloves, hat and another change of clothes. Also have a small tool kit and first aid kit in the car as well as a mora companion, buck 110, and fiskars hatchet.

I work about 15 miles from home, and the things I carry are what I would need to get home in the event of an emergency, even if I had to travel home on foot.

If I'm leaving from home, it's a different scenario entirely as I have two young children to care for. I would probably just ado a change of clothes for each of them and bail with what I usually have.
 
I own a few hatches and Mora knives, so I'll take a look at them tomorrow. So, how do I pick between or rank the Recon 1, Endura and Manix LW Translucent to pair with my Trekker? If I had to pick I'd probably go with my Manix LW then the Recon followed by the Endura.
 
Don't put anything in the bag you really like. You'll just fish it back out of the bag.

I put knives in our cars and in our disaster bag. They are usually ugly but serviceable. An old Japanese Buck 110 clone, a scratched up Sanrenmu frame lock, a SAK Classic that came in a pair with a knife I did want, and a $6 discontinued Mora work knife. I never think about them, but they are sharp, useful and aren't going to get snagged for something else, so they will be there when needed.

By all means, don't buy some junk if you don't have some stuff you don't care about. But do buy a used SAK on ebay or spend $8 on a Bahco Mora and leave them alone in the bag. If there is more time you can go to your man cave and grab one of the good ones, too.



Speaking more generally, depending on the disaster and government response, you may end up in a refugee camp that has rules. A SAK or other non-threatening folder is less likely to get confiscated by the National Guard during that period. Let them have the Mora and keep the Busse at home.
 
I have an ESEE 3 attached to my BOB, and a SACK One Handed Trekker inside. That, along with a SAK multi tool, is what I would depend on in a time of need. Between the three of them, I have redundancy and efficiency.
 
I have EMP walk-home bags in either vehicle I drive to work. Since they are in my vehicles they are eligible to be stolen so the equipment isn't my best stuff. My sharps are a SAK, a carbon-steel Mora and the tiny SAK that's in my pocket. Also have a tiny DMT keychain diamond knife sharpener.
The more important stuff is shelter/raingear (poncho, cordage & al stakes) , multiple ways of making fire, water bottles to carry water, multiple ways to make water safe to drink, alternate footwear (socks & boots), additional clothes, and moleskin. (it's 40 miles the short way - water and blisters are my highest level concerns)
 
These questions come up a lot now days. Everyone is looking for the best this and that to put in their BOB, Get Home etc bag. I think the answer is pretty simple that you really need to carry what you are comfortable with.

For example someone might say a Khukri is the best all around survival blade and it should be in my BOB. But I have never used one, I would choose maybe a scandi bushcraft knife instead because thats what I carry and work with in the woods all the time. The point is as long as you have basics covered like water, shelter, warmth, food, etc. (think 10 essentials) and skills that you have practiced you will be comfortable in any situation with any level or type of knife or other gear. Think of professional soldiers who have to make due with whatever is at their disposable. The 300 knife is awesome but they could get buy with kitchen knife if need be because of their skill level and confidence.
 
I find discussions that start with "what's the best?" to be mostly discussion for its own sake.

Features and styles of use discussions are where I learn things that can prove useful and help me make informed choices.

But carrying and practicing with the gear is practice that will pay off if it's needed.
 
unimogbert said:
I find discussions that start with "what's the best?" to be mostly discussion for its own sake.

Features and styles of use discussions are where I learn things that can prove useful and help me make informed choices.

But carrying and practicing with the gear is practice that will pay off if it's needed.
Click to expand...

Well, it's stuff I already own and am starting to use. I just wasn't sure how to rank my folders and if I was on the right track.
 
The BK16 is an all around field knife. From small chores to larger ones. It's more versatile then say the ESEE 6
 
I say pack whatever yea want so long as you're comfortable with the tools. I personally like a fixed blade, folder and multi tool.
 
You could always go with a knife that was named "BOB". ;) Not sure if it would be the best, but it is a stout little sucker that could take a beating. Pretty average steel for it's price (aus-8), but it is a big chunk of it. Should be fairly easy to sharpen or touch-up in the field, which is what bugout situations would certainly demand. Nearly 10oz and 1/3" thick at spine/handle.

It has the weight and thickness to handle a little chopping. Yet the balance and grip seems like it would allow the more mundane tasks of basic utility and food prep. I haven't really given mine a workout beyond the backyard because I simply have too many options to choose from. But it does feel really good in the hand. Mine may actually find it's way into a BOB, as it's a bit much for edc.

In my first pic, it's the chunky monkey in the center.

nwescg.jpg




02bo273_2.jpg
 
A couple of situations could force me to have to leave home in a hurry. They include tornado blowing house down or nearly so and nuclear emergency. I really don't have a BOB, but I keep all of my camping stuff that is not sensitive to moisture in the garage in rubber maid tubs. I figure it will take me about two-three hours to pretty much clean out my van and load it with all kinds of stuff that might be suitable for an extended emergency. I can sleep in the van if I need to, but prefer not to. Would carry an assortment of blades, axe, machete, and probably chain saw. I have no intention of walking out with a pack on my back......

If I had to go on foot, I would probably use my mountain bike to carry stuff and push it Viet Cong style. I'd have to rig up some kind of packs.

As far as picking knives for the BOB, I would go with stuff that you like and are comfortable using. You have the right idea and the big knife thing just depends on where you might be going.
 
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