SAK bash!

Joe,
I have hiked literally thousands of miles
And I will still take a three spring SAK
Cause it is worth its weight in gold

LOL
 
I'm at about your pack weight Joe.

I've got a 4" blade knife, hatchet and a Bahco in it too!

My pack, bivy, bag, pad and tarp are around ten pounds.

Alcohol stove, Mors pot, extra socks, jacket and first aid/toiletries are less than three.

Haven't used a filter, matches or sunglasses covers in years.

I use Gatorade bottles.

One thing I'll never give up are baby wipes though!
 
Love the scissors for trimming bits of moleskin. Awl is a must for cleaning mud out of tight spots or as an emergency repair...awl. (I like the awls that have a little eye in them so they can be used to drive thread or 550 cord guts through stuff.) Large blade is handy, of course. Those saws work really well for such a tiny tool. And tweezers are a must have. Screwdrivers can come in handy. Man, SAK's just seem endlessly useful, I don't leave the house without one and wouldn't think of going camping without one. SwissBianco's Bushcrafter--with a blade, saw, and awl--seems like a nice minimalist SAK. Defaultuser's custom seems pretty close to ideal.
 
I'm never without a SAK. I use their money clip, and it has scissors. So I can feel free to carry a Huntsman or Farmer, I'm covered for scissors either way. The awl is perfect for firesteel scraping, and the corkscrew is great for untangling knots, as well as holding a screwdriver for my glasses.

I would be very comfortable carrying ONLY a SAK on the AT...
 
Guyon said:
Give me a Farmer with scissors!
Click to expand...


Give me the Farmers Daughter
:)

In regards to the knife weight--an SAK weighs so little compared to most everything else you carry backpacking that I feel one should carry one without question.

The model is your call--
 
I never weigh my gear
I take what I need and no more
And I know what I need


So what ever it weights, it weighs
Quite a different way of doing
 
HardTripper said:
Dont know if its been said in this thread but the magnifying glass can be a fire starter.
Click to expand...

Rubbish!

I've been trying for the last two hours without so much as a hint of an ember, maybe I'll try again when it gets light...
happy0054.gif
 
ThriftyJoe said:
I've never had a use for awls, corkscrews, hooks, magnifying glasses, nail files, or hook disgorgers in town or on the trail. I described above generally what I think should also be left out for the trail. I'm not sure about pliers on the trail. Maybe.

hiking/backpacking = SAKs? Why?
Click to expand...

My favorite blade on the Pioneer/Soldier/Farmer is the awl. The awl opens and is in line with the handle so it can be used like a knife blade. I use it for scraping an drilling holes. It drills very nice holes. It's the only pocket knife that drills/cuts nice holes in wood or plastic.

The awls that form a T on other models are are not nearly as useful imo.

But I have never need pliers so I never really took a liking to multi-tools.
 
I read many posts on a hikers forum about people who don't even consider a knife a neccessary item. How f'd up is that!!!?

My alox pioneer is without question my most carried and used knife. I have several farmers (think pioneer + wood saw) but I never needed the saw so it's rare that I carry them even in the woods. But a lot of guys swear by the farmer because of he saw.

Honestly, add a bit bigger tool be it a fixed blade, hatchet, hawk, machete, etc., and you would be able to handle just about any task.
 
Collecter, You see, we here are all addicts. We are addicted to carrying a knife. It's just who we are, so even if we go a week without using it, it was still "worth while" to our logic, because we might have needed it. To someone who does not use a knife ever (lots of areas are no-trace areas, pre-packed food, and nylon shelters etc) would not see the need to have a "just in case" item. If the worst thing they can foresee is a slightly uncomfortable overnight if their shelter leaks, or they get a minor injury, then why take a knife? if they expect the trail to be full of people who will at the very least make a phone call to the ranger once they get back to the trailhead, what's to worry?
Do I agree with this attitude? no, I don't, but I'm also an addict, so my response is going to be to re-enforce you're attitude, so that you'll re-enforce mine. On a day to day basis I carry between one and three blades (one of which is usually a SAK or at least an MT)

personally I carry a SAK or MT not for what I will use it for, but what I might use it for. if I know I'm going to need a tool, I'll take that tool! It's kinda like the guys who say that a pistol is for fighting your way back to your rifle, a SAK or MT is for fighting your way back to your toolbox. I've used every tool on my huntsman, some not very often, but I have.

To each his own, as they say, but trashing someone who doesn't see the world your way is a bit narrow minded.

One addict to another, stay sharp!
 
I used my Compact way more than I expected last weekend while off-road motorcycle camping in VT. The blade was used mostly for food prep and package opening, the multi-tool was borrowed to reach an idle-air mixture screw on a carburator, the corkscrew opened a bottle of my Mothers incredible Cabernet/black currant mead blend, and...the biggest surprise was the parcel hook being the perfect retrieval method for the campfire coffee percolator. My Farmer stayed in my backpack *gasp!*
 
There's no question that we are "addicts". I preordered a knife a few days ago and the knife I plan it to replace has seen only one camping trip.

But I still aim to be practical and limit how much I carry. In my neck of the woods it gets real hot and there are times when I have considered tossing gear to lighten my load. After ever outing I count the items that I didn't use including any blades or tools that I brought.

It's this thinking that brought me to use flashlights and lanterns that only use AAA batteries. My spare batteries consist of 3 AAA batteries were before I had AA's, AAA's and 123's. Simple is better!
 
Joe,

I'm not sure a Vic Classic is an actual survival knife or meets the 10 essentials intent. I carry one regularly and they are great for opening packages and Boxes and cutting string, but that's about it.

I admire your light weight approach, the gear list link you posted was interesting. She left out the cordage for the tarp. I like tarps, but with that thin ground pad, light bag, and tarp, we're looking at warm weather sleeping. If the point of the exercise is to walk many miles quickly, then she is set. I like to enjoy the trail and see some sights, so a heavier pack with some field glasses and my Jet Boil jammed in is worthwhile. I've never noticed a 4" bushcraft knife on my belt either.

Once one becomes fanatical about weight, the margins of comfort and safety start getting pressed. Bear spray seems like a worthwhile carry. So does a two or three spring SAK. You won't notice a Tinker or Camper in your pants pocket.

Is that ground sheet she list really necessary? Or durable?
 
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