Show me your WELL USED, trusted woods combo!

AntDog

AntDog

Joined
Apr 3, 2001
Messages
27,082
Post a few pics of your well used woods combo. Big knife/little knife. Safe queens need not apply. I want to see what you USE. Not what sits in your safe waiting for you to play Rambo.

Here's mine:





The big badass by himself:



If I feel like carrying a bigger small knife in my combo, I pack this one:





Your turn!
 
Well, don't all post at once now!

Here's another shot of my well used Basic 9:

 
These are my two go-to woodsy knives. I'm typically not a fan of lanyards, but I found this reflective cordage. Super useful for guy lines, think not tripping in the dark, I thought I'd apply this in case I stupidly/drunkenly would set this little guy down at night.

 
Nice knives fellas!

Hey trevitrace - what's the smaller one? I know exactly what the big boy is. I used to have 2 of em and sold em like an idiot to buy guns.
 
AntDog, it is a Ray Laconico knife, I think he calls it the HWK. Could be wrong about that one. Anyway, it's a touch over 7" with O1 steel at 1/8". Here's another pic just for funsies. Mini (terribly made) feather stick.

 
trevitrace said:
AntDog, it is a Ray Laconico knife, I think he calls it the HWK. Could be wrong about that one. Anyway, it's a touch over 7" with O1 steel at 1/8". Here's another pic just for funsies. Mini (terribly made) feather stick.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the ID... Man that thing is a little brute! I like that. Off to google!
 
Here's my most-used combo: CS Gurkha Kukri and Mora Companion.

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Since you can't really see the wear in that picture, here's the kukri by itself.

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This is my go-to combination of camping and work blades.

Longhunter 9.jpg Longhunter 3.jpg
Longhunter Tomahawk, Jungle Kukri, Tracker & Churi

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Longhunter by the fire and GFB Small Forest Axe and a 2Hawks Warbeast taking care of a downed tree after a snow storm
 
Outdoor Carry by Pinnah, on Flickr


On ultra light trips, I can just get by with the PS4 Squirt. I know that's sort of disappointing to the "you need a chopper" sort of motif, but there you have it. I'm actually starting to see the big chopper threads as a backwoods version of the mall ninja thing. It's really not *needed*. "Wanted". Some people's idea of "fun". That's OK. Whatever makes people happy.

Anyway, I generally carry the Opinel #9, more or less as a luxury item. I do use it for food prep and occasionally for fire starting. On winter XC trips, I'll carry a small wood stove and with that, I'll carry folding saw and exchange the Opinel for a Mora. For winter climbing trips, that's not needed as I rely on a white gas stove for meals and water.
 
For me it would be an Esee Junglas and a PM2 (or Military). If I could have a third (which I would want) it would be the Bravo 1. All subject to change of course!

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The old Brute was pretty handy in the north, but it is long gone now. None of my knives have received excessively hard use, I change them out all the time, or use an axe\hatchet. Although my BK-2 definitely has been used fairly hard. As for a combo I would have too many choices. I am going back up north to visit again in a few weeks so I'm currently picking some tools out. Right now I have a Wett. hatchet and a Condor Hudson bay sitting on the floor, along with a one handed Trekker SAK. This could be switched out for my G.B. small forest axe and a Mora, at any moment.





 
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pinnah said:
Outdoor Carry by Pinnah, on Flickr


On ultra light trips, I can just get by with the PS4 Squirt. I know that's sort of disappointing to the "you need a chopper" sort of motif, but there you have it. I'm actually starting to see the big chopper threads as a backwoods version of the mall ninja thing. It's really not *needed*. "Wanted". Some people's idea of "fun". That's OK. Whatever makes people happy.

Anyway, I generally carry the Opinel #9, more or less as a luxury item. I do use it for food prep and occasionally for fire starting. On winter XC trips, I'll carry a small wood stove and with that, I'll carry folding saw and exchange the Opinel for a Mora. For winter climbing trips, that's not needed as I rely on a white gas stove for meals and water.
Click to expand...

I'm moving toward your line of thinking, slowly. But I still don't feel ok without at least a hatchet or one strong knife to double duty for some heaver work up in the Boreal. Down south here I could get by with an Officer SAK. :)
 
upnorth,

I think it depends on what books we read as we learned or who taught us.

I should emphasize that I don't think there is any "one true way" when being in the woods. If people dig having a knife of any type with them, that's fine by me. I consider my own use of the Opinel to be a "because it makes me happy" luxury and don't deny that to anybody. I *do* find unneeded display of large fixed blades and machetes to be needlessly intimidating to other backcountry travelers and I *loath* finding signs of recreational wood "harvesting" on public lands near trails and camp sites. But really what ever makes people happy.

Some of the books that really influenced me were "Backpacking One Step At a Time" and "The Freedom of the Hills", both originally written by Harvey Manning. The latter, now taken over by the Seattle Mountaineers is sort of the Bible of mountaineering. Manning favored a simple SAK. I've been highly influenced by the minimalism of the ultra light hikers like Ray Jardine and the discipline of bike touring. I spent many years doing year round backpacking/climbing in New England carrying only a Victorinox Classic. This approach though relies 100% on a stove (gas or alcohol) and tent/tarp for shelter. This approach also minimizes impact locally.

Please note, I'm not advocating that people give up their choppers any more than I give my Opinel (or Mora, which I carry in the winter). Just noting that we're well into the realm of that which makes us happy or more comfortable.

FWIW, my #1 advice for people learning stove-craft (can I coin that term?) is to make tea/coffee on their stove daily for 2-4 weeks straight. Leave the rig on your back porch and do this regardless of weather. Put my Svea (or Trangia) in my hand and I will boil water in pretty much any condition. More than any other, knowing this skill down cold reorients my views on knives.
 
Good for you. Thanks for that. I guess I'm fine with being a "backwoods mall ninja"....
 
This combo has worked for me in a lot of different terrain. Chopper made from cut down English machete, and an alox SAK. KInd of covers the bases.
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