Stout backpacking knife

[trevitrace]

I just received the top one today, so I loaded them both into a backpack and went for an extended stroll in the woods.

It's was great! Weird thing is, I didn't need a pliers or scissors for anything.

 

[pinnah]

I just received the top one today, so I loaded them both into a backpack and went for an extended stroll in the woods.

It's was great! Weird thing is, I didn't need a pliers or scissors for anything.

Then that's a good trip.

On the last trip I led, I had 2 hikers develop blisters requiring some custom cut moleskin and/or athletic tape. Another hiker ripped out a zipper on his pack, which needed fixing.

 

[Shotgun]

I just received the top one today, so I loaded them both into a backpack and went for an extended stroll in the woods.

It's was great! Weird thing is, I didn't need a pliers or scissors for anything.

Did you need the knives either.


Most everyone says "need" when they really mean "want."

 

[trevitrace]

Did you need the knives either.


Most everyone says "need" when they really mean "want."

There were a couple small downed trees from a recent windy storm over a trail I hadn't been by in awhile. And the black locust had gotten really overgrown in parts as well, so having the extra reach was nice.

Wasn't really a need I suppose, but the want was strong enough I didn't want to risk it.

 

[GREENJACKET]

A hansom pair of blade you have there. Like very much.

pinnah, its worth posting as some people will read the good information and put it to good use.

Sadly I rarely hike now as I have compression on my spine from carrying too much weight on Welsh mountains, and mogul bump skiing can't have helped either. I go stalking now in the Highlands of Scotland for Red Deer. Some people say carry a rifle ruins a good walk; I'm the opposite. If I'm hunting then I'll put up with the pain. Annoyingly I'm not as fit as I was. I still love sleeping under the stars though; don't need much of an excuse.

 

[leghog]

Pinnah, just in case you missed the very first post in this thread, the OP is asking which big knife to bring in his backpack. Recommendations were made based on that.

As were the many recommendations that a big knife isn't necessary for backpacking so no worth the weight and that because of that very reason, few backpacker carry them.

 

[leghog]

I love when people criticize big knives for backpacking. I think you should state your pack size and weight for a 3-4 day 40 mile loop in eastern hills / mountains if you're going to judge the weight of one of the most important tools.

Better measure would be base weight for fall/spring, base weight fort winter, base weight for summer. Then it matters not for how long out or for what distance traveled as the base weight by season won't change. Knife/knives count in tallying base weight.

 

[AntDog]

Pot, kettle, black.



Actually, I didn't "show up" until the 2nd page, well after you had already started stirring the pot on page 1.

Here's what I wrote and I stand by it.




Notice that what I actually said is that all that is needed for backpacking is something like PS4.

Now really, why in the world are you so insistent in turning that simple statement into something of a flame war. Are you so incredibly insecure in your knife beating machismo that you just can't tolerate it when somebody points out that your big knives are an unnecessary option? You need to turn that into some sort of insult so you can feel good beating your chest or something? Let me be clear... It's not an insult. It's your pack. Carry what you want.

Rodriguez, glad you found a knife that suits your tastes. Have fun with it. I still think you would have gotten more helpful input on what you were looking for had you gone back and edited the subject line as I suspect a lot of you wood harvesting compatriots may have skipped over this thread thinking it was a SAK and Mora love fest. But then again, we wouldn't have the chance to see all of the theatrics either.


Greenjacket, I'd hike with you. You're right to blame the romantics. We're all living out some sort of fantasy or artificially construed something or other in the backcountry. HYYH.

Arrrrgh..... Do you honestly not see what you do every single time?

You passive-aggressively try to sling insults while saying "oh, it's your pack, carry what you want" to try to excuse it. Not cool. Carry what YOU want, but don't diss MY choices.

Read this very carefully. The fact that I would rather carry one large knife instead of a freaking opinel and leatherman micra does not make me some kind of chest beating Neanderthal. Got it?

You are the one who gets all bent out of shape and just can't see why everyone else doesn't carry a camp stove to make tea. I'm done with you.

 

[22-rimfire]

Most back packers are concerned about weight. I'll carry a larger knife on my dayhikes or one nighters which is mostly what I do anyway. I seldom need to cut anything that my SAK doesn't handle quite well. But I suppose if I need to trim a bunch of branches along a trail to open it up (trail management), the larger knife would be really handy. For that, I tend to choose machete if I know going into the situation that I will be doing trail maintenance. Otherwise, I usually have a 5-6" fixed blade and a SAK on me. Oh, I don't want to forget my Leatherman Squirt (PS4). I find it comes in handy and I really do like having the small pliers available to me. Scissors..... I can take or leave, but it has one. Pinnah is the one who suggested I look at the Squirt and I like it.

There is nothing wrong with carrying a large knife. Pinnah would probably feel my fixed blade knife choice is too heavy as it almost definitely is not a Moral or Opinel. I just find them to be really boring knives.

 

[Shotgun]

There were a couple small downed trees from a recent windy storm over a trail I hadn't been by in awhile. And the black locust had gotten really overgrown in parts as well, so having the extra reach was nice.

Wasn't really a need I suppose, but the want was strong enough I didn't want to risk it.

Cool. Sounds like fun. I think if people asked "what knives do you take with you" or "what knives come in handy for you" that the forum would be better off. It's when people get into unfounded absolutes that arguments seem to pop up.

I carry cutting tools because I like them. I can't say they've ever been necessary. Too many people enjoy the outdoors all year round who don't even know what a "chopper knife" is. So someone saying you need them to survive is a bit silly. Even with Pinnah, why are you still using mole skin man? Switch to a tape and cut out the "need" for scissors. I've yet to EVER need scissors so when an U'ler gives advise that you "need" scissors I can call BS on that too. Never needed pliers either so a squirt is dead weight as far as need. It sure can come in handy though. Same with a few other things.

 

[stabman]

Most back packers are concerned about weight.

The funny thing is, my step-brother with the pack that weighs as much as a md-sized child is concerned about weight.
He weighs all his items, always opting for something lighter, and says how "Ounces equal pounds," just as someone probably did in this thread.

But then he packs so many damned lightweight things into the pack that it weighs over 80 pounds.
He really will carry it all day long though, or multiple days. He doesn't just walk a little ways from the car and call it backpacking.

I've yet to EVER need scissors so when an U'ler gives advise that you "need" scissors I can call BS on that too.

It was cabin camping rather than backpacking, but we used the scissors on my Swisschamp to cut a huge skin-tag off the neck of one of my friends.
He had some weird chemical (now banned for sale in Canada) that slows down bleeding, and we had plenty of isopropyl alcohol to "sterilize" things.
It was successful...but bled a whole lot...whisky was a major component of the whole thing.

 

[pinnah]

Arrrrgh..... Do you honestly not see what you do every single time?

You passive-aggressively try to sling insults while saying "oh, it's your pack, carry what you want" to try to excuse it. Not cool. Carry what YOU want, but don't diss MY choices.

Read this very carefully. The fact that I would rather carry one large knife instead of a freaking opinel and leatherman micra does not make me some kind of chest beating Neanderthal. Got it?

You are the one who gets all bent out of shape and just can't see why everyone else doesn't carry a camp stove to make tea. I'm done with you.

Did I hurt your feelings by mocking recreational wood processing and survivaling?

BWAHAHAHAHAHA

Lighten up, Francis and don't take yourself so seriously. You don't see me stamping my feet like a child because of your derisive comments about Opinels.

And just to be clear, no where did I tell you or anybody what they could or couldn't carry. Take a breath, read more carefully and stop erecting strawmen.

What I've said is that anything more than a Squirt (or Vic Classic) is optional. That includes my Opinel. So yeah, carry what you. I don't care.

What I am very critical of is the heavy impact of harvest based camping. I've advocated for leave no trace ethics so as to not wreck places for the next guy. That puts me in line with the USFS and just about every other land management entity. That seems to upset you. <shrug>

 

[SwiftDream]

HYOH, a backpacking mantra...its supposed to be fun, a sort of individual pursuit...

I don't mind what folks take as long as they don't slow everyone else down or get bossy...

Colin Fletcher took a full sized Marbles hunting knife on his famous Thousand Mile Summer. After that he adopted a Vic Classic with all the tools except the blade broken off... LOL

 

[AntDog]

Did I hurt your feelings by mocking recreational wood processing and survivaling?

BWAHAHAHAHAHA

Lighten up, Francis and don't take yourself so seriously. You don't see me stamping my feet like a child because of your derisive comments about Opinels.

And just to be clear, no where did I tell you or anybody what they could or couldn't carry. Take a breath, read more carefully and stop erecting strawmen.

What I've said is that anything more than a Squirt (or Vic Classic) is optional. That includes my Opinel. So yeah, carry what you. I don't care.

What I am very critical of is the heavy impact of harvest based camping. I've advocated for leave no trace ethics so as to not wreck places for the next guy. That puts me in line with the USFS and just about every other land management entity. That seems to upset you. <shrug>

I, ah, I'm dumbfounded. Did you not read what I posted?

You are putting your fingers in your ears and reciting your mantra.

Strawmen? You want to talk strawmen. Ok. You might not have said not to carry this or that, but you've equated doing so with being a clown with a backpack full of bowling pins. How's that for a strawman? Passive-aggressive know it all BS.

You are the one stamping your feet like a child throwing YOUR ideals in everyone's face. (Leave no trace, need vs. want, YOUR personal belief that this or that is "optional")

I'm telling you "live and let live". Do you, and I'll do me. You keep claiming to do the same, all the while hurling the insults.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

 

[Park Swan]

Better measure would be base weight for fall/spring, base weight fort winter, base weight for summer. Then it matters not for how long out or for what distance traveled as the base weight by season won't change. Knife/knives count in tallying base weight.

That'd work. Point is, most people carry too much weight! An obnoxious amount of products claim to be "ultralight" with no weight given. A friend of mine recently spent >$700 on a single person tent for backpacking in mild weather in Scotland. He claimed the price was due to it being "sub 3 lbs." The same friend is also bringing a drone and camera for taking video journals

 

[Cobalt]

oh look at this little girl packing weight

Some how bet she may be packing a Khukuri

 

[GREENJACKET]

There is a washing machine, dishwasher and tumble dryer there; can never get women away from their kitchen sinks

It funny how different peoples are differently fit. Different endurance in different conditions. Generally how poor "westerners" are, though they don't have to be. Takes about six months to a year to climatize or build a different fitness class up to match an environment.
Just like bare feet, or strengthening ankle support. Heck, wherewithal using tools safely doesn't just happen.

Its amazing how adaptable we are, and how amazingly argumentative we are too

 

[22-rimfire]

That'd work. Point is, most people carry too much weight! An obnoxious amount of products claim to be "ultralight" with no weight given. A friend of mine recently spent >$700 on a single person tent for backpacking in mild weather in Scotland. He claimed the price was due to it being "sub 3 lbs." The same friend is also bringing a drone and camera for taking video journals

We all pack what is important to us for a given visit with nature. I wonder how large the drone is?

 

[Morrow]

Too much discussion making others the topic of conversation. Stay on topic or don't post.

 

[leghog]

That'd work. Point is, most people carry too much weight! An obnoxious amount of products claim to be "ultralight" with no weight given. A friend of mine recently spent >$700 on a single person tent for backpacking in mild weather in Scotland. He claimed the price was due to it being "sub 3 lbs." The same friend is also bringing a drone and camera for taking video journals

I keep mild weather shelter to a max of 20-25 ounces all inclusive.

>$700 because a tent is "sub 3 lbs"is obscene. You can buy an REI Quarter Dome at $229 full retail, and with REI's frequent sales they can be had brand new for even less. It's just over 2 lbs.