Stranded in the wilderness: knife or MT?

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Nikkogi

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I just read an interesting thread on the general sub-forum about what knife would you take if you were stranded in the wilderness. I personally chose an MT and I don't think a lot of other people would.

I am going to be the "different" one on a knife forum. I am going to pick a Victorinox SwissTool MT. It is bombproof, nearly rust proof in my experience, and it has a lot of useful tools that would prove invaluable in a survival situation. Saw, blades, scissors, wire cutters (who knows if you need to cut fencing or barbed wire!), pliers to pull splinters and other tasks, a metal file that could potentially saw off a lock, and so on.

The best combo is a MT AND a knife! But if it came down to one or the other I'm choosing the MT. Plus, I'm not going to lash my ONLY survival tool onto a stick and attempt to spear an animal. If the animal freaks out and rolls around or runs away like most animals do when they get hit the stick will probably break... Then, you will be at even more of a disadvantage because you don't have your knife!

People are going to be thinking that you need a fixed blade for batoning to get to dry wood or chopping to hack a big branch. But in my experiences there is plenty of dry wood to be found in most situations. But I truly believe that an MT is the better tool in this situation. It's all my opinion of course, but I really want to know what YOU think.

Thanks in advance:)
 
Les Stroud used a leatherman on many of his Survivor Man t.v. show so i won't argue against it but if i could choose i would still want a good fixed blade. It is just what i normally use in the woods so i feel more comfortable with it.

Most people are more likely to have a multitool on them day to day over a fixed blade though so maybe one should learn to use what they carry all the time instead of switching out to gain familiarity.
 
Yeah, I agree with that. I am one of those guys who think that the best survival knife is the one they have with them. The 2 lb chopping machine with a 5/8 in. thick blade isn't doing much in the drawer, LOL!
 
I would feel better with several different blades, and a small saw. I love my big woods knives, but a multitool seems more versatile for a "one Knife" scenario.
 
this is not a easy question to answer cause both tools have plusses on there sides. my one question is besides the saw on the multitool what good are the other tools really going to be. i mean is a screw driver, bottle opener, wire stripper, ect really going to be that handy out in the wilderness (not a urban situation) the main things you will be using imo are the saw and knife. but you never know what you may stumble upon where the other tools could come in handy. for me i think i would just go with a nice fixed blade as you can pretty much do anything you need to make shelter, gather cordage, fire prep, food processing ect. but at the same time a multi tool could also probably do the same things but you would have to be much more careful as to not break anything.
 
It depends on your environment. I think if you're surviving in an urban setting, or if you're brought equipment that needs tools to be maintained, a multi-tool would be extremely useful. But if you're surviving in a rural setting that requires the processing of wood for fire and shelter, a knife more fit for those purposes makes more sense.

I always try to have both on me.

May I never find myself in a situation where my survival depends on just one tool.
 
In almost all "if you could only have one" scenarios, I'd be most confident with an axe or a hatchet.

JGON
 
My edc is a vic supertinker, so in all likelihood I'd fall into the MT camp by default. In the unlikely event that I got to choose my stranded-in-the-wilderness one and only one edged tool from a selection of MT's or FBs, I'd choose a nice big, thick-spined FB. Hopefully it would be a model with which I was familiar and/or owned, otherwise I'd want a nice pointy, sharpened prybar to get me through my first 24-48 hours.
 
Multitools are good enough, but i guess it all depends on the setting and time of the year. In my part of the world its cold and wet during the majority of the year, therefore youll need something that can split deadwood, so you can get to the dry stuff inside. A Swistool (ive got one too) is far from enough.
 
If you’re speaking true “wilderness”, I would most often opt for a large fixed blade (or axe). However, if you’re talking anything within the rural/urban environments where man has left his “fingerprints”, a multitool is a very functional asset and I wouldn’t feel the least bit “under-knifed”.

Fortunately, I EDC a Victorinox Spirit multitool…leaves that decision out of the equation :D

The nice attributes of the multitool is that you can fabricate other tools or making projects from other man-made materials...such as bailing wire, electrical wire nails, screws, sheet metal, etc. Also, a multitool is much more useful if you need to take apart something to acquire said materials.

ROCK6
 
I would pick the Victorinox Swiss Tool Spirit, I think you should always have a saw blade for building a shelter or making a weapon.
 
ROCK6 said:
If you’re speaking true “wilderness”, I would most often opt for a large fixed blade (or axe). However, if you’re talking anything within the rural/urban environments where man has left his “fingerprints”, a multitool is a very functional asset and I wouldn’t feel the least bit “under-knifed”.
Click to expand...

I echo what he said^^^
 
I prefer a swiss army knife to a multitool. I can see some uses for pliers especially in an urban setting, but rather few essential uses in a primitive setting. By its very definition, a multi-tool is a collection of tools so its not very fair to compare this little tool box to a knife. Where multi-tools sort of fall apart is their size which is optimized for carrying but not necessarily for tool functionality. For example, you can carry a decent sized pocket saw that takes up more volume but is much lighter than a leatherman wave. You can be darn tooting that the dedicated folding saw will cut circles around the little saw on a multi-tool.

My experience with my old leatherman wave was that the knife wasn't all that comfortable to use. It was usable, but certainly not comfortable and pretty clear that the knives on the tool were accessories to the pliers not the other way around. I remember a year or two back when there was a big, multi-page thread arguing back in forth about multi-tools versus SAKs. Somebody summed it up nicely by saying, 'some men like to carry pliers on their belt, others like to carry a knife'.
 
I stopped carrying a multitool in the woods, because I never used it for anything, whether primitive camping or hiking. I'd rather have practically any fixed blade over 3".
Multitools are flimsy, their tools generally suck, the knives are awkward to use, and their saws small and slow. I enjoy my multitools and SAKs for what they are, but choose one over something that is much faster and easier to use when time is not your friend? No.
 
A MT is an integral part of my improvisation kit. They are a great aid in improvising useful items out of found materials (there is junk everywhere even in most wilderness locales.).

However I wouldn't want to rely on one as my only survival tool. Always take along a 4-5 inch fixed blade knife at the least.

You may make it with just a MT but it is gonna be a lot more intensive work to get a fire going, build an adequate shelter etc.
 
For the woods, its a SAK Farmer. EDC its my Swisstool Spirit. It rides in my bag. I do carry a slippy or a SAK in my pocket all the time though. So id more then likely have them both. Plus I usually have a woods blade in my EDC bag, and some other stuff. My EDC bag is also a dayhike bag, so Im usually well covered.

I sometimes dont understand the thought that you would be stranded without any gear, except your multitool. I have my EDC bag with me all the time, even if its just in the car. I would never be in a position to be in a "survival" situation without gear. Just me and experiances, I totally get how some might be differant. Im never anywhere near the backcountry without my gear, and when im in urban areas I still have the same bag within reach.
 
Fire prep would be waaay easier with my SAK Farmer then my Swisstool, but thats about it. Ive used it in the woods for many many other things that it did quite well at. You can split wood with the saw, the pliers are handy, and it has some other "tools" that perform many tasks. I use the flat screwdriver to pry, the awl for many things, and the can opener for cans. That said, I like the Farmer better because it has a way better blade, is more comfy to use for extended periods, and is alot better in the pocket.

Ive owned all types of Multis. Gerber, Leatherman, SOG, and Vic. My fave is the Vic. It has a better quality feel to it then the others, and is more comfortable.
 
I would pick a fixed blade. In the wilderness, there are no locks to file through or barbed wire to cut. Pretty much any quality fixed blade knife would make it a lot easier on me to make a one stick fire and build a lean-to or other shelter.

In the urban environment, a multitool would be great. For me though, a knife is preferable in the forest.
 
Thats a tough one. My initial response would be a FB, but with an appropriate SAK I have been able to accomplish a lot of tasks in the woods. I prefer SAKs to MTs, but understand there are situations where the MT wins. I, like others have stated, EDC a small pack. It goes with me everywhere and all of the time. So with this being said, I belt carry a SAK and small FB. In my bag is another FB and an old model Wave. Recently I have been making a concerted effort to educate myself on the various MTs as I own two as opposed to dozens of SAKs. With my current setup, combined with my habit of always having my bag, I would have both a MT and FB.
 
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