survival knife for john muir trail

Butcher said:
Another vote for the F1 or an S1, and a SAK..plus some wet fine sand paper for stropping the knife edge (superlite)
Off the list but highly useful; a Petzel L.E.D. headlamp, worth its weight in gold..

P.C.T. 1973,1975,1980,2002,2005
J.M.T. 1979
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Dittos on the Petzl LED headlamp. I love the Petzl Tactikka and the Tactikka Plus. Light weight, plenty of light, and you have both hands free with the light right where you need it.
 
reconranger said:
I've done the Muir a few times. I would want to be ultralight! Nothing big and nothing heavy!

The Southern Sierra is pretty mellow in mid summer, except for afternoon thunderstorms. It could sleet/snow, but it doesn't stick. 25 days is 10 miles/day, so you won't have to kill yourself. Your chances of ending up in some kind of long term survival situation where you would need chopping tools, or a heavy knife aren't great. No fires above 10,000', but plenty of dead stuff everywhere for one in an emergency, below timberline.

Extra food is more important than anything else you can carry! Any extra weight should go for that, not hardwear. Are you going to get resupply, or hike it all the way through??? Put on a few extra pounds before you go. I always loose a lot of weight on a long trip.

For me, an extremely light Gerber saw, a small/light multi-tool, and my Emerson CQC-12 which goes everywhere with me outdoors clipped on my pocket....just because.
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LISTEN TO HIM BRO!!!!

HE IS 110% CORRECT!!!
 
If you want a fixed blade to take on trips like this, look at the Bark River North Star. It is a great blade, and weighs 4.6 oz. I carry one on my Sierra backpacking trips, along with smaller folders. I didn't always carry a fixed blade, but an experience last summer has convinced me that it is worth the weight.

An approved canister is required on many parts of the JMT. Just hanging your food is not permitted, and the canister has to be an approved model. If you are in a canister-required area and don't have one, you can be fined $150. Rangers will ask to see your permit and your canister, this has happened to me.

The current list of approved canisters is here:

http://sierrawildbear.org/foodstorage/approvedcontainers.htm

Note that the Ursack hybrid had its conditional approval revoked recently.

Here are a few sources of the North Star:

http://www.knivesshipfree.com/Bark-....html?osCsid=a645512b92f2f74c36898997e937fd1d

http://www.ecommerce-shopping-cart.us/mcknight/index.php?action=category&id=22&subid=58

http://www.dlttradingcompany.com/index.php?cPath=24_105&osCsid=0574eabda02a8cf1bf14a193f132182d

I prefer one of the synthetic handles for a knife that will be jostled around in my pack all day.
 
Travel light. I live in New Zealand and spend large amounts of time in the back country. Every extra ounce you carry will feel 10x as heavy by the end of the day. I carry a SAK (Huntsman) and a Mora Clipper. To me the little mundane chores are what my knives get used for. Opening packages, doing minor gear repairs like sewing a stitch etc.To tell the truth, I just came back from 6 days in the bush and I really only used the SAK. Whichever one you get, make sure it has scissors. The wood saw is quite handy as well. A big fixed blade like that Ka-bar will be more trouble than it is worth, especially for "no-trace" backpacking. My 0.02

p.s. +1 for a good lightweight headlamp. I love my Petzl Tikka Plus. I would rate it almost as important as my knife and my boots!!
 
My choice would be a Fallkniven F1. It is large enough for batoning if necessary, it is light enough to be worn all the time so it can also become the "survival knife" if needed.

If you want a smaller knife you can choose the WM1, but if you bring a SAK or LM multitool the difference in blade length are too small.

I would go with this: http://hem.passagen.se/nodh/trio.jpg
* Fallkniven F1. You normally dont need to cut big things but it can do it if necessary.
* LM multitool of choice. Not any of the huge ones but something like the old PST.
* Bahco/ Fiskars folding saw. You dont really need to cut things but it is more efficient than an axe and you dont get tempted to chop things back and forth.
 
I recently acquired a Bill Siegle neck knife and have come to realize that for me, it is the perfect backpacking fixed blade. Only .125" thick, with a 3.5" blade and 4" handle (skeletonized) it can't weigh more than 3 oz. with the sheath. It's really been ideal for slicing and food prep chores. I clipped it to my kidney belt strap so it is out of the way and I hardly know its there. Finally, I have found a fixed that is of perfect size and weight so as to be useful and not obnoxious while long hikes.
 
nodh said:
My choice would be a Fallkniven F1. It is large enough for batoning if necessary, it is light enough to be worn all the time so it can also become the "survival knife" if needed.

If you want a smaller knife you can choose the WM1, but if you bring a SAK or LM multitool the difference in blade length are too small.

I would go with this: http://hem.passagen.se/nodh/trio.jpg
* Fallkniven F1. You normally dont need to cut big things but it can do it if necessary.
* LM multitool of choice. Not any of the huge ones but something like the old PST.
* Bahco/ Fiskars folding saw. You dont really need to cut things but it is more efficient than an axe and you dont get tempted to chop things back and forth.
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That would be my exact recomendation.
 
+1 for the Mora. Get one with the plastic handle. They are lightweight 3.7oz with the sheath! Read that again. 3.7 with sheath...And a nice 4" blade, you won't scare Rambo with it but it will be the best in food prep (most used) plus hunting chores. The cheap looking plastic sheath is perfect. The knife snaps in place very well. Get one now they are <15.00 and use the heck out of it. Again it may only cost 15.00 but try one out. You will be surprised. Someone had a destruction test posted on the Moras....Plus get a small diamond pocket sharpener a stone might break on you. You will be everyone's friend. Don't ever forget the SAK w/saw, can opener + wood saw. I have a VIC Camper that I like. You should have a blast.

The LED headlights already suggested are so useful, you need one.

Have a safe trip!
 
shecky said:
I think I'd probably take a Mora, along with a SAK and maybe a decent saw. The Mora is featherweight. SAK lots of utility. And the saw generally beats chopping if one needs to cut wood. If I felt I needed something bigger, maybe a CS Bushman. I've known people who did the trail with only a SAK and never needing anything else. Not much need for chopping.

Sounds like fun. Wish I had the opportunity.
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That is what I would go for too. I generally carry a light multi-tool instead of a SAK, but both would be good.

Mora, SAK/MT, and a good saw will do just about everything you need, especially on an established trail.
 
I don't do this kind of hiking but wish I did. A couple questions for those that do:

1. The saw on a SAK is rather small. A bigger folding saw I can understand, but just what are you doing with the small one that makes it so handy?

2. Why is a can opener so important to some? Are you really packing canned food on these long trips?!
 
Victorinox Farmer is all you probably really need. If you wanted something for chopping (and don't mind a little weight) pherhaps a small Wetterlings Ax or Ranger RD9 :)

You'd be suprised just how useful the saw on a SAK can be. Cutting in a circular fashion I've managed to hack off some pretty big tree limbs.
 
Blue Sky said:
I don't do this kind of hiking but wish I did. A couple questions for those that do:

1. The saw on a SAK is rather small. A bigger folding saw I can understand, but just what are you doing with the small one that makes it so handy?

2. Why is a can opener so important to some? Are you really packing canned food on these long trips?!
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Good questions:

1. That SAK saw really works well, you would think it would get dull but it holds a nice edge. On soft wood it will last a very, very long time. A big saw is of course handier but you have to lug it around too. If you were doing A LOT of sawing go Big, if you find you need to lop a branch the SAK saw works, especially if you are staying light and not taking a axe, or K-BAR etc. Backpacking is not as tool friendly as camping. Weight is everything.

2. Remember the Sylvester and Tweety cartons about opening a can? A P-38 or SAK can opener is sure handy and takes up little space or weight. If you need one and don't have one.......................................
 
Spyderco Temperance seems like a good choice. I just picked one up and was impressed. It's lightweight, full flat grind makes for serious slicing and the handle is hand filling and plenty sturdy. Someone is selling them on the 'Bay for a good price.
 
I don't do this kind of hiking but wish I did. A couple questions for those that do:

1. The saw on a SAK is rather small. A bigger folding saw I can understand, but just what are you doing with the small one that makes it so handy?

2. Why is a can opener so important to some? Are you really packing canned food on these long trips?!
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1) Nothing really. If the sticks are too large to be broken by hand, they're really too large for a campfire. Remember, the pit must be no-traced afterward including burning all of the wood to white ash. Also, for cooking, it's easier to control the temperature of the fire when using smaller material. Personally, when hiking and backpacking I rarely have time or energy to gather fuel, build a fire, and clean up afterward. Plus, fire restrictions are often in effect on public lands. There's never a reason to cut green or living vegetation, unless you're on a trail crew or something, and those guys carry real saws.

2) I would absolutely not carry canned food on a backpacking trip. Canned food is very heavy, and packing out the trash is heavy, bulky, and messy.
 
To join in answering your question, a Ka-Bar (without serrations) is a good middle of the road choice of 1095 and a bit of history. The current Puma offerings are generally considered to be overall poor quality for the money. Older Puma's are outstanding, but hard on the hands as a bush knife.

IMHO all three choices are too much for backpacking. If it's comforting knowing a fixed blade is along, consider a Skeleton Warden, Rat Warden, or Becker Necker style. The scandi's are good too (Ragweedforge again) and something like the Helle Harding is a few quality steps above a Mora.

Unless one has experience backpacking in thinner air, something like the JMT is altogether different. In my case I know that after a stroll from 8,000 to 11,000 feet I would be giving strong consideration to offering a big fixed blade to the mountain god's.
 
Well, this particular JMT trip will not be the last trip you carry the knife on. There will be many trips, excursions, hikes, fishing trips and camping trips, where canned food may appear.

I've been on a few trips, where a can of food made its appearance, and noone had a can opener. It happens. Been backpacking 30 years.

I wouldn't count on having that many campfires on the JMT. You do have a "backpacking stove", right?

If you don't, I can vouch for SnowPeak's 3oz. GigaPower butane cannister stove. No doubt the Pocket Rocket is just as good.
 
If you are indeed backpacking the whole JMT, Reconranger has it right - ultralight all the way! If you're doing this in the summer, the trail will be so crowded your chances of ever having to "save yourself" in the woods is vanishingly small. Take a personal folder and perhaps the group as a whole could share a camp ax for emergencies.
 
Just thinking out loud here........

In a sense, a backpacker is a highly prepared survivalist! You already have a tent, sleeping bag, ground pad, food, first aid, etc., so in reality all your classical survival equipment should be (deliberately!) rendered redundant. Here, it is realistic to consider leaving things behind that have a use already covered by some other item you carry.

This is in stark contrast to the type of "light and fast" day hiking that I do. In a sense, I deliberately become a minimally prepared survivalist, in order to be ultralight. Here, every one of those survival items becomes essential and important, because they have no backup.

For example, how likely is it that I would ever have to build a shelter while backpacking, when I already have a tent. On the other hand, while day hiking if I need an emergency shelter, I am going to have to construct it myself from scratch. So, as a day hiker I might want to carry a heavier knife or light chopping tool, that I would never consider carrying as a backpacker......etc.
 
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