Survival with a SAK

I like threads like this too. And the SAK is definately a versatile tool worthy of carry (of which I do).

The downside to a SAK though is it is has moving parts which creates a higher potential of failure compared to a fixed blade. And while more than capable to do fire in wet weather with a SAK, this chore is much easier with a fixed blade. These are the two reasons I carry a fixed in addition to the SAK.
 
abo4ster said:
These are the two reasons I carry a fixed in addition to the SAK.
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Me too. Everywhere,everyday.

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But it is nice to know the fixed is optional.:eek:
 
Excellent Thread...
I saved a SAK w/ the main blade broken as a simple reminder to be prepared at all times.....
I snapped it off on a camping trip back in 2004-5 ,I guess using it beyond its capacity to a degree and snapped off the main blade...for the next few days of the trip I was left with the left overs of the SAK and my CS SRK.

My camping EDC , ESEE6 w/ SAK Hiker
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Todd A said:
Funny you said that. My son ,in photo, said it was a little small. So I had to explain that since it still hits the freezing (or below) mark at night a small shelter is easier to keep warm.
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Exactly. Your body is the "room heater" in these situations. The more air your body has to heat, the colder you will get. Improvised shelters are never big on comfort, but being cramped is not as uncomfortable as being cold (trust me on that one, cause I learned it the hard way!), and cold can be fatal.
 
Todd A said:
Funny you said that. My son ,in photo, said it was a little small. So I had to explain that since it still hits the freezing (or below) mark at night a small shelter is easier to keep warm.
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Pile a bunch of that pine liter high against the sides and closed end, build a v shaped wind break in front of the opening, and put in a small fire pit in the v (but not close enough to burn the wind break) and you're good to go even in some pretty cold temps.
 
texastonydobbs said:
Excellent Thread...
I saved a SAK w/ the main blade broken as a simple reminder to be prepared at all times.....
I snapped it off on a camping trip back in 2004-5 ,I guess using it beyond its capacity to a degree and snapped off the main blade...for the next few days of the trip I was left with the left overs of the SAK and my CS SRK.

My camping EDC , ESEE6 w/ SAK Hiker
DSCF1002-2.jpg
Click to expand...

Looks like your Rowen has earned its keep. I also like your sheath. Make that yourself?
 
mistwalker said:
Pile a bunch of that pine liter high against the sides and closed end, build a v shaped wind break in front of the opening, and put in a small fire pit in the v (but not close enough to burn the wind break) and you're good to go even in some pretty cold temps.
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I'd go a bit further and use my spare space blanket from my bag as a reflector on the windbreak. It would feel like the tropics.:)

(been there,done that.February camping in Connecticut in a lean-to. Gotta love it.:D:D:D)
 
Hi Todd -

Cool post - thanks!

Looks like a great time in the woods.

best regards -

mqqn
 
Todd A said:
I'd go a bit further and use my spare space blanket from my bag as a reflector on the windbreak. It would feel like the tropics.:)

(been there,done that.February camping in Connecticut in a lean-to. Gotta love it.:D:D:D)
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Never done it in Connecticut, but I can imagine. I've done it more times than I can remember on the side of the Tennessee & Chattahoochee Rivers when it was below freezing. The winds coming down the rivers gets reeeeally cold at night in the dead of winter
 
Swiss army knives are great, I've used them since I got my first one back when I was 9. I used to use them in the woods a lot because I didn't have a fixed blade.

They're definately handy but they have their limitations, they're small and can't do heavy duty jobs so well. My old Victorinox spartan's springs have weakened a lot so they don't hold the blades open very well anymore. I blame myself because I used it pretty hard for quite a while where I should have used a fixed blade.

Now I carry a Victorinox farmer in my pocket every day but when I'm in the woods, I carry a fixed blade too, it's just better for hard use and less likely to break, but that Vic farmer sure comes in handy somtimes (I love the saws).
 
Survival with SAK?
Les Stroud documented two weeks in mountains and a week in swamp with Huntsman.
So...
 
SAKs are handy both indoors and outdoors. I always have one on me. They also come in such a varitey which is great. I already have a Victorinox Spartan waiting to be given to my son as his first knife.
 
Good thread!
I have hiker in my otterbox 2000 survival kit (only for emergency use), then swiss champ in the EDC bag and pioneer in my pocket. Good idea to have them just in case.. :D
 
What a thought provoking post which I will never show my wife otherwise how can I justify 'just one more knife' ... and it is wonderful to see a father with his son in the outdoors, thanks for the post
 
some points:

There was a French guy in the news last year who lived survival style alone for a year on a Island and he used a SAK.


I have woken up freezing in camp in the early morning and needed to start a fire. The OH Trailmaster was the knife I used to get tinder up and the blaze going. After I got it started I realized my hands were shaking so much I could not have opened a regualr SAK but the One Hand trailmaster SAK was easy to do. That thought woke me up faster than the brew I was making.

Everytime I talk to an expert, or a survival instructor , or a woods skilled person, they all have a blade or two on them.

The second or third blade is always, without exception, a swiss army knife.

jeff

www.venturetechsheaths.com
 
dberry said:
SAKs are handy both indoors and outdoors. I always have one on me. They also come in such a varitey which is great. I already have a Victorinox Spartan waiting to be given to my son as his first knife.
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The first knife I gave my son was a Victorinox Tinker. He loved it until my mom upstaged me by giving him a Kershaw Oso Sweet. Assisted opening won his heart. However, I am sure that in the future he will appreciate the portability and versitility of his SAK.
 
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