- Joined
- Feb 23, 2000
- Messages
- 1,363
The best survival knife is the one you carry on your body all the time. In your pocket or on your belt, all the time. Being a pilot you should know all about weight. Working in confined spaces you'll know that anything bulky gets in the way. Therefore, I would recommend a smaller knife that you just won't have any excuses not take with you all the time - even to the shower. Hot sticky climates also tend to make you lose anything that you don't really need. Big guns, big knives tend to go first.
As a pilot you are paid too much to do the manual work. Your job is to keep the plane flying. As a pilot you are also going to meet all sorts of dignitaries who are often than not going to look very oddly at you carrying some huge blade strapped to your leg. What I'm trying to tell you is that you don't need to carry a big heavy knife on you, and even if you have one you will end up not carrying it.
A five inch fixed knife is about as big as you need to go and there are plenty to chose from. I like Strider and Chris Reeve because they are not overweight but a little thicker/toughter than a hunting knife; as a survival knife shoud be. I'm just testing a Chris Reeve Shaddow III which is even smaller, and something that I thought would be ideal for a pilot as its one tough tiny fixed blade.
When I was soldiering my seven inch Chris Reeve Project was as much knife as I could warrant when jumping in and out of vehicles. If you are determined to have a large blade then this is as big as you need go. In vehicles the damb things just get in the way.
Two chores a survival knife must do is cut a whacking stick, for smashing down vegetation, and a digging stick. A Swiss Army Knife can do that.
Keep your personal knife small and carry it all the time.
Grab bag:
This is where you can pack stuff for real emergencies. Enough equipment to make a real difference when things go horribly wrong. Something you grab as you leave the burning wreck. Medical, water and shelter. Cutting tools could be a small axe, machete and a folding spade. Spanner and wrench kit might not go astray as would some rubber pipe, duct tape etc. Whatever you think you need carried in a day sack or holdal. Small enough that you can take it with you on every trip. If its too big you'll leave it behind the one time you need it.
There are European outlets for Busse, Chris Reeve, and others; e mail me if you have difficulties.
One ting don't skimp on is world wide medical cover that pays for the helicopter to get you to a big hospital fast if you bust yourself in the middle of no where.
As a pilot you are paid too much to do the manual work. Your job is to keep the plane flying. As a pilot you are also going to meet all sorts of dignitaries who are often than not going to look very oddly at you carrying some huge blade strapped to your leg. What I'm trying to tell you is that you don't need to carry a big heavy knife on you, and even if you have one you will end up not carrying it.
A five inch fixed knife is about as big as you need to go and there are plenty to chose from. I like Strider and Chris Reeve because they are not overweight but a little thicker/toughter than a hunting knife; as a survival knife shoud be. I'm just testing a Chris Reeve Shaddow III which is even smaller, and something that I thought would be ideal for a pilot as its one tough tiny fixed blade.
When I was soldiering my seven inch Chris Reeve Project was as much knife as I could warrant when jumping in and out of vehicles. If you are determined to have a large blade then this is as big as you need go. In vehicles the damb things just get in the way.
Two chores a survival knife must do is cut a whacking stick, for smashing down vegetation, and a digging stick. A Swiss Army Knife can do that.
Keep your personal knife small and carry it all the time.
Grab bag:
This is where you can pack stuff for real emergencies. Enough equipment to make a real difference when things go horribly wrong. Something you grab as you leave the burning wreck. Medical, water and shelter. Cutting tools could be a small axe, machete and a folding spade. Spanner and wrench kit might not go astray as would some rubber pipe, duct tape etc. Whatever you think you need carried in a day sack or holdal. Small enough that you can take it with you on every trip. If its too big you'll leave it behind the one time you need it.
There are European outlets for Busse, Chris Reeve, and others; e mail me if you have difficulties.
One ting don't skimp on is world wide medical cover that pays for the helicopter to get you to a big hospital fast if you bust yourself in the middle of no where.