What is the best survival knife? Would it be better to have a survival kit instead?

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blqin

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Sep 18, 2013
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I think the knife itself could be replaced with a small kit and several smaller knives, for spear heads and arrows? What do you think? Still, I acknowledge that a knife is handy, so which one would you choose?
 
Busse TGLB.

It's just so good at...everything. My last trip into the bush saw my TGLB chopping down trees, then making perfect hotdog sticks out of the smaller branches. It then opened cans of chilli (forgot can opener), and diced up paracord like it was made of cotton candy.
 
If you know where you are going, you choose gear appropriate for the location weather duration and task. If you suddenly end up in an unexected survival situation you use what you have. I'm not sure how one could find oneself in a situation knowing in advance that one had to choose between either a knife or a survivial kit? Except for something like the show "Naked and Afraid," and each episode one of the 2 contestants had selected a knife because it can do so much - cut, chop, carve, dig, hammer, etc etc. I'd say knife is always #1 choice - you may be able to make fire off a knife but you can't chop or carve etc with a lighter.
 
Why limit yourself... get a Busse Combat knife, then get all this other stuff to go with it :)

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Yeah I would just bring a whole kit with you. Whenever I go hunting or just hiking I always have my med kit, large knife, small survival kit and seen how I m in Southern Az I always try and over load on water.
 
i simply NEVER walk into the woods without everything i need to live 36 hours there. Every hunting pack i own has 2 MREs 2 3600cal meal bars, and 10 water purifying tablets in it. If i find myself in the woods with a broken leg, i will NOT die before someone gets a chance to find me.
 
I have a ZT 0100, and a multi-tool. With these you can do almost anything you need to.

I also have a Spartan blades Nyx that I used to carry. Good knife, beat the mess out of it and still going strong. Sheath it comes with sucks though.

But as my survival instructors in the Marines said, "the best is the one you have"

And honestly, I usually carry my RMJ Berserker with me in the woods too. Not heavy and makes the chopping so much easier.

Survival knife shouldn't have a fine point as you will lose it if you have to pry, full tang, good belly for skinning etc, good weight for chopping.

But best is dependent on the person. What feels comfortable? What's in your budget? But if you know you are going out you should always plan accordingly. I have a pack I carry daily with basics, first aid, snacks, a poncho, water purification, snare/sewing kit, fire starting. Only have yourself to blame for not being prepared. But remember, you have to carry it
 
Welcome to the forum.

Your skills will help you survive in a sticky situation - a knife is just a tool to aid you in achieving that goal.¨

A knife and no skills wont get you far.

Please specify, what you need the knife for - 'survivial' is painting with a very wide brush.
 
You can improvise a lot of stuff with a knife. But why would you want to? Starting an expedition with the idea that you will improvise along the way is poor planning imho. In any kind of real help i have fallen and cant get up situation you will probably need outside help to get out of it. For those situations a personal location beacon will save your bacon. If you are cold proper clothing and overnight gear is what you need, I dont care what anyone says a sleepingbag on a sleepingpad in a tent trumps a fire. If you are hungry or lost then you should have food and a map. If you are thirsty or injured water purification gear, a firstaid kit and a way to signal help is the way to go.
 
Why wouldn't you keep a kit with the knife?

I've got a stout blade, good geometry, with lots of confidence in its abilities, in a sheath that has a good size pouch.

I keep a firesteel, emergency blanket, and an Altoids kit of my own making. It balances well with my skill level, to cover my needs in a tough spot.

The whole kit comes in at 2lbs, which weighs less than the 1911 I carry daily. It also attches to my pack and straps on my kayak.

Knife and kit is the best combo, IMO.

Moose
 
I bought a small Fieldline add on camo pouch at Wal-Mart for about $5. I filled it with essentials-(duct tape-knife-water tabs-snare wire-550 cord-fire steel-first aid-energy bars-ect.) it weighs less than a pound and fits in my pack, on my belt, or in the armrest of the car. That way I can still take whatever knife makes me happy! All of my family's water packs have a fixed blade attached. I can't afford 5 TGLB's, so we have a mix of user friendly offerings.

On epic journeys I open carry my Taurus 357- there might be a creaper in the woods!!!! :D
 
Monofletch said:
Moose,
Do you keep anything in your car/truck?
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Oh boy, do I ever.

Always a Tramontina 18", wool blanket, flightline coveralls, MRE's, cedar and straw, sleeping bag, an America Flag, water jugs full, flares, tools, a ton of garbage in the floor board, and prolly more if I started in the compartments.

I drive a Pathfinder with tree sized dent all over it, and it NEVER gets washed. Still got grass hanging from the front tow loops.....

Moose
 
Moosez45 said:
Oh boy, do I ever.

Always a Tramontina 18", wool blanket, flightline coveralls, MRE's, cedar and straw, sleeping bag, an America Flag, water jugs full, flares, tools, a ton of garbage in the floor board, and prolly more if I started in the compartments.

I drive a Pathfinder with tree sized dent all over it, and it NEVER gets washed. Still got grass hanging from the front tow loops.....

Moose
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your Nissan sounds a LOT like my Cherokee LOL....prepared


back to the original question, a "kit" without a 3"ish knife isn't complete
 
Personally what I keep when I go hiking/hunting/journeying into the unknown woods is as follows. I keep a coarse and fine sharpening stone, WP matches, a small baggy of pitch, cotton balls, needle and thread, 5 Clif Bars, 2 MRE's, a 1l water bottle and a pack of Aquamira, and for my knives I carry a little bushcrafter I made (she's been to hell and back with me) 4" blade of L6 steel. And I carry a Cold Steel Tomahawk and I carry a Buck 110. And my 1983 Ford F100 holds a similar amount of items. I keep all my small stuff such as tinder in an empty Copenhagen can (they're water resistant enough).
 
The answer to your question is : Yes. N°1 is the survival kit : thermal blanket, tarp, gallon of water or purifying kit. That's what you need first. A good knife is N°2. A very valuable N°2...
 
The best survival kit would be common sense, a cell phone, telling someone where you are going and when to expect you back, lots of water and a blanket.

You dont need arrowheads, spears, fishing line, or ninja throwing stars. Survival is not the same things as primitive wilderness living. In a survival situation, if you are expending energy spearing animals, fishing, making a bow and arrow, etc. then you will probably not make it. You can go three days without water and three weeks without food. If its cold and raining you can probably go three hours without shelter.

Set your priorities. Most survival situations are basically hopeless after 72 hours. If you have shelter and water you are likely to survive and be rescued. You don't need food to survive and you dont need arrows, spears, fishing poles etc. The goal of a survival situation is to be rescued, not to built a fort and live in the woods like Robinson Crusoe.
 
retzius said:
The best survival kit would be common sense, a cell phone, telling someone where you are going and when to expect you back, lots of water and a blanket.

You dont need arrowheads, spears, fishing line, or ninja throwing stars. Survival is not the same things as primitive wilderness living.
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Best response to a survival thread I have ever read. :thumbup: Certainly better than I have been able to do. :)

If I would add anything, it's that survival is also not the same things as outdoor recreation. Seems to be a lot of confusion between those two also.
 
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