What knife would you use in a survival scenario?

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Nov 7, 2022
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If you were in a 72 hr+ off grid survival scenario what one knife would you trust to fill the role of a survival knife? To make kindling, to prepare food, make a spear, make a shelter or to battle a zombie (just kidding with that last part). I personally would trust the TOPS silent hero. Looking forward to hearing your feedback!
 
Actually, no. I'm making a point for someone else to read. It's ok if you missed it there. By the way, your super offgrid cabin gets GREAT service, very commendable. :D

Anyway, sorry, let me ask you a different question: in all those 32 years of, you know "living that life", I presume that the only tool you ever carried and used was a machete, correct?

And I'm decent at land navigation and compass work, why do you mention it?
REEEEEEE!
 
You're a toxic personality.
I hope the board can see that.

I apologize for hurting your feelings by asking some direct questions after you called me a cyber warrior, and addressing someone else who was revealing their ignorance by the stances they'd taken. Please accept my apology.

:)
 
Am I allowed to bring my custom Jesse Jarosz machete in AEB-L?

View attachment 2036452

P.S. I don't know the first thing about survival, bushcrafting, etc. I just love knives, and love chopping things in the hills behind my house like a wildman. When I'm done I go inside and sleep on a nice soft bed!

Enjoying your hobby while being environmentally responsible and a good caretaker of your hills I hope.
 
Can't speak to what anybody else can do in their area /environment , but I could definitely keep an adequate campfire going with zero wood cutting ...if I had to for survival .

Would not be my preferred method , especially in wet conditions .
 
Can't speak to what anybody else can do in their area /environment , but I could definitely keep an adequate campfire going with zero wood cutting ...if I had to for survival .

Would not be my preferred method , especially in wet conditions .

In some areas, this would be very possible. I've walked into some woods, where deadwood is all around. Then, I've been in other areas where a recent rain made virtually everything lying on the ground unusable without further processing. If I've got my choice as to when this survival situation goes down, I'd love for it to be in the fall. :D Cool enough that a fire might not be needed, but (at least here) by then, the daily rains have died down a bit.
 
Can't speak to what anybody else can do in their area /environment , but I could definitely keep an adequate campfire going with zero wood cutting ...if I had to for survival .

Would not be my preferred method , especially in wet conditions .

Maybe not if it's wet...

The last few times out to the woods around here I get why so many folks have said they didn't need a saw (although it is handy), to split wood, expose dry wood, etc.
It has been way more dry this last year than usual for this area. When I walk around, my feet don't sink into the mud like normal, and it is really easy to get a fire going. No forest fire danger (not THAT dry), but easy to get it going, and keep it going.

Most years, that has not been the case.
In previous years, we saw less use of the site by others. They would come by, try to get a fire going in the pit we'd set up long ago, then fail. And leave.
Now there is evidence of use by others each time we go to the site, because conditions are dry. Just bust up some twigs and pull out a lighter or a match.

In previous years, you didn't get fire without doing some prep work first.

As for a 12 inch blade machete, well, I was using a 13 inch one a few times this last year.
In warmer weather it worked awesome, and held up well. :)
In colder weather it worked, but the edge took a lot of rolls. :(
 
You can have a fire with virtually no tools, at least in the NE. But you’ll be busy if it’s to be an all nighter, which here it’s 3days. If you process breakable, even in tree crotches, you’re limited in dia.
Round, IMO, doesn’t burn as well as split.
Splitting let’s you get a better grade of wood in larger pieces.
Quick story.
Years ago, some of my friends Dads went fishing in CN. One, a wise guy, (who was a suit at Cutco at the time) was harassing the Indian guide about his fire skills. When the guide reached his limit, he took his chainsaw, laid 4-5 full grown trees in a pile, drained the saw on them, blew it up with a match, and said there’s your fire, and disappeared.
P.S. Yes, rain can be a challenge…head for the pines.
 
Can't speak to what anybody else can do in their area /environment , but I could definitely keep an adequate campfire going with zero wood cutting ...if I had to for survival .

Would not be my preferred method , especially in wet conditions .

This shows the mindset of a true survivalist.
 
Rain issues (and finding dry wood) aside, split wood provides considerably more heat than simply tossing a piece of deadfall or a log into the flames.

A split piece of wood provides more surface area and burns on multiple sides. Again, more heat.

Anyone who isn't a "cyberwarrior" would know this. Or should.
 
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Enjoying your hobby while being environmentally responsible and a good caretaker of your hills I hope.

Absolutely! I do things like clear ground brush (we live in a high fire hazard area and the local fire department only comes out once a year to weed whack), chop the occasional fire log, make spears for my kids, etc. No ecological destruction takes place!
 
Wood on the ground here is usually wet and rotting even in August. So unless you've got a spare dried out Christmas tree in your go back you could have a bad time.

The only dry and dead stuff is still standing.
 
Absolutely! I do things like clear ground brush (we live in a high fire hazard area and the local fire department only comes out once a year to weed whack), chop the occasional fire log, make spears for my kids, etc. No ecological destruction takes place!

Thanks for reply man and good job. so many morons giving our hobby a bad name chopping up the native ecosystem.
 
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