What knife would you use in a survival scenario?

[master_nylo]

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!

 

[Quiet]

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.

Around here, processing the larger sections of fallen dead trees is where a large amount of firewood for my fires usually come from. Of course, I'm talking about a fire of a decent size for a few folks to sit around and pass the flask around at, but if I were truly in a survival situation, I'd probably keep moving without a fire at all if I were still around areas with others, and if I was lost somewhere, I'd be building the biggest fire I could in an open area if I were trying to be rescued. Definitely not doing that with deadfall limbs alone.

 

[shane45-1911]

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

OMFG. We are talking about survival situations, not chopping down your local picnic area/rest stop.

Take your tree-hugging straw-man argument to another thread.

 

[Houlahound]

You have confirmed nothing, except man can make fire. Cavemen used tools, btw.

That doesn't mean there aren't smarter ways of doing things than we did a thousand years ago.

Yes a smarter way would be never to be put in a position of survival but that would ruin the purpose of the the thread.

 

[stabman]

OMFG. We are talking about survival situations, not chopping down your local picnic area/rest stop.

I survived a harrowing couple of hours hike during summer a few years back with no fire at all!!!
Nature preserve, with established trails and no cutting of plants allowed.
Had 3 knives with me that used for precisely nothing at all.

 

[Danke42]

OMFG. We are talking about survival situations, not chopping down your local picnic area/rest stop.

The last time I was lost in the forest and had to survive I created the prairies.

 

[Houlahound]

OMFG. We are talking about survival situations, not chopping down your local picnic area/rest stop.

Take your tree-hugging straw-man argument to another thread.

Read the posts you respond to before you respond.

 

[DocJD]

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. Cool enough that a fire might not be needed, but (at least here) by then, the daily rains have died down a bit.

I know there are places in this world where people must burn dried dung to cook and heat .

They would be in heaven to have access to my woods , just for the deadwood .

I don't have one , but those rocket stoves look like a good bet to use small biomass efficiently . Probably not great for anything but cooking . Not much of a heating source for winter .

"Heavy" machetes can chop wood, but I like my Estwing camp axe and Silky type wood saws ...and chainsaws , of course .

 

[shane45-1911]

Yes a smarter way would be never to be put in a position of survival but that would ruin the purpose of the the thread.

I'm completely sure no one in their right mind puts themselves into true life or death survival situations. It has nothing to do with being smart - shit happens. How you choose to survive is up to you.

 

[stabman]

As for the question in the original post, if it were a survival situation, depends on how it occurred.

Lost in the woods when I had headed out there and just got turned around?
Any of the fixed blade knives I would have with me, which generally run between 7 to 10 inch of blade. Swisschamp is always in backpack, along with a lighter.

Lost somehow when I wasn't heading out there on purpose?
Whatever pocket-knife is in my pocket, with is generally 3.5 to 4 inch blade. Swisschamp and lighter is always in backpack.

 

[shane45-1911]

Read the posts you respond to before you respond.

I did.

And you appear to be trying to change the subject and add diversion away from your own ignorance, just like you did in your bamboo thread trainwreck.

 

[Houlahound]

I survived a harrowing couple of hours hike during summer a few years back with no fire at all!!!
Nature preserve, with established trails and no cutting of plants allowed.
Had 3 knives with me that used for precisely nothing

I believe you.

 

[Quiet]

I know there are places in this world where people must burn dried dung to cook and heat .

They would be in heaven to have access to my woods , just for the deadwood .

I don't have one , but those rocket stoves look like a good bet to use small biomass efficiently . Probably not great for anything but cooking . Not much of a heating source for winter .

"Heavy" machetes can chop wood, but I like my Estwing camp axe and Silky type wood saws ...and chainsaws , of course .

There are a few different models depending on what sort of fuel you want to use. Tiny little fold-out box stoves that use fuel pellets, and the aforementioned jet/rocket stoves, however those generally require you to bring fuel in addition to the stove. Other small stoves will have a small aperture in the side at the bottom where you cram a bunch of twigs and small sticks in the bottom and the "flue" of the stove essentially funnels the heat to the little grill on top. Others will have a larger apperture so you can essentially light the end of a 2-3 inch diameter stick on fire, stick it in there, and then just feed the stick further in as it burns down. I've had virtually all of these types at one time or another. I still have my rocket stove, because they are a super quick way to get water on the boil for coffee in the mornings. Otherwise, I just make a fire, as I generally prefer coals cooking. If I'm car camping, I'll have one of my dutch ovens or my large cast-iron frypan with me. However, if I got to that location on foot, the cast iron stays home!

Edited to add: Huge plus one on a decent hatchet and a folding saw. Those are lifesavers.

 

[GmpaJim]

Something that never fails to amaze me. If you are at a camp ground and walk in the surrounding woods, you see limbs that are broken and twisted. They vary in size from hotdog sticks to small firewood. It’s good these people have full hookups

 

[Blues]

Something that never fails to amaze me. If you are at a camp ground and walk in the surrounding woods, you see limbs that are broken and twisted. They vary in size from hotdog sticks to small firewood. It’s good these people have full hookups

A hookup is good in a survival situation, and may preclude needing a knife to build a fire.

Oh wait...

 

[stabman]

Not survival, but...

It was wet.
Flood warnings, and the county around us did have some actual flooding.

Picture of the knife:

 

[Houlahound]

I did.

And you appear to be trying to change the subject and add diversion away from your own ignorance, just like you did in your bamboo thread trainwreck.

Your special so I will try this once, dude mentioned clearing vegetation like a wild man in the hills behind his house. I questioned him on environmental grounds he responded like an adult and made a great post. You jump in like a petulant child etc trying to ruin yet another thread.

You are now on my ignore list, bye.

 

[Houlahound]

Something that never fails to amaze me. If you are at a camp ground and walk in the surrounding woods, you see limbs that are broken and twisted. They vary in size from hotdog sticks to small firewood.

Yes.

 

[Blues]

Your special so I will try this once, dude mentioned clearing vegetation like a wild man in the hills behind his house. I questioned him on environmental grounds he responded like an adult and made a great post. You jump in like a petulant child etc trying to ruin yet another thread.

You are now on my ignore list, bye.

I wish I could be on more people's ignore list. Then I'd have more time to buy Carother's knives I didn't need to survive on my one measly acre in the mountains.

Now, if I could arrange a hookup, it'd be a totally different situation...

ETA:

What constitutes survival? I spent a week in the Wind RIver mountains of WY with no food. But there were plenty of fish in the stream and lots of deadfall for building fires. Foraging sucked, I'll admit.

I had a pretty crappy knife with me...not having graduated to the level I have attained over the last few decades. That said, the knife was never the limiting factor. Go figure.

 

[Houlahound]

A hookup is good in a survival situation, and may preclude needing a knife to build a fire.

Oh wait...

 

[Quiet]

Your special so I will try this once, dude mentioned clearing vegetation like a wild man in the hills behind his house. I questioned him on environmental grounds he responded like an adult and made a great post. You jump in like a petulant child etc trying to ruin yet another thread.

You are now on my ignore list, bye.

Actually no. You made some condescending comment:

Enjoying your hobby while being environmentally responsible and a good caretaker of your hills I hope.

Like "Well, i hOpE yOUr beING envIRONmenTaLLy ruhSPONsibull!"

What if he wasn't? LOL