What knife would you use in a survival scenario?

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master_nylo

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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!
 
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72h is just a case of having some water & not freezing or getting sun stroke. So water, fire/shelter? or shade. 72h without food isn’t going to kill you.
 
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With conversations like these it's important to remember my conditions don't match your conditions. So my gear shouldn't be the same as your gear.

A survival situation can creep up on you even when your "prepared". Some years ago some coworkers (life long Alaskan hunters) and I went on a caribou hunt. 26 really unpleasant miles in from where we parked we set up camp. Was out the next day. Sustained downpour miles from camp turned into snow at elevation. Needless to say everyone got soaked and then got real cold. A big knife made getting a fire going alot easier than a machete would have. Fine motor skills where gone and the extra length of sharp would have been a liability. I know I wasn't to far off of hypothermia when I finally called it and made a fire. We harvested a couple spruce hen and had boiled bird. Best meal I've ever had in my life.

Yes we all had quality gear and head to tow rain gear but the driving rain came in, hit you in the face and filled your boots with water. Everyone has a different set of circumstances with the region they live in but for me and my experiences (I've had a couple) a knife 4"-7" (I'm having a 6" knife made) and a silky saw is the correct combination. If go off grid in the winter I will also pack 2 road flares. I find it takes the challenge out of starting a life saving fire.

The tool everyone needs but doesn't talk about: the ability to recognize when your in trouble and speak up. Stop what your doing and make a new plan. I've been on 3 trips where we came to close to loosing someone (fatality).
 
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I think the 72 hour time period and putting a time frame on survival really negates the realities of the situation.. do you know how long you have.. does time really even matter. Staying content and comfortable is key. 2 hours or days.. your gona wait around to get rescued/help until your so depleted you can't even attempt to self sustain..

Or are we talking a 72hour " youtube survival challenge" lol
 
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SimplyMinded said:
How many people are in real honest to goodness survival situations these days through no fault of their own? A few a year? If you're going out there without a GPS/cell phone that's silly. Those are probably the most important survival tools you can carry. The problem is you get a bunch of people that get a notion they can just go out into the sticks and do what they saw on one of the "survival" tv shows and the next thing you know the national guard is searching the woods. Like that McCandless kid who decided he'd go live off the land in Alaska and wound up croaking from bad berries.
No hatchet, knife or machete makes up for common sense.
Bushcrafting, etc. is fun to do and useful to know how to do but if you've managed to get yourself into a fix where you're actually required to survive by it your trip planning left a lot to be desired.
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What you say about planning is very true, but where I recreate, cell service is very slim to none much of the area. Sat phones do not reach from all areas of the State either. Weather can change quickly and can make for a stranding for boaters or river crossings impossible from mountain runoff with rain or warming. Having a rescue beacon device is great, but many people I know would gut it out for a few more days if there was not a medical emergency. Mechanical things like engines break down, batteries die, accidents happen, things get lost/dropped- pretty easy to get in a bad situation if you spend any time in the woods off the road system. Having survival gear accessible is important for everyone.
 
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I recall the first time I was truly hell and gone from all help and it hit me. in hind sight I was in that spot many times and just took it for granted as another trip. It was a 4 wheeler trip with some friends. Nothing bad happened but after riding in 12 hours off the Denali highway (no cell service) we found a place to make camp. That was the first time the realization set in that we were truly on our own out there if something happened. It was a bad year for flooding so the trails or lack there of... It was a mess and it was hard riding. It was probably part exhaustion but I'll never forget that self realization and feeling. Awesome and terrifying at the same time. It's something I wish for everyone: at some point in there life to find it and come out on top.
 
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I love survival knife fantasies

I'll take a winkler

But yesterday when i was on this mountain with the wind howling i was just thinking how stupid i am to continue to wear fingerless gloves despite having this same thought on a hundred other hikes finished with cold red fingers... if i get stuck out it's very likely ive fallen and broken my leg on some difficult terrain and a knife ain't gonna save me amongst a bundle of rocks... thermals, shell, gloves, plb...

https://imgur.com/a/EQo45ZM
 
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I snowmachine to my remote offgrid cabin solo and carry extra gear because I can’t rely on getting cell service or help when traveling or while at the cabin. I would rather have it and not need it than be wishing for it.

Being stuck face down in 7’ of snow with a heavy snowmachine on top of your leg from wiping out is not a fun situation (I know🤣) when miles from anyone and being alone. Getting out from under the machine was the first ‘fun’, then trying to get the machine upright in deep snow on a slope (thank goodness for come-along with 150’ rope and trees). Was getting dark by then and I was wet and cold. I had everything with me I needed to hunker down for the night if need be, but I cheated and used a can of Sterno to warm up quickly. I had a blade clipped to my bibs, 2 folders on me, a machete, hatchet, saw and chainsaw with me- as well as snowshoes to get to a standing dead spruce for firewood. When it is close to zero degrees, it is amazing how quickly you lose fine motor skills and the fun bushcrafting skills practiced in summer are no longer fun or easy when your hands are numb and shaking. I now keep feathersticks and shavings and wood ready by the wood stove in the cabin. Stripping out of wet gear and sitting in front of a warm fire is one of the treasure’s of life! Be wise and don’t go alone if possible, but always be prepared!
 
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Herr geiser said:
I love survival knife fantasies

I'll take a winkler

But yesterday when i was on this mountain with the wind howling i was just thinking how stupid i am to continue to wear fingerless gloves despite having this same thought on a hundred other hikes finished with cold red fingers... if i get stuck out it's very likely ive fallen and broken my leg on some difficult terrain and a knife ain't gonna save me amongst a bundle of rocks... thermals, shell, gloves, plb...

https://imgur.com/a/EQo45ZM
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I badly sprained an ankle 13 miles from a trailhead once (before cell phones) and man that was a long 2 day hobble out.
My first winter here I went for a short hike at a state park. A sudden storm came in and I lost all bearings- could barely see 6’ in any direction from blowing snow and I got totally turned around. I felt so stupid! I had 2 blades, firearm with extra ammo, and nothing else! I found the creek I had crossed over and when the storm stopped I was probably 500 yards from my truck🤣. After that, I started keeping survival stuff with me and got in touch with a cold weather survival instructor. Stuff can happen or change in a hurry!
 
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Herr geiser said:
I love survival knife fantasies

I'll take a winkler

But yesterday when i was on this mountain with the wind howling i was just thinking how stupid i am to continue to wear fingerless gloves despite having this same thought on a hundred other hikes finished with cold red fingers... if i get stuck out it's very likely ive fallen and broken my leg on some difficult terrain and a knife ain't gonna save me amongst a bundle of rocks... thermals, shell, gloves, plb...

https://imgur.com/a/EQo45ZM
Click to expand...

That looks like the place where there's a sword stuck in a rock. If you can remove it, you're good to go (lots of courtiers rushing in with fresh food and any comforts you'd like).
 
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BlindMouse2of3 said:
A quick trip to the Sak mod thread and it'll be ready in no time.
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DocJD said:
😞

My "survival SAK" , RangerGrip has a 4" blade and a great wood saw ...but alas , no corkscrew !
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As I said earlier, not necessarily my choice but what I'm carrying at the moment of writing as "survival situations" are normally not planned, so unless folks carry their choice 24/7 it's unlikely they'd have it when needed.

Do we really need Rambo knives to survive?
 
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I normally try and carry for possibilities. If I'm headed out for the day any further than town I'll carry a substantial blade. At minimum a 4" fixed blade. At max a 7". My out of the house bag has a silky f180 in it. Even going into town I carry something that will take abuse. Growing up we did a lot of driving and one of dad's rules was take a bag that will keep you for 48 hours if you break down in a snowstorm. It has always stuck.

I have randomly spent the night in my vehicle at -20 or turned an ice fishing trip into an overnighter. My wife will poke fun at my man purse but the complaining stops when I have what's needed.
 
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I'm working on a custom Swiss Army Knife design with the following features:

o Satellite phone and antenna
o 10 gal of water
o Blowtorch
o Two room tiny cabin
o 72 hours of emergency food
o A fully equipped and staffed trauma center
o Wifi
o A pair of exceptionally enthusiastic Dutch women who have a thing for half-Filipino, middle aged chubby guys
o Large spear point blade
o Large clip point blade
o Reamer/awl
o Can opener/small screwdriver
o Cap lifter/screwdriver
o Corkscrew
o Saw
o File
o Scissors
 
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Houlahound said:
I honestly don't get this, is there some environment that only has logs available?? Camping for over 5 decades and have never had to split a log to start a fire.
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Camp grounds where you buy wood. Because they get stripped of kindling for pretty obvious reasons.

I motorcycle camp with a batoning knife or a little hatchet. for that reason.

And probably baton knife, hammer, tent peg puller and spatula would probably be the most comprehensive tool for me. For that.

If they changed the tac tool around a bit to take advantage of its own features that would probably be perfect.


Like a proper hammer pommel to help use that chisel front.
 
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