What knives do you carry while hiking?

Thats quite the haul for hiking, are we talking like, 2 km's? or 15? lol

on a day trip:

RC6
folding saw
multitool
chopper of some type,
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multi day trip:

Multitool
maybe a fixed blade, most likely a folder for basic cutting needs.
 
Usually a Spyderco Delica and an ESEE-3 if I'm not bringing a backpack with food, water, snacks etc. If I have a pack, a JUNGLAS, ESEE-6 or ESEE-5 will be on or in the pack.
 
Depends on where I am.

Around in my home state of Maryland, I just carry whatever pocket knife I usually have on hand, and in the day pack will be a folding saw of some type. Either my sliding blade Gerber/Fiskars or Opinel. If I'm out in my canoe, a small hatchet will be in the boat bag.

If the better half and I are traveling out west, I'll have a compact sheath knife with a 4 inch blade in addition to the folding saws. I'm not into large choppers, and at my age I don't want to lug anymore weight than I have to. I'd rather have good fire making kits and extra food.
 
For the type of hikes I do (mostly mountain summits) I have an ESEE 6, bark river rising wolf in my backpack and an izula in my pocket and sometimes a light folding saw. This can change considerably depending on what I'm doing. If I'm just heading out to the swamp for a hike and fire, either a HI khukuri, or a condor boomslang and some kind of smaller knife like an izula or the BRKT.

I just don't feel the need to carry a pocket or backpack full of knives. Two different size knives one about 6" and about 3" will pretty much cover your bases unless your hiking with the intention of splitting and stacking wood then I might bring an axe but for a hike I feel an axe is way overkill. I can split large logs with a 6" blade and do other camp work with the smaller blade. Like I said though when I'm just toolin' around in the woods not really power hiking I love bringing a large blade but it's too much on long high climbs.

This is pretty normal for a hike.
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These two are when I'm planning on having a fire and am not climbing or doing a strenuous hike.
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It depends on how long the hike is. At all times I will have a large knife and a smaller blade. If it is overnight I may take a saw, but likely not unless I will be out for multiple nights.
 
When I was in the north I carried any number of combinations, whatever seemed practical and or fun. Now I'm in the southern part of the province and chose to be discrete with a little Becker BK-14 under my jacket or shirt. I have no desire to scare the crap out of anyone. Besides, unless I chose to be, I am nowhere near being as isolated as up there. I can still find river ravines to crawl through and get that feeling of nature that is so important to some of us. I miss the north, and will go back some day.
 
upnorth said:
What are your impressions of the Boomslang ?
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I like the boomslang a lot. It doesn't chop as good as the above khukuri but not much does. It's well balanced and not to heavy. The factory edge needs some work though it's pretty dull out of the box but that's not a big deal. For $75 bucks though it's a great value blade and seems strong as hell so far. I think once I work on the edge a bit it will be one of my favorites.
 
Typically on a day hike I will bring my Izula. If I'm backpacking, it's usually just the Izula or a Victorinox Huntsman, and rarely a lightweight gerber sliding saw in addition.

I will often go on hikes (day or longer) where my goal is to practice using a particular tool (be it a RC4, Forest Axe, big chopper, etc...) and thus bring them along. I find that for my typical needs, a sturdy ~2" blade will do just about anything that I require, and I am very weight-conscious when packing for a backpacking trip. Redundant or overly heavy tools reduce the amount of food/water that I can carry when I'm out.
 
On backpacking trips, I carry my light fixed CPMD2 blade. It is clipped on my left pack shoulder strap when moving, or clipped on my belt when in camp:

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I also carry either my modded SAK or my Leatherman PS4 - still experimenting with those:

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canadiantrailman said:
Quite the firepower VTguy. I pack what I pack for multiple reasons - in case I get lost in the woods (fortunately it has never happened yet), for bush craft while taking a break during a hike and to some degree for defense.
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Oh I hear ya. I hope you don't think I was criticizing. That's just to much weight for me personally but it sounds like it works for you, that's the beauty of a thread like this everyone has a different system that works for them. I'd love to carry a nice little Forrest axe I just haven't justified a use for it yet with my hiking style. I keep an axe and shovel in my jeep but thats for when I get stuck :)
 
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On an all day hike last week, I had a Vic Spirit on my belt, a Mini Grip clipped to my pocket (these two are my edc), and in my small pack was a Condor Hudson Bay in case I wanted to make a fire. The Mini Grip was all that got used that day.


Today I took a quick, hour or so walk around the pond behind our house. I brought along my SDS Nessmuk. I was intending to practice some wet weather fire making with it, but was running short on time.


Honestly I could usually get by with just a small slipjoint, but I like to bring along a fixed blade for my own satisfaction.
 
you have good taste in tools! my similar favorite pair during the winter.

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if i know i'll be doing some cooking then i also bring my orange military.

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Fonly said:
Thats quite the haul for hiking, are we talking like, 2 km's? or 15? lol
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this is what i carry when i feel like traveling light :p

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Hi all,

I carry this every day no matter what. It is my neck belt and pocket gear and the contents of that stuff. Unless I am sleeping or taking a shower I have this stuff on.
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that is part of my hiking gear set up the other part is this. My bigger knife and then my pack.
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Bryan
 
hey Guys,

If Im headin out out for an hour or upto a day I always carry a belt knife 3-6 inch blade and a SAK OHT, if I go out overnight or longer I will add a hatchet or a machete and a folding saw.

the hard thing with this question is its very open ended for lack of a better word. For me sometimes I go ultra light and the only cutting tool I will use is my SAK to open packets and cut food up, the fixed blade is just there in case of emergency. Sometimes I dont do any skills practice at all, I use gas to cook and I dont fashion anything from my environment.

On other expeditions I will carry more tools and alot less gear and I will improvise everything I need to live comfortably from my surrounding like shelter, food and fire etc.

also environment has alot to do with my choice of tools, for example If im hiking through tussock mountains and high country a SAK is all I need as I must carry every thing I need because its hard to fasion everything from tussock :o,

if its alpine forest with freezing temps fire becomes vital so a hatchet and a folding saw is a must for a comfortable stay

So the point Im trying to get across is it really depends on what type of hike/trip Im doing, what environment Im operating in and how I want to live in that said environment:)
 
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