What makes a good camping folder?

I think my Swiss Tool is the best camping partner ever and that it works well next to my fixed sheath knife of choice. :thumbup:

STR
 
Without being picky I'll say anything small (about 2-3" blade, under or around 4oz) that can shave kindling from chopped firewood and is thin enough to slice food well. Chop with a hatchet. :)

I grew up using my dad's buck 110 but there are lighter alternatives around today. It's a fine workhorse though.
 
Camping for over 50 years. SAK Climber is standard, with an Opinel #8 or #10 for cooking. Don't need it, but often carry another favorite folder. For super lightweight backpacking, a Gerber LST and/or SAK Classic are my usual choices.
 
I mainly view folders as backup knives when camping. However what I look for is a strong design, with a blade which has excellent edge geometry.

My favorite outdoors folder to date has been my Harsey T-3. It has a large enough blade (nearly 5") with a flat grind, and is built like a tank.

I have a ZT 0300 on the way which is an even stronger folder.

While I don't use folders for extreme tasks I only purchase those which I believe are very very strong and capable of hard duty with far less likelihood of failure.

I MUCH prefer a fixed blade for outdoors carry. Generaly I reserve my folders for carry in town.
 
When camping I usually find I only use my folder for food prep. A can/bottle opener, saw, and hatchet are much more useful. SAK farmer + Wetterling small hatchet performs most tasks I need. Toss a 4" mora into the equation and I'm all set.
 
Folder? 3-4in blade, thin grind (deep hollow or flat grind), preferably open construction, secure handles, brightly coloured and tough. No recurve, but any steel at 440C or above will do.

So far the Spyderco Military has fit the bill best of all, with the CS Pocket Bushman and the Spyderco FRN Stretch tying for second-those two sorta take it in opposite directions though.
 
The folder that I've used for several years when I go camping is the Ontario Knives Hossom Retribution 1. I still have a fixed blade with me but the Retribution 1 is so big and sturdy I seldom need more knife that it provides in a camping situation. This knife has been used HARD and works as well today as the day I bought it.
 
I love my Miltary also for outdoor work/cooking. The FFG slices so well and even with the thin tip I have never had any problems. S30V steel holds a great edge for any task I've used it for with no chipping.
 
I also like the Hossom Retribution 1. It goes with me on every outing. I also like the Retribution 2, it's about the size of a Buck 110 maybe a bit bigger, just as tough as it's big brother and much eaiser to conceal/carry. These are not the only folders I carry but they are the ones I always take whether it's Hunting, camping or Hiking.



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manowar669 said:
Well, then your MT (with knife blade), and a hatchet or camp axe. I often find a larger knife just gets in its own way. Sure, you can split wood with a larger knife, but maybe you should be wondering why you are using a knife to split wood.
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Or wondering why you are splitting wood at all...

Most of my woods cutting is done with my folder as well. I like to bring along my mid-range knives out out my usual EDC rotation. Any Benchmade with an Axis lock will handle the dirt and sand exceptionally well, I usually bring along a Griptilian (my Ritter is my favorite Grip for camping and EDC), 710D2, or lately a Rift which I really like. Another benefit of lot of Benchmades is they use very thick washers. This prevents sand from getting into the pivot area where many thin washer knives get marred from sand (the sand rarely gets in between the washer and the liner, it usually gets stuck between the blade and the liner in the little space that the washer does not fill). I also carry a SAK with a saw in my pocket.

As a side note, I have a lot of nice fixed blade knives that I don't get to use if I don't bring them along. I have a weakness for a 4-5" bladed knife. I usually have a Bravo-1 or Fallkniven in pack as well as an axe just because...
 
I don't use a folder very much at all when I'm camping; fixed blades of various sizes and descriptions abound.
 
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