What role does a folder play in your camping/hiking/field usage?

[Zombie411]

Personally I see no use for folding knives in survival/camping/ situations other than to open a bag of rice or cut a stuck zipper off a tent. Yes I will carry a couple of folders but not as my primary knife

I have had too many folders fail to rely on them.
Any sort of heavy spine bowie is my first choice. Second would be any retired combat knife.

Folders are POCKET knives not survival knives no matter what the box said.

 

[19-3ben]

But for me it was the simple reality that for any kind of messy work dealing with food or a lot of wood, a folder is kind of a hassle. Crud gets into the internals, it's a constant hassle to keep it clean when you're in the outdoors and don't have tools and cleaning solutions and compressed air handy.

This. You've figured it exactly what I have.

That said, it depends what I'm doing. I have two small kids (oldest is 3yrs old) and 95% of the time I'm in the woods, I'm with them so it'll be hikes of 2-3 hrs most of the time. For that, even a folder will do since its most stuff like opening a bag of snacks or some such.

That said, always being prepared for more, I have a Fiskars x7 hatchet, Bahco laplander, and Mora Companion in the pack. I admit it's totally overkill considering that we are never more than 2 miles from the car, but it goes to my philosophy about always being prepared for an unexpected night in the woods regardless of the likelihood.

 

[22-rimfire]

Personally I see no use for folding knives in survival/camping/ situations other than to open a bag of rice or cut a stuck zipper off a tent. Yes I will carry a couple of folders but not as my primary knife

I have had too many folders fail to rely on them.
Any sort of heavy spine bowie is my first choice. Second would be any retired combat knife.

Folders are POCKET knives not survival knives no matter what the box said.

I've never had a folder truly fail carrying one my entire life (at least 40 years of knife carry). What exactly do you do with folders that make them "fail"? Not to pick, but do you consider the Buck 110 and similar "pocket knives"? Any knife that is with me is a survival knife from a tiny vic classic or the Leatherman PS2 Squirt to a machete. Never needed a knife to survive with my entire life and don't expect that to change. But knives make my life much easier having a cutting tool handy.

The saw on the Trekker is a good one and quite useful. Certainly a separate larger folding saw would be more efficient for most tasks, but you don't always have one of those with you.

Having folders get "gunked up" never really bothered me. But a small fixed blade is quite useful, stronger, and easy to clean.

 

[Zombie411]

Not to derail but yes... Knives like Buck, Gerber, Schrade, Uncle Henry... Knives from the 70's thru today.

I've broken them all, and have the scars to prove it. Mostly prying things or trying to separate A from B.
Lots of snapped blades from kind of "hand hammering" a blade thru something... making kiddie spears or tent pegs... cutting rope notches in trees to make a ladder or bridge.

Locks fail, blades snap, scales come loose, pivot pins, and liners seperate

Things that a dollar store screwdriver (non folder) would have lived thru.

I'm a pretty big guy, and I don't waste time but my kids survived, and they are made of meat/bone... not steel.

 

[hiwa]

I have a couple of fixed blades when in the woods and a MT to fix something , plus an axe and saw. I don't bother with folders in the woods. Fixed blades just work better for most things in the bush , Imo. Back in the city or at work I always have one on me.

 

[cbach8tw]

Swiss Army knife for most small cutting jobs, I would not use a folder for cutting up foods, just open the package for them, opening cans, or popping off the cap of a soda. My kind of camping is pulling a pop up camper, or just a quick hike. I also have a 3-4 inch fixed blade on hand just in case, just love having a small fixed blade near by. I like the small KSF pocket sheath for my SA and a small fixed blade.

 

[BD_01]

It depends on what I am doing outdoors.

I'm a lightweight backpacker; due to some hip problems every ounce counts (literally--I weigh stuff). The places I go often don't allow open fires, so wood processing has never been an issue on these trips, and I have yet to take a fixed blade with me. A part-serrated SOG Fash 2 has been my go-to blade for many years and probably will remain so. It's super light, a great slicer, and the serrations come in handy without 'overpowering' the standard edge. The SOG AUS-8 holds up well enough for my purposes and should it get lost, it won't break my heart. Last year I also picked up an orange Delica 4 which I mostly leave in a ride-along outdoor emergency kit as a backup.

On a non-backpacking camping trip last month, I took a recently acquired Guardian 3 and was amazed! I can't imagine a better camp utility knife! It probably won't be joining me on baclpacking trips though, as I don't belt carry anything due to my pack's hip straps. For only 3-inches it's amazingly facile!



In January I bought a Lionsteel M4 with the justification of having a backcountry fixed blade. I understand how/why a fixed blade would be important, but it still hasn't found its way into my outdoor rotation.

For sporadic hikes, I'm not too picky and usually just view it as part of my EDC rotation. Longer hikes typically see me grabbing a reasonably sturdy 3.5"-ish blade--I've been gravitating to the PM2 lately.

 

[3fifty7]

^ First, I'm stealing the pic through the Spyde hole idea ! ^

I bring a clean sharp folding knife on every camping trip, whichever Spyderco I'm in the mood for at the moment will do. I also bring a HI Khukuri or a hatchet I forged. I've never been let down with either combination.

 

[A.S.]

I like knives! So I carry both to the woods. A Spyderco Manix 2 lightweight or Native 5 in the pocket always. A Kistner's Tragen fixed blade on my belt. Either do great for camping/backpacking/food prep needs. In the backpack, I'll have my Leatherman Rebar.

 

[knarfeng]

Decades ago when I used to backpack, I carried an SAK.
Nowadays I don't go very far afield, and pretty much whatever is in my pocket that day, goes hiking with me. Usually some sort of stockman.

 

[halden.doerge]

Here is what I carried on a three night backpacking trip I just finished. The Viper Fortis was just along as a toy, something to flip open and closed while sitting around the camp. The Delica is what actually did all the work (food prep), and I really didn't need anything besides that.

There were no fires allowed in the Eagle Cap Lakes basin, but if there had been the Esee 3 would have seen some work. It's s fine all around camp knife.

This kind of loadout is pretty typical of what I take backpacking these days.

 

[stabman]

Personally I see no use for folding knives in survival/camping/ situations other than to open a bag of rice or cut a stuck zipper off a tent. Yes I will carry a couple of folders but not as my primary knife

I have had too many folders fail to rely on them.

If you think folders are wimpy, read through this thread:

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/the-12-days-of-medford.1464833/

Or this:

http://www.bladeforums.com/threads/minimalist-woodland-feast.1492941/

Used in ways that some say are hard for fixed blades; just fine.

 

[Franciscomv]

I try to keep weight down, so I usually carry a medium size fixed blade and either a two layer SAK with a saw or a multitool (only if the trip requires equipment that I might need a multitool to fix).

I don't see much sense in a single blade folder outdoors. Fixed blades are just simpler and better at almost everything.

 

[Zombie411]

Thanks for the links Stabman,

This is what un-nerves me...

Chopping may be fine.
Would you trust that lock up to open 1/2 dozen cans or stab thru ice?
I would not.

Stabbing motion is very different from chopping or wood splitting.
The thought is giving me shivers...

How is that date 10/01/17? Am I in a worm hole???
I know...

 

[SW-EDC]

I agree a fixed blade is WAY more ideal for survival situations.
For backpacking/hiking/camping I always bring my folder for lighter tasks and not for hardcore usage such as batoning wood and such.
If I had to use a folder as a survival tool, there is only one of mine I'd really fully trust.

 

[NJBillK]

I went from not having a preference and would stick to my rotation for my folder, to having a fixed blade that suited the role better and now I added a traditional to the line-up.

Basically I carry a:
- Becker BK4 or BK5 (on/in pack)
- CPK EDC in 4V (on belt)
- LionSteel Euro-Barlow (m390, Ti slip joint and my own micarta slabs in pocket)
(Pics in order of mention)

Don't mind the GEC 14.

 

[not2sharp]

As far as I know there are no strict set of rules governing what you may or may not do with your knife(s). I usually hike with a stockman in my pocket, because it is my EDC and it is always in my pocket. This is usually supplemented by a heavier locking folder on the belt, and a larger fixed blade on the side of my pack. The larger blade can take the form of a heavy camp knife, machete or camp axe depending on my mood and the expected situation. It is always best for the party to carry a full mix of tools between them.

For me, the stockman still does most of the work, with the other stuff getting used as needed. It is not that knife offers any particular advantage, it is just that as my long time EDC I am automatically programmed to reach for it first.

n2s

 

[GB940Rookie]

When camping I really have no need for a folder but it just feels weird not having one in my pocket so I usually carry something light.
BM 940 and Manix 2 lightweight are my two favorites.

 

[adamlau]

Fixed. Period.

 

[halden.doerge]

When camping I really have no need for a folder but it just feels weird not having one in my pocket so I usually carry something light.
BM 940 and Manix 2 lightweight are my two favorites.

Two great backpacking folders. A Manix 2 LW in S110V is my default backpacking blade.