When camping, why are fixed blades a "must"?

Why not get a medium-sized fixed blade (5 - 6" blade) and take it along? It wouldn't be that heavy, and you could get a good enough one without a lot of cash shell out. What's wrong with both?

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Champions make improvements as fast as losers make excuses.
 
Most campers would agree that fixed blades make the best "camp" knives solely for their chopping ability. Though very few people do it, "camping" is usually taken to mean primitive-camping, wherein one builds a fire with kindling wood, and chops his own tent stakes, etc. For these people, the knife serves double-duty as camp-knife and hatchet, and cuts the weight of his pack by not having to carry both.

If you ever go out to camp like that without a hatchet, or a knife you can chop with, you will be in for a cold, wet, miseracble time.

If one is doing recreational camping, he can get by with any sort of knife, and often none at all.
 
Originally posted by Champion:
Why not get a medium-sized fixed blade (5 - 6" blade) and take it along? It wouldn't be that heavy, and you could get a good enough one without a lot of cash shell out. What's wrong with both?
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Nothing's wrong with both. It's just that I already own a few knives, so I didn't quite understand the need for more. I've also never owned a fixed blade before, so it's partly a justification to branch out into new territory.

Out here, in Tucson, there is no brush clearing that needs to be done. You can walk anywhere and everywhere, as the desert is fairly sparse. There is also no mud. If there's any water nearby, you are not where you think you are.
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My wife and I are gearing up to do some camping this winter, and since I've never gone before, we're drumming up our list of necessary and useful supplies. We're starting from scratch, so at this point I'm thinking of knife needs (of course). I really think the Sebenza (which is lighter than any fixed blade I've looked at) will fit the bill, but I was interested in the opinions of people here.

If I run into even one situation, though, where I say, "Doh, I really could use a fixed blade!", you can bet the credit card's coming out.
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I just wanted to throw out another consideration that I don't think has been mentioned. Fixed blade knives tend to be much easier to use in cold weather. While wearing thick gloves or if you hands are cold folders can be hard to open and grip. This is not a problem with most fixed blades.
 
Originally posted by Josh Wilson:
I just wanted to throw out another consideration that I don't think has been mentioned. Fixed blade knives tend to be much easier to use in cold weather. While wearing thick gloves or if you hands are cold folders can be hard to open and grip. This is not a problem with most fixed blades.
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Ummm.... let me repeat that "Tucson" word...
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This week is the first time the temperature got below 80 -- day OR night -- in the past six months. So dealing with cold metal is the last of my worries... But I do see your point.
 
On most camping trips, a can-opener is probably more useful and more used than a knife. Go with your preferences based on your needs and wants. If you need a knife with an 8" blade then you will have to have a fixed-blade. If you want a knife with a 3.5" blade then you can go fixed-blade or folder and do just fine either way.

Here's the exception: A cheap fixed blade will do just fine, but a cheap folder can hurt you.
 
Ask yourself: "What am I bringing this for? Might I need it to do anything else? Can it do these things every time I need it?"

Pack commensurate to your needs.

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Sometimes I get the idea that everything is ulterior ...
 
I think you have to carry a fixed blade to look the part it's like going to a gun fight with a darenger. You also should have many knives with you to do different jobs kinda like have more then one wrench in the tool box, never know what might happen. I have read of accidents where the person had to cut their leg off useing a SAK ouch!! would be a lot easier with a larger knife. You should have all the knives you can carry, pocket knife for small jobs, large folder for medium jobs, and fix blade for large jobs. Like cutting you burger in half. Any way you just look cool in the wild with a fixed blade hanging on your side make you look like well a camper man. I could go on??
 
I took my wife and 2 children camping this summer and the only blade I carried was my UDT. I brought a "youth axe" which is a medium short handled axe, for splitting firewood and the UDT with it's incredible edge was perfect for shaving the corners off of the split pieces of wood for fine kindling. A week's worth of this and the blade was still sharp. The peanut butter was no fun to clean out of the UDT though. I did make sure that I kept the knife clean and lubed. Camping on the coast had me worried about rust. I must say that if I had a good fixed blade I would have brought it. The UDT was too light to chop branches for marshmallow roasting although it did sharpen them well.
 
I camp and fish here in MN, mostly out of a canoe. The last few years I have been carrying four knives.

Small folder- This gets used all he time, everything from food prep to whittlin' toothpicks.

Fillet knife- A custom made job, it gets almost as much use as the above.
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Large folder- Backup, very sharp, rarely used.

Fixed blade- Used once...when a dull can opener wouldn't finish its' job.

I also carry a well made, lightweight, folding saw (the "Sawvivor") that meets all my wood needs. I never split wood.
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If I were gutting a deer instead of gutting a trout (or filleting a walleye), the fixed blade might get more use...maybe....

Steve-O
 
JohnW

It does not sound like you are going to need a knife on your camping trip (no firewood, kindling wood, or fish.) You'd be well served with a can opener, and any old pocket knife you want to carry. If you insist on carrying a <$200 Sebenza keep in mind that more knives are lost that are ever broken or discarded!
 
A fixed blade isn't a must. During this summer, I camped the northeast woods and in several areas where a sheath knife of any type was socially unacceptable. No one seemed to have a problem with my HATCHET (designed for chopping wood, etc) or my Swiss Army knife or my BM 905S. BTW - the Swiss Army knife got used about 75% of the time for routine camp chores and the hatchet got used 100% of the time for chopping duties.
 
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