Your favorite day hiking folder

Whenever I'm on a walk or a trail ride I like to have my Victorinox Trekker/German Army Knife. I consider what might happen if I had to spend the night out due to injury or getting lost and I want to have the ability to process enough wood for a fire (blade and saw), cut poles or branches for shelter (saw), put holes in leather (awl), dress small game and fish (blade), open a can (can opener), and pop open a beer (bottle opener). The drive to and from the trail head can impose challenges, and having slotted and Phillips screwdriver is also a boon.

It's nice to have a small puukko as well, but this is about folders, so that's my choice, usually. But for day to day, it's often a Mercator copper, Buck 110, or Opinel N°10, and I don't feel under-knifed with any of them.

Zieg
 
BladeScout said:
When in the woods, I usually carry a SAK Spartan but thats most often as a backup for a smaller fixed blade knife (currently a Spyderco MicroMelt Mule mod or small custom bushcraft knife) used for when making a quick brew or meal. Also for whittling sticks or aid in setting up a tarp in brush, should it start raining heavily whilst taking a break.

You mention, that you'd use the knife for hiking - which specific knife related tasks did you have in mind?

If just for any light task, many folders will do; SAK, PM2 etc etc.

For a folder for heavy duty or alround use, check out the BHK TreeFrog.
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Most likely for light tasks initially. We plan to check it out a few times first before we dive into possible over night or even more.

22-rimfire said:
I think a 111mm Victorinox swiss army knife will handle just about every task for routine hikes in the Smoky Mt NP. Big enough for food prep if you want or just cutting a walking stick. Visit the large knife store in Sevierville. They have a near complete selection of SAKs normally. The Farmer model is a favorite since it has the saw. I like the Adventurer myself which is essentially a large Tinker model.

I visit that store a couple times a year. Wanted to stop by today, but I would have barely made it before they closed at 6:00 PM this time of the year on weekdays.

Hard to beat many of the Spyderco models. The Native 5 is a favorite.
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I meant to get there today to send a Benchmade Indfidel in for repair. Maybe another time. I love SMKW.

22-rimfire said:
If you are willing to carry the extra layer (thickness), the saw does come in handy for cutting a walking stick; essentially cutting the ends flat/square. But I don't carry a SAK with a saw myself regardless. Of course, technically, you're not allowed to cut trees inside the park, but I don't see it as a big deal.

So, which community near the park are you living now? Marysville, Townsend, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg?
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We are in Maryville.
 
I know this is about folders. Still if I really think of it, I personally find the most usefull way to go in between. A pocket sized fixed blade is a perfect compromise. Sorry, just needed to get this off my chest.


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HFinn said:
I know this is about folders. Still if I really think of it, I personally find the most usefull way to go in between. A pocket sized fixed blade is a perfect compromise. Sorry, just needed to get this off my chest.


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I totally understand. I made sure to cover in my original post that I realize fixed blades are best.
 
I actually got myself CS Pocket Bushman in order for this specific purpose. Not every ones cup of tea but somehow that knife attracts me. I had the faulty first run one back in the day though it didn't break on me.
 
I usually use fixed blades when hiking. The only folder that I occasionally carry is the Para 2.

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If I don't want/need a fixed blade, I usually pick up my ZT0350M390.
It is a small blade but its handle is broad enough to allow a strong grip and has some weight to it which is good for chopping.
 
Lately I have been thinking to get a larger and more robust folder as a hiking knife, my choise would be either Helle Bleja or Enzo Borka (pictures below). Both have good reviews. Either can't replace a fixed blade for batoning and making firewood. Bleja looks really nice, the Enzo is more of a workhorse, allthough both are propably equally strong. Thumb stud in Borka can be removed, Bleja does not have one.

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Popsickle said:
Most likely for light tasks initially. We plan to check it out a few times first before we dive into possible over night or even more.

We are in Maryville.
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The knife store is a little inconvenient from the Townsend park access. But I still go there. Townsend is my dominant access point and drive through Maryville to get there.
 
HFinn said:
I know this is about folders. Still if I really think of it, I personally find the most usefull way to go in between. A pocket sized fixed blade is a perfect compromise. Sorry, just needed to get this off my chest.


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Is that a heart
 
buckfynn said:
Either a 4" trapper or stockman. I've been carrying either one everyday for 50+ years. I don't see any any reason to change what works for me this late in my life.

I do like pairing a slip joint with a Mora HD Companion or Enzo Trapper.
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I'm with you there, we're event the same vintage. Day hikes are for fun, and one of my stockman knives work quite well on the trail with an occasional detour. When I was camping as a 9-10 year old, I had endless utility value to my "scout" knife pattern, and it went with me camping until my teens. It worked fine for everything.

When I decided I needed two knives to face a day trail, I started taking along a really nifty "bird and trout" with leather stacked handles. I had that thing for years, and surprisingly, it did very well, too. I was never under knived, and didn't worry about all the nasty possibilities that could happen that some seem to these days.

Robert
 
Been hiking with the SAK Camper for decades. Stuck with it for so long because it has almost everything I need. I found one of the most valuable features has been the woodsaw. Though not often used when hiking, so much appreciated when needed. Had to cut hiking staffs on several occasions to help fellow hikers who have sprained an ankle or pulled a muscle; a couple of times for senior citizens out for a walk and unexpectedly found themselves in need of a staff; and several times for myself to help get thru muddy trails and shallow stream crossings.

On longer hikes I often carry an additional folder, something beefier and designed to take a light battoning, like a Hinderer XM-18, ZT0562 or ZT0220. Mostly don't need it, but I'm a knife geek and like any excuse to carry. Once got stranded on the wrong side of a rising river and nearly had to spend a cold night in the boonies. Eventually made it out without having to do so, but the experience showed me the value of having a good wood processing knife for emergencies.
 
Military and SAK for me generally.

Or like Whitty, I throw a few in a pack to spread the love.
 
For a one day hike it would be my EDC knife, a full size Case Trapper. I prefer the trapper because it has two different blade styles of equal length. If for some reason one blade gets dull, I have another.
 
The tell o Blade approach was why I also like the trapper pattern. Gradually I changed to "jack knife" as I like the second blade. These are often called "trappers" like the GEC #42's.
 
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