What knife do you carry backpacking?

[Joseph Morrison]

While I have many knives I carry backpacking two really get the most use.
The first is A hand forged knife patterned after the knife the early 20th century outdoors writer Horace Kephart designed for himself as a hunting, kitchen and woodcraft knife. Made by Matt Lesniewski of ML knives from 1095 carbon steel and dark Walnut. The 4" spear point blade is convexed to a scary sharp edge. It only weighs about 5 or 6 ounces, about as much as most folders.

The other is a Wenger Evo Grip that probably sees the most use of all my knives. Gotta love the SAK's.

Please! No offensive remarks about my or other peoples choice of cutlery. I count ounces when it comes to other gear so the weight of my knives doesn't matter much. Is it a tiny swiss army knife, Leatherman or a big bowie! So……….. what do you carry?

[David Ure]

nm

[Matt Lutz]

Mini Buck, 0.67 oz single lock blade.

[Jay Wilkerson]

Gerber LST 0.5 oz.

[Brad Rogers]

Gerber LST

[D G]

Hi Joseph,
On my last backpacking trip I took a Stromeng 9 inch Leuku, plus a small plastic Marttiinni M571. This was just a short 4 mile hike that involved building a fire in pretty wet conditions so I was not too concerned about weight.

Normally I'd just take a small folder, my current favorite is a Fallkniven U2 (1.5 oz) or a Spyderco Delica (2 oz).

In addition to the above I've always got my Victorinox classic too.

Dan

[Dave T]

.

[Philip Mitchell]

I have a Bucklite (#422?) folding knife I like to carry. It is an older model that I believe is discontinuted. Weight is about 2.5 ounces with a 4.25 inch blade

[A. B.]

Who cares if topics come up frequently? What are you implying? Why do you care?

Also, the search function sucks.

And to actually add to the conversation at hand: I take a Leatherman multi-tool that was given to me as a gift. I think I would prefer a small pen knife and a folding saw.

[Dave T]

.

[Kyle Hetzer]

Very nice blade.. Ive always been a fan of buschcraft style blades. It looks similar to my BRKT North Star that ill carry. I too like the benfits of a fully convexed blade (ie the BRKT's)

As for what I normally carry, Ill always carry my benchmade RSK MK 1 (model #552). Yep, its a little heavier than some's blade of choice, but thats ok, Im willing to lug the extra ounces =)

[Dewey Riesterer]

That Lesniewski knife is gorgeous, almost identical to an OSK model I am having made by Charles May of Missippi at present in green micarta and SV30. This is an extremely versatile and practical tool for backpack and other wilderness travel and will handle any task you can imagine.

I never go backpacking without a decent sheath knife with me and always carry a Leatherman Wave or Charge TTi as well. A light pack is important, but, so is having the tools you need when you require them and a good kinfe is so useful that I will never be without one.

[Buck Nelson]

1/2 oz.
Knife Blade
Nail file (Which I like to grind and sharpen to use as a spare knife blade)
Nail Cleaner/Small Screwdriver
Scissors
Tweezers
Toothpick

On my Alaska Traverse (www.bucktrack.com) I used a Leatherman Juice S2
4.4 oz.
Knife
Needlenose Pliers
Regular Pliers
Wire Cutters
Hard-wire Cutters
Extra-small Screwdriver
Small Screwdriver
Medium/Large Screwdriver
Phillips Screwdriver
Scissors
Bottle Opener
Can Opener

[Adam]

I use a Victorinox Classic as well.

.6 oz
Knife Blade
Nail file/cleaner
Scissors
Tweezers

I removed the toothpick and I am attempting to find a way to remove the plastic covering.

[Greg Mihalik]

Kershaw's folding TwoCan – 0.830 oz

A surgically sharp blade

with a serrated scissors option

Easy to hold and use…

[David Lewis]

To get useful search results, use Google instead of the built-in BPL seach tool. Just go to google and start your search with "site:backpackinglight.com" then enter your search terms as usual.

And to Evan… it is bad forum etiquette to ask a frequently asked question. That's what FAQ's are for and why they came into being. It's one of the basic rules of etiquette that has been in place since before there was a world wide web (back in the Usenet days).

That said… I'm not sure if BPL has an FAQ… but they should. That or a selection of "sticky" threads.

I personally don't mind these questions coming up again and again… but technically speaking… it is considered bad form. Again though, with a useless forum search tool and no FAQ… we can't really blame the users.

[John Brown]

I took a Bark River Knife and Tool PSK on my last trip, good knife. As I watched my dad slice an avocado with the handle of his Lexan spoon, it did occur to me that I bring it more for pyschological comfort than real use. If I was looking to cut a couple ounces, it would be a leading candidate, to be replaced by a straight razorblade…

[Joseph Morrison]

The Fallkniven U2, hell any fallkniven is a really great choice. I have had mine for about a year and a half now. Have you convexed the edge on it yet? Besides the U2 I have 2 F1's and one S1. Some of the best production knives out there IMO.

[Joseph Morrison]

I have a OSK in s30v and black canvas micarta ordered right now from Charles May. I should be getting it in January. Really pricey but I am willing to pay it.

I am the same way, never enter the woods without a fixed blade.

[Joseph Morrison]

So bringing up this topic is bad forum etiquette? Even if it was, just you saying that on this thread is bad forum etiquette. Guess what? your way off topic, how rude…….. :)

[John Brown]

For those of you who carry bigger knives, what do you use them for? Real question, not rhetorical…

[Jeff Jeff]

I have a CRKT Peck but tha Gerber LST sure looks nice!

[Linsey Budden]

On a multiday hike I have no use for a big knife and have hiked knifeless (although I carried fingernail clippers and used these to cut leukotape).

But for dayhikes I add a big fixed blade knife; in fact I use my Dad's Boy Scout knife although I'd like to have a Mora Scout knife (fixed blade, plastic handle, 2.25 oz, About $5.00). This is carried instead of a shelter and sleeping system because in a survival situation, I would certainly resort to old fashioned woodcraft and a big raging fire.

Edited later to add:

Although I have hiked knifeless, it was only for three days and because I left my "Wenger Titanium Esquire" accidentally behind. This great but sadly discontinued knife features a serrated blade and titanium housing and is my everyday knife. During my typical backpacking trip, it rarely gets used for more than a bit of tape cutting and hangnails. Around the house and in the city it gets constant and varied use.

[D G]

I have not convexed the edge of my U2, but I'll be sharpening it on a leather strop with compound, which over time will gradually convex the edge.

I've also got an F1, that was one the first nice fixed blades I bought, and I really like it. Yes, I'd like to get another Fallkniven some day. I really like convex edges.

[David Goodyear]

"For those of you who carry bigger knives, what do you use them for? Real question, not rhetorical…"

I guess it depend on your sytle of hiking, or the current hike that you are on.

I own several knives and tools that I may consider, based on my needs of the upcomming hike.

If you will be on trail with many others, you can size down to a simple folding knife.

If you are in bush country and are off trail a bigger full tang knife would be invaluable if you need it. I carry an on person survival kit also. (love that bush knife Joseph- I just bouhgt a case XX hunting knife)

My definition of light and yours may be different. I fish, hunt, backpack and have incorporated lighter techniques in each. (kind of hard to filet that fish with a razor blade)

FYI

Dave

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