New Gear List

An alcohol stove would be better i think?

Here are some low cost ideas…
o Garmin 60cxs GPS (7.5oz) – leave this at home, use a compass and save nearly 1/2 lb. I am admittedly biased about GPS most of the time. They have their place but I've never wished I had one with me except when sailing on the ocean in a fog bank.

Leatherman wave (8.5oz)- even if you love it, leave it.

Ka-Bar USMC fighting knife (10.8oz) – even if you love it, leave it. If you like straight knives, look at Mora knives that come in about about 3 oz. AND s-h-a-r-p brother! They cost around $12.00.

Sunscreen (2oz) – look for smaller packages or rebottle to carry 1 oz

So there's about a bit less than 2 lbs gone…

Enjoy the process of figuring it all out :~)

I've heard a lot of people talk about mora knives. I've never heard of them until recently. I'm assuming they're a good knife or people wouldn't be buying them I guess. I do use my ka-bar a lot for practically everything. I use it to chop wood, split kindling, cook, I've even used it as a makeshift stake once to tie down my rain fly. The ka-bar is pretty much indestructible at about 58 on the hardness scale. What is the mora like? Could it hold up to the ka-bar? 12 bucks doesn't seem like that much money to spend on a quality knife. To me, my knife is the most important piece of equipment I own, so I like to carry a quality one that I trust won't break. I looked at the moras, but they don't seem to be that high a quality of blade. But again, I don't know much about moras so any imput on them would be helpful. Thanks!

On another note, I guess I could leave the GPS. Honestly, the only reason I bring it is to save my tracks. I've never used it for actual navigation. I trust my compass and map for that. It's more of an "entertainment" thing for me.

I had a mora that I used as my go to knife as a fishing boat deckhand, and I put it through quite a bit of daily abuse, cutting lines, gutting fish, and occasionally prying things. I never had one break. I can't speak for its utility for cutting kindling, but hey, they are cheap, buy one and try it out.

K-bar is a pretty heavy piece of steel. My grandfather used his to butcher hogs after he came back from WWII

Alright, did some research and decided to go ahead and grab a mora classic #1 knife. Seems to be pretty durable from what all the websites say. I couldn't really find out whether or not they are made with a full tang, tapered tang, rat tail tang, or what, but at 14 bucks, I'll check it out. Anyone know how the knife is constructed?

Justin….
The fourth from the top is a Mora. Not a full tang, but not bad considering the cost. The handle sets it quite well.

Okay, John- You post a cut-away picture that cool, you're going to get questions! The 2nd from top looks a lot like the handle and blade shape of a Mora Clipper. Do you know if it is? #1 looks like a Mora Craftsman, while #3 looks like a #911 or similar. Based on your images here, I was leaning toward a Clipper but know think I'll get the ?#911? or whatever your #4 is…

 Safety pins (2) ??? nix these
 Tincture of benzoin vials (2) where's the Leukotpae P Sports Tape?

o Leatherman wave (8.5oz) OMGosh!!!
o Ka-Bar USMC fighting knife (10.8oz) OMGosh!!!

You certainly do not need this much knife. Pick ONE knife (if you really must have one), or even better get a razor blade!

Erik said >"Maybe an alcohol kitchen would be lighter?"
True, and Esbit system would be very light, too.

cheers

OK, Brad, you must have x-ray vision while handling the knives. Slight correction to the fourth knife as well… I was going from memory before I just looked it up.

In order they are:
Triflex craftsman, Clipper, Eriksson #711, Mora 2K, #510.

Since Justin did request more info on Mora (and to try to qualify as a non-thread-hijack!):

John, thanks!

Since you singled out the 2K, do you have a preference for the fuller-tanged Moras? I was going to buy a Mora this weekend; trying to satisfy a knife fancy with something lighter. I've liked what I've read about the Craftsman's Triflex blade; I like the blade shape & weight of the Clipper. But it looks like the 711 might be the way to go. Thoughts?

Brad… I first looked at the Mora knives for the Shoemaker's knife (#1472) at 1.75oz it's close to perfect for UL use. The old standby #1 is hard to beat, but there are so many variations that it's difficult to choose. I've included the link below which shows just about every version of the Mora. The Shoemaker's knife is a good one, but a bit on the thin side for many uses.

http://www.ragweedforge.com/SwedishKnifeCatalog.html.

Confession, John- My x-ray vision came from ragweedforge. I've been looking for a ~4" blade, but that Shoemaker's knife does look pretty great–thanks for the tip!

Sorry to be late, oh well.
At 14.2 pounds you are pretty light, but I don't see food or water listed.

I would still suggest a lighter knife, but I will point out that the man who popularized Mora was Mors Kochanski and he carries an axe with him into the bush.
(He carries a swede saw blade in his pack too.)

My experience with big hunting (survival, combat, or whatever the current name is) knives is that they are not large enough to be a machete, and they are still too big for most other work.

That said I also own a variety of pocket knives, other hunting knives, machetes, axes and saws.
If I am going where I expect to need them then those tools go with me, but if I don't expect them to be useful they are not on my back.
So how much heavy knife work are you expecting to do?

I usually carry the Mora #1 in my pack and very seldom need anything bigger.
If I was buying a newer one I most likely would buy one with the plastic handle instead of the wood, maybe red or yellow so it is harder to misplace.

>"My experience with big hunting (survival, combat, or whatever the current name is) knives is that they are not large enough to be a machete, and they are still too big for most other work."

I totally agree.

my 2cents

just wanted to put in a vote for getting a swedish mora knife. i have the Mora clipper, that i got on ebay for about 10 bucks. doesnt have the coolness looking factor of a kabar, but i love the size and heft of mine. they sell a variety of styles and sizes of them online, and all are very inexpensive.

> My experience with big hunting (survival, combat, or whatever the current
> name is) knives is that they are not large enough to be a machete, and they are
> still too big for most other work.

And, let's face it, are completely unnecessary in the back-country for a light-weight walker. I carry a cut-down Victorinox butter knife (which is used for lunch and dinner), and have rarely needed anything bigger.

Big knives are pure machismo items, not light-weight walker essentials.

Cheers

You can pry my Fallkniven F1 out of my cold, dead hands….otherwise, she is coming with me.

Wait Roger, how do you split wood for your wood stove (which you're bringing because you wanted to shave the weight of fuel) with a swiss army blade?

I think big knives have their place in UL backpacking, depending on context of course

The Benchmade 530 & models like it are popular with some walkers, & has a 3.25 inch blade; alternatively there's the Baladeo 34 at over 4 inches. What people seem to miss is that "fixed blade" doesn't necessarily equate to "big blade." In fact, the fixed blades many tout are 4 inches or less! There are many benefits to the simple design… but perhaps we're digressing a bit from the OP…

Exactly Brad – my F1 has a full tang (end of blade actually just eeks out the end of the handle) with a blade length just under 4".

And to add to Konrad's point, the F1 will chop wood.

We are talking ultralight.

You can haul the iron if you like, but the Wave is more than enough. A good quality 3.5" folder is more than enough. Most moras are what I would call a rat tail tang. Great for general work and food prep. A mora won't break under normal use.

I didn't see any rain gear and the rest for your clothing needs work for other than a day hike. You don't need spare briefs or tee shirt. A windshirt and some puffy insulation should be considered. Gloves? Hat? A bandana is handy.

Pack liner or cover?

Bear bag and rope or can?

Water container, or water purification?

Consider the GPS as an extra.

The 900ml pot is good for two, but big for one. A 110g fuel can is enough for a few days.

Soap and/or alcohol gel hand cleaner?

Whistle?

Insect repellent?

As far as leaving tent stuff behind, leaving the fly wouldn't leave you with effective shelter. Some tents allow using the fly and a footprint and you leave the innards behind. I looked at the web page for the Spitfire 1 and did not see that option. Are tent stakes included?

u guys do realized that mista caffin performed some necromagic and resurrected a 1.5 year old deader than a dodo thread?

For my knife, I cut a 1973 penny in half, then flattened it out, and sharpened one side. It weighs .0024 oz., and I've felled a small pine with it.

OK. Seriously, I have all different knives, but my more logical choice is my Buck "Whittaker," 3.5 oz.

My choice if weight is not an option would be my Buck 119 Special w/ Cocobolo wood handle. What a BEAUTIFUL knife. If I were another knife, I'd marry it, I kid you not, I love that knife. Part of my wonders why I couldn't bring it with me on the PCT next year…another part says "C'mon, Dave, get real"…well, part of the problem might be that my name isn't Dave, the other, it's heavy. But…beautiful.

Dug
http://thf2.wordpress.com

There was a guy who used to go on my group backpack trips, and I nicknamed him Mister Knife. We would be paused on the trail someplace, and he would unsheath his KaBar survival knife, and he would start throwing it to stick in the ground about eight inches in front of my boot. I stared at him in astonishment, and then he picked it up and did it again. So, I took it away from him for public safety and never gave it back. He was too embarrassed to ask for it back. Now, twenty years later, I would give it back. He claimed that he needed it for protection, but it doesn't protect too much when others have to take it away from you.

(I carry a tiny knife with a half-inch blade.)

–B.G.–