Multipurpose Knife for Hiking and Packrafting

[Derrick White]

I am seeking suggestions for a single multipurpose knife to replace 3 items I currently carry:

1. Mora Camping Knife with plastic sheath.
2. Typical River Rescue knife attached to a PFD with plastic sheath.
3. Gransfors Bruks Mini Ax.

The single knife must be able to do the following: Baton wood up to 3″ (i.e. be a fixed blade); fillet fish, general camp use, securely sheath on a PFD so it removes easily with a tug but doesn’t release on its own, be rust resistant, and of course retain a good edge, and be light as possible but still be fully functional and reliable..

This knife can have some weight though as it will be replacing 3 separate items.  The plan is to have two sheaths, one on the life vest, securely fastened, and one on the backpack strap, again securely fastened, so I simply pull the knife from one sheath and insert in the other as I transition from hiking to rafting and vice versa.

All suggestion are appreciated.  Thanks in advance.

Derrick

Bato

[Mike In Socal]

Fallkniven F1 with a Zytel sheath?  Just big enough to do what you want but not too heavy.

[John Brown]

Or the WM1, even lighter. Maybe give up some batoning, but more compact on a PDF/shoulderstrap.

 

[Kris]

Derrick,

I think the Spartan Blades Phrike might work for you.  I love mine.  It’s the only piece of gear I have that I wouldn’t change some element of the design.  It can baton and fillet (I’ve done both with it), and is light enough that I can wear it all day without ever feeling its weight.

I haven’t attached it to a PFD so I can’t say definitively that that would work, but I think it would.  The nylon sheath has velcro in the belt loop so that it tightly sits on belts of different sizes.  Velcro loses effectiveness when wet so that could be an issue for rafting.  I think there is a sufficient amount of velcro that it would stay closed but since I haven’t tried it, I can’t say for sure.  There is also a kydex sheath available but I much prefer to have a snap on my knife sheath.

Here’s a thread on Rokslide where I posted a picture of my Phrike.  You might also want to ask your question on that forum.  You’ll probably find more people there that baton & fillet.

By the way, in case it bolsters my credibility with you, I am the proud owner of an Honorary Newfie certificate.  I was Screeched in outside of St. John’s harbor.

Kris

[Stephen Stephens]

Check out the White River Knife and Tool Company’s Backpacker. S30V stainless steel with a kydex sheath. This is not a long flexible blade like a fillet knife or a blunt tipped serrated blade like most rescue knives but it is a very nice small fixed blade that I can use to baton or fillet a trout. The kydex sheath is quite secure and can be attached to your life vest or worn as a neck knife. There are several reviews for this knife on You Tube. One has a good demonstration of it’s ability to baton. A similar knife is the ESEE Izula in 440C stainless steel,

[Nick D]

+1 on the Fallkniven F1. Mine has been a trusty companion for years and goes on every trip, regardless of its weight.

If battoning 3″ logs is really important, I’d go with the Fallkniven S1 though – with the zytel sheath. Still pretty darn light, great laminate stainless steel, and easy to sharpen.

[Matthew / BPL]

Kydex sheath and a stainless Mora? 3″ battoning is a little much but 2–2.5″ is doable no problem. I’ve got a Grizzly Kydex sheath that holds my Mora Companion really securely with the handle down from a backpack strap. Mine is just the sheath, no firestarter or other geegaws. I don’t carry it anymore because I don’t really make campfires anymore but it’s a great setup.

[W I S N E R !]

I’m not a packrafter but I do a lot of wet and fast water canyoneering and I really don’t like the thought of my rescue knife having a point or a large blade.  The thought of being in fast moving water or on rappel on slippery surfaces with a pointed ~4″ blade in one hand doesn’t sit right with me.  Not trying to derail, but I wouldn’t hesitate to eat the weight penalty and carry a second knife for camp chores.

In my mind this:

is a very different tool from this:

and I wouldn’t want either one to do the other’s job if I had a choice.

 

Just a thought….

 

[Jeffs Eleven]

I was gonna say benchmade H20 but it looks different than mine, and weird now… may work but IDK

[David Thomas]

This is much more towards UL than the OP’s request, but in case another reader is looking for a lighter option (or the OP wants a light backup stored away).

Anyway, the Buck Paklite is far better for hunting, batoning or camp kitchen chores than a SAK but far lighter than similarly capable fixed knives.  I wouldn’t baton with it all day and would limit myself to about 2-inch-diameter wood.  They come both unfinished or with a black powder coating (my preference) or in orange (probably best for a sharp item in a boat) in about 6 styles / sizes.  About $18-$24 each at Walmart or Sportsman’s Warehouse or Amazon.  The nylon sheath weighs as much as the knife, but would work well on a PFD.  It’s a snap-on-a-strap release, which I find easy with one hand.  The knife itself is so light and inexpensive, you could pack away an extra one (with its edge covered) should your primary go overboard (which could happen with any knife). 
PM me if you want confirmed weights on the bare knife or knife & sheath combo and I’ll go weigh mine.

[Jeffs Eleven]

Spyderco Aqua Salt.   Pic shows Spyder edge, but they have fine edge too

[Rex Sanders]

+1 on W I S N E R !’s comments. If you’re getting thrashed in a hole with an abandoned rope around your leg, or trapped in strainers with your boat holding you down (been there, not fun), you don’t want a knife that can do more damage to you than the stuff you’re trying to cut.

Maybe combining two knives into one isn’t the best way to lighten up while packrafting.

— Rex

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