NFOA MEMBERS FORUM
General Categories => Survival/Emergency Preparedness => Topic started by: Nebraska12 on February 23, 2013, 08:52:21 AM
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Does any one have a survival knife in their BOB or camping equipment? After some thought to emergency preparedness, I decided on it as a necessary piece of equipment. What do you have? Any suggestions?
I currently have a Smith & Wesson rescue fixed blade knife. Thus far, I've been impressed with it while using it to teach my young son some basic skills - like starting a fire, or cleaning fish, etc. But, eventually, I'd like to get something a bit more substantial.
I don't want to spend a mint and I'm not some crazed doomsday prepper. But, I'd rather have a few simple things to be somewhat prepared, than nothing at all.
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Check out ESEE Knives.
http://www.eseeknives.com/index2.htm (http://www.eseeknives.com/index2.htm)
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Does any one have a survival knife in their BOB or camping equipment? After some thought to emergency preparedness, I decided on it as a necessary piece of equipment. What do you have? Any suggestions?
I currently have a Smith & Wesson rescue fixed blade knife. Thus far, I've been impressed with it while using it to teach my young son some basic skills - like starting a fire, or cleaning fish, etc. But, eventually, I'd like to get something a bit more substantial.
I don't want to spend a mint and I'm not some crazed doomsday prepper. But, I'd rather have a few simple things to be somewhat prepared, than nothing at all.
A Cold Steel SRK has been a part of my kit for about five years and I love it. It doesn't offer as big of a blade as some other knives out there, but I think it is a great compromise between capability and mobility, and it isn't ridiculously expensive.
I have used it many times as a camp knife for everything from preparing food to fire-building (including lots of batoning for kindling). I've certainly worn a lot of the powder coat off of it with all the use, but it still takes an edge well and is my go-to utility knife when I'm outdoors.
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I'm no wilderness survival expert, but the Instructors I work with at 88 Tactical who are, also recommend ESEE knives. 88 Tactical is an authorized dealer for ESEE and may be able to get you a really good price on one. If your interested contact Dave at dhenson@88tactical.com
- Shawn
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What I carry is a Buck CSAR T. It is pricey if you can find one. It's a first responder type with a 154CM stainless steel modified Tanto blade. It was rated #1 in Field& Stream 2010. It is a folder with glass breaker, belt cutter, and a hex driver for various tools. This thing is built for rugged duty. Comes with a nice sheath. Amazon carries them for $65 which is considerably cheaper than I paid. check it out.
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My BOB has an Aitor Jungle King 11 its made in spain. You don't see them much, but great blade and loaded with goodies.
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ESEE X3. U.S. made. Lifetime warranty. Excellent knives in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. I particularly like the ESEE 3 for an all around woods knife.
Edit: I would NOT want a folding knife for a "survival" or woods knife.
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Thanks for the input everyone. Seems I have some shopping to do. Currently, I'm considering the ESEE 3 and the Ontario Rat 3. Now, any recommendations for knife retailers online?
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Thanks for the input everyone. Seems I have some shopping to do. Currently, I'm considering the ESEE 3 and the Ontario Rat 3. Now, any recommendations for knife retailers online?
http://www.jsesurvival.com/ (http://www.jsesurvival.com/) has about the best prices on ESEE's that I've seen.
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Thanks for the input everyone. Seems I have some shopping to do. Currently, I'm considering the ESEE 3 and the Ontario Rat 3. Now, any recommendations for knife retailers online?
I strongly suggest that you reconsider relying on < 4" blade as a "survival knife." That blade length really limits the knife's usefulness in firemaking and other camp and survival tasks (e.g., a 4" spear point seems awfully short).
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I strongly suggest that you reconsider relying on < 4" blade as a "survival knife." That blade length really limits the knife's usefulness in firemaking and other camp and survival tasks (e.g., a 4" spear point seems awfully short).
Check out this video on the topic from Nutnfancy:
"Why Big Knives Don't Suck" by Nutnfancy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpKNfhpAPV0#ws)
I don't find myself as far down the "big" end of the continuum as Nutnfancy does, but I sure wouldn't want to go any smaller than my SRK for the knife that I am potentially relying on to save my life.
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I strongly suggest that you reconsider relying on < 4" blade as a "survival knife." That blade length really limits the knife's usefulness in firemaking and other camp and survival tasks (e.g., a 4" spear point seems awfully short).
A. The term "survival knife" is a lot like the term "assault weapon" - poorly defined and frequently misused
B. I have "survival knives" that range in size from a relatively small Mora to 36" machetes
C. Across that collection of knives, the one that absolutely gets used the most is my ESEE 3
D. The overall blade length of the ESEE 3 is 3 7/8"
E. I can't once recall thinking, "I really need another 1/8" of blade to accomplish this task"
Now, I'll grant you that the ESEE 3 isn't a great chopper. How often does one NEED to chop wood to survive?
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70 bucks for this knife! Gerber LMF II survival knife. come with a locking sheath so yo can carry it on a molle vest upside down, also come with a leg attachment straps, built in blade sharpener, seatbelt/safety strap cutter, blade is full length and end cap is a window breaker, handle is insulated against AC for cutting lines with voltage, 4.85 inch blade handle has 3 pre-drilled holes for attaching to pole or stick for use as a spear.
http://www.brownells.com/shooting-accessories/knives-amp-personal-defense/knives/gerber-lmf-ii-survival-knife-prod42420.aspx (http://www.brownells.com/shooting-accessories/knives-amp-personal-defense/knives/gerber-lmf-ii-survival-knife-prod42420.aspx)
Gerber LMF II Review - Best Survival Knife for the Money? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rd-Wq1q2J0#ws)
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I use my knife to baton wood for kindling every single time that I go camping, because I don't want to have to lug an axe around to do the job. When my wife and I were camping in rainy, near-freezing conditions at Wildcat Hills SRA last year, having the ability to split wood to get to the dry stuff in the middle was the difference between us being able to comfortably shelter in place and packing up and going home.
To respond to your snarky comment (e), I don't think a four-inch blade is long enough, either. And yes, frankly, there have been times when I was using my SRK with its six-inch blade and wished that I had a Trail Master and its nine-inch blade with me instead. Like I said above, though, I think the SRK is a good compromise between capability and mobility.
Begging your pardon. I didn't mean for my comment to sound "snarky" ... just funny.
I don't use a hatchet or camp axe to split wood. I use my knife (usually the ESEE 3). The only time I split wood with anything other than a knife is in my yard when I'm busting up big logs with a splitting axe. Hatchets and camp axes are used for CHOPPING wood. To someone unfamiliar with the difference between splitting and chopping that may sound like the same thing. It isn't.
My point is this - one does not need some Rambo-sized knife to have a perfectly functional camping/survival/woods knife. If you like carrying the weight, by all means carry a bigger knife. I'm just saying that it isn't necessary.
Additionally, you may want to avoid knives with serrated edges for woods work. It's extremely difficult to make a featherstick, for example, using a knife with a serrated edge.
I guess you could say I have some fairly well-formed opinions about camp knives. (Can we call them that instead of 'survival' knives?) I've been using them for 40+ years and I've figured out what works and what doesn't - mostly the hard way.
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Begging your pardon. I didn't mean for my comment to sound "snarky" ... just funny.
It was funny. :)
I don't use a hatchet or camp axe to split wood. I use my knife (usually the ESEE 3). The only time I split wood with anything other than a knife is in my yard when I'm busting up big logs with a splitting axe. Hatchets and camp axes are used for CHOPPING wood. To someone unfamiliar with the difference between splitting and chopping that may sound like the same thing. It isn't.
My point is this - one does not need some Rambo-sized knife to have a perfectly functional camping/survival/woods knife. If you like carrying the weight, by all means carry a bigger knife. I'm just saying that it isn't necessary.
I agree with your general sentiment, which is why I opt for an SRK (8.2 oz) instead of a much heavier but more capable Trail Master (16.7 oz) or something like that. I don't agree that the difference between the ESEE 3 (5.2 oz) and my SRK, a difference of exactly three ounces, makes my choice a "Rambo knife" and yours the high-speed, low-drag option.
I'm not out felling trees with my knife (so far), but it is nice to have an inch or two of purchase with the baton when splitting a three-inch log for the fire.
Additionally, you may want to avoid knives with serrated edges for woods work. It's extremely difficult to make a featherstick, for example, using a knife with a serrated edge.
Absolutely agree.
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An important part of a survival knife to me is the guard. That is the part of the knife that keeps your hand on the handle, no matter what. At 56, I am over getting hurt by my own equipment (I hope)
Look for a survival knife that is Mil Spec M9. That will also fit on your AR15 bayonet lug.
Here is a good one for around 100 bucks.
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When Comrade Feinstein says "what do you need a bayonet lug for???" Say "for my bayonet!!!!!".
http://www.amazon.com/Ontario-490-Bayonet-System-Green/dp/B000Q9F7LM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1361937273&sr=8-2&keywords=bayonet+survival+m9 (http://www.amazon.com/Ontario-490-Bayonet-System-Green/dp/B000Q9F7LM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1361937273&sr=8-2&keywords=bayonet+survival+m9)
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41cqT7TN1WL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
http://www.amazon.com/Ontario-6143-Bayonet-System-Black/dp/B001C3WXJ0/ref=pd_bxgy_sg_img_z (http://www.amazon.com/Ontario-6143-Bayonet-System-Black/dp/B001C3WXJ0/ref=pd_bxgy_sg_img_z)
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/412JC9PfO6L._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
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This isn't an issue as much when camping, but there is something to keep in mind with a BOB. I keep a bag in my car, especially in winter, that has what I may need to get through a night or two. A knife with a blade longer than 3.5" is a weapon and cannot be concealed so you couldn't have it inside the pack. You can put it on the strap if you have a way to do that, but anything longer than that and inside the bag will be a concealed weapon if you are pulled over and the bag is in the passenger compartment.
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A lot of great information here. I agree (mostly) with the small debate. But, I think the semantics of this particular tool has little to do with form, rather than function. In other words, it isn't what we are using, but, how we are using it. The knife will primarily be used for camping, but, can be thrown in a BOB should the unfortunate need arise. Camp knife/Survival knife. Reason being, at that point, I will (hopefully) be familiar with its capabilities and will have taught my son how to use it efficiently for certain tasks.
Either way, I like how you guys are thinking. Some great points made there.
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ESEE Junglas is a great chopper, do some research though - you can buy a cheap machete that will chop just as well and last just as many lifetimes, and is much cheaper. ;)
A folding saw is better for some jobs (and saves lots of calories). BAHCO, Silky, and Sierra Saw are great to take with you camping or to put in a bug out bag or survival kit. For home use get a beefier saw and big axe.
I'd also recommend an additional smaller knife with around a 4" 1095 carbon steel blade and "Scandi" grind, made in Sweden. They just cut better than anything else, ask Mors Kochanski, Ray Mears, Cody Lundin, Les Stroud, Dave Canterbury, or me, and you can get one for less than $15! ;)
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P.S. You can't go wrong with most of the above-mentioned knives (at least RAT, ESEE, etc.), but I'd avoid Gerbers like the plague, as recently they have been using inferior steel (420HC instead of the old 12c27), and their quality has gone down bigtime since they were bought out by Fiskars.
That having been said, I'd still get a Mora Companion MG or something along those lines as a backup anyway, because they are super sharp, super light, perfectly heat treated 1095 carbon steel, and at a price point below $15 almost anyone can afford to throw one in every car, toolbox, and bug out bag.
Can't go wrong with these little beauties, and I have been abusing 3 of them to see what they can take. So far they are all laughing at me.
If anyone wants to compare "Bug Out Bag" contents and choices that would be an interesting thread!
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I have a Rat 5 which I carry in my truck bag. The thing is razor sharp, and the blade is equivalent of a sharpened pry bar at 1/4" thick, and has a detente for bow & drill fire starting.
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Drop by my preparedness seminar at the Members Meeting for a discussion of "survival" knives, among other preparedness topics.