Recommend camp/hiking knife

[Bruenor]

I thought I'd ask the knife experts. I'm looking for a all purpose knife for camping and hiking. Something that I could use if I was backpacking on a trail for a week by myself. I currently have a SOG Seal Pup, which I like, but wanted to get some other recommendations. I'd like suggestions in the following price ranges.

1) Under $100
2) $100 - $200
3) $200 - $350

Thanks in advance.

 

[GreatLakes]

under 100 - I have the gerber lmf - nice total package if you want easy access (the thigh straps are pretty comfortable even for heavy hiking) and it handles being perpetually wet for a week really well. I also have the rat 3 (now by esee), it's lightweight, perfect for shoulder strap mounting and as long as you keep it oiled, indestructible.

 

[grunt soldier]

for the under a hundred bucks, i would go with a becker of some sort bk2 bk7 bk5, or a couple of esee's even.

for 100-200 range, a lot of the bigger esees's the 5, 6, or junglass, a good amount of tops blades, a lot of bark river knives, the bravo 1 or bravo 2 or gunny even or the golok, grayman knives would be a good option also. a lot of nice custom makers on bladeforums, scrap yard knives, or swamp rat, ect ect

for 200-350 you can get in to a lot of good busse knives, i just saw a bushwacker mistress w/ sheath go for 345 shipped, higher end scrap yards and swamp rats like the m9 or m6 ect, a lot of good striders fixed blades in this range, you have a lot of options and the sweet part about this is you can use the **** out of most these knives and still usually sell them for around what you have in them.

honestly it all depends on a lot of stuff like, big or small hands, actual uses (batoning, wood processing, shelter building, or are you trying to carve spoons, process food and game, what handle shapes are comfortable to you ect.

either way you have a ton of options depending on what you want to spend and i would say for sure get with knifelady at one of the gun shows or meet up with her and just hold some different blades to see how each one feels in your hands in multiple different grips.

 

[sajnaj]

Gerber lmf has served me well

 

[Shoots4Fun]

For under $100, I'd go for the Ontario RTAK II.

The sheath works well for hiking and the knife is a terrific value for the money. Stays sharp, can chop about anything you need, including batoning wood, the handle is comfortable and overall the knife is just plain bad a$$ and awesome.

My ...

My buddy has a Becker BK2 and it is great as well as Grunt Soldier recommended.

 

[Sailor]

BK 2 for under a hundred bucks

 

[Boomstick]

under $100 Id go for Becker BK2 or ESEE3, BK2 is heavy and thick but will survive anything.

$1-200 I'd go Esee4, awesome combo of size and weight, plus close to the $100 end of things, my personal choice and my Fav knife ever is my Swamp Rat Knife Works RatManDu, about $160 for knife and good sheath. Will never camp/hike with another knife ever again.

 

[Squib]

Camping for a week is one thing; backpacking is a whole lot different. I'm kinda retired from backpacking now, but when I was out there total weight became an obsession, especially when I had to take extra water.

I'd be looking at some skeletonized blades, too. Good luck.

 

[DanO]

SOG seal revolver. Very strong as it is one piece of steel which the handle wraps around. You get a clip blade and a saw in one. I try to get all of my camping/backpacking gear to have multiple functions to cut down on weight.

And... You can NEVER go wrong witha MORA knife. Light, sharper than Sinatra in a sharkskin suit, and useful shapes.

 

[jeremy]

ESEE 4 love this knife, the only complaint I can say against it after a year in Afghanistan with it is that I would like to see a 1/2" added to the handle...

Had a Gerber LMF for about 3 months...
I found it to be the Prince of Mediocre Knives. It worked alright, just not what I felt comfortable with placing my life on its capabilities....

 

[teddy12b]

1) Under $100 http://www.amazon.com/Schrade-SCHF1SM-Extreme-Survival-One-Piece/dp/B0038A4YCY/ref=acc_glance_hi_ai_ps_t_4

If you're talking camping and using the knife, then you shouldn't be spending more than $100 unless you just really want to.

 

[grunt soldier]

If you're talking camping and using the knife, then you shouldn't be spending more than $100 unless you just really want to.

why is this? whats your reasoning behind that statement? thats like me saying if your talking self defense and using the gun then you should be spending more than 220 dollars on a high point, unless you just really want to.

you definitely get what you pay for. there is no way around that. if you buy junk it may function well for a bit but regardless its still junk and it will probably fail on you when you need it most, thats the nature of the game. i'm not saying you need to go all out and buy a randall or anything

 

[teddy12b]

why is this? whats your reasoning behind that statement? thats like me saying if your talking self defense and using the gun then you should be spending more than 220 dollars on a high point, unless you just really want to.

you definitely get what you pay for. there is no way around that. if you buy junk it may function well for a bit but regardless its still junk and it will probably fail on you when you need it most, thats the nature of the game. i'm not saying you need to go all out and buy a randall or anything

I didn't want the OP to feel like he had to buy a knife for hundreds of dollars just to go camping. Of course if you spend more on a quality piece you're going to get a better product, but how hard core of a knife do you really need when camping in Indiana? There's plenty of people out there camping with a $20 Mora knife or some similar cheapo. There's a lot of great options out there that are well under the $100 mark like the Sog seal pup he mentioned having, or the old tried and true Kabar, a sog northwest ranger, ontario Rat, and the list goes on. It's easy to get overly wrapped up in the gear and not the job. Any of those knives would do camping chores with ease. There's better knives out there but for camping, do we really need some custom blade costing a couple hundred bucks?

You're arguement on the high point is doesn't seem like we're talking apples to apples here. Camping vs combat isn't really the same game. If he said he was going to take the knife overseas I'd have said not to buy a knife under $100 and preferably $150 or more just to make sure he had something of great quality. I spent a lot of time deciding what knife to take with me before I deployed back in '03 and I dropped almost $200 on a D2 kabar because it was quality steel and the sheath is exactly what I wanted. I also dropped around $150 give or take a little on an emerson p-sark with the wave feature. Those were working tools that got used and abused.

I hope that helps explain where I'm coming from on buying a knife for camping. Lets be honest here, camping in Indiana doesn't require the most tacticool bad@$$ magpul knife of the year to go sleep on flat land in a tent. If he were going into harms way then absolutely spend the money on quality. If he wants something better than $100 can buy then absolutely buy something better, but I just don't to make the guy think that he absolutely has to buy some expensive knife just to split a few little logs for a small campfire, or to cut some fishing line or rope.

 

[DanO]

Well Said, Ted.

 

[grunt soldier]

i can see what your saying there. and i don't buy a lot of tactical knives. they aren't really my style. i have a lot of moras and other lower end knives that i enjoy using also but if i'm going on a week long camping trip i would want a knife that i was sure wouldn't break (though to be honest i would never just have one knife on me as i'm kinda a junky lol just kinda though) i see you points and respect that. i was under the impression you were just saying there was no need to spend more on a better knife. a lot of the gun folks on this forum come over here and say blah i could never spend that much money on a knife because thats just insane, who needs a knife like that blah blah blah blah, but then they turn around and drop 2k on a new super duper ar15 because a plain jane one just wasn't as good.

also my reason i take a trusty couple knives with me is I'm off the beaten path usually and its definitely not combat but if i became injured or something happened i would still want my knife to be able to handle the tasks required. just in case murphy rares his head. i have bad luck though lol

 

[drbarnes]

Depends on what youre lookin for, light? Big? Do it all?

go for a knife with good steel and heat treat

< 100 scrapyard 511
100-200 any ESEE (6, junglas), brkt (fox river, aurora, bravo), blind horse (bushcrafter), scrapyard son of dogfather or any scrapyard or swamprat in this range
200-350 Busse B11 or BWM DSF Sarsquatch...

 

[Steve]

A mid range Ka Bar or Gerber will do the job for you and last a lifetime. I have a few different ones and would trust any of them. Just be sure to get a full tang and a handle that feels good to you. You'll spend well under $100.00 and have plenty of $ left over to buy a good tomahawk. Now, you've got the best of both worlds.

 

[EvilKidsMeal]

not much of a knife guy (love knives, just don't know much) but for well under $100 you could go with the classic Buck 119 Special. I haven't put really any strain on mine yet, but it is a super nice knife for the price. and razor sharp out of the box. and its a full tang, its just not visible like other full tang blades. the only downside is the handle doesnt have any special grip on it (can get slippery).

i'm also looking at getting a Becker BK-2. which has been mentioned a few times and i have heard nothing but good, elsewhere.

Of course the BK-2 is only a few more dollars depending on where you find it. Amazon has one for 58 and free shipping. So might as well get that since it is much tougher.

I got the 119 because it was readily available near me and i didn't feel like ordering/paying for shipping on the BK-2 until i found a better deal on it.

 

[Lead Head]

Check this link as an option.

Hand Ax

A lightweight hand axe/hatchet like the SOG Hand Axe weighs in at 18.6 oz. and would probably be one of my choices for backpacking. For me, a knife is for defense, cutting fish/meat etc. Chopping wood, building a shelter, etc. might be more efficient with a hatchet but don't tell the bushcrafters.

I know you asked for three knife categories but a fourth category for hiking/camping might be worth your consideration.

 

[gunman41mag]

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