Survival Knives and Tomahawks

What To Look For In a Camping Knife

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Camping Knife

When preparing for your next big camping trip, you might be thinking about upgrading your old camping knife to something better.

 It’s important to consider a number of key factors while shopping for your next camping knife, so consider the following points before you make your purchase. 

Folding vs. fixed blades


Make sure you consider the primary purpose that your knife is going to serve when shopping for the idea camping knife. You can’t expect a single knife to do too much.

As a general rule, more heavy-duty tasks should not be performed with a folding blade. You might want to get a smaller folding knife for lighter tasks like whittling and opening packages, and look for a fixed blade camping knife that will be well-suited to more rigorous jobs and survival situations.

Benchmade fixed blade 162

Bushcrafter 162 Fixed Outdoor

Knives with fixed blades also lack the weak point of a hinge, offering better leverage for tasks such as trimming firewood.

For the strongest possible construction, opt for a blade that has a full tang, or one continuous piece of metal running from the blade all the way to the end of the handle.

Different types of blade steel

The metal that your camping knife is made of is highly important, and should be a core factor in determining which knife to buy. Camping and bushcraft knives usually come in two types of steel: High carbon steel and stainless steel.

Steel-Hardness-Chart

High carbon steel blades can offer advantages such as affordability and a higher level of hardness that helps them stay sharper over time. However, high carbon steel has very poor rust resistance. 

Stainless steel will not only prevent rust from becoming an issue, but it’s less likely to leach metal into your food as well.

Since you’ll probably want to use your camping knife for a variety of tasks that include food prep or other exposure to moisture, stainless steel will likely be the better fit.

Adequate but moderate blade length

While it might be tempting to think that bigger is better when it comes to camping knives, an oversized blade will only get in your way. Four inches is a good size limit for a camping blade, and will be able to handle most jobs that you’ll encounter during your camping trip. 

legal-blade-length

Keep local regulations in mind as well when choosing your camping knife, especially since acceptable blade lengths will vary depending on whether the blade is hinged or fixed. Enter your text here...

To Recap:

When you’re shopping for your ideal camping knife, first consider what you’ll be using the knife for. If you’ve got tons of firestarters and pre-packaged items to take on your camping trip, you might simply need a good folding knife. 

If you’re going to be using your knife for everything from cutting kindling to fireside food prep, opt for a fixed blade knife instead.

Additionally, make sure you choose the type of steel that offers the precise advantages that you want. If sharpness matters more to you than durability and food safety, then high carbon steel might be for you. Otherwise, opt for stainless steel. 

Lastly, check up on local regulations and then decide upon the ideal blade length for your knife. Don’t go overboard, since oversized knives can be unwieldy and weigh you down.

20 Uses for a Pocket Knife

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20 Uses for a Pocket Knife And Why You Need One

What do all great people have in common? Was it the books they read, the prestigious universities they attended, or the way their accomplishments changed the world?

No. They've all carried pocket knives.

While historians may not be able to back up that claim with either science or facts, it is true that pocket knives as we know them have been around in some form since at least the 1500s.

If you go back even further to the First Century CE, archaeologists have found evidence that Roman soldiers carried folded knives with them, making them the first people to have literal knives made for their pockets.

Throughout all these years, pocket knives, or EDC (every day carry) knives, have been used by people from all walks of life.

Famers, soldiers, boy scouts, doctors, lawyers, astronauts, stock brokers on Wall Street, hermits living in the forest, to name a few, have all found uses for these versatile knives.

That the US government has issued them to soldiers and sailors since the Civil War attests to their utility in all walks of life. 

Quick Navigation
The Beauty of a Pocket Knife
20 Uses
Box opening is not a problem
Make cutting fruit an enjoyable past time
Sharpen pencils with precision
Cut any rope
Shave off some hair
Cutting steak is no problem
Camping is no problem
Picking stuff out of your teeth
Revive the lost art of whittling
Fishing is made much easier
Cleaning and cutting your nails
Breaking open a car window
Vegetable peeling with ease
Bottle opening when bottle openers aren't around
Breaking down boxes
Reviving the lost art of letter opening
Opening cans
Wire cutting and stripping
Protect yourself if you need to
Conclusion

The Beauty of a Pocket Knife

Whereas most tools have limited functions, they are unique in that they can be used in countless ways for many different situations.

Though times have changed drastically since that first Roman soldier stuffed a folded knife into his pocket, we can still find hundreds of uses for them in our modern lives.

Every day brings about new opportunities for using pocket knives. Whether you need to open an envelope, cut some rope, or whittle away at a good-sized branch, here are twenty ways you can use them.

20 Uses

1.

Box opening is not a problem

Boxes may come in all shapes and sizes, but they're all held together by tape, staples, or glue.


Maybe you received a package in the mail, or perhaps you've just moved and now have to unpack all your stuff; whatever the case may be, pocket knives can be your trusty companions when you need to open boxes.


2.

Make cutting fruit an enjoyable past time

Sometimes you don't have a kitchen knife to cut an apple or peach. Or maybe you simply don't want to cut your fruit with any old knife. No matter the reason, they are always available when some fruit needs cutting.


3.

Sharpen pencils with precision

Many artists know that sometimes pencil sharpeners aren't the best tools for the job. To get certain line textures or shading, sometimes pencils have to be sharpened in particular ways that standard sharpeners can't do.


 They can come in extra handy when you want to sharpen a pencil in just the right way for your next art project.

4.

Cut any rope

Are you ever in a situation where you have a rope that needs some cutting? Is everyone staring in quiet desperation at a rope that's just too long? You can be the hero by pulling out your knife and cutting as much rope as you want.

5.

Shave off some hair

Maybe you're camping, or perhaps you were in a rush in the morning and forgot to shave. They may not be the ideal choice, but you can use pocket knives for shaving in a pinch.

arm shave with knife

The only things you'll need are water, some soap, and a reasonably steady hand and you can shave with the blade turned at an angle almost parallel to your skin.

6.

Cutting steak is no problem

Restaurant steak knives are used hundreds, maybe even thousands, of times more than what you have at home. Because of this, it's no wonder they don't cut nearly as well as you'd like.


Pocket knives, however, won't have this problem. Flip it open, start cutting, and enjoy your snake. Everyone else will be staring at you with envy.

7.

Camping is no problem

Like a toothbrush and toothpaste, or cell phones and robocalls, pocket knives and camping were made for each other. There is perhaps an infinite number of uses you'll find for pocket knives when you go camping.


Eating a hot dog fresh off the campfire, opening bean cans, whittling away at sticks, and cutting ropes (it's surprising the number of times you'll be confronted with ropes in your life), pocket knives are your best friends on camping trips.


If MacGyver can go into the forest and make a shopping mall out of a toothpick, imagine what you can do with a pocket knife the next time you're out in the woods.

camping and adventure with a knife
8.

Picking stuff out of your teeth

Speaking of MacGyver and toothpicks, pocket knives are perfect for picking food from out between your teeth. Toothpicks, made from fragile wood that either easily breaks or gets soggy, are no match for the tooth gap cleaning ability of these knives.


 Even if you want to use a toothpick, they're not always around when you need them. Pocket knives, however, are always handy when you need to make sure your teeth are free from the afternoon's lunch.

9.

Revive the lost art of whittling

Sadly, whittling is becoming a lost art form. It used to be that people killed time by carving wood into various tools and designs, all the while letting their minds wonder upon the great mysteries of life. You and your pocket knife can make sure this age-old tradition lives on wherever you go.

knife whittling
10.

Fishing is made much easier

Fishers all over the world can make great use of pocket knives. You can use your knife to chop up bait, cut even the most robust fishing lines, gut the fish you catch, and then fillet them.


Its small size and portability mean you don't have to fumble around with a large knife that's capable of only a fraction of what pocket knives can do.

11.

Cleaning and cutting your nails

Have you ever looked down at your hands and marveled at how much dirt you have underneath your fingernails? Pocket knives are perfect for getting all that grime out from beneath your nails, wherever you may be.


And if you have no clippers around, as is sometimes the case, you can use one of these knives to trim your nails down to a manageable size.

foldable pocket knife


12.

Breaking open a car window

There may be a time in your life when you need to break open a car window. The occasions may be life or death situations, and one of these knives can be the only thing that can save you.


Contrary to popular belief, you'll need to strike with some considerable force at the edge of the window. Rest assured, however, that if you do, that window will break.

13.

Vegetable peeling with ease

Sure, you can fumble through a kitchen drawer looking for a vegetable peeler that you may or may not have, or you can use an EDC knife.


 Or maybe you're out in the wilderness, and the only thing between you and starvation is an unpeeled zucchini.


Pocket knives are always there for you when the outer layers of vegetables are getting in the way.

14.

Bottle opening when bottle openers aren't around

Many pocket knives come with bottle openers attached to them. Even if they don't, a carefully wielded EDC knife blade can take the cap right off a bottle without any problem. Just work the blade under the bottle cap and around the rim and it'll come off in no time.

opening a bottle with a knife
15.

Breaking down boxes

Remember those boxes from before? Just as pocket knives opened them up, they can also tear them down when they're no longer needed. Just cut along the edges and soon that formerly three-dimensional box will be flat as a pancake.

16.

Reviving the lost art of letter opening

Most of the mail we receive nowadays isn't heartfelt messages from friends, but usually something we wish we didn't get. However, we still receive mail on most days, and those envelopes still need to be opened.


A letter opener has only one use, opening letters. Pocket knives, however, have countless applications, which also includes letter opening.

17.

Opening cans

Maybe you're camping, or perhaps you feel like, but pocket knives can easily open up cans. Some of these knives come with actual can openers, but their blades can also easily make a lid for a metal can. Just stab it through and cut around the rim, and you'll soon have it open.

opening a can with a knife
18.

Wire cutting and stripping

An EDC knife can quickly strip a wire's sheathing or cut it entirely. Wirework of any sort is almost impossible without a sound, portable cutter at hand. Regardless of the project or your experience, pocket knives are an essential part of electrical work.

19.

Protect yourself if you need to

Pocket knives are better than nothing when your life is on the line. They may be small, but their sharp blades can still protect you from people who would do you harm. It's a small measure of security for something you hopefully never need.

Conclusion

Pocket knives are better than nothing when your life is on the line. They may be small, but their sharp blades can still protect you from people who would do you harm. It's a small measure of security for something you hopefully never need.

close combat armor

EDC knives are incredible tools with a nearly unlimited number of uses. It doesn't matter what your job is or what you do daily; these little knives can be trusted companions for anyone at any time. The next time you go outside, remember to take your pocket knife and enjoy the many benefits it can bring.