OK - Maybe only moderators can add a pollSo up to you ........ If you want one added to this thread post the exact questions below and I will add it - Or set up a new thread
Add one if you like - The buttons at the top should allow you to do this - If you can't do this let me know the precise questions and I will add!I can adjust the title to say "poll added" as well, which might help.I like your choices Shuya - But I like the sound of your trips in the outdoors even more And very impressed with the '+child' arrangements Your ice axe sounds nice and light - I guess it's a glacier hiking axe? ...... Mine's not too bad But my ice climbing axes weigh a ton!! They are not very modern!Do you really solo in the Alps? Can't say I have ever done that (But have done Winter Scotland soloing). Isn't that a bit limiting eg No roped up partner for glacier traverses etcOr is it more lower level stuff?
I'm definetely no seasoned pro hiker/outdoorsman, but I cannot get my head around a vic classic sd being enough for the woods. I understand the need to have a light of a kit as possible but I dunno, classics seem to flimsy for me for the woods. Personally, I think that an 111 OH Forester os the bare minimum, if u need to groom yourself add the Victorinox nail clipper to the lanyard. However, if, and only if, a knife+scissors+nail file+tweezers is really what you absolutely just need ,then the Leatherman Style CS is BY FAR the better choice than a classic. Stronger bigger knife, much more usable scissors with more leverage, better tweezers, and all with a carabiner included and by no means considerably heavier than a classic. Mind you, I am not saying this from a leatherman fanboy standpoint ( just look at my sig, I am most definetely a Vic guy,- I EDC one every day) but credit to where credit is due, the Style is a much better choice than most of the smaller Vics, hands down.
Another bump, as I've been thinking about this topic lately. I carried a lot of different tools but I hardly ever used most tool implements. I mostly use the knife to cut food, and screwdriver and pliers to make adjustments/small repairs on my gear (tripod and spikes for example). I still like to have a saw while hiking in the woods. With all that in mind, i guess all i really need is a Vic Hiker and a Knipex Cobra XS. If I feel comfortable though carrying only these, is an entirely different story
Why not give it a try? In the old days, all they needed was a traditional folder.A Hiker, or its larger counterpart... a Trekker is all you really need. I feel more resourceful when I'm not carrying a big tool set. Outside your comfort zone is where the magic happens.
I guess it depends on what you're referring to as "the old days"... They certainly may have carried folding knives as well, but I believe a fixed blade hunting/skinning/butcher knife was pretty standard gear for a 19th-century mountain man. However, my understanding is that these knives were used primarily for skinning and cleaning animals, as well as related food preparation activities. They were not "bushcraft knives" as the term is commonly used and understood today.If all a modern leave no trace hiker or camper needs is to open their foil packets of freeze dried food, then a Vic Classic or small pen knife will be up to the task.I know some very experienced hikers and campers who carry nothing more than a folding knife. I know others (including myself) who generally also carry a fixed blade and sometimes additional tools as well, mostly because it makes us feel more prepared. To be frank, though, I don't think I've ever truly needed more than a folding knife blade and a can opener when hiking or camping, so theoretically I suppose I could get away with just an Alox Bantam. However, I have gotten some value out of having an awl, and I do like to have scissors (mostly for personal grooming), but even at that a Climber, Super Tinker, or Pioneer X should not leave me wanting.Axes and full-size saws are nice to have when car camping if a large fire is planned, but not worth the weight and bulk if everything has to be carried.I've found OHO/OHC knives are handy around camp, simply because of the speed with which they can be deployed, used, closed, and returned to the pocket (even faster than a fixed blade IMO), and because this can be done without having to put down what one might be holding or carrying in the other hand.Camping of late, I have generally carried a Farmer X (while I probably wouldn't miss the saw if I dropped down to a Pioneer X, the saw layer adds minimal weight and bulk, and perhaps I'll use it someday) and a Myerchin BF300 Captain. The Captain is useful for the OHO/OHC functionality as described above, and the marlin spike has been convenient to have as well. I'll have a fixed blade in my backpack, but have yet to run across anything that the folders couldn't handle. (As an aside, the blade of the Captain is noticeably wider and thicker than the blade of the Farmer X, but the edge length is only slightly longer.I'm not aware of any professional survival gurus or instructors who recommend only a folder, but they are typically trying to live or teach others how to live off the land in a way that is pretty far removed from most of our hiking and camping experiences.If I had many miles to cover and or were worried about weight, I wouldn't feel bad about ditching the fixed blade and Myerchin, and carrying just the Farmer X (and my backup Alox Bantam of course).
I like the Skele but I have a thing against removable bits when outdoors so I say eliminate that one at least.Can you put up photos? I don't know SAK models very well...
Ok... Time for some advice from you wonderful people. In a couple of weeks I'm going to go car camping... Glamping even. Low impact. I'm packing as if I'm staying in a hotel. I've already packed several knives, and I need your help in narrowing it down to two. Or one, if that is at all possible. - 5 inch folding hunter that I wish I got more use out of in the days when I'd lash together camp furniture and cooking tripods. - the pioneer X that I've been using for most everything, and is in my pocket right now- Skeletool- Vic one handed TrekkerAnticipated uses - none. Potential uses - everything. Realistic uses - whittling pointed sticksOther available tools - basically all kitchen tools. A hatchet. Well equipped IFAK.
But what I mean to point out about the old days is that Swiss Army Knives or Scout Knives were rarely the go-to knife, despite being ostensibly more versatile. As far as I've seen and heard, at least. Over the decades it seems that the blade-only options... Folding hunters, stockmen, trappers, and fixed blades always seemed the tools of choice by far.
Funnily enough, since yesterday I've been rethinking my carry. After much pondering, arranging, and sorting... I'm considering having a crack at the Bantam for EDC.
Bolded get my vote. You are familiar with your PX so why not have a little fun with the others? I love to use my fixed blade regardless of which model I bring for food prep. I then use my other knife for having some knife fun at camp. I love to bring a variety with my especially when car camping. I have the space and it gives me a great excuse to use knives that have sat dormant. I don't have the same trees he has but its always fun to make things while out even if just to improve your knife skills. https://youtu.be/kla_UWs6JW8
I can agree with that. Perhaps it is due to:Tradition - All other things being equal, there is always some resistance to change, and folks may be more likely to have carried what they were used to, and or what they saw fathers, grandfathers, etc. using.Availability - In the days before the internet, the local hardware or farm store probably had a selection of Case or Schrade or Camillus, whereas SAKs may have been somewhat harder to find.Utility - Unless you have some more technical gear that is held together with screws or bolts (thinking skis, crampons, sleds, snowmobiles, maybe climbing equipment), the value of a screwdriver, wrench, or pliers in the wilderness is limited IMO. Cans (and a can opener) are convenient when car camping, but the weight and bulk of canned goods aren't the best choice for backpacking. However, additional blades are always welcome for food and or wood use.If you don't need the scissors and don't have much need for a Phillips screwdriver, the Bantam is a lot of functionality in a single-layer knife.Just my opinion, YMMV, but, BLUF, I'd be OK with only the PX.The Skeletool KBX brings nothing to the party that isn't covered by any of the other knives. This is the first one I'd leave at home.Between the OHT and PX, it comes down to saw vs. scissors, OHO vs. not, and the weight and size difference. I use the scissors a lot, but not the saw. Also, since you'll have a hatchet along, a small saw is less valuable than it might otherwise be. OHO is nice to have, but not critical. The OHT is 40% heavier than the PX. Advantage: PXAs for the folding hunter, it is hard to make a case for needing it. It's bit on the large side for whittling, but there's something about sitting around a campfire with a traditional knife.
I vote Trekker - bigger size and decent saw. (until I see the Hunter)
. Our go to blades are that for a reason. Dependable and familiar when we reach for them. We know their strengths and we can work within and at times up to the very edge ( no pun ). The folding hunter is gorgeous. Steak knife it is. I love having a SAK in my pocket when camping. Its hard not to bring one since I know their capabilities so well. Have some fun trying knots while out. Great way to pass time while foods cooking. We very much enjoy car camping as a way to get out yet not be bound by only what we can carry. The foods a lot better too. Both my partner and I enjoy using whatever knife we've got on us for prep. I've even used a small hatchet with not so good results . She forgot her Eldris last time out which would have been fun to use.
I like to bring a variety out and split the day up so I can go thru a few of them. I do have my favorites but then I get a new fixed blade and the love affair begins all over again. Its fun and I have a great time playing with knives when out. There's no need to have as many fixed blades as I do but then again need has never had anything to do with having fun. I've got hunting knives and I've never hunted or plan on it. I call them my game processing knives ( steak/chicken/fish ) that we bring for dinner . My partner loves her Eldris. She's a massive Mora fan and her Heavy Duty is her go to. I have "higer end" fixed blades for her but theres no budging her which is fine by me. I got her the Eldris which she loves as a neck knife. Its cute but its a serious knife IMO.
Interesting knife! How does it do for digging tasks?
That's really cool, have you been able to try it out much yet? Does it perform okay at tasks you'd expect of a knife that size (light brush clearing and wood processing)?Holy smokes it's pretty cheap too, it's going on the list!...In my head I'm pairing it with Kunai
...Utility - Unless you have some more technical gear that is held together with screws or bolts (thinking skis, crampons, sleds, snowmobiles, maybe climbing equipment), the value of a screwdriver, wrench, or pliers in the wilderness is limited IMO. Cans (and a can opener) are convenient when car camping, but the weight and bulk of canned goods aren't the best choice for backpacking. However, additional blades are always welcome for food and or wood use....