There are many ways you can approach camping. You can go at it from a minimalist perspective and have with you just a knife, a tent, and some protein bars; you can go all out and bring along a stove, pots and pans, and all the food cans you can carry; you can even do glamping, a term that is a combination between glam and camping, which is a more modern approach to camping that involves sleeping in full size beds, high-end tents, and having all the modern amenities at your disposal. With that in mind, we recommend do you the thing that you believe suits you best, whatever you love more, you should go out and do it!
But whatever approach you choose, one’s thing for sure: you must have a knife with you! It is a great and indispensable tool. If you’re new to camping, today we’re going to take a look at 5 camping knives that would make a wonderful addition to your camping gear.
The Best Camping Knife
Before we get to the knives, let’s take a look at some of the most important traits that a camping knife should have. Just in case none of the knives we recommend below appeal to you, here is what you need to keep in mind when buying a camping knife.
- Choose a medium-sized knife. A camping knife will mostly be used for building fires, preparing food and cooking it, fishing, cutting and trimming bush, and even constructing shelter. A camping knife needs to be easily handled, which is why small or large knives aren’t the best idea.
- It needs to be light. You don’t want it flying out of your hands, so don’t go too light, but a heavy knife will tire your hands and make it hard to do the things you’re supposed to be doing with a knife.
- Go for simple blades. These days, brands put serration on pretty much every single knife out there. In the end, it basically comes down to preference, but I would advise you to start with a simple blade with no serration. It’s honestly the best type!
- Think of the scales, too. The handle of the knife also comes down to personal preference, but I would advise that if you’re new to camping and camping knives, you should get a textured rubber grip to maximize comfort and reduce slippage.
Victorinox Swiss Army Knives
Even a camping knife noob has seen or at least heard of Victorinox army knives. The iconic brand is this famous for a good reason: their knives are amazing. Depending on what type of activity you plan to do while camping, they have a wide range of knives for you. I recommend the Huntsman model, which has a sturdy and quite useful saw, as well as a parcel carrier, two blades, small scissors, and many other accessories. Out of all their range, this one is, in my opinion, the most well-rounded camping knife that will prove most useful while out in nature.
Bear Grylls Ultimate Fixed Blade Knife
This is a beautiful and versatile knife for camping or survival. Even though Bear Grylls is quite the controversial celebrity, and many survivalists flat out hate him, I have to admit that his partnership with Gerber has given birth to a wonderful tool that I can’t help but admire. If you don’t like the half serrated blade, you should know that there is a fine blade model that is identical to this one, in every other aspect. The knife also has a wonderful ergonomic and very grippy handle, as well as a ferro rod and striking notch, making it perfect for camping. And the orange color on it makes this knife easy to spot if you drop it or leave it on the ground. A real stunner!
TOPS/Buck Nighthawk
Just look at this beauty! This gorgeous Buck all-black fixed blade knife has a rubber handle and a black oxide coated blade that gives it an other-worldly appearance. The visible slots are for adjusting Oxygen bottles, as well as wire bending. This survival knife is for heavy-duty use, which means that you’ll get to enjoy it for years and years to come. What’s really cool and just an added bonus is that Buck knives are made in the USA! So if you love all American knives, Buck is the way to go!
Morakniv Companion
The Companion is one of Morakniv’s most popular knives, and for good reason. It’s the perfect tool for someone who’s new to knives, mainly because it’s very affordable and also because it’s so easy to use and uncomplicated. This simple knife has a blade that is made of Swedish stainless steel. It has a friction grip made of rubber which gives the knife good grip and a makes it feel safe in your hands. I highly recommend this if you’ve never owned a camping knife before and you don’t want to break the bank!
This knife is a stunner, if I may say so. It’s not a cheap knife, but it’s worth spending a few extra bucks the Benchmade quality. Aside from the Swiss army knife, this is the only folding knife on our list. It’s not because I don’t recommend them, they’re wonderful, I just personally prefer the sturdiness of a fixed blade knife. That said, Benchmade is a company that makes superb knives and whatever you choose from them, you will most definitely not be disappointed.
One of the coolest things Benchmark does is give you the ability to build your own custom knife over on their website. You can customize the color, blade, handle and build your perfect knife. It’s a bit pricey, but well worth it!
If there is anything you would like to add to this article, related to knives, blades of all kinds, or just about anything on camping, or if you’d like to share anything with us and our readers, please drop us a line in the comment section below. We love hearing from our readers!
Author Bio: John Stuart is a former knife collector (just TOO MANY to collect!) and outdoorsman. He works on behalf of saxtonblades.co.uk in outreach and content creation. He creates engaging content that help businesses connect with their audience and stand out from the crowd. Find him at Saxton Blades
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