Knife Tool

Select the Right Knife for Camping

If you have ever seen any of the Bear Grylls 'Born Survivor' TV series or the excellent Ray Mears 'Extreme Survival' you will have noticed how both Bear and Ray always carry a good quality knife.

Knives have been used since the stone age when man made remarkably effective and sharp cutting tools from flint and obsidian. The knife is both a practical tool as well as being a very effective weapon. They've been receiving a lot of bad press lately due to the frequency of violent knife crime in our towns and cities.

But knives are not bad, they are but tools often used by idiots to do nasty things. They are practical tools that, when camping or in a survival situation, you would not want to be without.

When camping out a knife can be used in any number of ways including:

• Cutting branches for fire wood
• Preparing kindling
• Cutting rope or string
• Making tent pegs
• Skinning rabbits
• Preparing food
• Almost everything…

It's always good to have the most suitable knife for the job. The swiss-army knife is a good example of a practical, versatile knife that comes with a bewildering selection of tools for almost any situation. While the variety of tools provided may be appealing a good, strong, sharp knife blade is the essential requirement.

Knives that are ideal for camping don't really need to be particularly large. Ideally the knife should have a good quality, high carbon-steel blade that will not corrode and will hold and good sharp edge. Your selected knife may have a fixed or folding blade. Knives with folding blades should ideally lock when the blade is opened to prevent accidents. Your chosen knife should have a good handle that is comfortable and the right size for your hand. The knife blade should have a good sharp point and the handle may have a strong rear bolster (the bit at the bottom of the handle) which can be used as a hammer.

If you select a fixed blade knife it will need a suitable sheath that you can mount on your belt. You will need a whetstone to keep the blade sharp. For fishing and hunting, you may like to use a knife that has a partially serrated edge, ideal for cutting through bone.

Whatever you choose a knife is an essential part of your camping equipment. While you may be arrested for carrying one in the city streets you would be a fool to venture far into the wilderness without one.

Monkey tool usage: Flint knife and probe