It never seems to fail that when you see a picture somebody's BOB on this site, or an evaluation of their camping gear, there seems to be a lot of knives listed.  This is also true of the EDC man purse, or murse.  

I've been camping since I was a child, and have never needed a knife larger than a small folding knife while camping.

Sure, when car camping or at home, you could use a saw or an axe to cut wood.  

But when backpacking it isn't worth the weight to carry a saw, hatchet or big fixed-blade knife to cut or chop wood. You can put logs at the edge of a fire to dry out before you lay them in the fire and you can put a long branch across a fire to split it in half when needed.  

There's a difference between camping in a comfy campground when you brought alot of stuff with you in the vehicle for the time there and know your going home later to a BOB setup for being outdoors or otherwise for who knows how long. Even if you walk out for some split hiking/camping, you know your only going to be out there for so long too and don't need to look at it in longterms.

There's also what one person knows what to do with knives and how different knives are better for different tasks than the next guy.
I don't need alot for my BOB but the last thing I'd want to be without is a good knife atleast four inches or more or close.
I carry a Spyderco Manix now as my pocket knife and have always carried a pocket knife, but I know it's not a good chopper and the only knife I want for cleaning game if I have to bugout and rely on not loosing so my Cold Steel Military Classic is in my BOB and my Ontario Machete/saw is attached to the side for heavier chopping work and digging too if I need it.
Even regular camping in nice and comfy times I always wear atleast a midsize fixed blade too for general use and I'd rather have one than not, whether I completely need it at the moment or not.  Least I not forget the Leatherman too with it's blade too.

KNives are one of the most essential tool ever devised by intellegent thought.  Though you may not have needed more than a small blade during your time outdoors, understand that in a true survival environment, it would probably be the most useful item you have regardless of size.  To illustrate, look at knives and cutting tools in modern society.  

The ability to carve and cut is a very important one in the realm of survival.

Knives are a good thing. You should own many of them.

Quality pocket knife, multitool and a realistic sized fixed blade 4-5 inches, don't leave the pavement without em!

Quoted: It never seems to fail that when you see a picture somebody's BOB on this site, or an evaluation of their camping gear, there seems to be a lot of knives listed.  This is also true of the EDC man purse, or murse.   I've been camping since I was a child, and have never needed a knife larger than a small folding knife while camping. Sure, when car camping or at home, you could use a saw or an axe to cut wood.   But when backpacking it isn't worth the weight to carry a saw, hatchet or big fixed-blade knife to cut or chop wood. You can put logs at the edge of a fire to dry out before you lay them in the fire and you can put a long branch across a fire to split it in half when needed.

how small is your pocket knife?  I think  that about 4" of blade is decent for small chores.  I wouldn't recommend anything with less than 6" of blade for fighting.

there seems to be a lot of knives listed

kinda like mag sin their line 2 ,,you wonder how they carry all that crap


TM has a small but valid point. there is alot of knives infolks "kits"
for example we will see ins ome that in a BOB alone they will have

axe or saw
3-4inch folder
SAK
and a "field" style knife or larger( khurki etc)

some carry all that.

reason is they over think it .

khukri- why carry thatif you have a saw or axe?
field knife- why carry t hat if you have the khurki and folder?
axe- why carry it if you have a saw?


alot can be done with two items
good small  axe and a 3-5 inch camp knife

alot can be done with a smal 2-3 inch folder( sak etc) and a fieldknife....


alot of effort can be wasted trying to call all of them

Don't you know you need a 12" (or longer) uberhacker to maintain your mancard?

A "fighting knife" is a want item not a need item, and a waste of weight in a survival bag.  If you're planning on getting into a knife fight, you've really made some strategic and tactical blunders.

IMO, one of the locking SAK's* and a quality folding saw will see you through a whole lot of scenarios.

I also think there's a lot of testosterone-induced knife buying.



*The Victorinox Trailmaster is my personal choice.