A Guide to Finding the Best Camping Knife

If you are taking a camping trip, you need to make sure that you are bringing along a knife that can handle all of the campsite chores that you might encounter on your trip. One of the most common questions that we receive from our customers is what is the best camping knife. Like so many things in the world of knives, there is no single answer to this question, but there are a lot of factors to consider when it comes to choosing a knife for your camping trip. Today we will be looking at a few of these factors and reviewing some great camping knife options.

Defining a Camping Knife

There are no rules for what makes a knife a camping knife aside from the fact that it is a knife that you bring with you on a camping trip. This means that the process of finding the right camping knife to meet your needs is all going to depend on what you plan on using that knife for on your next trip. A camping knife can be anything from a small multi tool to a massive machete and some campers may even carry multiple knives in order to ensure that they can tackle any task that nature throws at them. Today we are going to be looking at a few of the factors that go into choosing a camping knife, along with a few knife recommendations from our team.

How Do You Camp?

The word “camping” is going to mean different things to different people. For some, a camping trip may involve loading up a car and driving to a campsite. For others, camping is all about hiking out into nature with only what you can carry and setting up a site from scratch. The first thing to consider when choosing the best camping knife is how you plan on camping.

One of the least demanding forms of camping involves taking a camper or RV to a camping site. Obviously if you are going out in a camper that has all of the conveniences of home, then you probably will not need a knife that is tough enough to build a shelter and chop wood. This does not mean that having a good knife is unimportant for RV campers. For this style of camping, you can get away with just carrying a folding knife or small utility blade, which can be used to perform a wide range of tasks. As long as you have larger knives for food prep and other tasks inside the RV, then almost any knife should suffice as a general camp knife.

For campers who plan on driving to a campsite without an RV, then it is important to make sure that you have a knife that can handle a wide range of tasks from food prep to simple campsite chores. Once again a well constructed folding knife can help you tackle many of the jobs around your campsite and prepare meals. If you want a knife that can handle tough jobs like chopping and processing wood, then a fixed blade is essential. Fixed blade knives can take a beating without the risk of failure that folders have at their pivot point.

If you plan on practicing your bushcraft skills, go hunting, or engage in any type of camping where you will be “roughing it”, then you will need a knife that can handle some tougher jobs. Fixed blades are essential for this style of camping, as they can be used for jobs that might damage a folding blade. Really no matter what kind of camping you enjoy, having a good fixed blade knife by your side is never a bad idea for campers who want to hedge their bets. As the old saying goes, it is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

Knife Size

The next thing to look at is the size of your knife. While having a big knife strapped to your hip comes with an undeniable “cool” factor, sometimes it is overkill. For example, bringing only a machete with you will be great when you are hacking through brush, but it will be a big headache if you want to perform fine cuts or other tasks where control is essential.

On the flip side, small knives are created for performing fine tasks, but they will not be well suited for tough jobs. Even when swung in a wide arc, small knives just don’t have the weight behind them to chop.

Our Recommendations

Over the years, we have carried a lot of different knives from a lot of different brands. We have put together a category of our store dedicated to camping knives. This list includes hundreds of knives that would be well suited to work around campsites. Today we will be highlighting a few great knives based on their size and design.

Folders

Now we already discussed the advantages of fixed blade knives over folding options, but this does not mean that folders have no place around the campsite. Here is a quick look at a few folding knives that we recommend for campers.

●Condor Tool and Knife 3952-4.2HC - Krakatoa : The Krakatoa is a great folding knife constructed with dependability in min. These knives have a walnut and stainless steel handle and feature a 3.5” drop point blade constructed from 1095 carbon steel. The knife is held in place using a frame lock and they feature a thumb stud for easy opening and closing.

●Great Eastern Cutlery Farm and Field Pocket Carver : Not all folding knives are designed with big jobs in mind. The Farm and Field from Great Eastern Cutlery features 3 small 1095 steel blades. All of the blades feature a Wharncliffe design that makes them a great choice for performing carving tasks. The handle scales on these knives are large and smooth, allowing for a comfortable four finger grip. These knives are a great choice for anyone who wants a knife for carving, whittling, and other enjoyable campsite tasks.

●Great Eastern Cutlery Northfield Allegheny : The Northfield Allegheny is another classically designed slip joint pocket knife from Great Eastern Cutlery. Unlike the Pocket Carver, these knives only have one 3.5 inch clip point blade. This 1095 steel blade features multiple nail nicks for easy access and the large coke bottle handle design offers a comfortable grip. This is a great knife for anyone looking for the classic look of a traditional pocket knife and a blade large enough to complete a wide range of jobs.

Small Fixed Blade Knives

Our selection of smaller fixed blade knives includes options with blades that are under 3 inches in length. These knives are perfect for making fuzz sticks, completing fine tasks, or using as a paring knife during food preparation.

●LT Wright Second Amendment: The Second Amendment is a great little workhorse made from sturdy D2 tool steel. The 2.8125” blade has a drop point design and a cut out on the spine that makes it easy to provide downward pressure on the blade. The handle is large enough to provide a firm grip and every knife comes with a high quality leather belt sheath.

●Bark River Knives Mini Canadian: The Mini Canadian is a little knife that is built to work hard. The drop point CPM 3V tool steel blade is 2.125” with a full convex grind. The blade has a slightly upward curve along the spine and a nicely curved belly for making slicing cuts. The handle also features finger cutouts, providing an incredibly solid grip when performing cuts.

●ESEE Knives Izula II: The Izula II is a slightly larger version of the original Izula from ESEE Knives. These knives feature a 2.625 inch drop point blade and an overall length of 6.75 inches. The powder coated 1095 carbon steel blade takes an edge well and these knives are a great choice for anyone looking for a durable knife. Backed by ESEE Knives’ no questions asked warranty, these knives are a great choice for anyone who works their blades to the limit.

Medium Fixed Blade Knives

If you are looking for a great all purpose camping knife, then a blade size between 3” and 6” is usually the best bet. Because this size of knife is so popular, we have plenty of options to choose from. Below we will take a close look at a few options, but be sure to check out the camping knife section of our store to see our full selection.

●Architect Field Buddy 5.5: Our Architect knives are the result of our owner Dale’s desire to create a quality general purpose outdoor knife that could be used for bushcraft, general field use, and survival. The Field Buddy 5.5 has a drop point, high saber ground blade made from 1095 carbon steel. The Field Buddy 5.5 and the Field Buddy 6.5 have 5.5” and 6.5” blade lengths respectively. You will only find these knives here at The Knife Connection. These knives are available with a range of handle scale options and you can choose from a wide list of accessories to include with your Field Buddy through our exclusive Knife Builder tool.

●ESEE Knives Camp-Lore PR4: The aptly named Camp-Lore is a hard working knife from ESEE Knives. These knives feature a 4 inch cutting edge on their spear point 1095 carbon steel blades. The spine has a 90 degree edge for striking a fire starter, while the blade is well suited for a variety of camping chores. The Sculpted micarta handle scales on these knives are comfortable while offering an extremely secure grip.

●Great Eastern Cutlery GEC Hunter: If you are looking for a more traditional looking outdoor knife, then the GEC Hunter from Great Eastern Cutlery is a great option. These knives feature a 3.5” clip point blade constructed from 1095 carbon steel. These knives are a great choice for campers who also plan on hunting, as the clip point provides a way to perform precise cuts while the large belly of the knife is well suited for slicing and skinning.

Large Fixed Blade Knives

While medium sized knives can get a lot of hard work done, sometimes it takes a big blade to tackle big jobs. We carry a number of large knives that are a great option for campers, especially as a backup reserved for any intense chopping tasks that you may encounter.

●Fallkniven A2L: If durability is important to you, then the Fallkniven A2L is the perfect choice. These knives feature a 7.95” blade with a modified drop point. The blade is constructed from VG10 steel sandwiched between layers of 420J2 steel. This laminated steel offers several advantages, including strength and edge retention. The saber convex grind gives the A2L a blade that is well suited for cutting and striking, making them perfect for tough outdoor jobs.

●ESEE Knives Expat Darien: For machete fans, the Expat Darien is a great choice that is a little more compact than your average machete. These knives have a 12.38” blade and a 18.18” overall length. The Expat Darien is basically built for chopping. The curved handle makes these knives easy to grip and swing, while the large tip helps to keep the most weight near the impact area of the blade.

●ESEE Knives Junglas: The Junglas is a large survival knife with a 3/16” thick, 10” long drop point blade. With a weight of 23 oz, you can put a lot of power behind the Junglas. The pommel of the knife can also serve as a blunt hammer like tool if needed. With a blade that measures two inches from spine to cutting edge, these knives pack a lot of weight into a relatively short knife, making them deceptively powerful for a knife of their length.

All of these amazing options that we have just covered are just a few of the camping knives we have available. To find the best camping knife for you, just use our custom filters to narrow down our selection based on what’s important to you.