[pct-l] KNIFE?

[Devon Taig]

I've built plenty of fires without a knife. I'm a vegetarian, so I guess I'd
have to be pretty dang hungry (not to mention lucky) to spear a fish
(perhaps if I'd brought enough food to begin with). For the weight of a
knife, you could probably bring three lighters in plastic bags to start your
fire. And I don't think I've ever dug a hole deeper than that which, uh...a
cat might dig.  A knife hardly seemed like a tool of choice then anyway (and
where is TP on the ten essentials list anyway?).

So who here as actually ever used a knife when backpacking and thought that
if they hadn't had one that they would have really been in serious trouble?

River

On Thu, Mar 24, 2011 at 9:56 AM, Eric <johner27 at evergreen.edu> wrote:

> I'd definitely agree with Bill here.  You NEED a knife.  Having that edge
> enables you to do a number of things, not the least of which is building
> fire using a bowdrill kit if you run out of matches/striker. As well as
> spear fishing, making tinder, digging holes, cutting foraged food, etc. etc.
>
>
> Regards,
> Eric
> www.primalpct.com
>
>
> On Thu, Mar 24, 2011 at 8:35 AM, Devon Taig <devon.taig at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Well, I'll agree about having plenty of matches / water / extra clothing /
>> and *most* of the rest of the stuff on the 10 essentials are of course
>> important. ...but under what circumstances will my life really depend on
>> having a two ounce pocket knife?  Heck, for that matter when does my
>> comfort
>> even depend on it?  I'll admit that when I was hiking with my mother she
>> was
>> a little put off by the fact that I just gnawed off a hunk-o-cheese (I
>> hadn't even brought napkins!) but aside from that, when do you need one?
>> Trimming fingernails is not something that I really *need* to do (I'm a
>> pretty nervous guy, so I keep em' trimmed the ol' fashion way).
>>
>> So when do you, as you say, "REALLY" need one?
>>
>> Devon
>>
>> On Thu, Mar 24, 2011 at 9:11 AM, Bill Burge <bill at burge.com> wrote:
>>
>> >
>> > The important thing to realize about "The Essentials" is that they are
>> not
>> > "Essential" because you'll need them every time, or at all.
>> >
>> > They are "Essential" because when you DO, REALLY, NEED one of them -
>> they
>> > are not able to be made/improvised or "worked around" or done without.
>> >
>> > Making a "sharp edge" or fire, without the contents of "The Essentials"
>> is
>> > extremely difficult or impossible, depending on the location and
>> conditions
>> > - and don't give me any stories of Aboriginal survival skills...  ;-)
>> >
>> > BillB
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > On Mar 23, 2011, at 10:04 PM, Devon Taig wrote:
>> >
>> > > Funny- a pocket knife appears on just about every so called 10
>> > > essentials list Ive ever seen. But ive never used one nor felt the
>> need
>> > > to carry one. I think i borrowed one once, but that was thousands of
>> > > miles ago. Maybe Im missing something...maybe i don't really know how
>> > > to hike...what are ya all using these things for (and no 127 hour
>> > > stories please! Im not that unlucky).
>> > >
>> > > River
>> > >
>> > > From: Eric
>> > > Sent: Wednesday, March 23, 2011 10:16 PM
>> > > To: James F. Miller
>> > > Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net
>> > > Subject: Re: [pct-l] KNIFE?
>> > > Same here. Moraknives rock!
>> > >
>> > > http://www.swedishknives.com/
>> > >
>> > > On Wed, Mar 23, 2011 at 9:12 PM, James F. Miller
>> > > <jamesfmiller at hotmail.com>wrote:
>> > >
>> > >>
>> > >> We're taking a one-blade knife and NO multitool
>> > >>
>> > >>> Date: Wed, 23 Mar 2011 20:58:55 -0700
>> > >>> From: gerry0625 at gmail.com
>> > >>> To: pct-l at backcountry.net
>> > >>> Subject: [pct-l] KNIFE?
>> > >>>
>> > >>> Just wondering if anyone carrys a knife besides a multitool?
>> > >>> Thanks
>> > >>> Gerry0625
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>> > >
>> > > --
>> > > Because we don't think about future generations, they will never
>> forget
>> > us.
>> > > ~Henrik Tikkanen
>> > >
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>
>
>
> --
> Because we don't think about future generations, they will never forget
> us.  ~Henrik Tikkanen
>
> “The things you own end up owning you.”* -*Tyler Durden, *Fight Club*
>
> "The three most harmful addictions are heroin, carbohydrates, and a monthly
> salary."—David Hieatt
>
>