Knife or no knife

[Wise Old Owl]

Need a knife to fight off all the Zombies. Becker Necker made by Kaybar.

If that was the case my knife would be boot laced and electrical taped to the end of the hiking pole to keep them at a distance by poking them.

Fiddlehead those old days aren't forgotten - just not practiced - The younger folk would rather get in their bags and freeze before making a fuzz stick.

[SunnyWalker]

Yep, Wise Old Ow, I hear ya. Glad that Zombies are a fantasy. This knife question comes up periodically and its almost as bad a religion, no quite. We sure do all have a opinion on it.

[cabbagehead]

I just tried using an aluminum spoon with a ferrocerium rod. It didn't produce many sparks. I don't have a titanium spoon to try. This is why I would bring my knife.

[Wise Old Owl]

FD I donated all those rods to the Boys Scouts.... Micro White Bic Lighter - grab a pliers and remove the child lock. Easy to dry out and 1000's of lights. Built in Flint too!

[SunnyWalker]

Actually, I must confess and I surrender . . . . I have decided that the weight of the Becker Necker is too much. AND the idea of the leather thong/chain/whatever around my neck for 5-6 months is too much. SO, I have got a little bitty Gerber jackknife to use. LIGHT! YEEEAHHHH!!
One wrote about repairing snowshoes and therefore a multi-tool would be good. Anyone ever had to repair your snowshoes while using them??

[Whack-a-mole]

I might take my knife on 30 trips and never use it, but the first time I leave it home, something will happen and I will actually need it.

[Sman]

Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it........................

[NeanderJoel]

when I did thru hiked the AT this year I carried the smallest swiss army knife available that came with scissors, a blade and tweezers. I used the tweezers to pull off ticks and the scissors to cut my nails. The blade I didn't actually need but it made some things easier.

[bigcranky]

Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it........................

Yeah, but this is a recipe for a 90 pound pack if you apply it to everything....

[10-K]

There are some things that it's better to not have even if you need it.

[Wise Old Owl]

last night over at the farm I collected sticks and some were a little green I stripped off the bark in seconds with my knife CRKT and had a white hot fire for everyone to sit around eat cheese and crackers and drink wine... ya get the point.

[xokie]

Carry the knife. Jeez. Every grownup and most kids I have known have carried a knife since the age of seven. It's as useful as shoelaces, belts and hats and wallets. It should already be in your pocket when you put your pants on.

[RichardD]

I carried a nice fancy lightweight knife on my thru last year and as I recall all I used it for was to spread peanut butter onto a tortilla. Dont know if I will have the nerve to go knifeless on the PCT next Summer, for me its clearly a low use item.

[matador]

at least take a pocketknife man. you never know

[matador]

even if you never need the knife for anything to do with camping, it still good to have one cause you never know when your gonna come across one of the crazies of the world and might need to protect yourself.

[Chance09]

I just think that you are absolutely crazy to attempt a winter CDT hike. The CDT during the summer is enough like winter for my tastes. I can't imagine what those 20 degree temps we encountered in the summer last year will be like in the winter. That trail whopped my butt last year and I'd done the PCT the year before and the AT the year before that.

If I were going to do that I would carry my leatherman wave. Normally all I carry is a Leatherman Micra, an even smaller Leatherman (can't remember the name, but it's basically a knife and tweezers), or a hideawayknife because I can keep it anywhere.

[TOW]

Sorry for all the questions but at least I'm filling the otherwise devoid CDT section with content :P
Is there a reason to bring a knife on the CDT? I'm switching to alcohol stove so I won't be bringing along my 8oz one anymore. I'm not sure how light and big of a knife I should bring and for what purpose if at all.

I carry a Buck Stockman pocket knife and a gerber multipurpose tool with pliers, both are very handy when you need them....

[rich5665]

I don't care what anyone says, you should always carry a knife. Just be sure it's sharp.

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[Snowleopard]

I agree with Big Cranky here. Winter on the CDT is no time to shave ounces with delicate tools. Good fixed-blade or lockblade tough enough to split small branches, and because you're talking snowshoes and/or crampons, I'd seriously consider a good multitool just in case you need to make repairs on the trail.

Agreed. For winter anywhere, a repair kit is needed for snowshoes/skis/crampons. Exactly what you need depends on your gear's needs and might include spare screws, straps, file (for crampons), steel wire, etc. A Mora knife and a small saw could be a life saver in forested terrain; I should really practice emergency fires.

I would add that a winter hike is probably not a place for an alcohol stove to save weight. A reliable white gas stove would by my choice. Or a canister stove with a remote burner.

I'd say a white gas stove would be best, and know how to repair it and have a repair kit. A canister stove with remote burner (and preheat tube) is OK for milder conditions (above 0F)), but having experience in using it in the temps you expect would be good.

[Malto]

For normal hiking I carry the baby Swiss army knife with blade and scissors. Rarely use the blade, often use the scissors.