you need a good knife
You're going to want a camping knife that's built to last, with a sturdy construction that can withstand heavy outdoor use. Look for knives made from high-quality materials like stainless steel or carbon steel, that can hold up to heavy use without bending or breaking.
Your camping knife should be easy to clean and sharpen, with a blade that resists rust and corrosion. Look for blades made from high-quality stainless steel or other rust-resistant materials. It's also a good idea to choose a knife with a simple, easy-to-use locking mechanism that keeps the blade securely in place during use or when folded up.
You also want to think about the shape of the blade. Different blade shapes are better for different tasks. For general-purpose cutting, a drop-point blade is a good choice, while a clip-point blade is better for precision tasks like piercing or slicing. Serrated blades are great for cutting through tough materials like rope or fabric.
Your knife should feel comfortable in your hand, with a handle that provides a good grip and doesn't slip, even when wet. Look for handles made from materials like rubber or textured plastic that provide a secure grip, even in wet or slippery conditions.
Overall, choosing the right camping knife is all about finding a balance between durability, blade shape, comfort, and easy maintenance. With the right knife in hand, you'll be well equipped for the challenges coming your way.
camp knife reviews
Gerber Gear Strongarm
This plain-edged or serrated-edged, fixed-blade, full-tang knife is the sturdy one you grab when you want something dependable, that'll perform in most every application, that you can afford to abuse or lose. It has more features suited to a combat knife than bushcraft knife, including a snap-together sheath that can be mounted vertically on MOLLE, horizontally on a belt, or in traditional drop-leg fashion.
The blade is made of 420HC steel with a ceramic blade coating, making it more resistant to rust than 1095 steel (popular in bushcraft blades). The blade hardness helps hold it's edge longer, but is harder to sharpen to razor's edge than 1095 steel.
The handle is ergonomic and non-slippery. It's made of glass-filled nylon with a rubberized diamond texture grip. The knife has an integrated pommel for hammering or striking. Nylon webbing on the sheath allows for drop leg carry and secondary retention, along with detachable belt hoops for horizontal belt carrying.
Blade length is 4.8 inches (12 cm), overall length is 9.8 inches (25 cm), and it weighs 7.9 ounces (224 grams). You have a choice of plain-edge or serrated with either black or coyote brown handles. There are a fair number of Gerber Gear Strongarm clones on the market. If anything about the packaging or knife seems off - like it arriving in bubble wrap - send it back and get a refund.
This is a sturdy, reliable, all-round knife. Whether on the trail or in camp, the Strongarm has good heft and balance. The blade itself is heavy and large enough for day-to-day tasks, like slicing, chopping, carving, hammering. The grip resists slipping when you're sweaty, underwater, or using gloves.
The sheath is great for carrying your knife, not drawing out. The retention system holds the knife very securely. You have to grip the handle and push pretty hard on one of the ambidextrous thumb ledges to disengage the knife from the sheath. No danger of falling out by accident! The belt loop is far too big. You need two hands to draw the knife: one to hold the sheath in place, the other to release it.
The Gerber Gear Strongarm will need sharpening after heavy use or prolonged periods. It's harder to hone to razor edge than other steel. Obviously, wipe clean and keep it lightly oiled to prevent eventual rust - especially if it gets wet.
Smith & Wesson Extreme Ops SWA24S
This lightweight, simple, folding pocket knife is a sharp, budget-friendly EDC (every day carry) that does the trick for any light to moderate task. It comes sharp from the box, with ambidextrous thumb studs for quick and easy opening when you've only got one hand free. The folding blade is not spring-assisted so it'll take some breaking in.
The partially serrated, black oxide blade is made from 7Cr17Mov high carbon stainless steel, a high corrosion resistant steel great for survival and outdoor knives. The blade has a clip point and thin tip - good for stabbing, bad for dropping - and jimping.
The handle is made from aluminum, painted black, and comes with a pocket clip. Use a permanent marker to color in nicks and scratches when you're bored. With its textured material and finger indentations, the handle has a very good, solid grip in a number of positions. Your hand will hurt completing either a heavy-duty or prolonged task. But for most every-day tasks, it's a beaut.
Blade length is 3.1 inches (7.9 cm), overall length is 7.1 inches (18 cm), and it weighs 3.5 ounces (99 grams). Small, sleek and stylish.
While the Extreme Ops SWA24S is sharp from the get-go, the opening and closing mechanism is tight and stiff. You'll need to break in the hinge like many folding knives and work in some mineral oil. We're talking some 100-200 open/closes to get it to "flick" open smoothly with a snap of the wrist without mineral oil. Also, the thumb knobs are connected through the blade so you can't remove one to suit your dominant hand preference.
The liner lock actually locks about 80% of the time. Unless you're pushing hard on the back of the blade after locking, you should be fine. There's no glass breaking tip to damage your pocket.
As a light, simple, every-day carry knife, the Smith & Wesson Extreme Ops SWA24S is a handy, sharp pocket knife. It's the kind you keep in your pocket for all sorts of tasks, including those you encounter while camping.
Gerber Gear Ultimate Survival
This fixed-blade, partially serrated knife includes emergency survival features like a fire starter, sharpener and whistle, has a comfortable grip and is value for money. The drop point is versatile for most tasks on the full tang blade. The sheath is sturdy, though it lacks MOLLE compatible attachments.
The blade of the GREY Gerber Gear Ultimate is made from 7CR17MoV steel, which is a high corrosion resistant steel good for survival and outdoor knives. The BLACK Prodigy knife, listed on the same page, is made from 420HC stainless steel, which holds a sharper edge and is also corrosion resistant. The blade has a striker notch along the spine. The knife wasn't sharp out the box and unfortunately broke when we were splitting kindling, but handled other tasks really well.
The ergonomic handle has a non-slip, textured rubber grip and a hammer pommel for striking. The knife felt a little heavy, but very comfortable in the hand. An emergency whistle attached to the end is high-pitched. Fasten the small velcro strap around the handle or it will fall out if you're scrambling during your trek.
Blade length is 4.8 inches (12 cm), overall length is 10 inches (25 cm), and the knife weighs 11.02 ounces (312 grams).
The durable nylon sheath boasts a built-in diamond sharpener of medium grain - good for emergencies, but not a razor edge. A fire starter (ferro rod) locks into the sheath. It may be loose or come out when used. Re-glue it in a few seconds. The ferro rod took some practice to create sparks, not gonna lie. Pick up a few MOLLE clips if you're going to mount the knife on a bag or a vest.
The Gerber Gear Ultimate Survival knife is a fixed blade loaded with features at a decent price. Overall, it's a great knife to carry while kayaking and doing basic woodland adventures.
GOT FEEDBACK?
If you've used one of the knives I reviewed and you have something to add that could help other campers, I'd love to hear it.
Same, if you have a knife you love (or hate) that's not reviewed here, tell me about it and I'll pass it on.
Your fellow campers thank you!
