Perhaps more than any one item, a knife is the most critical survival tool in existence. Whether camping with your family, hiking, or engaging in any outdoor activity, you will need tools in order to accomplish any task. This section specifically discusses cutting tools.

The basic, essential tool for camping and survival is a reliable, quality knife. Other tools such as hammers, shovels, fishing rods, etc, can be crafted from common objects in the field (such as rocks and sticks). However, a sharp knife is not something you can easily fashion in the wild.

Let’s face it: if you have a knife, creating other tools is that much easier.

Here are some common types of knives:

a) Pocketknife

b) Kukri

c) Wire Saw

Pocketknife:

Small in size but powerful in usage, a pocketknife will allow for smaller projects where a larger knife would be unable to complete. The Swiss Army knife is probably the most famous and quality example that comes to mind. Additionally, besides being simply a knife, a multi-tool pocketknife can allow for can openers, mini saws, screwdrivers, corkscrews, reamers, and sewing tools. I suggest getting into the habit of carrying a pocketknife with you at all times. I started doing this a few years ago and am always surprised how often I actually rely on it.

Kukri:

This is not your standard sized knife. The Kukri is designed as a heavy knife which looks almost like a miniature machete. The length of the knife can range up to 12 inches long. Most have a heavy duty leather handle which is specially designed not to separate easily from the blade. You will notice that the back side of the kukri blade is extremely blunt. This is intentional and allows for hammering and banging. The sharp side of the blade closest to the handle is not extremely sharp. Again, this is designed to allow for chopping. The tip of the blade is extremely sharp and allows for general cutting purposes. This knife is extremely useful in forest and jungle settings.

Wire Saw:

Looking like a long strand of barbed wire, a wire saw is usually a 3-6 foot length of twisted strands of razor sharp wires which has two loops at each end for holding. What is most practical about a wire saw is that it can be easily looped and folded into a very small area. I keep my wire saw in the bottom of my survival kit. It is important to invest in a good wire saw. There are some cheap models on the market which simply will not withstand the extreme pulling and bending pressures of normal use. Another trick about wire saws- they can also be used as a wire snare trap for catching rabbits, squirrel, or other small animals in the wild very easily. Another essential tool.

Sharpening Stone:

Don’t forget to pack a sharpening stone. These small and cheap stones will allow you to keep your blade razor sharp. Remember: a blunt knife is a worthless knife!

If you ever find yourself in a situation where you do not have a knife available, there are some ways to improvise a knife. The stone of choice for knife purposes is flint. Flint is a sharp and durable rock which can cut just about anything. To sharpen a piece of flint rock, simply drop it from about 6 feet. The flint should break open leaving a sharp edge or two. Other popular materials for knifes are bamboo and glass.

Again, knives are very valuable and can be used for chopping, whittling, and carving. It just may save your life.