One Knife and 6 Months In The Wild - What is your choice?

[Nice65]

Well put it this way, if you were stopped by the police and said you were carrying it for self defense, you would probably end up in prison, you would have a hard job explaining you expected to be attacked by an animal, or a crazy tomato,I would think it unwise to say on a forum you were carrying a knife for self defense, , but that is only my opinion.

Usually your posts are usually sensible and worth a read. He didn’t say it was carrying it for self defense, or that he was carrying it at all. He contributed to a fantasy thread about what we’d choose for 6 months in the wild. It is a fantasy thread. You are putting words in his mouth and also ridiculing by suggesting he is mad to think he was carrying it for fear of being attacked by a tomato. It’s a put down.

And, there’s no way in the world you and I don’t covert that knife. It’s a peach.

 

[Tiley]

The MoD knife was a very crude affair - more of a club than a cutting tool. It was very good for batoning but not so useful for closer,more delicate work. The trouble with this kind of thing is every tool would involve some kind of compromise. I might take a parang of some description as they are useful for both the heavier work but can be useful for more delicate tasks. That said, for a six month European isolation, maybe an axe would be a good choice. For millennia, it was the tool of choice for early man and the designs and materials have come on a bit since then... However, as has also been mentioned, keeping your choice of cutting tool sharp is an absolute essential, so whatever it was I chose, I'd insist on a means of keeping an edge on the blade.

 

[Fadcode]

Usually your posts are usually sensible and worth a read. He didn’t say it was carrying it for self defense, or that he was carrying it at all. He contributed to a fantasy thread about what we’d choose for 6 months in the wild. It is a fantasy thread. You are putting words in his mouth and also ridiculing by suggesting he is mad to think he was carrying it for fear of being attacked by a tomato. It’s a put down.

And, there’s no way in the world you and I don’t covert that knife. It’s a peach.

It's just that on this forum, I have seen people told off for mentioning things like wild camping, so to me it was obvious that referring to a knife for self defense purposes seemed odd, but that is only my opinion, i shall refrain from commenting further on any subjects from now on.
And yes the knife is a peach.

 

[Potatohead]

All tool steels require some level of maintenance but so far I have only had to clean and dry this blade. I havent had to oil it yet. And im thinking maybe if i can force a patina on it this may improve it again

Also maybe i should add that my rig that lives with this blade all the time includes the basic necessities.
- DC4
- LMF ferro
- Oil Cloth in a Ziploc bag. For maintenance. Not used yet. A microfibre cloth heavily impregnated with VP90 shotgun oil.
- Basic patch up kit Band aids and steri-wipe - my grandad always drummed into me if i carry the means to cut myself i must carry the means to patch myself up. Thankfully again not used yet Lol.

 

[gra_farmer]

Also maybe i should add that my rig that lives with this blade all the time includes the basic necessities.
- DC4
- LMF ferro
- Oil Cloth in a Ziploc bag. For maintenance. Not used yet. A microfibre cloth heavily impregnated with VP90 shotgun oil.
- Basic patch up kit Band aids and steri-wipe - my grandad always drummed into me if i carry the means to cut myself i must carry the means to patch myself up. Thankfully again not used yet Lol.

View attachment 59987

Completely agree, I was raised on a farm, and have an high level of practical veterinary experience....and in the past have had to do a few quick stitches on myself while out on the marshes miles away from the nearest residence.

When I pick up any edged tool, the first aid kit comes with me.

Anyway, nice rig....i have never had the chance to handle that knife

 

[Robbi]

Basic patch up kit Band aids and steri-wipe - my grandad always drummed into me if i carry the means to cut myself i must carry the means to patch myself up. Thankfully again not used yet Lol.

Your Grandad was a wise man mate.

 

[Potatohead]

Basic patch up kit Band aids and steri-wipe - my grandad always drummed into me if i carry the means to cut myself i must carry the means to patch myself up. Thankfully again not used yet Lol.

Your Grandad was a wise man mate.

He was a good man. And survived monte-casino so had a bit of experience. But im guessing that advice was quite a standard in his day as ive heard a few variations since . Still glad he drummed it into me though.

 

[santaman2000]

Hmmm. Before embarking on this 6 months adventure do we have any foreknowledge? Is it a trip the individual foresees, or one he or she is thrust into unexpectedly? The reason I ask is because of the comments about patching yourself up after a cut. My tetanus vaccination is always up to date but before I’d knowingly start this scenario I’d check my shot records to be sure.

@Robbi I understand the worry about rust but I really doubt it would be an issue in this scenario for two reasons:
1) In my experience tools that are in steady use rarely rust (and this scenario almost assures using said knife several times every day)
2) To be honest, six months isn’t really long enough to allow even a severe saltwater climate to overcome #1 above.

 

[gra_farmer]

Hmmm. Before embarking on this 6 months adventure do we have any foreknowledge? Is it a trip the individual foresees, or one he or she is thrust into unexpectedly? The reason I ask is because of the comments about patching yourself up after a cut. My tetanus vaccination is always up to date but before I’d knowingly start this scenario I’d check my shot records to be sure.

In relation to the cut, that was my own experience, I was lancing a boil on a sheep and she moved her head resulting in the knife blade going through my hand just below the forefinger and middle finger.

That kind of knowledge to be able to sitch one's self, is not a must.

Knowledge expected is a basic knowledge of the area you are in, including botanical (edibles and medical). The kit to hand would be in between a grab bag and weekend rough camping kit (no tent or axe). Sorry should have said this sooner.

As for the situation, imagine your fed up with the stressful day to day life, and no dependants, and your just off to get away that very moment without hesitation...to a location with optimal resources.

 

[santaman2000]

Fair enough. And it means you have time to prepare.

 

[demographic]

Chris Caine tool (parang) don’t get to use it much these days but would take that.

Always wanted one of those Wilkinson Sword Survival Knives in the 1980’s sold from the survival aids catalogue. There a old memory great shop in Morland Cumbria

Got a mate who crashed his 1500 Allegro with a Renault 5 on a bridge on our way back towards Cliburn from Morland SA shop.
Wrecked the Renault and the Aggro cost ￡15 for a second hand front wing from Ronnie Mortans scrapyard.

 

[Mr Wolf]

Junglas with tkc scales

 

[Robson Valley]

OK, here's your chance for everyone to test their knife theories.

At 1:30 AM on July 04.2020, there was one hell of a big bang up on Mountainview Road.
Mountainview is a very old major road carved into the lower mountainsides of a long row of peaks (less than 8,000').

That was 25,000 m^3 of mountainside mud, rock, logs and rainwater.
That buried 1/2 km of the road more than a meter deep and rearranged a few houses in the process.
Flowed away down towards the river, 9 family homes evacuated, one by helicopter.
Property damage and minor injuries. Remember: dark at 1:30AM. Cold and windy. Pissing rain.

The geotech believes that there is a lot more to come, this place is totally saturated over bedrock.

The contractor with heavy equipment will not move on the blockage until the whole mountainside is stable.

You are one of approx 40 people cut off on the far side of the mudslide.
There is noway out, there are no alternate routes, no detours.
Which knife do you want now?
















^

 

[Robson Valley]

Hope this works so you can watch the water is still flowing.

 

[TeeDee]

OK, here's your chance for everyone to test their knife theories.

At 1:30 AM on July 04.2020, there was one hell of a big bang up on Mountainview Road.
Mountainview is a very old major road carved into the lower mountainsides of a long row of peaks (less than 8,000').

That was 25,000 m^3 of mountainside mud, rock, logs and rainwater.
That buried 1/2 km of the road more than a meter deep and rearranged a few houses in the process.
Flowed away down towards the river, 9 family homes evacuated, one by helicopter.
Property damage and minor injuries. Remember: dark at 1:30AM. Cold and windy. Pissing rain.

The geotech believes that there is a lot more to come, this place is totally saturated over bedrock.

The contractor with heavy equipment will not move on the blockage until the whole mountainside is stable.

You are one of approx 40 people cut off on the far side of the mudslide.
There is noway out, there are no alternate routes, no detours.
Which knife do you want now?
















^

You feel that situation is going to make people rethink their choices? If So why?

 

[Potatohead]

Which knife do you want now?
^

Quite a stark contrast to the OP's query.

Just guessing from your own location are you able to share some personal experience on this? Would definitely be educational.

A situation that most of us im sure would hope never to be in

What do you do? Stay indoors? Try and keep your family level as your only option is to wait for rescue?

 

[santaman2000]

Quite a stark contrast to the OP's query.

Just guessing from your own location are you able to share some personal experience on this? Would definitely be educational.

A situation that most of us im sure would hope never to be in

What do you do? Stay indoors? Try and keep your family level as your only option is to wait for rescue?

Yeah, agreed on the first three comments. The last one though is out of character with this sort of village. Rescue from what? It’s the sort of remote village that’s used to semi isolation. They’d definitely want regular resupply until the road’s cleared. Helicopter evac of critically ill or injured is already part of normal life so no real change there.

 

[moocher]

Been following out of curiosity than anything but to add my two penneth, the mudslide would have emergency services in attendance, evacs airlift, food drops, humanitarian aid etc , I think the op meant off grid?
In my mind hard for a 1 knife to be considered as
A what do you do if it breaks or you lose it
B you always kind of want to carry a back up knife.
Logically you have a brute of a knife to handle branches, maybe butchering large animals etc and then a smaller knife for cutting of cordage food prep etc.
I think say I wanted to go 6 month in the UK type wilds, I would have my old trusty martindale golok type.

 

[Robson Valley]

I think that it adds some focus to being off the grid and isolated.

My longest personal experience was just 4 months off the grid and 20 miles by river to the nearest road.
Only 2 or 3 portages so not so bad for 2 people, the canoe and with low water.
Many shorter experiences of a month at a time or less. Those were all busy but enjoyable.
Mostly on a stretch of the Churchill River from Black Bear Island Lake downstream to Keg Falls.
Part of the old fur trading route from the late 1700's that passes through Stanley Mission.

It's hard for me to pick out one blade to do it all. An axe for firewood of course.
Butchering game, I'll still go for a thick 6-7" simple Bowie design. I'm familiar with that.
Any glacial moraine will have a million rocks for sharpening.

Lots of other damage here. Bridge foundations blown out. Entire chunks of highway washed out.
Some local village facilities under water.
Nobody has said that we need to get groceries by train but it has happened before.

 

[Robson Valley]

Another surprise in the night:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?..._lsv9HhfoKoD5ZIqM_OJ-c_oTxRT37-OeiOe7rKPt1mkB