Do you need a complete collection of specialty knives, just in case? Yes. Should you carry them all at once? Please don’t—that’s just asking for trouble. But there are various types of knives every outdoorsman should have, and you often won’t realize it until you desperately need one. Whatever your favorite outdoor activity is, make sure you have an appropriate knife.
Pocketknife
We’ll start here, because in a pinch, you’re most likely to have this bad boy on your person. You’ll find yourself reaching for a pocketknife for all kinds of reasons: cutting rope, defending yourself from a rabid skunk, or just whittling on the porch. You can buy a small pocketknife if you don’t want anything too bulky or something sturdier if you find that you use it all the time. It’s worth a bit of an investment, but if you don’t want to spend much, you can always hint to a loved one that it would make a nice gift.
Machete
It’s a change of pace, sure, but it’s nice to have a knife on the other end of the spectrum. Machetes weren’t really must-haves until a photo of Full House twin Ashley Olsen went viral. She was nonchalantly hiking through a forest with a machete in one hand and a cocktail in the other. Many men interpreted this as a direct challenge and equipped themselves accordingly. You can slash through thick vegetation with a machete, and it’s great for those days when you just want some quiet time—it tends to deter strangers.
Hunting Knife
You could put your faith in your trusty pocketknife, but the one time you bring down a trophy animal, you’ll regret it. You need something solid with a sheath that you can clip to your belt to free up your hands. You’ll use a hunting knife for gutting big game, skinning, breaking down the meat, and maybe even starting a fire. For extra style points, you might want to go with a historic Bowie knife for some old-school hunting.
Fishing Knife
Some days are made to spend on the water, and you’ll need the right knife in your tackle box. Trimming line, cutting bait, gutting your catch, and shot-gunning a beer or two—an all-purpose knife can take care of most of that, but prepping your fish for dinner will be a whole lot easier with a superior fillet knife. It needs a sharp blade that can hold its edge. You’ll probably use it in addition to your hunting knife for field dressing.
Multi-Tool Knife
So what kind of tool can bat cleanup? The ever-popular multi-tool. Every outdoorsman should have specific types of knives, but most can’t resist the latest gadgets. The mother of all multi-tools is the Wenger Giant Swiss Army Knife, with 87 tools capable of more than 140 functions. Of course, since it’s unlikely that you’ll be performing an emergency tracheotomy in the woods, you could settle for something closer to a 10-in-1 model. But hey, you never know. Be prepared.
Van Rundell is a writer and author who specializes in transportation, travel, guidance, health & fitness. With over 10 years of experience in the industry as a driver and an entrepreneur, he has seen it all. His tone is professional but friendly with a dash of humor thrown in for good measure. In past, he has been advising, educating and writing about transport for the public and professionals alike.
A qualified fitness instructor with over 5 years’ experience as a personal trainer and group fitness instructor, Van brings his deep knowledge of health and exercise science to his articles on health & fitness.
