Best Camping Knife

When you are adventuring outdoors, the motto is always ‘be prepared’ and in certain situations this means making sure that you have the best and most applicable knife for your adventure. 

Whether you are on a family camping trip into the woods and you simply need a multi use knife for cooking, starting fires, and general cutting, or if you are going a little further afield on a journey that is more perilous you may need a more tactical knife in emergency situations.

We believe that this list can cover most domestic knife uses.

In this list we have included some of our top picks for knives that are useful when camping.

This can be really helpful for those who don’t know much about knives but understand their necessity when adventuring, or this could be helpful to simply find the right knife for your journey.

We have included a buyers guide and more so that you can make the best decision on the knife for your adventure. It can certainly be said that the knife you buy today could save your life down the road, so the choice can be worth making for sure.

Keep reading to learn our top picks for knives that are suitable when camping.

Buyer’s Guide

When you are seeking to purchase a knife for camping, without having experience with knives before you may struggle to identify the qualities of the knife that are helpful when camping. That’s totally cool – we have this covered in the following buyer’s guide.

Type Of Knife

There are, of course, different types of knives out there that are more suitable for different situations.

A knife you carry around with you everyday may be different to the knife you carry when you are camping. Of course, when you are camping you can carry certain knives that you can’t carry in public, because you are outdoors and not in a public space.

Fixed Blade – A fixed blade knife is certainly cautioned against for everyday carry. However, when you are in a camping situation size and type of blade, etc, are less of a worry than when in public spaces.

A fixed blade knife is essentially the opposite of a folding blade knife: you sheath it rather than folding down for safety.

These knives are ideal for camping where you can actually use them, this ‘full tang’ means they are really durable and much more versatile to use in a wealth of situations.

There’s basically no point having a fixed blade knife unless you are fishing or camping.

Folding Blade – As you can imagine, this is the type of blade that sheaths by folding in on itself.

These knives are much safer, considered an everyday carry knife, and can be much lighter and more compact. If pack weight is something you want to reduce, these knives can be ideal.

While a full tang fixed blade is ideal for camping there is a lot to be said for the compact and lightweight folding knife which can still be used in a myriad of situations when camping.

Tang

Tang is similar to what we just discussed but is a term often used in the marketing of knives, so it’s worth covering. In essence, tang refers to how far the single blade piece extends into the handle.

Full Tang – A full tang means the blade and the andle are near enough in one piece. The metal goes from the blade into the handle and forms basically the whole knife. They are much more durable and hardened, ideal for heavy duty tasks.

Half or quarter tang – This describes the distance, in comparison to full tang, the blade extends into the hilt or handle. Importantly, these knives can be fine for most camping purposes but are less durable and hardened, and generally more prone to break.

Material

In nearly all situations most knives will be made from steel.

Of course, each knife likely has some mild difference in type of steel but there are many varieties and often the differences are very small, hard for your average knife user to identify. But there are two qualities to be aware of.

Hard Steel – As you can imagine, hard steel is much more durable than soft steel. However this means they are more difficult to sharpen, although a non-stainless steel can be easier to sharpen. They are essentially more durable and hardened but require more maintenance.

Soft Steel – Soft steel is softer and more malleable than hard steel, this means you can sharpen them quite easily but the risk of breakage is more. The maintenance is less for sharp edges but they are less likely to last a long time.

Features

There are two features worth knowing about when it comes to knives that are suitable for camping. Both are useful when camping so can be worth looking out for. 

No Coating On Back – Often people use a ferrocerium rod to start fires, if this is something you plan on doing it can be worth considering the coating. The wrong coating can affect the ability to strike a spark, all knives can create  spark but you ideally want no coating on the back of the knife (the non sharp part of the blade) for striking a ferrocerium rod. 

Serrated Teeth – Some blades will exhibit part of a serrated edge near the hilt while the rest of the blade is your normal sharp edge. This can be great for general sawing purposes such as sawing little bits of food or even rope. It’s just worth having in a camping situation.

Smith And Wesson Extreme Ops Folding Knife

This is a really great knife from a reliable company you can rely on in the weaponry market, Smith and Wesson. They bring the same detail and reliability to their knives as they do their guns. 

The metal is clearly steel but is actually surprisingly lightweight but heavy enough to indicate quality. This is clear as the edges of the knife remain extremely sharp.

However, the top part of the blade is not sharp or polished which is ideal for starting fires.

Also ideal for camping is the two different edges in addition to the sharp edge. The sharp edge is sharp as we mentioned, but the opposite side you would use on a ferrocerium rod can work perfectly to start a fire. 

But the addition of sawing teeth is really helpful to those camping as well as the fact that the serrations remain as sharp as the actual blade.

The tang is only half, and the blade is foldable. This means it’s certainly more tactical and is good for those who want a less heavy pack. This would be great for cutting things, impaling food, but isn’t as durable or versatile as a large full tang blade.

If you want a good all round knife that is good for camping but can also be an effective tactical EDC knife, this knife is totally worth a look. Moreover, it remains extremely cheap for the market but many customers report the knife to be very high quality.

Pros

Multiple cutting uses

Remains very sharp

Great value for price

Cons

Foldable, not full tang

Gerber Gear Ultimate Fixed Blade Knife

This knife from Gerber gear is specifically designed for a camping knife so can be ideal for those who want a knife with a specific purpose, as Gerber outlines well themselves the knife is for ‘saving time, the day, or a life’.

A half serrated blade is ideal for any camping situation and the drop point allows the knife to be fairly tactical for other purposes. It’s a 4.8 inch blade that is fixed meaning it can be ideal for camping situations.

A sheath is provided as well as some other useful additions such as a knife sharpener and even a whistle and a firestarter – we love it

Usefully a wrist strap is built into the knife that allows you to not lose it – super helpful if you are cutting rope high up off the ground. Even more useful for security is the rubber grip that is one of the best out there, meaning you won’t drop or lose grip.

This knife is certainly designed to be the ‘ultimate knife’ for camping, the previous model was Bear Grylls branded showing how specific their marketing was, but with the aforementioned model being replaced by this one, it is certainly the ideal knife for camping.

Pros

Comes with extra gadgets

Partially serrated blade

Made specifically for camping

Cons

Not full tang, for value

Morakniv Kansbol Fixed Blade Knife

This is another fixed point blade designed specifically for hunting and outdoors use, so camping too. It’s a little more expensive than the rest but you get a very well engineered knife for camping use.

While the blade is made from high quality Swedish Sandvik steel, which provides a razor sharp edge that can shaper well, it remains only a three quarter tang.

But the handle is made from durable polyamide and also has anti-slip features which work within cold and wet conditions.

Thanks to its Swedish engineering, this knife can be best used when camping in the woods. It is ideal for carving, wood preparation as well as starting fires.

The ground spine is ideal for using with a fire starter and the scandi grind provides a razor sharp edge to the knife allowing you to cut through wood easily.

The plastic sheath itself is made from the same material as the hilt so remains durable and keeps your knife sharp when sheathed and in hard weather conditions. 

Pros

Designed for camping

Great for forest and woods adventuring

Great steel

Cons

Wide blade, not drop point.

Not an EDC

Morakniv Bushcraft Stainless Steel Fixed Blade Knife

If you are looking for a knife that is an all in one camping tool as well as a knife then this knife could be what you are looking for.

Namely, the knife includes a fire starter and sharpener but these additions are exhibited on the sheath of the blade making your life super easy when camping.

This means all the small annoying things you need with your knife when camping can be right where you need them to be, things never get lost and it’s just really practical.

Another practical feature is the unpolished spine which is ideal for hitting ferrocerium rod to create fire.

The 4.5 inch blade remains fairly simple with a drop point and joins onto the rubber hilt which is ideal for a good grip. While the knife is simple its really reliable and durable.

Pros

All in one design is practical

Simple Blade

Designed for camping

Cons

No serrated edges

ICONOGEAR 15 in 1 Multi Tool

This is a bit of a curve ball but can be worth considering if you are outdoors but not necessarily in a survival situation. 

In other words this tool can be basically everything you need when camping, a hammer, an ax, a bottle opener, pliers, and importantly a knife.

If you aren’t necessarily worried about weight, this weight is more than a pocket knife, this can be an effective tool to bring to something like a campsite as it has everything you need. 

In terms of using in a situation that is more than mundane camping, the tool could be a little clunky for an emergency or genuine survival situation but is fun to have for your general camping needs.

We think the tool is fun and to be honest is designed well as it remains fairly compact, light, and easy to use for what it is. 

But it’s not ideal for emergency or survival situations. You don’t want to be stuck up a mountain with a rope to cut and your life depends on how quickly you can locate a knife in your 15 piece multi tool

Pros

Tool for every occasion

Surprisingly compact and lightweight

Great for low level camping uses

Cons

Not ideal for a survival or emergency situation

Can be clunky getting each tool separated

Final Thoughts

As you can see there are many different types of knives out there for different purposes. Ultimately your choice of knife will depend on the situation you are entering into.

If you want something that gets the job done in most mundane situations such as hammering in tent pegs, cutting little bits of wood, a knife for cutting random things, maybe even a finicky bottle opener all in one tool.

Then something like the ICONOGEAR multi tool would be fine and kind of fun.

If you want a knife that is an all rounder EDC knife which is also suitable for camping then the Smith and Wesson tactical knife has this ability.

For those who want a real camping knife that they can rely on when in survival or even emergency situations in more perilous environments, the Morakniv knives are totally reliable as well as the Gerber.

Ultimately, choose a knife that suits the uses you intend. If you want something you can use anywhere make sure you get an EDC or a tactical knife with versatile usage.

If you want something big you can rely on in perilous places than a fixed blade is ideal for the ultimate camping knife. Whereas if you want something reliable but lightweight then there are many folding camping knives that are reliable.

We recommend double checking the environment you are entering, whether it is a national park, campsite, or just the general federal law on the state you are in, before you go buying a knife.

In other words, before you buy a knife make sure you are allowed to use it in the environment you wish to.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Legally Carry A Knife In The US?

Yes you can legally carry a knife if it meets certain requirements. One such requirement is to meet the federal law in the state you choose to carry a knife. Always research knife laws before taking a knife into another state. 

The most commonly legal EDC knives are multi-tool knives, swiss army knives, utility knives, and generally knives with a blade below 2.5 inches.

When camping or carrying an everyday carry knife, always consult the federal law of the state you are in before making a decision on buying or carrying a particular knife. 

What Does EDC Mean?

No, we’re not talking about the Electronic Dance Convention, EDC means Every Day Carry and refers to a knife that is totally fine to take into most settings without fear of it being considered dangerous. A pocket knife is almost always considered an EDC.

In other words, an EDC is a knife that you are legally allowed to carry into almost anywhere apart from the locations where weapons are banned such as a church or school.