Best Spyderco for Backpacking

[Netherend]

Pacific Salt 2 - lightweight , great for food prep and easy to find if you drop it.

[Ferruginous]

I look forward to getting my hands on a MC UKPK and hopefully a SXL Salt. I think they can give the Salt and Pac Salt, respectively, a run for their money.

I was going to recommend a UKPK. I have a serrated Salt version and I learned that I don't need a lock for 99.99% of knife chores.

I can't think of a more effective minimalist design than the UKPK. When I hike, it's what I carry.

[Bolster]

I can't think of a more effective minimalist design than the UKPK. When I hike, it's what I carry.

I've noticed most recommendations tend to run toward the larger blades. I understand your reasoning with the UKPK; I own a Spyderco Air Bradley but I've never had the cojones to carry it as my solo blade. At the end of every pack trip I think "I could have made do with the Air." Even though it's the lightest and most capable (for its size) knife I own, I've not carried it on a pack trip yet.

[JRinFL]

Is it too late to recommend the Darn Dao?

[Scandi Grind]

Is it too late to recommend the Darn Dao?

Never! Ha ha! Such a cool knife.

I would usually suggest a small hatchet in addition to a light fixed blade before suggesting something as large as the Darn Dao, but some people do like the big knife option, so I can't say it shouldn't be on the table.

[SchoonerBum]

Is it too late to recommend the Darn Dao?

Never! Ha ha! Such a cool knife.

I would usually suggest a small hatchet in addition to a light fixed blade before suggesting something as large as the Darn Dao, but some people do like the big knife option, so I can't say it shouldn't be on the table.

If Spyderco made the equivalent of a small Tramontina machete as a salt that might become my new favorite.

[JD Spydo]

Here in the Great state of Missouri ( USA) we have some really great places to hike and backpack. I've got 2 favorites for that type of activity. One is the C-36 Military model and the other is the TEMPERANCE 1 fixed blade model. Those are two you just can't go wrong with for that type of activity.

There are so many great Spyderco models that would be suitable for that type of activity. Also with the Military and TEMPERANCE 1 models I do wish they would bring back both in SE. Both of them are superb in PE and both models also really perform nicely in SE too.

[ABX2011]

I section hiked the AT and tried different folders. I didn't have much actual use for a knife. Meals were mostly freeze dried. Sometimes I cut salami or cheese. Actually for that I used a dull Swiss Army blade which sounds ridiculous but it worked and I didn't want to take any risk of cutting myself.
My sharp knife rode in my cargo short pocket. It was big enough to defend myself in a fantasy encounter.
I started with a Military, then Pac Salt serrated, then Centofante. Only one I still have is the Centofante which I manually reground to a near scandi grind. I used it this past week for some brushing while doing trail maintenance.
Reliable lock that needs minimal lube. Stainless steel. Pinned pivot won't loosen. Lightweight.

[Bolster]

I section hiked the AT and tried different folders. I didn't have much actual use for a knife. Meals were mostly freeze dried. Sometimes I cut salami or cheese. Actually for that I used a dull Swiss Army blade which sounds ridiculous but it worked and I didn't want to take any risk of cutting myself.
My sharp knife rode in my cargo short pocket. It was big enough to defend myself in a fantasy encounter.
I started with a Military, then Pac Salt serrated, then Centofante. Only one I still have is the Centofante which I manually reground to a near scandi grind. I used it this past week for some brushing while doing trail maintenance.
Reliable lock that needs minimal lube. Stainless steel. Pinned pivot won't loosen. Lightweight.

Appreciate the perspective of an experienced hiker. LOL the 'fantasy encounter,' that's all I've ever had, too!

[carrot]

I've lead multiple wilderness backpacking trips where help would be a day or more of hiking away. I also typically go LW or UL on my trips. I've also done several bike tours and done tons of multi-pitch trad climbing.

I've carried in the past: Pac Salt SE, Military, Manix LW, PM2, Delica, Endura, Caly3, Para 3, P3LW. And many kinds of fixed blades, saws, axes. I have never used sharpening supplies in the field, although my longest trip(s) being 9-10 days might have something to do with it.

In the end, what I pick comes down to:

- being good for food prep
- being comfortable and safe to carry / easy to deploy with the clothing I am wearing
- the chance of shelter building / fire making (higher if worse weather is predicted)
- being compatible with the climate / terrain (I'll prefer a Salt if I'm going to be wet a lot, or a debris-shedding folder like the PM2 if I'm going to be muddy/sandy a lot)

I don't prefer very long folders because I find it difficult to use the tip with precision, especially when you are cold and wet.

Right now, I consider the Para 3 PS to be my "default" wilderness folder for its versatility and compact size. I also wind up pocketing the Salt 2 SE a lot on day trips. I think my ideal wilderness travel folder would be a Leafjumper Salt PS with an inch of SE on it. I prefer the self-closing bias of lockbacks as they are less likely to accidentally open and injure me.

[elena86]

SE Rockjumper.

[razehound]

I go with:
AEB-L Mule w/ reflective orange handle OR Bradford Guardian5.5 3V
Salt 2 SE
Something substantial and something light, something PE and something SE, and so on...

[electro-static]

"In the spring, some men's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of...backpacking!" (Apologies to Tennyson.) As I'm shaking out my down quilt and researching the purchase of a bear canister, I need to choose a knife to take with. It's time to do an updated review of Spyderco's offerings for this purpose. What do you suggest?

• If you happen to suggest a salt knife, why? Do you typically get your knives wet during backpacking, have you had rust problems? I'm asking because I've not had backcountry rust issues.
• Tell me where you would carry the knife. (Front pockets are difficult with a pack.)
• Would you ask your backpacking knife to be adept at SD (assuming a longer blade in that case), or would you go for the lightest weight possible with a short blade?
• Do you typically put knife to wood on a pack trip? If so, what are you whittling and why? (Here in Calif and I think also Arizona open fires are mostly prohibited so feather sticks are out.)
• What are your most typical uses for your knife on a pack trip?

I do mostly car camping but also hike during those trips as well. I cook large meals with veggies and meat when I camp, so that factors into my choice as well.

During camping trips I have found my belt knives to be nearly unused because my spyderco folders do all the same jobs.

I typically carry in my front pants pocket.

I like salt knives because they are easy to take care, when it comes time to clean stuff from meal prep you can just chuck them in the wash bucket. 2/3 of my suggestions are salt knives. I have had knives rust on my when not properly dried. The Pacific salt 2 also has the benefit of having one of the best blade length to weight ratios in spyderco’s lineup.

SD isn’t a consideration for my folder, I have bear spray for that. If SD was a concern I would go for something long like a Police 4. The endura series aren’t bad in this regard either.

I usually put a knife to wood when I camp. I make a fire every morning and night, the quality of wood is **** so usually I have to make feathers for it to catch. I don’t use a folder or belt knife for splitting wood because an axe or very large knife does a better job.

I carry a small sharpener in my pack.

It isn’t logical but I think my current favorite is the spyderchef, because it’s easy to clean, sharpen, and the blade and handle work really well for making feathers. Being a rust free framelock makes it really worry free. LC200N being a very tough steel also helps it greatly when fucking about, if you ding it on your cooking pots or pans.

I think the objectively better choices are my runners up: My enduras (K390, and 20CV) and pacific salt 2, because they handle all the tasks very well (a bit better that the chef because of the extra length and thinner geometry), weigh a bit less, and 20CV and K390 also hold an edge. They are also much cheaper to replace than the chef, and you can spend the saved cash on something else. They aren’t my favorites because ease of cleaning is less, and that can be a huge pain in the *** when you are cooking raw meat. If you carry a lightweight belt knife like a mora companion in stainless as well this may be a non concern.

[Bolster]

Those of you who backpack: wouldn't it be possible to mark your trekking poles so that you could achieve a 15 degree angle with one of them -- and then, with a small square of wet-or-dry sandpaper of perhaps 600 grit or so, wrapped around the angled pole -- you'd have an improvised, ultra-light Sharpmaker? For the weight of a small bit of sandpaper?

[Brock O Lee]

I'd just pick a Military and call it good.

[aicolainen]

Those of you who backpack: wouldn't it be possible to mark your trekking poles so that you could achieve a 15 degree angle with one of them -- and then, with a small square of wet-or-dry sandpaper of perhaps 600 grit or so, wrapped around the angled pole -- you'd have an improvised, ultra-light Sharpmaker? For the weight of a small bit of sandpaper?

The sharpening part of your OP was added after my reply, so I forgot to circle back to it.

I touched on this in my first replay, but my backpacking is very diverse, so there's no one answer that fits all. Maybe I'm the odd one out, it wouldn't be the first time :)
There's a thread I'm following in a Norwegian backpacking forum atm. that highlights some of the differences between backpacking in the US and in the Nordic countries as it relates to tents/shelter, and it's quite interesting. Climate, trail lengths, infrastructure etc. affects so much of our preferences, I would be surprised if similar differences doesn't affect our preferences in knives as well.

Back to sharpening: If I'm ultra heavy backpacking, think short distance, low elevation, high comfort and lots of potential camp chores like wood work, making fire wood, cocking etc. Or if I'm backpacking in the context of hunting or fishing in remote areas, I'm likely to carry some means of sharpening.
My go to solution is the Fällkniven DC line of sharpeners. It's a combination diamond/ceramic sharpener in a leather sheath that doubles as a strop. Quite rudimentary, but it's only a backup/last ditch option if my knife/knives get hopelessly dull.
I could probably find something lighter and or something that could produce better results, but I'm quite satisfied as is.


Contrary to the rest of my family I don't particularly enjoy beaches and get bored really fast. Perfect occasion for touch up in the field

[Mushroom]

Those of you who backpack: wouldn't it be possible to mark your trekking poles so that you could achieve a 15 degree angle with one of them -- and then, with a small square of wet-or-dry sandpaper of perhaps 600 grit or so, wrapped around the angled pole -- you'd have an improvised, ultra-light Sharpmaker? For the weight of a small bit of sandpaper?

That’s a potential solution if you really want to bring something to resharpen on the trip. Lightweight and saves space in your pack. I would recommend just using it free hand though because holding the trekking pole precisely at 15° Might prove to be a challenge in itself.

[Bolster]

... Climate, trail lengths, infrastructure etc. affects so much of our preferences, I would be surprised if similar differences doesn't affect our preferences in knives as well....

Very true. I think the most important thing I've learned by reading Andrew Skurka (the famous LD backpacker) is that intensive research and pre-planning is required, especially for UL backpacking. Skurka swaps out gear considerably, depending on when/where/how long he's going...each trip has gear that works best for it.

I rather regret the title I put on this thread. It was an attempt to gain eyeballs and to engender opinions, but in truth, I know there is no one best Spyderco for backpacking. It really does depend on the trip, the uses you expect for the knife, and so on. Curated trails in summer would indicate completely different choices than cross-country bashing in winter, etc.

Picking a knife that matches the hike bothers me not at all...gives me an excuse to buy more Spydercos. "Well I bought THIS knife for a 60 mile 3-day in the Sierras in summer, and I bought THAT one for a 40 mile two-day in desert in the fall, and..."

But I have learned from this thread that I really need to pick up a Pac Salt. It doesn't look friendly to my hand, as I prefer a tight radius for my index, but I need to get one in hand and see for myself. The other knives I've been (im)patiently waiting for are a PM steel version of the Stretch XL, and an FRN version of the Caly 3.5.

[ladybug93]

i can't believe you haven't had a pac salt. i always say everyone needs one.



i'm not sure i ever answered this thread honestly. if i had to take a spyderco, it would be my magnacut mule. if i had to take a folder and the magnacut manix still isn't out, i'd take my native salt because it's comfortable and robust, and because the thicker blade isn't a disadvantage in the wild like it is for edc.

in reality though, i'd take at a minimum a mora, a cold steel ultimate hunter, and a vic rangergrip. it would be worth the weight to me. you're not finding my body a mile from the trail in two years because i wanted to save a few ounces.

[electro-static]

i can't believe you haven't had a pac salt. i always say everyone needs one.



i'm not sure i ever answered this thread honestly. if i had to take a spyderco, it would be my magnacut mule. if i had to take a folder and the magnacut manix still isn't out, i'd take my native salt because it's comfortable and robust, and because the thicker blade isn't a disadvantage in the wild like it is for edc.

in reality though, i'd take at a minimum a mora, a cold steel ultimate hunter, and a vic rangergrip. it would be worth the weight to me. you're not finding my body a mile from the trail in two years because i wanted to save a few ounces.

I also don’t understand why the pac salt 2 isn’t more popular with backpackers. The Manix LW is pretty beefy and lightweight so it’s a pretty cool candidate as well for people who want something a bit sturdier.