Best Spyderco for Backpacking

[ladybug93]

yeah. i'm just over here tapping my foot waiting for the magnacut manix lw.

[JRinFL]

I don't need another knife, but I could convince myself that I need the MC M2 LW.

[Bolster]

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

You're probably right.

I purchased an Atlantic Salt and liked it very much. But gave it to my former college roommate who has become an "in the record books" sailor for doing an unusual double-solo-circumnavigation. He loves the knife and sails the seven seas with it.

I've shied away from the Pac Salt because it looks like a Delica/Endela/Endura style handle, which doesn't agree with my grip--that handle shape makes me grumpy. But I really should give it another try, just for the sake of being open minded. Of course, if a particle Stretch XL or a Magnacut Manix appear first, competition will be stiff!

[Bolster]

I don't need another knife...

Don't be silly. Of course you do.

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.

Right, the Mx2 LW in SPY27 has been my recent go-to pack knife, but looking to mix it up this year.

[Manixguy@1994]

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

You're probably right.

I purchased an Atlantic Salt and liked it very much. But gave it to my former college roommate who has become an "in the record books" sailor for doing an unusual double-solo-circumnavigation. He loves the knife and sails the seven seas with it.

I've shied away from the Pac Salt because it looks like a Delica/Endela/Endura style handle, which doesn't agree with my grip--that handle shape makes me grumpy. But I really should give it another try, just for the sake of being open minded. Of course, if a particle Stretch XL or a Magnacut Manix appear first, competition will be stiff!

I will take one of each please ! Brother Dan

[ladybug93]

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

You're probably right.

I purchased an Atlantic Salt and liked it very much. But gave it to my former college roommate who has become an "in the record books" sailor for doing an unusual double-solo-circumnavigation. He loves the knife and sails the seven seas with it.

I've shied away from the Pac Salt because it looks like a Delica/Endela/Endura style handle, which doesn't agree with my grip--that handle shape makes me grumpy. But I really should give it another try, just for the sake of being open minded. Of course, if a particle Stretch XL or a Magnacut Manix appear first, competition will be stiff!

they aren't my favorite either. the manix and native fit me like a glove. the stretch is great and i can tell the jumpers would be far better for me than the delica and endura. but, the more i see my son's and father-in-law's delicas, the more i find myself wanting one and it seems they fit my hand better than i remember. i bought a delica today and i'm probably going to carry it a lot. i think i'd prefer a jumper, but the delica is more compact and has all the aftermarket stuff i want for it, so it wins.

[R100]

I used a Siren for a backpacking trip earlier in the year. Less than an ounce heavier than the Pac Salt 1 I would normally carry and a bit more substantial. I didn't do anything more challenging than food prep and a little woodwork but really enjoyed carrying and using it. I think it's what I'll be using as a backpacking knife for the foreseeable future.

No knife but here's some scenery from the last trip.



Dan

[Bolster]

...but really enjoyed carrying and using it...

That's an important element that's often overlooked. Some knives make you happy to carry on a backpack trip.

[electro-static]

I used a Siren for a backpacking trip earlier in the year. Less than an ounce heavier than the Pac Salt 1 I would normally carry and a bit more substantial. I didn't do anything more challenging than food prep and a little woodwork but really enjoyed carrying and using it. I think it's what I'll be using as a backpacking knife for the foreseeable future.

No knife but here's some scenery from the last trip.



Dan

Can confirm that one is also really great for outdoor tasks. It does wood chores really well, and is a salt knife. Just a bit large in the pocket.

[clovisc]

I hike around southeast Alaska a lot, and tend to carry a SE dragonfly salt or military the most. The SE dragonfly salt is like a mini H1 chainsaw, yet is so light that it feels like it is barely there. It also stays out of the way during more athletic activities - cycling, XC skiing, etc. The mili feels so familiar after having spent nearly 20 years with one near at hand. It can rub my leg a bit during active pursuits, so I'll often put it in a backpack, or coat pocket.

[SchoonerBum]

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.

I've been thinking about this for a bit, and I think that for a lot of backpackers who are not on this forum the Pac Salt would be a secondary knife, which a lot of those folks may not want to buy and/or carry.

I've done a ton of backpacking with nothing but an SAK, and if I had to give up either the Pac Salt or SAK I'm giving up the Pac Salt first. I want a few other items, like tweezers, an emergency firestarter, can and bottle openers (mostly for town days), an awl for gear repair, and some scissors for trimming moleskin. I can get all of that in an SAK. It's heavier and harder to clean than a Pac Salt, and for me I'll carry both, but I think a lot of people probably just take the SAK.

Also, if I'm taking an SAK, I might be tempted to take a small fixed blade as my second knife instead of another folder. The Subway Bowie is still pretty new but it seems like it has potential to be a really good backpacking knife. I'll add the Subway Bowie to the list of candidates for best backpacking Spyderco. :-)

I love the Pac Salt and it's a superb backpacking knife for me, but I think it's likely to be a secondary tool for a lot of backpackers and they may not consider it to be worth the cost and/or weight. Maybe that's why it's not more popular?

[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.

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.

I've been thinking about this for a bit, and I think that for a lot of backpackers who are not on this forum the Pac Salt would be a secondary knife, which a lot of those folks may not want to buy and/or carry.

I've done a ton of backpacking with nothing but an SAK, and if I had to give up either the Pac Salt or SAK I'm giving up the Pac Salt first. I want a few other items, like tweezers, an emergency firestarter, can and bottle openers (mostly for town days), an awl for gear repair, and some scissors for trimming moleskin. I can get all of that in an SAK. It's heavier and harder to clean than a Pac Salt, and for me I'll carry both, but I think a lot of people probably just take the SAK.

Also, if I'm taking an SAK, I might be tempted to take a small fixed blade as my second knife instead of another folder. The Subway Bowie is still pretty new but it seems like it has potential to be a really good backpacking knife. I'll add the Subway Bowie to the list of candidates for best backpacking Spyderco. :-)

I love the Pac Salt and it's a superb backpacking knife for me, but I think it's likely to be a secondary tool for a lot of backpackers and they may not consider it to be worth the cost and/or weight. Maybe that's why it's not more popular?

that makes a lot of sense, considering the priorities.

[James Y]

If I could only take one knife, I would most likely choose a SAK. Due to the versatility of its uses, as posted above. I went well over a decade with only a single Victorinox Spartan SAK as my EDC knife, and it handled pretty much all of my needs at the time.

If I could choose a 2nd knife to take, out of Spyderco knives, I would probably choose either a SE Pac Salt, or a SE wharncliffe Salt 2. Or my UKPK Salt. Or possibly (if I get one when they finally come out) a Magnacut PM 2. I wouldn't want to skimp on my knife

I know many ultralight backpackers want to save every half-ounce of weight, but I'm not one. Many hikers/backpackers carry the tiny Victorinox Classic mini-SAK as their only knife. One authority on the subject of backpacking wrote in one of his books that he was even considering cutting off the tiny nail file/screwdriver blade off of his SAK Classic to shave off even that nonexistent weight difference. Whereas I can see practical uses for that bIade besides the 2 obvious ones. I get that some people need or want to travel as lightly as possible, but some take it to almost ridiculously OCD extremes.

I am aware of one woman who hiked the entire Pacific Crest Trail with an SAK Classic as her only knife.

Jim

[ladybug93]

the smallest/lightest sak i'd take into the woods would be a camper. the saw is too useful in a survival scenario to be without.

[Bolster]

I am aware of one woman who hiked the entire Pacific Crest Trail with an SAK Classic as her only knife.

It's not unusual for folks on the major "highway" trails like the PCT or the AT to carry next-to-nothing for a blade. The Victorinox 4" paring knife at 1 oz is popular. Some hikers on the AT just carry a razor blade, that's all. These are social trails, and folks can expect to see perhaps dozens of other people per day, so if they get into trouble, there's help that will be by, before long. As Aicolainen said, it's a process of tuning the knife you carry to the trail/weather/location/etc.

It's also typical for a hiker to carry a luxury item or two. For me, a sturdy knife is a luxury item -- though I appreciate my luxury item to be as light as possible! I'll splurge up to 3 oz on a knife, but am happier with a 2-oz knife.

I used to carry a SuperTinker SAK backpacking, but don't anymore. My workaround to the SAK is to take the tools I want, separately. I carry a pair of SAK scissors (without the SAK), a sturdy pair of titanium tweezers (for desert use...cactus spines), and a fractional-ounce sewing kit. On rare occasions, a hacksaw blade designed for wood. But no screwdriver, can-opener, awl, hook, corkscrew, or other tools I've never needed. My argument against the SAK is: too many tools I don't need/want to carry.

And, truth be told, SD is always in the back of my mind -- something I'd not want to attempt with a SAK.

[Wandering_About]

If I were to pick one from the current Spyderco lineup, Native 5 Salt in MagnaCut.

On one of my first backpacking trips many years ago, I carried a ZDP-189 Endura. It rusted. I experimented with various other knives, from fixed blades in 1095 (too large for what I do, and they also rusted often and enthusiastically) to a plain jane Para 3. In the end, a folder with around a 3 inch blade and 3 ounces or so works just fine for me. Of course, my small Sebenza would also be on the list (but that's not a Spyderco!).

One of the major jobs that I expect of a backpacking knife is to field dress trout(when they are available). The other thing I expect of it is to live in my pocket for the entirety of the trip, rain or shine, and regardless of how much I sweat. That does put at least some priority on corrosion resistance.

[ladybug93]

These are social trails, and folks can expect to see perhaps dozens of other people per day...

precisely what killed my dream of thru-hiking the at.

[James Y]

I am aware of one woman who hiked the entire Pacific Crest Trail with an SAK Classic as her only knife.

It's not unusual for folks on the major "highway" trails like the PCT or the AT to carry next-to-nothing for a blade. The Victorinox 4" paring knife at 1 oz is popular. Some hikers on the AT just carry a razor blade, that's all. These are social trails, and folks can expect to see perhaps dozens of other people per day, so if they get into trouble, there's help that will be by, before long. As Aicolainen said, it's a process of tuning the knife you carry to the trail/weather/location/etc.

It's also typical for a hiker to carry a luxury item or two. For me, a sturdy knife is a luxury item -- though I appreciate my luxury item to be as light as possible! I'll splurge up to 3 oz on a knife, but am happier with a 2-oz knife.

I used to carry a SuperTinker SAK backpacking, but don't anymore. My workaround to the SAK is to take the tools I want, separately. I carry a pair of SAK scissors (without the SAK), a sturdy pair of titanium tweezers (for desert use...cactus spines), and a fractional-ounce sewing kit. On rare occasions, a hacksaw blade designed for wood. But no screwdriver, can-opener, awl, hook, corkscrew, or other tools I've never needed. My argument against the SAK is: too many tools I don't need/want to carry.

And, truth be told, SD is always in the back of my mind -- something I'd not want to attempt with a SAK.

I've been told there are many isolated stretches of the Pacific Crest Trail, and on some, you might cover hundreds of miles without seeing another human being.

If I carried a knife for SD in the wilderness, if I absolutely couldn't carry a firearm, I would prefer some type of fixed blade over any folder. Even if carrying it adds extra weight. I would not want to skimp on something my life may depend on. I would also carry bear spray. But TBH, my concern would be more about human predators on the hiking trail. I've heard of wilderness encounters with bad guys in literally the middle of nowhere, where encountering another human would have seemed very unlikely.

I would carry the folder(s) for utilitarian purposes.

Jim

[Bolster]

...

[Bolster]

I've been told there are many isolated stretches of the Pacific Crest Trail, and on some, you might cover hundreds of miles without seeing another human being.

Granted, humans are scarce when hiking the PCT off-season. The PCT (in Calif at least) has a "rush hour" feel to it! Another fun fact about Calif hiking: The grizzly bear may be on our state flag, but it's not found in our state since about the 1920s. So, yeah, I agree with you--the on-trail SD aspect has little to do with four-legged animals. Though rare, the back-country crime seems particularly sinister, since a backpacker has little by way of value that a thief would want. "Here, take my stinky spare pair of socks?"