1. which do you like metal match or wooden match?<br>2. about how many times can u use a metal match?<br>3. fixed blade/swiss army knife or axe/swiss army knife. which do you like for all around camping?<br>4. let say you make a shelter next to a year round pond. advantages- all animals come to drink. disadvantages- some of the animals are unwanted. what do you do about the bears-mountlions-bugs or would your best bet be to move the camp?<br>5. which weapon is most formidable for small to medium animal hunting that can be made with knife/axe?<br><br> Thank you for your time and the reply's<br><br>

Regarding #4 What do those animals do about YOU?Camping next to a water source is very romantic,if you like mosquitos,or getting flooded out in wet weather!Most close encounters of the toothsome kind occur when We blunder into the animal's turf.I never camp on designated parkgrounds.Bears know every inch of their territory.Your presence on a lake may only force animals to abstain from drinking.Kind of like that supervisor at work that blocks the drinking fountain!<br><br>

I used to use a generic K-Bar / 7 inch sheath knife for my camping knife. The nice thing about it was it was under $20.00 so I wasn't to concerned about loosing it or damaging it. I used it with the metal match and for splitting kindling as well as general knife duties.<br>But for 3 years I had been thinking of getting something more versatile. I began looking at Kukris or Ghurka knives. I thought I was going to go with Cold Steel's version but I kept running across great reviews for Himalayan Imports. After a lot of looking (they have over 200 differant types) I decided on the 15" Ang Khola. It weighs over 1 pound and is 1/2 thick in places. It has a sharp cutting edge along the inside curve close to the handle for shaving and delicate cutting. The main portion of the blade is great for chopping. Already I have been splitting fire wood and chopping through old 2x4s with it. I accidentally chopped through a nail with out even a scratch to the blade. <br>Here is the web address if you're interested<br>http://members.aol.com/himimp/index.html<br>The owner, Uncle Bill, imports the knives direct from Nepal.<br>They come with a life time guarantee and free shipping<br><br>

thanx guys lol #4 sounded kinda stupid eh? well sorry bout that i know it was a dumb ques.<br><br>

A metal match is always a good backup, but, it's hard to compete with the flame that wood matchs produce. A metal match can be used hundreds of times, but, it helps to rough up the edge every now and then with a file....such as the one you'll find on a swiss army knife, however, a good fixed blade knife is always in use while camping.<br><br>Finally, we don't have too many year round ponds here (alaska) but we do have plenty of bears. In my experience bears do everything they can to avoid people...just ask a bear hunter! Thus, being close to a good supply of water is always an advantage (bugs notwithstanding), but, most animals are attracted to running water for drinking purposes.. not standing water...you should consider that when seeking a good site.<br><br>