I carry this Frosts Mora Clipper carbon steel knife along with this Victorinox One-handed Trekker (Trailmaster is it's other name) . The important features of the OHT are the locking blade, and a capable saw. I think combo would suit you well!

What SAK do you own (you don't specify in your original post)?

I've got the Outrider which adds scissors to the very useful saw and locking blade. I prefer the lock in the Outrider because my finger/thumb doesn't need to get into the blade arc.

Either your SAK or mine would be great combined with an SRK for bigger jobs. Just put the mini-RSK in your pocket for back-up.

Let's see, multitool in the wild....

- Cutting wire
- Small saw is excellent, if your multi tool has one, for any fine cuts (say, in the shelter)
- File for touching up machete/hatchet, dulling burrs if packframe (internal or external) breaks
- Pliers, easier on the fingers when moving a pot, pulling out spines/quills, and if having to pull a needle through while repairing your pack or boots
- Philips screwdriver, for opening radio/GPS case so it can dry out faster (had to do that a few times)
- Small straight screwdriver, for glasses and electronics screws
- Can opener, for obvious reasons
- Knife blade, backup blade

And we won't even discuss thier utility if you are hunting, trapping, fishing or using an ATV or snow mobile.

I'm not at all confused, Chris. Suprised, yes, but not by the gear.

I would probably keep the RSK- a stout lockback is your most versitile choice. However, the Necker fits the same kind of role, and it isn't much larger.

As for the Becker vs the SRK, how are they arranged? If I had to pick two, I'd go with the RSK and the Necker, leaving the SRK at home, OR just the SRK. Personal choice.

How much redundancy is there between the Leatherman and the SAK? The only reason I bother with a SAK any more is for the scissors, and I think a Micra or S-Squirt is a better choice. The scissors in the Micra are stronger than any SAK I've ever owned.

Lose the Mora. I know they have a cult following with certain people around here, but I've never seen one that was full tanged. I think any fixed blade that doesn't have a full tang is a liability when push comes to shove, simply due to mechanical strength. Particularly if is one of the ones with the hollow, hard ABS(?) plastic handle- it feels like a Lego block. I've had to much stuff crack on me to trust that particular handle.

If this moutain is a snow & ice job, I would take the CS and a leatherman. Why? Because the CS is strong enough to chop steps in ice if I loose my ice axe and the Leatherman because its a good tool.
If it's below the treeline, I would loose the Becker. Keep the rest but distribute them about my person so that I always have a knife on me. The CS can go in the pack.

Tom,
Of the knives you listed, which have you used most? Which are the most useful to you? We've all got differing opinions because we all have different experience about what's worked and the types of knives we feel comfortable using.

I always have a locking folder available so I will always vote to keep the mini-RSK in your pocket (not in your pack). Of the other knives, I find strong fixed blades useful and Mora's not so useful. You may find Mora's useful and you'd save more weight by ditching the SRK. The SAK and Leatherman may be useful depending on which specific tools they are and how you use them. SAK's and Leatherman covers a lot of different knives/tools so we really can't judge them.

Why not list the knives/tools again specifying models and state why they are in the pack -- what you had in mind when you bought them. You should see the redundancy.

I still need to lighten my knife load, lots of redundancy.

I think the greatest utility in sharp pointy things is a fixed blade, a Leatherman Wave (or Charge Ti) and a folding or Gerber Sportsman's saw.

I had an SRK and gave it away because it was clumsy to use. I prefer the CS Master Hunter in carbon V.

I think a good fixed blade knife is worth carrying, no mater what its weight. <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

I agree with ironraven. We took a group of scouts on a backpacking trip. My leatherman was used twice for on trail for last minute pack frame adjustments, once for needle "assist" in repairing some webbing that came unstitched, and once when a hipbelt buckle split. I used zip ties to cinch the buckle back together, but the pliers helped get them tight enough so that the male end didn't slip out.

I compromised due to weight considerations. I really wanted to carry my Wave (better file & saw), but ended up carrying my original leatherman. I carried my RSK in my pocket, but my leatherman was in the pack. Very handy on the trail.

If you have a new Wave you can get a pocket clip for it. I carry my Charge Ti clipped in my pocket all the time, even when hiking. I don't notice it is there. It comes out and open as fast and easy as any other one-handed, clipped, pocket knife. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Hi Tom!

Just wondering if you had made a final choice regarding your original question?

I was unpacking my hiking pack yesterday and realized that I had a Gerber Mini-paraframe in my PSK, a Leatherman Micra in my FAK, and a stainless steel KJ Ericsson Mora... starting to think that redundancy might not be such a great thing when I do difficult hikes. I might take the Micra out of the FAK, put it in the PSK, and lose the Gerber...

These things add up after a while!