Next year, once I have completed my high school studies, I plan to travel for a year or 2 with two friends. It will involve urban travel AND adventure/wilderness travel.

I want to carry a blade that I can use for the outdoor travel. the problem is that, as I will be living out of a backpack for a year, I will have these "dangerous weapons" in my luggage in cities. I know that the laws concerning knives and weapons in the US espessially is quite strict.

So, here is the scenario: For some reason, the policman finds a 6inch fixed blade in my backpack, in a major city. he asks me why i have such a big weapon, and I reply that i am living out of this backpack for a year, and this my kitchen/outdoor/utility knife. I have no where else to store it, as I am constantly on the move. Will he, according to the law, accept this as a valid excuse, or do a spend the year with only a swiss army classic?