I have the Busse Battle Mistress, from which the Swamp Rat Battle Rat was designed. Great knife, truly top of the line. Man, I've got so many expensive knives laying around that will probably never be used, I could open my own small knife shop.<br><br>When I carry a fixed blade, it is usually on SAR missions or a hunting/camping trip, and a 7" blade suits my needs more than adequately. If I will be in dense brush, I will bring along an 18" machete. The 9" blade of the Battle Mistress/Battle Rat is a little too unweildy in my opinion for anything other than chopping wood. My ideal setup (blade-wise) would be a good 5-7" fixed blade, an 18" machete, and a multi-tool. If I were in your shoes, I'd get the Becker(or maybe a Falkniven)...then get the SRKW Battle Rat later...after all your other survival "needs" are met. Trust me, my wallet and I learned this the hard way. LOL<br><br>John McIntire