Which knife — or knives — carried in the field has as much to do with individual skills as it does the likely tasks. Someone who really knows what they’re doing with a knife is a wonder to behold. Me? I’m somewhere in the middle, so I compensate by carrying a multi-tool and a smallish (4-inch or less blade) full-tang fixed-blade — and sometimes a folder (SAK OHT).

It’s worth noting that folks who live and survive in pretty extreme conditions rely on fixed-blade knives that aren’t terribly “sexy” by most standards (straightforward edge geometry; thin-ish, short blade; hidden tang; easy to field sharpen) — the Scandinavian knife. The venerable (and inexpensive) Mora is all some folks require — though not necessarily recommended for the Amazon region . Environment has some bearing.