Larger fixed blade knives have been on my mind since last Sunday afternoon when I happened to catch a one-hour show about the USMC winter survival training on the Military Channel (don't know that real name of the training or the place they were at).

I won't hijack the thread with too many details of what I thought was a really cool show, but each of the marines in training were carrying:

-- a multitool - LM Wave? They were using saw and file the most
-- COMBAT KNIFE - looked like a black-handled Kabar
-- canteen
-- metal canteen cup
-- small rope - maybe paracord
-- snowshoes - looked home-made - out of rope and maybe 2" thick bent branches
-- snow shovel w/ removable handle
-- sleeping bag w/ liner
-- bivy sack - camo, not sure what kind
-- ferro rod, but ONLY provided after they'd already started a fire by friction using a bow
-- at some point they showed a dark colored towel or similar cloth and a largish rubber collapsable bucket. They used the towel to hold & melt snow and the bucket to catch the water).

1. It renewed my faith in the utility of the multitool, esp the saw. They used the file and knives to smooth off surfaces for clubs and other tools.

2. It made me rethink about the utility/need of a longer heavier chopper type blade.

They used the multitool to do fine cutting on traps & deadfalls and such. They cut branches for fire & tools (club, slingshot, proximity alarm together with the snow shovel.

They used the combat knife for chopping, prying bark off of dead cedar trees for kindling, and for digging out the burned end of a short log to make a bowl (maybe 9-10" across and closed LM multitool deep). Several used the carbon dust to soothe nausea brought about by hunger/nerves.

Several folks got injured while working to pull firewood off of large dead trees (shredded hands & hits to heads). They would have been soo much better off with a larger saw and leather gloves. Oh ... its so hard not to hijaack the thread.

They each butchered a rabbit on the first day. Much to the happiness of my daughter they didn't show it, but I would have really liked to have seen more details of how they did it ... for example, which knives did they choose to use? They ate just about every part - including the eyes on the first day. Later in the week I noticed some of them with very furry little pouches. Wondered how they cleaned/tanned the leather.

My fixed blade knives: an old Buck Special 119 (1973ish), Becker Crewman BK10, a bunch of Moras of different lengths for RV camp cooking, and my wonderfull Ritter Mk3.

I find myself looking at larger knives such as the Becker BK7 & BK9 wondering if I should get one, but then wonder if I'd ever carry those heavier knives (even my BK10 feels heavy to me). I wonder if they really do much of anything that the Mk3 and a small axe (Snow & Nealley Penobscot Bay) couldn't do better.

By the way, it also made me appreciate what those young men (and one woman) were doing to prepare themselves to protect our freedom. Awesome!!

Ken