In regards to the knife and its usefulness - we have used ours a couple of times. To cut twine, to open the OFF mosquito wipes pouches (they tore right above the seal!)....and the time that I didn't carry the knife and wished that I did was when my daughter had very angry blisters on her heals and I wanted to cut the backs out of her shoes while we were on the trail. So - we don't use the knife so much for food...just those odd-ball things!

~The Boxalots

rscarpen wrote:
> I would like to carry a knife, compass, mag light, pen,
> a few paper towels, and a lighter on an unfamiliar,
> moderate hike. If you can get a map that would be
> perfect.

You know, I can't help but chuckle at the knife. =) I always see it
listed as one of the "ten essentials", but in times of emergencies,
how useful can a knife really be? Something so you can kill a rabbit
for food? Fend off bears? Cut down trees for shelter? Cut off your arm
if it gets stuck under a boulder?

There's never any indication about what the knife should be use for in
times of emergency, and I've always wondered about that. =) In case of
emergency, I can think of a lot of things I'd rather have instead of a
knife, so why does it always make the top ten?

Even, let's assume for the sake of argument, you are lost in the woods
for several days and need to eat--wouldn't it be easier to find
berries or grass to eat than trying to take down a deer for meat? And
even if you were inclined to hunt your own food, how many "average
joes" that carry around a knife would even know how to go about doing
so? Same goes for fending off bears or cutting down trees for shelter.
I'd rather spend my effort finding a natural shelter under a tree and
keep my distance from bears. Cutting off my arm might be useful, I
suppose, in certain circumstances, though I do try to make sure I
never put myself in a situtation where that would be likely. And even
if it came down to that, I'm not even sure I'd have the guts to do it.
Maybe I could scratch my name in a rock saying, "I was here!"

All-in-all, I never really understood the usefulness of a knife as one
of the ten essentials. *shrug* That's just me, though. =)

-- Ryan




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