Outdoor activities are one of the most fun activities to do. But when things get tricky, tools should be there to the rescue. A survival knife is one of the most important tools anyone should have especially when exploring the wilderness. Perhaps a survival knife is that tool that should never be out of your list. The versatility of it is what makes it the most popular tools for the hunters. It is not only used for survival situations but it can also provide help on different tasks. To give you more idea about this, we’ll discuss some of the most important things to learn with regards to the uses of a survival knife.
Uses of a Survival Knife
Survival knives are often used as a hunting, fishing tool, or a survival weapon. However, the wilderness can bring more complicated situations which is why a versatile and convenient tool is a must-have. A survival knife it can still be of good used on the following:
- Digging Tool–perhaps this is the most common use of a survival knife that you can think of. A survival knife can be a shovel for all kinds of tasks like gathering root crops, edible tubers, excavating fire pits, disposing wastes, and carving out distress signals in snow or dirt.
- Weapon –thedanger is just around the corner. Danger can appear when you are looking for food and other resources. It can also aid in emergency situations like encountering an unknown dangerous person. Perhaps one of the most popular survival knife to use for this situation is a bowie knife. It is a knife that is specifically designed for one on one combat.
- First Aid –accidents are unavoidable and it is worst for those clumsy people. A survival knife is a versatile thing to use in first-aid as in basic campsite routines. It is convenient to use for cutting improvised bandages.
- Splitting Wood or Cutting Saplings –high-quality survival knives can be used as a hatchet and ax substitute. Usually, a large, full-tang model with a flat edge to the blade back can be a formidable wood-splitting or cutting tool. Its design can be used to pound the keen edge of a piece of woof into a log or sapling.
- Hammer –this is one of the unusual yet most helpful uses of a survival knife. The butt end part of it, or pommel, of the handle can be used as a hammer. It is also a useful part for driving in stakes for shelters or snares.
- Gear Adjustments –there are times that little adjustments on clothing and equipment are needed for more comfort and for safety purposes. A survival knife can be used on these types of emergency modification situations.
- Stake –one of the most incredible uses of a survival knife is it can serve as a stake. It can be used in situations wherein anchoring an emergency shelter is needed.It can also be used for a food bag to be balanced in the tree canopy; out of a bear’s reach.
- Tool-making –even though a survival knife is already a tool, it can still be used as a device to create another tool. It can be used in making a fire bow and drill; which is one of the most important tools to have if you’re lacking other means of alighting tinder.
- Fire –fire is an essential thing when doing activities outdoors. If perhaps you have forgotten to bring a lighter or a match, a survival knife can help in creating fire. It allows one to flay out ribbons of the inner bark of a branch to produce a tinder; an invaluable when making a bird’s nest and igniting a fire in any condition. Additionally, it can also be used to strike a Ferro cerium when igniting the tinder.
- Shelter-making –a survival knife is of great help when trimming limbs if you need to build a shelter. It can also be used to cut ropes and necessary parts to create a place to keep yourself warm.
Top Qualities a Survival Knife Must Have
- Full tang–the handle of the survival knife should have a “full tang”. This means that the handle of the blade should be “full” or complete as is the blade portion of the knife.
- Size–this is an important factor that a survival knife must have. However, this depends on the person that will be using the knife. There are some that do not prefer too short ones because they were unable to do some things with the knife. Some do not prefer too large for they end up with something unwieldy.
- Flat Ground Spine–the spine is a part of a survival knife that is the topmost edge. It is the side opposite of the sharpened edge. This helps when providing extra thumb pressure to the blade when carving or doing other small tasks.
- Sheath–this is a must -have if you have a survival knife. It is an item that plays the important role in how to carry the knife. It serves as the protector of the survival knife and a place to keep them close to you.
The best thing to do in every situation is to be ready because there are unexpected events that may occur especially when you are outdoors. Aside from having a strong mindset, having reliable tools like survival knives is a must. The reason for this is because it can help you in ways that you can’t even imagine. It is not only for survival purposes but is also a good tool for simple tasks. This includes simply peeling fruits you may get while exploring. It also serves as your protector in case unpleasant things happen along the way.
The versatility of a survival knife is absolutely incredible. It is the reason why some hunters are becoming obsessed with collecting them. Hopefully, this content has provided you enough idea on how to use a survival knife when exploring the wilderness.
