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View Full Version : spydie-fueled survival in YOUR environment



clovisc
11-11-2007, 10:58 PM
i'm sure everyone will agree that there are lots of factors that go into our deciding which knives to carry and use. strength, materials, and construction are always prime considerations, especially for knife knuts like ourselves... but there are other factors that influence our choices, as well.

experiences we've had with certain knives may play a part in our selection. the memories and sentiment we assign to different blades or designs are often important to us, as they serve as a reflection of what we've done, where we've been, and who we are. knives also reflect culture; we often take pride in carrying blades designed and made in the USA... and, from kris to bowie, some of us choose to carry knives reflecting our ancestral or historic roots. oftentimes, choosing the knife you're most comfortable using is a very wise decision, especially in high-intensity situations such as survival or emergency/rescue.

another factor that goes into knife selection, which i'm extremely interested in, is environment. our cutting tasks are defined by the world around us, and there's a diverse variety of environments out there. i've lived in some very different habitats over the last couple years, and have seen my EDC change considerably.

SOOOO... my question to you all...

if the proverbial stuff hit the proverbial fan and you had to "survive" in the environment that you call "home" -- what spyderco knives (let's keep guns out of this one) would you choose to sustain you, and why?


i'll answer first.... i live in deep in the heart of the appalachian mountains (working in the actual town of appalachia). i know if something really bad ever happened, i might have to head into the mountainy wilderness. there'd be a considerable amount of uphill hiking, which means i'd want to carry as little as possible -- preferably knives that are lightweight, versatile, and reliable. i know i might use the powell river as a means of transportation, and expect to encounter rain, snow, moisture...

out of the knives i own, i'd probably choose:

SE pacific salt
SE tasman salts
PE S30v peel-ply CF mili
and bring along my cold steel "panga" style machete.

the H1 salts would be able to handle the challenges of water and moisture... the mili is one of the finest folders for those water-free days. my SE pacific was one of my first spydies, and i'm extremely attached to it... the SE tasman was a gift from sal and tazkristie... the mili is the replacement for a knife a got from a friend, and used heavily in africa... all these choices have strong memories attached to them, and remind me of who i am. might sound silly, but sometimes those memories and stories are what keep you going. as for the panga, it's the same design i relied upon in africa... i've done everything with that blade design (including some hung gar kung fu training with it!), and know how to make it work.

i'm curious -- what about you guys?

yablanowitz
11-12-2007, 08:40 AM
Well, let's see...

We don't have hills to head for, the only trees outside towns are planted around houses or along the river. If I needed to abandon civilization, I'd need a good shovel more than any knife. The last time I checked, it was seven feet to water in the river bed, but that has been a while. I would imagine it is at least ten feet down now, maybe more, since the last rain was in...uh...uh...uh...I don't remember the last time it rained, but I think it was this year.

If I had to take off, I'd go with whatever I had in my pockets at the time, which ought to be sufficient in the knife department anyway.

Halfneck
11-12-2007, 08:44 AM
Right now my current woods trinity consists of the following:

Gransfors Bruk Small Forest Axe
Victorinox German Army OHT
Mora 2000

If I was to add one of my Spydercos, it would probably be my SE ParaMilitary. Looking forward to the upcoming Ed Schempp Camp Knife & especially the Bushcraft.

jaislandboy
11-12-2007, 04:57 PM
good question Clovisc.... I'd want some rustproof H-1 too like my Pacific Salt SE, Salt PE/SE; i'd also want a PE/SE Temperance for the ride as well...

Chucula
11-12-2007, 05:26 PM
My current knife "system" for stuff hitting fans:
Victorinox: Farmer or Explorer
Spyderco: D2 Millie (my edc) and Double sided pocket stone
Busse: Active Duty and Fusion Battle Mistress

I dont see the need for multiple folding knives that are the same size. But otherwise, fun thread. I look forward to what the others will post.

bladese97
11-14-2007, 12:49 PM
:spyder: :spyder: :cool: :spyder: :spyder: I probably live in the most dull(as far as adventure/need for survival is concerned)place...I live in a small town in Mass called Turners Falls; I don't see myself getting into this sort of situation, but if it ever did happen, and I knew in advance, I would make sure I had my Ti-Atr/se(If there is no snow), my mini Manix, and my D4/w...As far as other tools, I would make sure to have my Leatherman, a good axe, and a machetti...Ok, so maybe I don't need a machetti, but I gotta have my Spyders!!!!

Agent Starling
11-14-2007, 11:17 PM
I guess I'd go for the Endura...or the Ronin...if it hits the fan, and since I haven't yet trained, a straight knife w/a decent amount of blade length would be the way to go...:cool:

Agent Starling

jugg2
11-14-2007, 11:27 PM
If there was some type of disasaster, would you have the option of anything other than your edc? Mine would be the only spydie I own of course E4W, it is [B]Awsome![B]

The Mastiff
11-15-2007, 12:29 AM
My BOB has turned into a car bag over the years. It's gotten bigger and bigger, and has some stuff in it so I wouldn't lose everything if my house burned down or I couldn't get back to it.

The idea of living on what I can carry has gotten less and less appealing as I've gotten older.

I've actually thought about getting some kind of cart to have my dog pull if I really had to leave on foot. I have no where to store this kind of stuff anymore though.

To be honest, I've accumulated too much stuff for my car to carry that would be really usefull in emergencies.

Recall I've had to live outside in winter conditions for weeks at a time with a tarp and sleeping bag in the military. I've also had to live through hurricanes and their weeks of no gas, money machines, electricity. Winter ice storms for 4 days without heat & electricity here even. One winter storm here in Raleigh brought us 22 inches of snow. Nowadays my bug out bag has a generator, propane and kerosene heaters/stoves, .308& ammo etc. etc.

A few years ago ( before the divorce sale :) ) I had so many guns alone I couldn't fit them in one car. Of course I was providing for a large, extended family.

I'd still need a truck for all my stuff. That back pack living got old for me long ago. Try spending a month out in southern germany in the winter with nothing but what you carry, snow, sleet, rain mud everything. It was worse than arctic conditions and snow caves by far, which I've also done. Joe

eastr
11-15-2007, 08:12 AM
thats easy we all know the teperance is my fav so it would be 1 se on my right and one pe temp on my left with the lonely heart the over 5 would have to stay behind, and my fb-16 on my back i feel very at home with these knives carry and use them daily. i feel you could survive anywhere with these regarless of climate. my hossom is still in testing being as i've only had it for about a year but the temps have proven them selfs time and time agin. oh i live as redhawk44p put it in the darkest corner of southern IN. so fixed blades are part of daily life for me.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=493849&page=5 here a link to a pic of my bob theres a bunch that would be left behind if i had to leave on foot. i carry extra for fun and conditioning i can hike 1 mile in 11 min. with the pack at its current weight of 32 lbs when it's thin down i only carry 15 lbs so it's like a feather compared to what i train with.