Best Camping Knife – Guide and Review 2020

With a seemingly endless amount of options, how do you find the best camping knife for you?

In the outdoors, one of the best tools to have around is a reliable camping knife. It can serve many purposes like cutting meat and fish, repairing your tent, making fishing lines, sharpening other objects, shaving, and opening cans just to name a few.

Who says your camping knife has to be restricted to outdoor use? There are many home uses for your camping knife.

Have you ever had a difficult package where you use your key to break the seal?

Have you ever had to try to open a wine bottle with the stopcork in?

A good knife is made for all situations home and outdoors. It should be made of a strong metal and feel comfortable for the user. There are also a variety of camping knives with other features like a wallet clip, retractable blade, and even leather grips.

I will explain the many uses of a camping knife along with our recommendations for the best camping knife for 2020.

The Best Camping Knife of 2020

Last update on 2020-11-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

1. Gerber Bear Grylls Ultimate Knife

​This is a terrific military grade blade endorsed by the Bear Grylls himself, the wildlife survival expert. This blade is custom built to provide durability and versatility to campers, hikers, hunters, backpackers, and survivalists of all kinds. 

Like Bear Grylls, this rugged knife made for outdoors for a variety of situations. The carbon stainless fixed straight steel blade is sharp enough to precisely cut up any food and rugged enough to chew through rope. This blade has a drop tip along with a serrated surface for better bites.

The knife weighs 11 oz, has a total length of 10 inches, and the actual blade is 4.75 inches.

It features a comfortable rubber grip to prevent slippage and ensure a firm hold. It has a fold able scabbard or sheath with its own diamond sharpener to keep the blade sharp. The sheath is made of a light nylon component as well as military grade weaving to give it extra durability.  Also inside is a fire starter rod made of ferrocerium to help start a fire in any situation. This can be a lifesaving component of the product. A fire is much more difficult to start and they make it look too easy on television and movies.

Pros

• Military grade stainless steel
• Very comfortable non slip grip
• Comes with a lanyard with emergency whistle
• Sheath includes a diamond sharpener and fire starter
• Made by survival expert Bear Grylls
• Versatile 4.75 inch blade
• Extremely durable

Cons

• More expensive than other knives

What the Customers Say: Comes with everything you need for the knife. Good for simple camping tasks.

2. Spyderco Endura 4 Folder 3.75 inch Blade

The Endura 4 blade is one of the most popular and best selling folding camping knives on the market. These blades from some of the top Japanese craftsmen in Seki City, Japan has people all over the world ordering them. 

The Endura blade is made from a Japanese strong carbon steel (Seki City steel) meant to provide the sharpest cut when you need it outdoors. How it does this is due to the blade is honed/ground in a way to give extra thickness to the blade giving it increased strength.

This blade has a total length of 8.8 inches and a blade length of 3.75 inches. There are both a green and black color handle available for purchase.

The blade comes with a fiberglass reinforced nylon handle to make the blade lightweight while providing a firm grip. The blade is a combination blade of a plain straight edge near the tip of the blade and a serrated edge closer to the handle.

Pros

• Very lightweight
• Blade is easy to maintain
• One of the sharpest edges
• Made by the world famous Spyderco company
• Both flat and serrated surface
• Versatile 4.75 inch blade
• Very long blade life
• Comes in two colors

Cons

Very pricey compared to other knives, but made of superior quality

Shorter than other blades on the list

What the Customers Say: Spyderco makes several of the best knives in the world. Their Endura 4 model is no exception.

3. Morakniv Companion Fixed Blade Outdoor Knife.

If you are looking for a simple and affordable blade for the first time camper, the Morakniv outdoor camping knife is for you. This blade is not going to wow with its features, but will leave you impressed on how you can get a blade of this quality for a little more than $10! Morakniv has been making blades of the highest quality since 1891 in Mora Sweden using refined craftsmanship and quality materials.

This is a fixed flat blade that is 4.1 inches long with a total length of 8.6 inches and weighs over 4 oz (including the blade sheath). It is a carbon stainless steel blade that is built to to cut sharp and take a longer time to dull and rust. This makes just as good for preparing a fish as well as carving some tinder for firewood.

The handle is easy to grip and allows for greater control while still being extremely safe. It is very portable as the sheath comes with a belt clip. Do not worry about matching as there is a variety for colors for everyone to choose from.

Pros

• Lifetime warranty
• Performance grip
• One of the sharpest edges
• Belt clip that comes with sheath
• Great price
• Comes in oer 8 colors
• Resistant against rust

Cons

• Shorter blade

What the Customers Say: Do yourself and maybe a friend or loved one a favor. Give yourself and them the best quality equipment anywhere for the best price ever!

4. KA-BAR Becker BK2 Campanion Fixed Blade Knife

The KA-BAR blade is a heavy duty camping knife suited for multiple purposes. The KA-BAR company is known for making innovative and strong blades among other outdoor equipment. 

This is a fixed point blade knife that is 5.25 inches long and a total length of 10.5 inches weighing 1 pound. It is made of a stainless steel and is very durable and versatile. This is super light knife that can be used for combat to cooking to utility.

The sheath is made of a flexible nylon

Pros

• Very lightweight
• Blade is easy to maintain
• One of the sharpest edges
• Made by the world famous Spyderco company
• Both flat and serrated surface
• Versatile 4.75 inch blade
• Very long blade life
• Comes in two colors

Cons

• Very pricey compared to other knives, but made of superior quality
• Shorter than other blades on the list

What the Customers Say: Spyderco makes several of the best knives in the world. Their Endura 4 model is no exception.

5. Morakniv Companion Fixed Blade Outdoor Knife

If you are looking for a simple and affordable blade for the first time camper, the Morakniv outdoor camping knife is for you. This blade is not going to wow with its features, but will leave you impressed on how you can get a blade of this quality for a little more than $10! Morakniv has been making blades of the highest quality since 1891 in Mora Sweeden using refined craftmenship and quality materials.

This is a fixed flat blade that is 4.1 inches long with a total length of 8.6 inches and weighs over 4 oz (including the blade sheath). It is a carbon stainless steel blade that is built to to cut sharp and take a longer time to dull and rust. This makes just as good for preparing a fish as well as carving some tinder for firewood.

The handle is easy to grip and allows for greater control while still being extremely safe. It is very portable as the sheath comes with a belt clip. Do not worry about matching as there is a variety for colors for everyone to choose from.

Pros

• Lifetime warranty
• Performance grip
• One of the sharpest edges
• Belt clip that comes with sheath
• Great price
• Comes in oer 8 colors
• Resistant against rust

Cons

• Shorter blade

What the Customers Say: Do yourself and maybe a friend or loved one a favor. Give yourself and them the best quality equipment anywhere for the best price ever!

6. Opinel No.08 Carbon Steel Folding Pocket Knife

Here we have an elegant yet simple camping knife made by Opinel. Opinel is a French company that is an expert on making durable and safe camping equipment/tools. This knife is a must have accessory for all campers, hunters, and outdoorsmen. They are also an environmental aware company. They source 95% of their wood from sustainability managed forests in Europe and upcycles the waste materials to prevent unnecessary waste.

This is a folded flat blade that is 3.3 inches long with a total length of 7.6 inches and weighs over 1.6 oz. It is a well designed carbon stainless steel blade with a Yatagan shape tip. This is an excellent knife for nearly any cutting or slicing task. You will also find that this blade is very easy to sharpen and maintain. The handle is made of Beechwood and is one of the stronger varieties of wood that is coated to prevent wear and tear.

This knife has an additional safety feature called a virobloc safety ring. This ring allows you to safely fold the knife to keep in your pocket without it unfolding unintentionally.

Pros

• A very light blade
• Wood handle is very beautiful
• Made by environmental friendly company
• Very affordable
• Easy to sharpen and clean
• Comes in different blade sizes
• Resistant against rust and erosion

Cons

• Short blade length

What the Customers Say: This knife is significant. It has garnered a history important enough to find a place on Wikipedia and has been acclaimed as one of the most beautifully designed products of the past century.

7. Kershaw Clash Pocket Knife

The Kershaw pocket knife is a very portable and useful outdoor knife for any situation except for maybe fighting a large bear. Remember folks, if it is a grizzly bear play dead they are super aggressive. It is a black bear, then try to intimidate it. If you are not fighting a bear (please do not try) it is more than capable of cutting rope, stripping tree bark and opening cans and boxes.

Kershaw is an American company whose specialty is making a variety of outdoor products from clothing to knives to fishing supplies.

It is a flat fordable knife made of a carbon steel/nickel polymer that is designed for hardness and sharpness. The edge you will discover is very resistant to damage. This knife blade is 3.1 inches long and a total length of 7.5 inches and weighs 2.4 oz. The handle is made of synthetic nylon polymer reinforced with glass to give stability and grip at the same time. It is also very resistant to both heat and abrasive damage.

What makes this blade special are three things?

It has a very cool looking black coating from an aluminum oxide coating.

It has a fast deployment trigger to seamlesy move the knife from folded to extended in a breeze. It is a speedsafe assisted opening system that uses a simple trigger to deploy the blade. The torsion bar it has will also prevent premature closure of the knife and possible injury.

There is also a nice pocket clip that will secure it to any article of clothing, belt, or bag/backpack. Did I mention that there are a variety of colors to choose from as well?

Pros

• Very cool looking knife
• Multiple safety features including a secure locking mechanism
• Simple release mechanism
• Both handle and knife are very durable
• Convineint pocketclip
• Comes in many different color
• A best selling knife

Cons

• The knife tip can be broken with tensile forces

What the Customers Say: The knife speaks for itself. It’s light, but substantially built. The Speed Safe mechanism steals the show as an opening system – it’s simply the best one-handed opening of any folding knife out there that’s legal.

8.  StatGear Surviv-All Fixed-Blade Bowie Knife

StatGear has made 1 of the best all-purpose outdoor survival and continue is on the market.  This is a flat stainless steel knife with a drop point blade that is built for a rugged outdoor environment. 

The blade is 4 inches and has a total length of 9.5 inches, it weighs at 7 ounces (with sheath 13oz).  The blade is made of a special high carbon stainless steel polymer.  The handle is made of rubber which gives it a firm grip that will not slipped in any conditions.  Along with the knife itself and includes a sheet with both a fire starter rod for starting fires on the go.  It also contains a miniature cord cutter on the edge so you can cut wires and rope easily. 

Also included in the sheath is a knife sharpener if you need a sharp in your knife outdoors.  An additional bonus is that this night comes with a 90-day warranty if for some reason you have any problems with it.

Pros

• Very firm grip
• Many accessories including a sharpening stone and fire starter
• Built for the toughest of survivalists
• Tremendous value
• Made of special stainless steel polymer
• Has glow in the dark strips for night
• Company provides 90 day warranty

Cons

• The sheath not as durable as other sheaths

What the Customers Say: Way better than expected! Knife is wide blade with a thick spine, the balance is near perfect and the grip is dead on in the hand

9. Gerber StrongArm Fixed Blade Knife

Gerber’s outdoor camping knife is a 1 blade that any outdoorsman would love to have as a gift.  They are a US company with the outdoor spirit in him and and all of their products.  This is a military grade blade is a flat straight blade with both regular and serrated edges for precise and rugged cuts.  The blade is coated with this ceramic coating to give it a very polished look.  I absolutely love the grip because it is a strong rubber with a soft diamond texture.  I am telling you want to hold it you will never 1 or let it go.

Best feature about this blade is the Molle Mount 4 piece carrying accesory. It means that the knife comes with its own carrying belt with the sheath meant to fit inside of it.  So you can either carry the knife on the belt or you could clip it to any other part of your body or bag.

The blade is 4.8 inches long with an overall length of 9.8 inches.  The blade weighs just over 7 ounces

Pros

• The carrying system allows you to carry it safely and securely while hiking, boating or climbing
• Diamond texture handle
• Very comfortable to carry
• Resistant to rust and corrosion
• Easy to sharpen and clean
• Many color options
• Molle Mount system easy to set up
• Beautiful ceramic finish

Cons

• It is more expensive due to all the features

What the Customers Say: I used these tools on a regular basis while serving in the U.S.M.C. and they always prover reliable and invaluable.

10. Schrade SCHF36

Schrade’s beautifully designed stainless steel full tang knife is 1 of the best labs on the market.  It won the 2015 blade magazine award for desonide of the year.

What makes this knife so good as it is very simple design and sturdy build.  It is a flat drop weight blade made of a very strong carbon coated steel.  It comes with a special textured ring that reinforces its handle to provide a better grip and safety.  It comes with a very beautifully designed black polyester sheath with a velcro strap. Some additional accesores are a sharpening stone and a ferro rod for striking up a fire when needed.

The knife blade is 5 inches with a total length of 10.4 inches.  The blade weighs about 12.3 ounces.

Pros

• Comfortable grip
• Comes with many accessories including fire starter and sharpening rod
• Well priced
• Made of reinforced carbon steel
• Easy to sharpen and clean
• Beautiful black coating
• Great for outdoor and household use

Cons

• Blade edge can dull quicker with more rugged cuts

What the Customers Say: Can’t go wrong with this knife for the price.

11. Smith & Wesson Extreme Ops SWA24S

Opinel is a French company that is an expert on making durable and safe camping equipment/tools. This knife is a must have accessory for all campers, hunters, and outdoors men. They are also an environmental aware company. They source 95% of their wood from sustainability managed forests in Europe and up cycles the waste materials to prevent unnecessary waste.

This is a folded flat blade that is 3.3 inches long with a total length of 7.6 inches and weighs over 1.6 oz. It is a well designed carbon stainless steel blade with a Yatagan shape tip. This is an excellent knife for nearly any cutting or slicing task. You will also find that this blade is very easy to sharpen and maintain. The handle is made of Beechwood and is one of the stronger varieties of wood that is coated to prevent wear and tear.

This knife has an additional safety feature called a virobloc safety ring. This ring allows you to safely fold the knife to keep in your pocket without it unfolding unintentionally.

Pros

• Military grade steel
• Comfortable grip
• Multiple safety features
• Made by reputable weapons company Smith & Wesson
• Very easy to sharpen and maintain
• Portable
• Very good price
• Beautiful aluminum finish

Cons

Very light knife that cannot cut through more solid objects

What the Customers Say: It’s a good, solid build. Much better than what I expected $12 to get me. I

Buying Guide

Why do I Need a Good Camping Knife and not any Other Type of Knife?

A pocket knife can have many extra tools like a screw driver, filer, and scissors. It is also very portable in that it can fit in any pocket without being too bulky.

However you will run into big problems using a pocket knife. First the actual knife part is not going to be made as sturdy/durable as other camping knives meant for rugged conditions. Also the blade on a pocket knife is going to be much shorter. This short blade will make it nearly impossible to properly clean a fish, cutting ropes, defend yourself against a wild animal or even properly slice up food.

A kitchen knife is going to be easy to get as most of us should have cutlery in their kitchen. Kitchen blades are made to be stronger than average pocket knives and they have the length for most outdoor tasks.

The problem lies in storing them, are you going to carry it in the kitchen knife block? There is no individual scabbard for each blade. Also the grip of kitchen knives is perfect for chopping and slicing may not be useful for carving or whittling like a camping blade.

A camping knife is made especially for combat, utility and portability.

Camping knives are made for both sharp and rugged purposes. It should be sharp enough to slice your dinner easily yet rugged enough where it should be able to chew through a fishing line. Also it is important to find a knife that is priced well. We will get into our buying guide with key information and terms to know before you go knife shopping.

Camping Knife Key Terms and Definitions

Types of Camping Knives

Fixed Blade- This style is the most popular for cannabinoids.  It offers very sturdy grip along with comfort.  The tang extends into the handle, with that you are able to give extra strength.  I prefer fix plates compared to folding blades as I feel they last longer and offer more strength and stability while cutting.

Folded Blade-   The strength of folded blades is that they are easier to carry as multi utility knives and switch blades are folded blades.  However they lack in strength and stability therefore not as useful for more difficult tasks such as cutting lines or wood.  But is still great for most other tasks like food preparation.

Survival- Most survival knives are fixed blades that are strongly built for any outdoor tasks.  They will come with a sheath and/or clip for carrying.  There are survival knives that are folded blades but they are not as popular.

Bowie Knife- Bovie knives are larger than a survival knife but smaller than a machete.  The bowie knife knives are better suited for more rugged tasks like defense against wild animals and throwing.

Machete- A machete is a large knife usually with the blade of 8 inches to the foot.  The benefit of a machete is that it allows greater strength to be put into each strike without wearing of it breaking.  However sharpness is sacrificed as the edge of the machete is not suited for precise cutting or slicing. 

Pocket Knife- Pocket knives, and many varieties like switch blades or Swiss Army knives.  These outdoor knives are efficient for cutting but not as good as straight blades.  The added benefits is that some types of these pocket denies have additional accessories like screwdrivers, scissors, or pliers to give additional utility.

Knife Sharpening Angle

This sharpening angle is the best angle between the blade and the sharpening material to get the best combination of durability and sharpness.

You will find that most camping need to be sharpened between a 10 to 30-degree angle.  Lower degree angles are typically for sharpening softer or smaller blades to get a very razor-sharp edge.  Most camping knives are going to be in this ankle range.  All of them are very precise and sharp.

The larger degree angles which are 30 degrees and above. The bigger degree angles are for larger blades like axes, swords, or machetes that do not cut as precisely as smaller knives.  The trade-off is that these blades are incredibly durable in return for their blunter edges. With a machete, it is the perfect tool for cutting down shrubs and bushes.  If you need to gather firewood on you to cut through animal bones and machete is a necessary tool outdoors.

Knife Point

There are many different points that a knife can have bowel post a link right here.  It all depends what you need the knife to do for what point should be best.

You will find that most camping knives are drop point knives as they offer the most versatility.  However each night to pass its advantages and disadvantages.

If you are Hunter, you may want to carry got hooked knife.  These guys are specialized with the blunt or tip to prevent piercing internal organs when cleaning an animal.

A spear point would be a good option as it has a double edged tip great for piercing objects.  However it may not be good for chopping or whitling objects.

Carrying a sheep’s foot knife would be important if you had to trim a lot of wood or wires to make your campground.  This knife has a very blunt tip but larger edge perfect trimming down objects but not piercing.

Tang

The tang of the blade refers to how much of the metal part of the knife goes into the handle.  Full pain knives have the blade fully extend into the handle while half or quarter tang knives go in half way or quarter respectively.  I prefer full pain denies

Is a offered greater grip strength, I also feel it gives an added layer of safety.

Material

The material will greatly influence how durable of the blade is.

I believe everyone should have at least one stainless steel knife.  This material is the most commonly used and it is very affordable.  Also they are harder and more easier to sharpen.

There are knives made of softer materials like ceramic or other medical polymers.  While these knives have there unique purposes however I feel they do not offer as much durability which is very important in a knife that could save your life in the unforgiving outdoors.  These knives are softer and more difficult to sharpen.

Coating

The coating is material that covers the blade.  Examples of coatings include aluminum oxide or diamond.

The benefits of a coated blade is that it makes the blade more durable and stronger.  It can also add a beautiful finish to the blade making it look awesome.

The cons of a coding is that it makes the blade much more difficult to sharpen properly.  Also with a coating the blade may not be as useful for a fire starter.

Price

While the price is important, you do want to make sure you are getting a quality blade.  I find that you can find a good affordable blade from $10 to about $30.  The first camping knife I have bought cost $12 and it was a solid KBAR blade.

Accessories

The necessary accessories that should come with a camping knife should be a sheath if it is a straight blade along with a clip.  It is impossible to carry a knife without it having its own protection as it will get damaged and you could possibly cut yourself on it.

Other additional accessories that are nice to have I feel would include its own sharpening stone as well as a fire starter rod or flint pad.

As someone who tried to start the first fire, it did not go smoothly.  Starting a fire in the outdoors is difficult especially in wet or damp conditions.  It is also very convenient have a sharpening stone but not as important as a fire starter.

Another accessory I like is a belt as the belt offers great utility for your tools while keeping her hands free for other things.

How Many Blades Should you Carry?

I find that having 1 small or camping knife and 1 larger utility blade is necessary for any outdoor environment.  I have a Kershaw knife that gets the job done for most typical camping and hiking tasks.  Either a folded or straight knife should work but I prefer straight.

I have used it to prepare food as well as to cut Band-Aids.  I also carry a machete for both personal protection and to chop wood and vegetation.

Other larger blades you could carry would be and axe or personal shovel.

Are the Best Knives Forign or Domestic?

This is a good question, however I would say it is not a simple answer.  I would say most companies used the same materials of each other with small alterations (added coatings or unique polymer handle).

Also I have not had a knife long enough were it has fully broken or become useless.  I have had a Kershaw and the KBAR blade and both of lasted well and both are American companies.

How Do I Take Care of my Camping Knife?

1. Sharpen and hone the blade regularly-adult camping knife is not a good knife to use.  Usually most knives need to be sharpened and honed 2-3 times per year.  By doing this he can make sure he ablated sharp enough to cut rope, slice up deer meat, or cut the lining of your tent.  Just like anything else you own, maintenance is the key to giving it a long life.
2. Keep your blade dry and secured-part of maintaining your blade is making sure you are not treating it like a kitchen butter knife.  If your blade gets wet make sure you properly dry and clean it as soon as you can.  While most camping my Zometa list and rest, you must do your part.  Also do not leave a camping knife out of its sheath.  It can get nicked against other things dulling the blade and also you could hurt yourself with one long grip.

Using oil to make your blade water resistant-I am sure everyone knows the old adage water and oil do not mix.  Using special lubricating oils can form a very water resistant coating on the blade.  I highly recommend investing these oils. Especially if you are an avid hunter, hiker, fisherman, or climber.

Conclusion:

Having a good camping knife for both utility and protection is an invaluable asset in the wilderness.  A good knife may save your life 1 day.

There are a lot of great knives on the market but with so much information it can be hard to find the 1 that suits all your needs.  We hope you have taken some valuable information from our buying guide and review for the best camping knives of 2020.  Remember when you do go outdoors be safe and cautious of your surroundings.  Still, going outdoors is 1 of the most fun and exhilarating things anyone can do.  Just make sure you have some good equipment. 

Take care, be happy and Healthy!