Personally, I think skills are the most important thing that one can posess in the wilderness. They weigh nothing, are easy to transpost, and cost little to acquire.

I collect skills and knowledge about outdoor survival. I don't consider myself an expert, and I never will. I'm just a guy who like being outside whether it be hunting, fishing, kayaking, sailing etc... Still it's fun to know 6 different ways from sunday on starting a fire without matches. Or knowing a type of shelter for each finger you have etc....

Everytime I venure away from civilization I have some type of large fixed blade knife with me. In fact I keep a Ranger RD-7 in the trunk of my car at all times.

Here's the way I see it. In a true survival situation everything is going to have a cost. For the most part these cost are going to be either time, or calories. And if having a knife saves me time so I can collect, gather, or hunt for calories then so be it. If having a knive saves me time fashioning a shelter so I can have more time spent on something else detrimental to my survival then so be it as well.


That's just my two pennies worth.

Jerry


Klaatu... verada... necktie The 16th Dog!