The mud puppy is my favorite scrap yard knife, but I voted scrap muk for this use. The steel is virtually maintenance-free, it is thick but not too thick and the design is patterned on a time tested wilderness/survival knife. It also has an extremely comfortable and durable handle which would be a plus in any wilderness situation.
If edge thickness is an issue I'm sure the steel will accept a somewhat thinned out edge just fine.
I haven't handled or owned a Muppy, but I certainly love the Scrapmuk! I agree with what you said regarding the handle Ergos and the thickness of the blade; Scrap Yard really hit it out of the park with their Muk (better than the HOG Muk in my experience.) I am definitely considering a Scrapmuk, but I would have to get an LE or strip it. They are also nearly impossible to come by, unfortunately, and I sold mine when I decided that my collection was getting out of control. I really wish I didn't sell it.
