The Tom Brown Tracker is useless. All of the camp knives shown here are just fine. One of these and a pocket knife and you are good to go. If these are too pricey, get a camp machete, the true ultimate camp knife. Being purely practical, a good machete, a Mora, and a SAK will do all you need to do with low weight and low cost. Be what fun would that be?

my new cleaver is part machete/part knife. hardened and tempered with a single convex bevel leading to a zero edge.

i may have to send it to you for testing, vic.

vic,

those look like good old HI knives. I will never stop drewling at your collection <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I have used 3v but only at cutting. I have a benchmade in m2 and a small fehrman in 3v. most reviews I have read seem to show 3v is not as tuff as infi or even maybe differtially treated sr101.
you guys awnsered my question. sounds like edge retention is close enough I might not notice a differnce between infi and sr101. my camp collection is more along the line off production knives, kabar heavy bowies, cold steel, falkniven, rat, ...
my current favorites would be the mission MPK, BRKT rogue (i just got it and will be comparing it to the m6) and m6. the cs recon scout is a great knife though. the best deal on a camp knife would be one of these three to me. the black jack grunt, about the size of the m6, the black jack anaconda bowie 3, about the size of a chopweiler or the kabar short heavy bowie. the black jacks are large blades but very light compared to blades their size and this will reduce chopping ability but they do come very sharp. The falkniven A1 should be considered also. it is a little small to be compared to a chopweiler but it is an excellent camp knife. It can chop or slice and is super tough with great edge retention.

mag
I will test it <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I had a Recon Scout years ago. In those days, it was about the best you could get, and still pretty darn good. In the longer blades, I have always liked my Ontario Survival Bowie in 1095. It was a favorite until the DFLE came along. Have I mentioned that the DFLE is the best chopper bowie I have ever used? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> As far as steels, I am happy with less than the ultimate steel for most things. But even I have six big Busses! If you are willing to pay the price, INFI is it, as far as I know. I know that I don't need it, but few really do. People got by with 1095 for many years and it is still a good steel.

Thanks Vic, that was an expensive lesson I learned the hard way....soon before I learned to research things on the internet. I do like my Cold Steel kukri machete <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />, but it is too big for fine work <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/loopy.gif" alt="" />...so I am back to more then one knife <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif" alt="" />

So what is the big deal about just having one knife? When civilization crumbles, and the art of making steel is gone, we will have the ultimate horde of survival tools! And if not, leave it to our survivors to sort it all out when we are gone. Folks will say, "We never knew just how sick he was. Hundreds of dangerous weapons were being stored right here in River City! He was in some cult out of Wauseon."

I would be glad to be numbered among the cult.
don't tease me about the dfle. I passed and regret it now. I own so many knives in 1095. 30??
how does the dfle compare to the ontario in edge retention? I would like to see someone test a friction forged blade against infi.

The SFNO is the Busse that is the most similar is shape/feel to the Camp Tramp, hence why I like it so much.

Weight comparison:
Camp Tramp - 14.1 oz
HellRazor - 15.1
ASH1 LE - 15.6
SarQ - 17.1 oz
SFNO - 17.6 (G10 as I don't have a micarta SFNO... yet. Micarta would be lighter)

Vic, you rock man <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />...I was just trying to cut down my pack weight for my next outing <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />. when I get back from my next deployment. I plan on taking a month of leave and heading out into the Pintlar wilderness of Montana. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I am going to take the absolute minimum and see how far I can go and just beath in the clean air and listen to the silence for a while. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/chill.gif" alt="" /> I haven't been out there in over twenty years...and I miss it <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

mad russian
I really think you do it all with just two knives. I would take a yk and a larger blade like a khuk or a bowie.

For light weight, the DFLE, Sarquatch, and BRKT Hudson Bay and Golok are all about 17 oz. About the edge retention on the DFLE, it seems close to 1095, depending on who did the heat treat. But is easy to sharpen and has the right balance for both chopping and machete work. And it will not break . It is perfect, to me.