Our Top 5 Knives For The Campsite and Trail

Good, well-built gear is pivotal to your preparation, from a single carabineer for attaching gear to a firestarter for potential rain days out in the wilderness. 

A single more than necessary tool you'll want on the trail or campsite is a reliable knife. This article will dive into our top 5 knives for backpacking, trail hiking, and campsite chillin'. What steels?  Why do these steels matter and does the blade grind make much of a difference? 

The Esee Model 3 is the Esee model that started it all. With an overall length of 8.31 inches and a cutting edge of 3.38 inches, this knife won't require massive hands to work precisely and it'll carry well as you journey towards more adventure. Speaking of carrying a knife, Esee offers multiple options for sheaths and carrying, they even include an option for MOLLE Backs. 100% made in the good old USA, this knife boasts 1095 high carbon steel which has been hardened to 55 - 57 Rc. This means it'll be easy to sharpen in the field and that it'll cut through most things with ease. 1095 steel gets its name due to its 95% carbon content and it is highly popular with military knives and fighting knives. It'll hold an edge while remaining corrosion-resistant although it is important to mention that knife steel care is important. You can venture further into the knife steel world by reading some great articles put together by the nerds over at KnifeSteelNerds.com, they've done a great job at putting together some charts that show just what we are trying to say. 1095 steel is prone to some rust if not cared for. The Esee Model 3 is coated which helps steer the rust spots that can form but with oil or steel wax, you should not ever have an issue. 

- The Esee Model 3 won't break the bank. River's Edge Cutlery (REC) offers this knife at $119.95 and you can buy it here. 

- Made in the USA from a team that uses their knives in real-life emergencies. 

- Backed by one of the best warranty offers in the entire knife community. 

Our number 2 knife is the flagship knife from White River Knife & Tool. The White River M1 Backpacker Pro. Rolling in with several different handle options and two different blade finishes, this knife can be found under various combinations making it easy to find in matching gear colors. The M1 Pro Knife is easily one of the most versatile knives in this lineup. The thin profile and size of this knife with the attention to ergonomics make food prep, cutting rope, and anything else you would need to do from cleaning fish or game to shaving wood; easy. Covered by a lifetime guarantee from White River. You really can't go wrong here. This knife is especially nice if you have smaller hands. At 7" overall length, .130" blade thickness, and only 2.5 ounces, you'll forget you even have it until you need it. The 3-inch blade is formed in CPM S35VN steel. A great steel for most tasks. S35VN has a great balance of toughness, corrosion resistance, and hardness. Introduced in 2009 for EDC (everyday carry) knives the steel can be brought back to edge on a decent leather strop. 

- Kydex sheath is the preferred transport for difficult hikes, climbs, or any trails that would require jumping or swimming. 

Few can say they've spent 86 days alone in Patagonia with their knife as their primary tool. Carleigh Fairchild can, and this is the knife she did it with. You can see it in use on the History Channel's "Alone" survival show. To top things off Carleigh purchased this knife from REC before leaving for the show. To learn more about this amazing person, please check out Carleigh's website, Human Nature Connection. "The L.T. Wright Genesis knife was by my side for 86 days while living in Patagonia as part of the History Channels “Alone” survival show. I used it to make my shelter, fire, spoons, traps, baskets, and many other things. I searched for the perfect knife for a few weeks leading up to the show, and when I held the Genesis I knew it was the right knife. It fit perfectly in my hand, was well balanced, had a 90-degree sharpened spine that could be used to make tinder and scrape a ferro rod for making fires without dulling the knife edge, and most importantly I would be able to maintain the edge in the field. After 86 days in the field, it is my favorite knife and the one I continue to pack on all my adventures."

LT Wright and his crew are no strangers to the outdoors and they make the tools to prove it for any outdoor adventure in all conditions. The Genesis is made from a rather large chunk of A2 steel with thumb scallops, and a sharpened spine for running ferro rods or shaving bark. It's easy to maintain in the field, holds an edge well, and withstands cracking and chipping. As far as bushcraft knives go, this is pretty much the grail knife for a lot of us. Handmade in Wintersville, Ohio, and backed by a lifetime warranty, LTWK continues to grow towards becoming a household name for quality in the field of knife making. 

- Able to withstand abuse without breaking, bending, chipping, or losing much of an edge. This makes it okay to let your non-knife buddy use it! 

- Built with survival in mind and put to the test by many who've been successful in the field. 

At just over eight inches in length, the Field 3.0 is small enough and light enough to pack on trips when weight counts, while being fully capable of carrying your daily workload tasks. The 3.625-inch blade in CPM 154 is ideal for hide penetration while the slim profile makes it great for shaving wood and slicing food. The ebony scales add just the right amount of stealthy class to what would be just a simple backpacking or trail knife. Throw on the Hermann Oak saddle leather sheath and you've got yourself one heck of a nice-looking, great-feeling, field knife. CPM 154 steel offers outstanding corrosion resistance and solid wear resistance. It is also capable of holding a near razor edge due to its very fine grain. You can also get a useable edge by sharpening this steel on a rock, brick, ceramic mug, or concrete. We still recommend using a sharpener but hey; if you need to do it, this is the steel that allows you to do it! 

Manufactured in sunny San Diego, California by Toor's skilled and talented team (seriously, check them out!)

It's no surprise that Toor also sees this knife fit for adventure. They feature it in their blog as the "best overall backpacking knife." I agree with Toor, this knife is set up to be versatile at every turn of the trail which in my opinion makes this knife an excellent choice for trail adventures, on foot, in the car, or on the river. 

- With ample steel mass behind the edge, this knife will stay sharp between multiple uses. 

- Hermann Oak saddle leather sheath (Ooo-La-La sounds)

Amy Valerious hails in Northern, GA, and has been blazing a trail through the knife world at hyper speeds after apprenticing with Fiddleback Forge. Warlander Enterprises has consistently produced some of the best working knives in the industry since 2019 and continues to do so. 

The Warlander Stout is eight inches long with a 3.5-inch drop point blade with a flat grind. Tune into the AEB-L steel used on this knife, and you'll find the perfect combination of keen edge with high hardness. Bohler-Uddeholm initially developed AEB-L as a razor blade steel in the 1960s. It possesses many qualities that make it an excellent choice for knife steel. 

If you're searching for a do-everything knife that will be at home on the trail and a great carry knife for day-to-day tasks, this is it. This is a no-nonsense knife capable of anything you throw at it. If you'd like to learn more about Warlander, you can check out Amy's instagram page, Warlander Enterprises. 

- Drop Point blade tips are typically more robust, which makes this a perfect knife for someone who might just be getting started in trail life.

- Outstanding sheath quality.