A Camping Knife Can Be Your Best Friend on Outdoor Adventures! Choose from the 10 Best Camping Knives of 2020

The blade of a camping knife is generally made of stainless steel, high carbon steel or titanium. Titanium is a high-strength, high corrosion-resistant, ultra-lightweight material, but it is expensive and usually is used in seafaring activities. Stainless steel blades are less prone to corrosion and rusting and can be cleaned faster with a freshwater rinse followed by a wipe and dry.

High carbon steel has higher carbon content in the steel, which is usually not stainless. High carbon steel blades are harder, more natural to sharpen, hold an edge longer and more expensive than stainless steel blades. However, high carbon steel blades are more prone to corrosion and rust and need to be cleaned well and oiled with a food-grade oil to prevent rusting. For typical camping requirements, a good quality stainless steel blade camping knife is ideal.

Equal importance needs to be accorded to the handle of a camping knife. Camping knife handles are made from a variety of materials like wood, composite materials like plastic, rubber, Kevlar, Micarta or even metals like stainless steel and aluminium. Wood may have aesthetical appeal but is more prone to water damage. Plastic is economical and water-resistant but may not provide an excellent grip. Rubber gives a great water-resistant grip but is more prone to wear and tear in the long run. Micarta a composite material made of compressed linen, carbon fibre, paper, canvas, cotton, etc. is an excellent material preferred by many campers.

You should always hold the camping knife in your hand and check the grip and feel of the handle before buying it. A textured or knurled handle provides a better grip. Keep in mind that your knife will be slick with water, sweat or blood when in use outdoors. Also, if you plan to use the camping knife pommel as a hammer, it should be solid and sturdy capable of withstanding hammering of various materials including iron and steel.

The size of the camping knife should be such that it meets your requirements fully. A knife with a small blade will not be able to do heavy-duty tasks like chopping wood, etc. whereas a very long blade will make it unwieldy. Similarly, a short handle will give you blisters, whereas a very long handle will not provide you with purchase or precision. Typically, a 10 – 11 inches knife with a 4 – 7 inches blade is suitable for most people. However, as mentioned above, you should take a camping knife in your palm and feel comfortable with it before deciding to buy one.

A foldable knife is easier to carry as compared to a fixed blade knife. However, heavy-duty work is better carried out with a fixed blade knife which is also more durable. A foldable knife with a locking option which locks the blade into position is a better option than one without it. Typically, a fixed blade full tang knife in a sturdy sheath is suitable for a camping trip; however, a little caution may be needed in its handling when going on family camping trips with kids around. “Full tang” construction implies that the blade runs for the entire length of the knife and the handle, typically in 2 pieces, is pinned on either side of the edge. This makes the knife very sturdy and durable.

The “grind” is the shape (bevelling) of the knife edge. There are different types of grind intended for various purposes. In essence, a hollow grind gives a sharp pointy edge and is good for slicing, a convex grind delivers maximum toughness and is great for heavy-duty activities like wood chopping and whittling, a flat grind gives harder edges which are good for cutting. The most popular grind among campers is the “Scandinavian grind” which is similar to a flat grind but without a second bevel. This gives a solid and sharp edge which is easy to sharpen as well.

This is an 8.5” knife with a blade length of 4”. The blade thickness is 2 mm, and its width is 2.7 cm. The blade material is 440c grade steel with a hardness of 57HRC on the Rockwell scale. This camping knife comes with an all-steel handle and a liner lock as well. You can get this tactical camping knife from KnivesIndia for ₹ 1,099.

MTech USA is known for manufacturing high-grade camping knives and other camping equipment. This black colour Xtreme tactical knife has an overall length of 11” with a blade length of 5.75”. The Tanto point blade is constructed of high-grade stainless steel. The knife comes with a 1680D nylon sheath, and it is available on KnifeIndia for ₹ 3,495.

This exquisite hunting/camping knife is 12” in length with a 7” 440c steel blade having a hardness of 59-62HRC. This bowie knife features a 5” burl wood handle and comes with a handcrafted leather sheath. You can get this special handmade hunting knife on DesertCart for ₹ 8,519.

Designed by Gerber and Bear Grylls, this is, without doubt, one of the highest-rated camping and survival knife in the world. This knife features a 4.8” high carbon steel, ½ serrated, drop-point blade. The ergonomic textured rubber grip has a stainless steel pommel. The military-grade, mildew resistant sheath comes with a diamond sharpener, “Priorities of Survival” – a survival pocket guide exclusively designed by Bear Grylls with survival essential tips and tricks, land/air rescue instructions and a ferrocerium rod to start fires. The knife also comes with an emergency whistle on the lanyard cord, and it is available on Olive Planet for ₹ 10,553.

This unique camping knife designed by Knives India has a full tang design with a 10 cm blade length and an overall length of 22 cm. The drop point fixed blade is made of high-grade D2 carbon steel, has a 3 mm thickness and a hardness of 59-61HRC. The handle is made of textured G10 high-pressure composite material. This knife comes with a leather sheath with a belt ring and is available on Knives India for ₹ 1,900.

This exclusive limited-edition Rambo-III half-serrated knife is a replica of the one used by Sylvester Stallone in the iconic Rambo-III movie. This 18” knife features 420-grade stainless steel, 0.25” thickness bowie blade that has been hand-ground and polished to perfection. The handle is made of laminated hardwood with G10 spacers, a stainless steel guard, pommel and nylon lanyard cord.

Each knife is individually serial numbered (there are only 10,000 numbers produced) and the blade also features an anti-glare sighting slot and Sylvester Stallone’s autograph. If you are a die-hard Rambo fan, then there is nowhere else to go but to buy this piece from Olive Planet for ₹ 18,244.

This 24 cm long Walther knife has a top-quality, black coated 440A-grade stainless steel blade measuring 10.5 cm. This is a foldable knife which can be opened with two hands and comes with a liner lock. The synthetic handle crafted of plastic and TPR has rubber inlays giving it a sturdy non-slip grip. The knife comes with a nylon sheath and can be worn horizontally on the belt or vertically with the help of a loop. This Walther masterpiece can be purchased from amazon.com]([https://www.amazon.com/Walther-Knives-Outdoor-Survival-Closed/dp/B00TIHGJGK) for ₹1,938.

Elk Ridge is a famous American knife brand. This is a 10.5” overall length fixed drop point blade knife having a 5.25” two-tone black and satin finish high-quality stainless steel blade. The full tang design features a black nylon fibre handle with a lanyard hole. The knife comes with a 1680D nylon sheath, survival kit and 550 paracords. The knife is available on KnifeIndia for ₹ 3,995. You also have the option of getting an 8-character engraving done by paying an additional ₹ 250.00.

This fixed blade, full tang knife has an overall length of 23 cm with a blade of 10.7 cm length. The spearpoint black coated blade is manufactured of 440c grade steel. The textured grip is made of plastic and has a lanyard hole. This knife comes with a nylon sheath and costs ₹ 2,720 on Kiehberg.

This 22 cm overall length fixed blade camping knife features a 5cr15 stainless steel blade which is 9 cm in length and has a hardness of 56HRC. The 12 cm synthetic rubber handle gives an excellent grip. The steel is reasonably durable and corrosion-resistant. You can buy this camping knife from Decathlon for ₹ 1,299.