The field of industrial design explores how designers can create visually pleasing, functional products. How a user will interact with a product is an important element for industrial designers to keep in mind. When designing a hunting knife, for example, an industrial designer might ask himself, "How can this knife blade be formed to quickly slice through animal hide?"
A camping knife designer, on the other hand, might have very different questions, such as, "How can I make it easy for the user to prepare food with this knife?" Of course, on the other end of the consumption cycle, consumers also have some responsibility for the utility of the products they own. After all, shoppers may not know what to look for in a good camping knife.
Below, you'll find the characteristics that distinguish the best camping knives. We've also included information on why hunting and kitchen knives are not ideal for camping situations.
Desirable Features for Camping Knives
1. A four- to five-inch blade.
The primary use of any camping knife is preparing food. To appreciate why a medium-length blade is best for camping knives, imagine yourself in camp, preparing the evening meal. When chopping veggies, meat and cheeses, you will need a long enough knife to slice through various thicknesses. At the same time, your camping knife will probably double as a vehicle for jams, peanut butter, and other spreads. To ensure that you can reach down into the bottom of a jar, a camping knife should be at least four inches long. At the same time, a knife that's too long can be unwieldy around camp, where space is often limited.
Most kitchen knives are too long to be useful when camping. And pocket knives, although helpful for cutting kindling for the evening fire, are too short to be very helpful in the camp kitchen. The ideal camping knife has a four- to five-inch blade.
2. A thin blade.
If you take a look at your kitchen knives, you will notice that they have thin blades. The thinner the blade, the easier it is to cut through crisp vegetables, thick cheeses and savory meats. Camping knives should have a thin blade, as well, so as to make it easy to cut through food. Ideally, your camping knife should be no more than 1/8-inch thick across the spine.
This is one reason why it's unwise to simply use a hunting knife when preparing camping food. Hunting knives must be sturdy and strong to cut through hide, flesh and even bone. Camping knives, on the other hand, must be thin enough to cut through even tomatoes without causing bruising. If you try to use a hunting knife in the camp kitchen, your vegetables will end up mangled and flattened.
3. A flat-ground blade.
Flat-ground blades have the same sharpening edge from the spine of the knife all the way to the tip. In other words, flat-ground blades do not have any bevels or serrated edges. Although these features are helpful for other camping tasks, they are of little purpose in the camp kitchen. A serrated edge is useful when cutting through rope or branches, but it won't help you cut up your evening vegetables.
Another reason why flat-ground blades are best for camping knives is that they can be easily sharpened. Professional chefs emphasize that a dull knife is the most dangerous tool in any kitchen, since a dull edge can cause you to force your way through food, making it likely that you'll lose control and cut yourself. As camping knives are used for food preparation, they should also be kept sharp. It's much easier to sharpen a flat-ground blade on the fly than it is to sharpen a blade with a serrated edge.
4. A carbon steel blade.
Most hunting knives are made of stainless steel, which does offer some advantages: It won't rust, and it can be hardened to increase strength. However, the downside of stainless steel is that it is harder to sharpen. Camping knives with carbon steel blades are ideal, since they are easier to sharpen. One final argument for carbon steel is that it will produce sparks when used as a striking surface for flint. In an emergency situation, carbon steel can produce a fire; stainless steel cannot.
5. A fixed blade, or a folding blade with a strong lock-back mechanism.
Camping knives should have a reliable mechanism holding their blades in place. A fixed-blade camping knife with a sheath is a good option. Or, if you simply must have a folding blade on your camping knife, make sure it has a good lock-back mechanism to prevent the blade from closing on your fingers.
Camping knife experts recommend a two-knife camping set-up, including one camping knife for cutting food and a multi-tool for more rugged applications, such as cutting through rope. By considering the characteristics listed above, you can find the perfect knife for your camping adventures.
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