David_Parker Posted June 24, 2001 Share Posted June 24, 2001 Beck, I believe the topic was "climbing knives". All those activities you do with your swiss army knife I do around the campfire or at the trailhead. I always check my crampons before I leave on a climb. I agree with you about the versitility of a swiss army or leatherman. I have one and I bring it camping or leave it in the car. But for the weight to use ratio, I take the spyderco on the actual climbing part of my trips. If you have a swiss army knife you can retrieve from your pocket and open with the same hand I have never seen that model. Teeth don't count either. Either that or it's a 5.12 move and I can't open knives at 5.12! As far as protection goes, if you pull out a knife on an attacker you better know how to use it and be prepared to use it and you better be sure your intruder isn't packing heat. I'll bet on the grizzly if you want to go hand to hand with him! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan_e Posted June 24, 2001 Share Posted June 24, 2001 Since this is getting a bit off the subject, this will be my last post, but I just wanted to comment on having a knife for defense. On self-defense against a person: Dave is correct, a knife, like most weapons can be used against you so you had better know how to use it and of course if you attacker has a gun you are pretty much out of luck. On self-defense against a bear: Obviously a person would not "win" in a hand to hand fight with a grizzly. I just know that if I was on my stomach with a pack on being mauled, adrenaline flowing, I might attempt to give it a stab or to in the face to attempt to get the bear off me. You could just make the bear more mad, but sometimes if you hurt an animal enough it usually chooses to back off rather than face a chance of being mortally wounded. Hell, I just remembered the story in "Alaska Bear Tales" of the guy who killed a grizzly with an ice axe! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beck Posted June 26, 2001 Share Posted June 26, 2001 The thread of this post was steering towards the "I've never used my emergency knife except to cut cheese" and my posts reflect this awareness of what you really use a knife for. Yes, I can open a swiss army knife with one hand; I can also whittle a ball in a cage and can shave with my knives. Does it matter? No. What does matter is my opinion that - a swiss army knife is more versatile for your outings- yesterday I used mine to clean a rock out of my car's brake housing- carried it all day on the climb and didn't use it till i got off the mountain- sure am glad I had it in my pocket. So, hey, carry what you want if it makes you feel good about yourself, I've got mine and my two cents worth in, too! Beck   Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Yount Posted July 1, 2001 Share Posted July 1, 2001 Â Gerber Scout Multitool or the Gerber Scout Compact Multitool. Kershaw, S.O.G., Leatherman, Swiss Army, and a few others... I've owned them all (though not all the various models). Gerber's $85 model and $50 model have served me best for alpine climbing, backpacking, motorcycle touring, cross country mtn biking, multi-day whitewater kayaking, roadtripping 20,000 miles in search of kicks as well as a variety of employment situations. And... chicks really dig the McGyver aspect when dudes find reasonable but unexpected uses for multitools..... Gerber goes climbing: cutting oldest webbing and cording from an overstuffed rap station (to be used at a later rap when we ran out of our own 'disposable' goods ; cutting bail-off loops of webbing or cord from hangers so I could clip; loosening a nut on a bolt with no freakin' hanger(?!) so I could place my stopper wire behind the nut; tightening numerous nuts (yes, I sport climb some); cutting two 3-foot lengths of cord from _my_ cordelette so my partner could prusik up a full 100 feet to fix the cluster he created up top by threading the ropes through 3 chains; needlenose pliers on the multitool used several times to perform maintanence on cams.... yes, while climbing.... [long story]; several times removed pro that otherwise would have been left behind. I've met those that have a new razor blade, with cardboard collar on, tucked in a thin piece of leather, stitched or duck-taped to the side of their harness waist belt, minimalists.... I am not one of those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalun_D Posted July 10, 2001 Share Posted July 10, 2001 Swiss army all the way. You can open it with one hand. Cut mank runner, bread, cheese. Cut short pieces of runner when doing long unplanned bails. Once cut the ID tape off the main cable of a booty alien. It was keeping the retractor from having full travel. Has a little file to sharpen ice axe. etc etc. regards, Kalun D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.