High Sierra Topix

Hi all-

I usually only carry a swiss army pocket knife with me while backpacking, but as I want to incorporate fishing into my backpacking trips, I need a better knife for gutting fish in the backcountry. Does anyone have any recommendations on a lightweight knife they have used?

Thanks!

I picked up a Buck bantam bbw from Sierra Trading Post a while back, which seemed to work well for me, both for dispatching the fish (couple short raps behind the eyes while knife is closed with heavy end) and for gutting. Reasonably light in weight too. Not sure if STP still has them, but they are available elsewhere.

Tying a small lanyard on it with some cord can be useful too, for when your hands are wet & slimy.

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https://www.spyderco.com/catalog/detail ... roduct=624
Light and sharp. Gutting fish with the hawkbill a breeze

austex wrote:https://www.spyderco.com/catalog/detail ... roduct=624
Light and sharp. Gutting fish with the hawkbill a breeze

Kind of funny. First night at North Lake a few years ago, after the rain overnight, I went to dry the tent and pack up. Couldn't find one of the tent stakes. Kicking around the dirt I found a hawkbill. Nice knife and hellishly sharp. I still go to my swiss army knife for fish and veggie prep, but I think the knife for the tent stake was a reasonable trade

You don't need a large knife to gut and prep a fish. I've gutted and dressed out bear and deer with no more than a 2" blade before (forgot my good set of Gerbers for those jobs) but, you do what you can with what you have. I know that Mark and Mike only carry the smallest of swiss army knives, and they are just fine.

Thanks for the replies. I'll let you know which I end up with, and thoughts.

I've been using the Gerber LST for years. It has a 2.6" blade, weighs 1.25 oz and costs under $20. It works well for cleaning fish and basic backpacking needs.

https://www.amazon.com/Gerber-Knife-Fin ... 00004WA4O/

This year I used my REI dividend on a Benchmade Mini Griptilian. A really nice knife. A bit heavier (2.5 oz) and is sturdier. It has a slightly longer blade than my Gerber but there is just something about a Benchmade... Recommended if you can justify the cost but the Gerber works just fine.

https://www.rei.com/product/787258/benc ... lian-knife

I find that an single-bladed Opinel knife is all I need. The carbon steel blade is easy to sharpen, keeps a nice edge, light and less than $15.

I carry the No.8 which has a 3.25 inch blade and locks open. The smallest versions are lighter but don't have the lock.

I don't even bother with carrying a knife anymore, but when I do, it's a Light My Fire Mora. I like the flint and steel option.

Unless you need a few more tools the Classic Swiss Army knife is cheap, light, and has scissors that come in handy for lots of things including trimming line and flys and shaping moleskin patches. I now a slightly larger version made by Wenger that also has an awl, beer opener, and small screw driver for my glasses. The awl comes in handy when untangling fishing line.

I use a Swiss Army Knife, or the teeny tiny blade of the Leatherman Micra. Unless the fish is more than a couple pounds, that's plenty good for the job. And the blade on the Micra is about an inch long.