Sharp Things Part 1: EDC

I love things that are sharp.  A cutting tool is probably the most important item to have on a hike or a paddle and cutting tools are very useful on a daily basis in civilization.  This is the first post of two about some of my favorite sharps that I EDC and/or carry on my adventures.  There is no one perfect tool for all situations, so that is why I carry several cutting implements.  Also, someone in my group always either forgets their knife or it is buried in their pack when we need it.  Everyone knows Nate always has one or two knives on him all the time!

First we will start with EDC.  EDC is every day carry.  I have flip flopped between three main types of tools.  These are Swiss Army Knives (SAK), multi tools, and locking folders.  I have carried combinations of these tools since I was old enough to carry a knife.  I even *gasp* carried my SAK to school in high school and college!  What would happen to me now in this day and age if I was caught carrying a blade in those places?

First lets start with SAK's.  I have the most experience with these as I have carried one since I got my first knife at 10 years old.  When I earned my Arrow of Light in Cub Scouts, mom and dad gave me a Boy Scout version of an SAK made by Imperial.  After a few years, they gave me a Victorinox Huntsman.  I carried this knife until I lost it my senior year of high school at a Lutheran youth convention in New Orleans.  Mom and Dad gave me another one just like it when I left for college.  The Huntsman has the best configuration of tools in a pocketable  package of all the Victorinox SAK's.  It features:  Large Blade, Small Blade, Scissors, Saw, Bottle opener, can opener, awl, corkscrew, and hook.  It also has the usual toothpick and tweezers.  Recently I have been carrying an SAK climber which has all of these tools except for the saw.  This has a little slimmer profile than the huntsman and it is a little easier to carry in my pocket.

For a few years, my SAK lived in my sock drawer while I carried a Gerber MP 400.  This tool was great and I could always find a use for the pliers.  All of the tools lock open which is very handy.  The blade is ok, but I am not a fan or serrated blades.  The scissors are excellent and the bottle opener, can opener and screwdrivers are all top notch.  Since I found the blade to be less than ideal, I started looking for a locking folder.

After much research, I settled on the Ka-Bar 4071.  This knife is very large and fits my hand well.  It has a slim profile and the pocket clip allows a small amount of the handle to show when clipped into a pocket.  The clip is very solid.  The blade shape is efficient, sharp and the spine is squared off allowing the use of a firesteel.  I have even batoned with this knife though care must be taken when doing so.  Sometimes the lock will fail when doing heavy batoning, causing the knife to close.  This knife was not designed for this kind of abuse, but it is good to know I can do it if I have to.  I carried this combination of tools for quite awhile.

However, I missed the extreme utility of an SAK and the multi tool went back to the sock drawer and the SAK huntsman returned to my pocket.  After not carrying a knife in the bottom of my pocket for awhile, the Huntsman felt bulky.  I decided that I did not use the saw that much and replaced it with a SAK Climber.  I have found, however, that I do not use the locking folder as much and now I carry the Climber only.  It is tough to beat the utility of an SAK!

But Wait!!!!  Didn't Nate say that he always has 2 knives on him??  That is true and I do.  On my keychain I carry a Victorinox Mini Champ.  I could almost solely carry this knife but the blade is a little small for most tasks.  The scissors are sufficient for most of what I use them for.  I have also used the pen many times!  Yes it has a ball point pen.  So that is a run down of sharp things I EDC.  Some of these tools have carried over to my hiking and paddling adventures.  I have taken the Gerber MP on many trips as well as the SAK's.  However, for most cutting chores in the wild I prefer larger and stouter blades.  Stay tuned for Sharp Things Part 2: Adventure Sharps!

Deam Wilderness Sycamore Loop

In May of 2012 Mary and I took our son on his first "real" hike.  We were visiting some close friends in Indiana and decided to visit a very special place.  Mary and I have many fond memories of the Deam Wilderness just south of Bloomington, Indiana.  We deciced to day hike a popular loop trail called the Sycamore Loop.  PDF on the Deam Wilderness  The loop is about 6 miles and makes a nice, but short over night backpack if one wishes.  I have done it several times.

We arrived at the trail head, which has an old fire tower.  You can climb the fire tower but we chose not to since we both have done it before and with the baby it wasn't a good idea.  We decided to let Liam play in the grass while we checked our gear for the hike.  Liam was amazed by the different textures of the grass, sticks and rocks.  We hiked for an hour or so and decided to take a break near a stream for lunch.  We found a campsite right on the edge of the stream and sat down on a nice log for some sandwiches and cheez-its.  After we ate we thought Liam would like a cool dip in the stream as the weather was warm.  This would be his first time playing in a stream.  We are pretty sure he loved it!

After lunch we completed the rest of the loop.  At one point during the hike, Liam managed to get in a nap.  I wish I would fall asleep like him!  Mary, Liam and I had a great time and we are looking forward to future adventures in the wilderness as a family.