When you’re preparing to venture into the great outdoors, few things are as essential as a quality knife. Whether used for around-camp tasks like cooking or whittling kindling, in activities like hunting or fishing, or in emergency survival situations, a solid knife is a man’s best friend. To that end, we’re looking at the best all-purpose camping knives for 2022.
These knives run the gamut in terms of price and type. Whether fixed blade or folding, we’ve got your covered. And camp assured knowing that our experts have tested these suggestions thoroughly and that they truly represent the best knives money can buy.
Gerber Fastball Cleaver
Gerber has stood among the leaders among knife manufacturers for a long time now. Known for crafting knives that offer the utmost in usability and durability, Gerber makes knives that will last a lifetime, and that can even be passed down through the generations. The company’s new Fastball Cleaver is perfectly representative of this reputation. Razor-sharp straight out of the box, the Fastball boasts a slick finger flipping action, an aircraft-grade aluminum handle, and a cleaver-style blade that lends itself to a diverse range of uses.
Morakniv Mora 2000
The Swedish knife producer Morakniv has been designing some of the world’s most outstanding blades for more than a century. To celebrate this longevity, the company recently released the Mora 2000, which offers everything the brand is known for. Supremely durable, perfectly balanced, and capable of holding a sharp edge after countless uses, it’s just about as well-designed as they come. This is an ideal camping knife for virtually any purpose, from camp chores to hunting to survival.
SOG Pillar
From the 1.8 ounce Bugout to a 7.36 ounce beast from SOG: the Pillar. The 5-inch, S35VN steel blade on the Pillar is .16 inches thick, more than enough for pounding on with logs of wood to baton kindling. Throw sparks with the 90-degree spine. There is a Micarta-scale handle, and an exposed pommel with a lanyard rounds out the blunt end. The Kydex sheath is one of the best. The Pillar snaps snug with no rattle. The lockable mount can be screwed to the sheath in any direction and then locked to backpack straps, belts, or MOLLE straps. A small finger choil along the bottom and comfortable thumb jimping along the top works well for the finer work. When you’re done, it resharpens easily and comes back for more.
Kershaw Camp 10
While this is arguably the least practical knife on this list, it also might be the most purely awesome. Call it what you want – -a small-machete or huge bowie blade — it’s big, effective, and cool. Heavy yet well-balanced, it’s got the ideal heft for hacking through brush. At the same time, it’s also more compact than oversized machetes, making it more useful around camp for everything from cooking to chopping wood. And with its full-tang construction, tough handle of glass-filled nylon, and general Kershaw craftsmanship, the Camp 10 will last virtually forever. It also comes with a sturdy sheath, also of glass-filled nylon, that makes for comfortable wearing on your belt or pack.
Leatherman Free P4 Multi-tool
To save room and bring 21 tools in one compact package camping, we have to mention Leatherman. This multi-tool knife has needlenose pliers, three blades, a plastic blister pack opening tool, scissors, plus 15 other tools fit into the 8.6-ounce multi-tool. Most of the tools have been upgraded from those on the Wave and Charge, including stronger scissors and a sharper tip on the serrated blade. The gray nylon sheath snaps shut with no loud Velcro. So, what’s the deal with the new Free series? One-handed operation. Smooth openings and magnetic closures make it easy to pop open the pliers and get working.
Helle Skog
Since 1932, Norwegian-made Helle knives look just as good skinning animals, and carving wood as they do is displayed on the mantle. The brand’s latest model, the Skog (coming late April) is a versatile bushcraft and carving knife weighing 2.53 ounces. The comfortable beechwood handle and 2.99-inch drop point blade is built for evenings around the campfire carving. A small finger notch allows precision without limiting the hold. Easily sharpen the Scandinavian flat ground blade after hard use. The back-sewn brown leather sheath keeps it close by.
