Best Backpacking Knife: 10 Lightweight Backpacking Knives

Why Do I Need A Backpacking Knife?

One of the most valuable tools that you need to carry in your backpack or on your person when you’re either camping or hiking is a good, all-purpose knife. Whether it’s a pocket knife or a fixed blade knife, it needs to be able to handle whatever cutting task you throw at it. Having a knife that is compact and lightweight is key so that you’re not adding unnecessary weight to the gear you carry. There are so many tasks that come up like cutting sticks and twigs for your campfire, opening food pouches, using it as a first aid tool or cutting lengths of paracord for a variety of tasks like pitching a shelter or securing gear.

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Since you really can’t afford your knife to let you down in a critical life-threatening situation or when you need to perform critical camp-site tasks, you need to make sure that you choose well. Here are some backpacking and camping knives that will get the job done.

Benchmade White Mini Bugout Pocket Knife

After overwhelming feedback from their customers, Benchmade took one of its workhouse pocket knives and scaled it down. The Mini Bugout Pocket Knife maintains all of the original features of the popular full-sized version in a 1 1/2-ounce package. The ultra-light pocket knife has a razor-sharp, just under 3” CPM-S30V steel drop-point blade with a 58-60HRC, making it up to hard-use in the wild. The textured handle is made of Grivory and features Benmade’s AXIS assisted-locking technology, which locks the manually deployed blade in place. The slip-free handle also has a reversible pocket-clip and a lanyard hole. Small enough to take-up almost no room in your backpack, the Benchmade Mini Bugout Pocket Knife is big enough for any adventure!

BugOut Rescue Survival Knife With Firestarter

The BugOut Rescue Survival Knife belongs in your outdoor adventure gear, survival gear or bug-out bag. With its razor-sharp blade and aggressive partial serrations, the survival knife is capable of dealing with any emergency. The crosshatched, rubberized grip is contoured so that it fits securely in your palm and won’t slip if it’s wet. The ABS guard is angled toward your fingers and angled up as a thumb-rest. The pommel has a firestarter rod that pulls-out when you need to start a fire and there’s a lanyard hole if you want to add a wrist lanyard. The survival knife comes with a nylon belt sheath so that it can be easily carried at your side.

Trailblazer Mini Pocket Multi-Tool

This list wouldn’t be complete without the Trailblazer Mini Pocket Multi-Tool. Unbelievably ultra-light at 1.7 ounces and 2 1/2” closed, you’re still getting all the power of a standard sized multi-tool packed into a compact form. You can literally drop this little gem in your backpack and pretty much have a tool box with you at your campsite. The mini multi-tool has 10 tools including a knife, file, bottle opener, micro, small and large flat head screwdriver tips, Phillips head screwdriver, pliers, nail puller, a ruler and it also has a lanyard hole. The tools are made of rust-resistant stainless steel and the handles are made of aluminum to reduce the weight. The Trailblazer Mini Pocket Multi-Tool is definitely a must-have!