So you’re looking to find the best knife for your backpacking trips. You probably want one that’s light, sharp, stylish, and maybe it’s easy on the bank. Well, I’ve tried out a few, and here is why I chose mine.
Before you choose a knife, there are a few things you’ll need to consider since there isn’t a single best knife for everyone.
- What types of things are you actually going to be cutting? Generally, I am using my backpacking knife for cooking, carving wood into smaller pieces to start a fire, or making a makeshift stake.
- How heavy is too heavy? I try to keep my weight at a minimum without sacrificing durability or function. The extra weight of a sturdier knife may be worth it to you.
- What is your budget? Sure you can get a great backpacking knife for $200 but what are you actually willing to spend is important to know.
This is where the subjectivity of making a claim like “best” comes into play. I’m going to explain to you why I think my knife is the best choice for anyone and I go ahead and mention a couple of others you might want to consider if the Opinel just isn’t your style.
Alright, let’s cut to the chase.
Opinel no 8
Weight: 1.6 oz
Blade Length: 3.35’’
Price: $17 as of writing
The Opinel No 8 is my go-to backpacking knife for a few reasons. It’s light, sharp, larger than other lightweight knives, and it’s cheap.
With a blade length of 3.35’’ and weighing in at only 1.6oz, this should be on every lightweight backpackers’ wish list. You get plenty of cutting power for your weight and this makes the Opinel easy to grip and use. I never felt like I made a compromise with this knife. It was light, but the blade wasn’t small. It’s sharp, but it wasn’t some brick I had to lug around with me.
Worth noting is the unique “Virobloc” safety lock system. This is the small metal positioned where the blade meets the handle and part of what makes an Opinl knife iconic.
When the blade is extended, you rotate the ring to secure it. When you are done, you simply rotate the ring in the other direction and fold the knife into the handle. This can end up leaving a bit of room where the blade can wiggle back and forth but I feel this only makes the knife feel cheaper rather than creating any actual disadvantage.
3.35’’ is a fair-sized blade to work with. It won’t be as large as a bowie knife and you won’t use it to fend off a bear, but it has the right amount of length to easily cut what you need.
When I cook, this knife really shines for me. The shape of the blade and size of the handle makes it perfect for preparing backcountry meals and is actually the main reason I take it along on car camping trips as well. Short of bringing an actual kitchen knife with you, this is one of your best bets.
I’ve read a few accounts of people not being satisfied with how sharp the Opinel is out of the box but this was never an issue for me, not even close. More importantly, it has kept its edge through all the abuse I’ve put it through the past couple of years. I sharpened it once in that time and it still holds true today, I actually pulled it out to do some whittling a couple of nights ago and it cut like it did the first day we met. Sure, a Benchmade is a bit sharper, but that was also way more expensive which leads me to my final point. It’s cheap.
3.35’’ is a fair-sized blade to work with. It won’t be as large as a bowie knife and you won’t use it to fend off a bear, but it has the right amount of length to easily cut what you need.
When I cook, this knife really shines for me. The shape of the blade and size of the handle makes it perfect for preparing backcountry meals and is actually the main reason I take it along on car camping trips as well. Short of bringing an actual kitchen knife with you, this is one of your best bets.
I’ve read a few accounts of people not being satisfied with how sharp the Opinel NO 8 is out of the box but this was never an issue for me, not even close. More importantly, it has kept its edge through all the abuse I’ve put it through the past couple of years. I sharpened it once in that time and it still holds true today, I actually pulled it out to do some whittling a couple of nights ago and it cut like it did the first day we met. Sure, a Benchmade is a bit sharper, but that was also way more expensive which leads me to my final point. It’s cheap.
I don’t have to worry about this knife and that peace of mind is worth everything to me. I have plenty of nice gear, including camera equipment I take with me on almost every trip. I can use this knife and not worry about chipping it or damaging it because the worst-case scenario is always going to cost me under $20. Can’t find my metal for a magnesium rod? Have to cut something tough or have rocks or metal underneath where you are cutting? With the Opinel No 8, you can just go for it and this is what makes it stand out to me.
You are getting a durable, stylish, sharp, and affordable knife with this one. Opinel has been designing this knife the same way for literally over 100 years
Deejo Wood
Weight: 1.28 oz
Blade Length: 3.74”
Price: $55 as of writing for Juniper Version
The Dejoo Wood is a sexy knife. There, I said it.
This knife balances out weight, size, function, and design beautifully. If you have the budget, this is a great option for a backpacker. Like the Opinel above, you get a lot of blade for your weight.
The minimalist design is a great look and I had this in a couple different shopping carts online without ever actually entering my credit card information. Their big selling point on the Wood version is that it only weighs 37 grams.
Now, if you are like, super lightweight man, you can cut some more weight and go with the Deejo Naked model which eliminates the wooden handle and belt clip bringing the weight down.
Something else I thought was pretty neat about the Deejo option is that it allows you to customize the blade and handle on their website. This isn’t something that would factor into my decision when deciding what the best knife to take backpacking is but I could see it being useful to personalize a gift for someone that loves backpacking.
Gerber Dime
Weight: 2.24 oz
Blade Length: 1.5”
Price: $17 as of writing
Now, this one is for the true minimalist. Since it’s so small, I like to take it with me in addition to my Opinel on trips. There have been a handful where all I have taken is the Gerber Dime and it did what it needed to do. Again, this is all going to be going back to what you are actually using the blade for.
The main benefit of this is it’s not just a knife, it’s a multitool. I don’t think anyone would opt for the Gerber Dime over another option because of the blade. You are getting a blade that is pretty meh if you ask me but it comes with tweezers, pliers, a bottle opener, and other tools. This said, I pretty much exclusively have used the pliers, tweezers, and the box cutter type tool on it. I actually rarely use the knife. It is fairly dull and does not lock into place.
Also, I use this to pull up tent stakes almost every time I go camping. I just pull the pliers out, grip the stake and pull. This has been especially helpful on cold trips, where I don’t quite have the dexterity early in the morning and I can just yank them up with these.
I hope this helped you get an idea on why the Opinel NO 8 is worth considering for your kit and why its a great backpacking knife. There are other options out there and who knows, maybe I’ll find something better and I can revise this in the future!
When it comes to Opinel NO 8, do yourself a favor and go pick one up today!
