Best camping knives 2020: thrive in the wild with these compact and tough blades

When it comes to packing your backpack with essential tools for your next camping trip, don't forget to add in one the best camping knives for outdoors adventures. Of course, the type and seriousness of your adventure will dictate the ideal camping blade for you. 

After all, a fun family holiday in the Lakes during summer calls for a decent multi-tool or small sheath knife for food prep and small odd jobs around the campsite. A four-week expedition to Patagonia, on the other hand, requires something far more serious and robust.

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Common sense comes into play here, so always keep your trip in mind, and the activities you'll be doing throughout it, when choosing a knife. Because as with many other outdoor items, camping blades have been engineered to fit almost every niche. On a brighter note, the very best camping knives will last you a lifetime, so it’s worth spending more to invest in a great one from the start.

Our expert pick:

• The Mora Garberg is our current pick for the best camping knife. Crafted from tough stainless steel and nestled in a robust sheath, the Garberg is capable of splitting branches, trimming twigs and prepping potatoes, making it an asset when it comes to cutting anywhere, anytime... 
• Especially in more challenging conditions, such as in the cold and rain, or in very muddy or wet environments. Why? The simplicity of a fixed blade is a major benefit over fiddly multi-tools, as it provides you with a stronger grip and cutting action.

Best camping knives: the most common types

There’s plenty of overlap among the best knives for camping, mainly due to the sheer range of activities associated with outdoors living, as well as the levels of ‘seriousness’ in camping itself. 

Glamping in the Cotswolds probably requires a normal kitchen knife for opening the cheese biscuits, while constructing a quick basha for the night in the rainforest calls for a machete or parang.

In between those extremes you’ll find a knife that's jolly handy to have around the campsite, whether it be a small and robust fixed blade affair, or a multi-tool that opens bottles and has the various attachments for tackling a range of outdoors tasks. 

In addition, you’ll find a host of specialist camping knives that are versatile enough to slice through tomatoes one minute, then aid in rescue situations the next.

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Do camping knives have different blade points?

Yes, and they’re all engineered for different purposes. The most common types of blades are:

• Drop-point
• Sheepsfoot
• Clip-point

Generally speaking, drop-point blades are a good compromise between strength and utility, but it’s also worth considering sheepsfoot blades. They’re both strong, solid shapes that can withstand huge amounts of abuse. 

The sheepsfoot profile lowers the risk of you stabbing yourself, and is often used for woodcutting work, as well as in dedicated watersport knives designed to cut rope.   

Another other common type of camping knife blade is the clip-point, which has a crescent drop at the top of the blade to allow for more precision. It might not be as strong as a drop-point blade, but it’s worth considering if you need a blade for more delicate work. 

We’ve picked out some of the best camping knives crafted to equip you for life on the campsite and in the great outdoors. Take a look at our list below to see which one is right for your next camping trip... 

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Choosing the best camping knife for you

Camping knives are handy for keeping on you around the campsite, ready for those moments of need. In practice, this means you’ll either want a compact knife – stored away in a solid sheath when not in use – or a mini folding or locking knife. 

A fixed blade offers extra support when you're tackling bigger tasks—the blades on these are more robust, so you’re likely to have a stronger grip on the handle. If you’re planning any kind of woodsman-type activities, you’ll want a fixed blade for cutting branches, trimming sticks and whittling. 

The downside of a fixed blade is that it’s just that—there's no corkscrew or pliers, and longer versions can fall foul of the law. 

For other outdoor activities, multi-tools like the Leatherman Wingman are an excellent choice. That's because they're essentially a mini toolbox in your hand, making short work of any campsite repairs. 

A word of warning: keep a watchful eye on locking blades and be very careful as to where and how you use them, because even though it's legal to carry a folding blade under three-inches long, locking knives are not regarded as ‘folding’, so you’re not generally allowed to carry them in public. 

If you’re unsure, check out GOV.UK for current UK knife laws before you buy.

The best camping knives to buy now

The Mora Garberg is one monster of a blade, not in length but in build. It sports a 3.2mm-thick treated stainless steel blade designed to take a serious beating when camping and during general outdoors activities. 

However, it’s far from a blunt tool, with a Scandi-ground edge crafted especially to stay razor sharp, so it's always ready for whatever you throw at it.

A neat addition is how the spine of the blade has been ground specifically for use with a firestarter, enabling you to set up camp quickly whatever situation or weather you find yourself in.

A genuine leather sheath completes the minimalist yet incredibly durable package.

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Any expedition toolkit needs a Leatherman of some stripe, and the Wingman is one of the best. Providing a huge range of usable tools in a lightweight package, the Wingman squeezes 14 tools into a sub 200g block of stainless steel, which is an impressive feat in itself. 

While the smaller tools are broadly comparable to the excellent Victorinox Swiss Army knives, the needle nose pliers are sometimes the only tool for the job, and have got many an adventurer out of a tight spot. For the small investment they’re an absolute no-brainer for any outdoors lover. 

Hunters don’t seem to be able to fault this blade when it comes to both form and function, which is why we've include it among our picks for the best camping knives. 

This fixed blade knife has a relatively small blade but is regarded as sharp enough to skin animals if that’s what you’re looking for. 

What makes this camping knife slightly different to the others is that the curved handle, making it easy to hold. This is done by the finger groove at the bottom of the blade, which will stop your fingers from slipping.

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This tiny Swiss army knife may look out of place amongst the otherwise rugged-looking camping knives in the list, but never judge a book by its cover as they say. 

The blade of the knife is said to be surprisingly impressive despite all of its 3.5 inches, and the thirteen other components to be equally as handy in a variety of indoor and outdoor situations. 

Ok so you might not be able to skin a deer with it, but backpackers, campers and hikers are likely to find this tool incredibly handy when exploring the great outdoors. 

The Victorinox Huntsman Swiss Army Pocket Knife is made from stainless steel, comes with a lifetime warranty, and most importantly; it’s got a bottle opener and a corkscrew so you’ll always be able to enjoy a cold one on your camping trip! 

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This little camping knife is rated highly for its precision blade that is often used for carving and carrying out other small tasks. It is a locking blade, which can make it tricky to open. 

It's also important to remember that despite the blade size, a locking blade is illegal to carry in public, so be sure to keep this camping knife for private use only. 

Accusharps' best camping knives entry is a trusty blade that's also surprisingly effective in a range of outdoor situations. It will serve you well for many years. Plus, it’s an absolute steal.

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This drop-point knife by Bear Grylls is a versatile and durable blade that will enable you to do anything from carving wood to preparing food and kindling. 

Ultimate Pro Outdoor Knife is designed with a non-slip rubber grip, which should make it comfortable to hold even when carrying out the trickiest of tasks. 

It’s noticeably heavy, and comes with a tight-fitting sheath. This camping knife is a fixed blade, too, so you can really get to grips with it when a heavier hand is needed. 

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The World Legal was created by Copenhagen’s Mikkel Willumsen – famed for his gritty Urban Tactical designs – with the idea that it would be technically legal worldwide. 

The result follows the letter of the law, but the aggressive design might well invite unwelcome attention if waved about in urban areas. 

The 2.75 inch Stainless Blade, nylon handle and pocket clip, combined with a traditional slip-joint, results in a robust cutting tool that’ll deliver anywhere. 

Renowned knifemaker Spyderco has applied themselves to the question of what to usefully hang on your key fob, and come up with this tiny work of art. 

Although the tiny 32mm blade is razor sharp, it's perfectly legal too, and for slicing into tricky biscuit packets, parcels and the like it’s absolutely ideal. 

A full stainless build will brush off key-chain scrapes, and there’s a small lanyard hole to keep it safely attached. Simple, useful and always in your pocket. 

Taking the multi to multi tool, this Victorinox monster is aimed squarely at geeks, and other folk who might need a torch, torx wrench set, pliers, magnifier and a pen. Which frankly is just about everyone at some point in their lives. 

If there was a pocket toolkit to repair a MacBook, this would be it. 

With a dizzying array of 32 tools, a legal length blade, and the confidence that the components won’t snap off when you use them, this is the office toolkit to rule them all. 

Lighter than a full-fat Leatherman, the Juice range is intended for casual use, rather than the original’s engineering bent. 

The CS4 is the second largest Juice model, and revels in a range of different grip colours and textures, designed to appeal to all. 

The range of tools might only number up at 15, but needle nose pliers, a saw and a corkscrew cover off nearly all social situations, especially paired with a range of screwdrivers and an awl. 

The stainless blade is a UK legal 2.27 in/5.77 cm to boot. As a tool to stash in the car, leave in your work bag or drawer, it’s a sure-fire winner. 

Whitby have been making knives for a few years (since 1961), and this slip joint folder is a masterpiece of craftsmanship. 

A tactile zebra wood handle with quality stainless steel bolsters holds a 2.5 inch legal carry stainless blade in an incredibly simple but effective package. 

A small eyelet allows the knife to be strung on a lanyard, but that's all the complexity you can add. Sometimes, simplicity is best.

There’s a lot to like about this minimalist but modern design, but the desirability rating is really amped up in the Titanium/Damascus version, giving you a beautiful yet perfectly usable and legal blade. 

Superlight and super-simple, this is designed to slip onto the keyring of any well-equipped person and be forgotten until a tricky bit of string or overly-sellotaped package appears. The keychain eye doubles as a robust ‘pry tool’, itself a potential flathead screwdriver, bottle opener and general wranging device - ideal for all those moments where using the blade just isn’t cricket. 

While the Titanium/Damascus build is at the spendy end of pocket knives, the bill can be halved by going for Stainless instead, making this literally ideal for all pockets, in every sense.

Pay attention Daniel-san - this ancient Japanest design has seen a resurgence under the UK’s strict laws on locking knives, as the super-simple ‘Chikiri’ system is completely thumb-powered, and relies on a digit to keep the folder locked open in use. However, that’s all very much beside the point here - a traditional Japanese-made Aogami (blue paper) carbon steel blade. With a hardness rating of 62HRC, this will take a terrifyingly sharp edge and retain it too, unlike softer steels. Given higher budget, even finer steels are available, but frankly this will prove enough to accomplish most everyday tasks without disturbing one’s Zen.

As a simple but highly effective cutter-of-stuff, this is among the best money can buy. 

The final word:

When it comes to the best camping knives and which one is truly best for you, the answer is based on the types of scenarios you'll be using the knife in and the duties it will carry out. 

For a brilliant all-rounder knife for camping, we recommend the Mora Garberg. If you want a blade that comes with various tools, try the Victorinox Huntsman Swiss Army Pocket Knife.

The Mora will stand up to pretty much any camping-related task you can think of, while the Victorinox will also cut brie and open bottles of wine with equal aplomb. 

About the author…

Mark Mayne is an outdoors journalist who specialises in camping, hiking and diving.

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