Choosing The Right Knife For Your Outdoor Sport

There are many different types of knives available, and as with many other tools, if you don't have the right one, it's likely to cause problems. Here are a few tips for choosing the right knife for your outdoor sport.

Hunting
Most hunting knives are designed for skinning. If you want your knife to be good for skinning, the main thing you should pay attention to is the blade shape. You want a rounded or drop point so that when you are “ripping” the skin, the point of your knife will not dig into the meat.

Also, you'll probably want a fixed blade knife, as folding blades have to many crevices to trap blood and mess in.

Camping
Choosing a knife for camping can be tough, because you need a versatile knife. For this reason, you'll often find that a swiss army knife or multi tool may fill your needs best. Also, you may want to add a saw, hatchet, or machete to your pack before you leave, for tougher cutting jobs.

Fishing
You should probably get a fillet knife for fishing. A fillet knife is well designed for cleaning fish, and it can also cut fishing line well, which is the other main task for a fishing knife. If you plan on fishing in salt water, be sure your knife is designed to withstand the corrosion of saltwater.

Trapping
Trappers will generally want a a skinning knife, much like a hunting knife. Tougher tasks are normally done with an axe, so a second knife isn't normally necessary.

Boating
A boaters main need for a knife is cutting line. You'll need a sharp knife, that is easily accesible and quickly deployed, in case you need to cut a line in a hurry. Be sure that the knife will stand up to wet conditions, too.