Best Camping Knives Review in 2023

Any experienced camper or outdoor enthusiast knows how rapidly a situation can change without warning. Equipment matters and having the best camping knives are essential. You need something reliable, functional, and versatile enough to adapt you to different and quickly changing scenarios.

Whether you’re looking for basic utility and general use, or something geared more toward survival and emergencies – we’ve got you covered. You’ll be guided through choosing a knife that’s right for you and suits your setup. Our goal is to get you value for your money and a knife that isn’t going to fail when you need it the most. Let’s go!

Top 7 Best Camping Knives Review in 2023

We’ve carefully handpicked 7 camping knives that give you the functionality you need for a potentially rough outdoor experience. These are knives that live up to the claims they make, offering you consistent and reliable performance when you need it.

We’ll look at some emergency knives, some top-class pocket knives, and a couple of rugged and robust fixed-blade knives. By the end, you’ll be ready and informed enough to choose the knife that’s just right for you. Let’s dive into our best camping knives reviews!

GrandWay Assisted Opening Camping Knife

It would be a complete camping knife review without looking at a decent spring assisted knife. This knife is very beginner-friendly and features a top-class linear lock to keep your fingers safe. If you’re looking for your first outdoor knife and don’t know where to start – this might be the best knife for you.

The opening action is snappy and consistent, giving you quick access to the exquisitely sharp blade and powerful tip. We loved that the locking system is dirt-resistant and won’t close unexpectedly. You’re getting a thumb stud if you’re not a huge fan of using the assisted opening, or simply want more control over the opening and closing actions of the blade.

The 440C stainless steel is coated in rust and corrosion-resistant coating. This gives you an added layer of protection and gives the knife more durability. Overall, you’ll be able to use this knife for almost any light outdoor tasks like cutting material, fishing, basic hunting utility, and more.

It’s a fantastic entry-level knife with some hints of premium performance when you take good care of it. You’ll get one of the best camping knives in a compact, lightweight, and easy to carry form.

Mossy Oak Fixed Blade Camping Knife

With an astonishing 15” overall length, this is a behemoth of camping knives. You’re getting a 10” blade with a saw built into its spine. This isn’t your typical EDC knife and it weighs more than 16oz – it’s not going unnoticed on your belt. 440C stainless steel helps to protect this larger blade from the corrosion and rusting that tends to plague larger blades.

It can be sharpened to quite a fine edge if you’re willing to put in the time and effort. We love the clip point blade design that adds even more functionality and versatility to this already capable knife. Its tip is strong and the overall cutting and piercing power of the knife is incredible.

With a full-tang design, you’re getting good bend and break resistance, and a well-balanced profile. You can hold this knife easily thanks to the rubberized handle – it’s non-slip and gives you plenty of room to work with (even for larger hands). To sum up, you’re getting one of the best camping knives with this type of functionality, capability, and sheer size.

GrandWay Survival Camping Knife

Here’s another spring assisted opening knife that’s a little more rugged, robust, and caters better to outdoor users. It’s a fantastic knife to carry along on camping and hiking trips. It’s pretty lightweight despite its rugged appearance. This is partly due to the durable plastic handle and the small cutouts in the blade.

We love campfires. This knife comes equipped with a fire starter that’s stored in the handle. You simply have to strike or slide it along the spine of the blade to get the sparks flying. You’re getting all the resistance and durability of 420HC steel in a well-designed blade. The gradual bevels help the edge get even sharper, though this makes it a little more prone to lateral pressure damage.

It comes extremely sharp and ready to go right out of the box. In its folded position, it’s a compact and lightweight carry with tons of mounting options thanks to the well-designed pocket clip. The handle is non-slip and camo, so you’ll be able to use it for hunting and tactical work.

GVDV Folding Pocket Camping Knife

Here’s a large folding knife for men or serious boy scouts. The knife is crafted from high-quality 7Cr17 stainless steel and has excellent wear and rust-resistance. It’s a versatile knife that can be used for cutting carpets, plastics, paper, tinder, and much more.

We think it’s a fantastic carry for more adventurous types who enjoy the outdoors but don’t want to carry a whole knife set. There’s an assisted opening if that rocks your boat. It does an excellent job of snapping the blade out in a smooth and controlled motion.

You can take the edge to razor sharpness if you’ve got your sharpening technique down. It takes you a while as the steel is quite tough. This is a good thing in this case, as it means you’ll get more re-sharpening without wearing the blade down too much. You get a sharpening block with the knife that’s made specifically for the knife.

In terms of looks, it’s one of the most unique and attractive pocket knives we’ve seen in this price range. The blade has a patterned finish and this extends into the handle. You’ll love the wooden inlays on the handle as they add a smooth and well-fitted feel to the knife.

WorkPro Axe Fixed Blade Outdoor Knife Set

To close up our reviews, here’s an incredible value for money outdoor knife set. You’re getting the whole bang here with a full-tang ax and a full-tang knife. These durable wields can handle pretty much any outdoor cutting work you need to get done. They both come with excellent protective sheaths that are well-fitted and clip held (as opposed to being kept in place by only friction with the case).

They’re crafted for 3CR13 steel and durable enough to be viable in the outdoors. You’re getting all the rust and corrosion resistance you need and the quality sheaths amplify this. We loved the grips and think they’re some of the best available on camping knives like these.

They’re textured to ensure they don’t slip and have been ergonomically designed to fit different hand sizes. The sheaths both have belt loops that let you quickly and easily slip it onto your tactical belt or backpack. The mounting options are versatile and give you the freedom to choose whatever best suits you.

You’ll find the edges are durable enough to handle heavier-duty work and sharp enough to be accurate when you need them to be. In terms of sizes, the ax sits at 10” and the knife at 13”. While these are quite large, you’re getting incredible functionality and utility out of them. Overall, these are some of the best cheap knives for camping and general outdoor utility.

Schrade Frontier Camping Knife

As far as durability is concerned, full-tang knives have the edge when we’re talking about outdoor knives. At over 10” in overall length, you’re getting a large and capable outdoor knife. The blade sits at 5” and gives you serious cutting and piercing power. These blades can be used for almost any outdoor cutting task short of what you’d use a machete for.

You’re getting an ultra-sharp blade made from high-carbon steel and coated in 1095 rust and corrosion-resistant coating. While it’s not going to be the sharpest edge in the world, it’s extremely rugged. It’ll take punishment without showing any signs of wear and tear.

Make sure you keep it in the provided Polyester sheath between uses to maintain it well. The lowered tip of the blade means you’re getting enhanced piercing power and a sturdy tip that isn’t going to let you down with a little rough use. One of our favorite features is the finger groove at the base of the blade.

This adds an extra layer of protection against slipping and helps you get a better grip for accurate cutting. Overall, this is one of the best camping knives with a full-tang robust design – and it’s fairly priced considering the quality.

Morakniv Companion Outdoor Knife

To kick off the review here is one of the most popular and versatile fixed blade knives on the market. You’re getting a sturdy 4.1” blade made from high-quality stainless steel to give you protection from rusting and corrosion (Source). The edge is sharp enough to use for carving, general utility, prepping tinder for fires, and more.

It’s a very versatile blade thanks to its slightly thicker profile steeper bevels. Edge retention is better than we expected as stainless steel often falls a little short in this regard. You’ll be able to tons of cutting done without needing to touch up the blade.

You’ll quickly fall in love with the textured and patterned grip. With a curved spine, it fits into your hand well and helps to give the knife a more balanced feel. Your hand isn’t going to slip on the high-friction non-slip grip. You’ll get a decent quality plastic sheath that looks smooth and fits well.

While we’re not the biggest fan of plastic sheaths, this one isn’t so bad. It helps to keep the overall cost of the knife affordable. This is one of the best camping knives for hunting if you want the power and versatility of a fixed blade knife – but don’t want to spend too much.

Some Things to Know Before Making Your Decision

Here are a couple of things we think you should know before making up your mind and choosing a knife. We want to make sure you’re getting the best possible value for money and fill in any blank spaces you might have in your knowledge base.

How We Chose the Knives in this Review?

Ultimately, balanced is one of the most important considerations when we put together any knife review. We’re not talking about the weight balance of the knives, but rather how they balance features with performance and price. One of the main points we thought about was the price. This is often a huge deciding factor, especially for first-time buyers.

We’ve tried to include knives that sit at different points along the price scale to leave you with various options. Performance and quality come hand in hand, but they also need to be treated carefully. Many knives can use premium quality steel and handle materials, but without intelligent design, they might fall short and under perform.

In terms of quality, we wanted to review knives that use steel and handle material that’s resistant to rust, corrosion, and wear. We know how frustrating it can be to lose your favorite to infectious rust. Aside from these aspects, we wanted to bring you knives with ergonomic grips, sharp edges, decent edge retention, and complimentary add-ons like sheaths and whetstones.

So in summary, we chose knives that had a well-tuned balance between price, performance, features, usability, durability, and looks. We understand that all knives have a little give-and-take action to offer you something unique. We just wanted to make sure that the compromises they made didn’t go over the top.

What to Look for in a Camping Knife?

This depends on how you plan on using your knives and the type of camping you’re into. When you’re looking for a fixed blade knife, you should almost always go for full-tang knives. Best camping knives go through their fair share of tough and demanding work, so full-tang designs help the overall stability and sturdiness.

In terms of the tip style, if you do more piercing and puncturing work, go for a clip point blade or a tanto tip. If you just need a knife for general use, a drop point tip will have you covered. It’s important to get a handle that’s comfortable for your hand size and has some kind of texture to make it non-slip.

There should be a small raised finger guard or bolster to stop your finger from slipping onto the blade. You should always go for blades that are coated or use steel that’s resistant to corrosion and rusting. These will give you far more durability from your knives.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What Is a Reasonable Price for a Camping Knife?

A: The price range can vary between $20 and $300; it all comes down to what your preference is. If you need something for a camp out in the backyard, you may go for the $20 knife. On the other hand, if you like heavily weathered wilderness camping, then you may want to get something a little more “high range.

” When you’re buying something for $50 – $100, you’re most likely getting the best quality that you can without paying an arm and a leg. Most times, getting the most expensive camping knife there is doesn’t guarantee top performance. But if you’re loyal to a specific brand and want the best that they’re offering, then, by all means, go ahead and splurge.

Q: Will the Blade Rust if It Isn’t Stainless Steel?

A: If the blade is made from high carbon steel, it’ll be pretty resistant to rust anyway, but just to be sure, never leave the knife out in a moist environment. After use outdoors, always clean the blade and wipe off all remaining moisture before holstering or storing.

Q: Is a Rubberized Handle Strong?

A: Yes. The critical thing to note is whether the handle is full tang with an undercover of hard, durable material such as synthetic nylon or carbon fiber. If this is the case, then the knife will hold together well and be extra comfortable. One thing to make sure of is to keep the handle clean because rubber deteriorates fast.

Q: Does It Matter Whether I Get a Fixed Blade or a Folding Blade?

A: It depends entirely on your intended use for the knife. If you plan on cutting tree branches off and hacking through the dense forest, then maybe get a fixed blade. Otherwise, a folding knife will do just fine; and it’s smaller for convenience’ sake.

Final Thoughts

You should have a very clear idea now about what type of camping knife will suit you best. Make sure you keep your style and needs close in mind when you make your choice. Feel free to go through our review again and go over any knives that caught your attention. Getting the best camping knives will give you the flexibility and the reliability you need to get more from your trips!