Handling Camping Knives – Tips For Safety
Camping is a lot of fun – you leave behind all the stresses of normal day to day life, but at the same time you have to leave behind all the comforts and conveniences of the modern world. Being closer to nature can be very satisfying, however.
Even when you are leaving behind all the modern comforts, you still need some tools, and one of the most important and useful ones is a good camping knife. These come in useful in numerous situations – opening cans or other camping meals, trimming a little cord for securing your tent, or even as a means of defense. Camping knives, however, can be dangerous, so you need to bear a few points in mind when using them, storing them, and taking care of them.
Handling Camping Knives Safely
A camping knife is a tool, not a toy, and needs to be treated as such. You should always make sure that your knife is kept clean, and that the blade is kept sharp. When you are using it, hold it by the handle, this will give you the strongest grip and make it less likely that you could slip and injure yourself.
Only use your camping knife for cutting things – don't try to use it for other purposes, e.g as a screwdriver. If you need other tools, perhaps you should invest in a multi-purpose Swiss Army knife or a similar one from Victorinox.
Do not press on the blade when cutting things, and make sure you cut away from your body, not towards it.
When you are finished with your knife, close it, and put it away. It is not a good idea to leave a knife lying around, opened – especially if there are young children around. If you have older children, spend some time teaching them how to use a knife properly so that they do not injure themselves if they end up having to use one.
Buying a Knife
If you need to buy a camping knife, it is best to invest in a good quality one – there are lots of different kinds available on sites such as www.ebladestore.com – another useful site is www.surplusandadventure.com which offers a variety of blade for different purposes.
Remember to take good care of your knife, put it away after use, and make sure that you only use it for the purposes it was intended for. If you bare these safety considerations in mind, it will be a useful tool, not a disaster waiting to happen
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Victorinox make a great knife that has tools for pretty much everything – screwdriver, scissors, pliers, tweezers, a pen, toothpick, compass, and even a hook thing that makes putting your tent pins in, and pulling them up, a lot easier – I’m not sure what you’re actually meant to use that bit for, though.
Whatever – it’s much better to get a knife like that than to use a normal flick-knife for other purposes – tough guys in movies may shave with hunting knives, but ‘don’t try that at home, kids’!