I just got back from MEC and spent $47 to save 8 oz. Is this normal?

That sounds about right. 8 oz is quite a bit of wieght, considering people pay a lot more to save a lot less. Then again, we all must have a few screws loose if we're hanging out in this forum anyway!

Edited by samuraiPrecision on 03/24/2009 15:12:56 MDT.

Actually, I think you do!

MEC carries precious few UL items. I bet if you tell us what you bought, we can tell you how to shave off even more without any loss in function! :)

Edited by ben2world on 03/24/2009 15:13:56 MDT.

The more screws we all shake loose, the less of them we have to carry!

Well....I purchased a Gerber LST knife to get rid of my big heavy bear maming one and a Petzel E-lite to replace my EOS......

huge savings, two items, great price.....

Leave the knife at home and take a Photon Freedom instead: saves another ~ 2oz...

I'm in the knife camp...it can be very useful.

Shave down tinder for a fire, if you need to...or whittle an eating utensil from a stick when your plastic fork snaps....what about cutting gauze and moleskin for blister treatment?

Take da knife!

$47 for a half a pound is a bargain (at least on BPL). but when folks pay $350 to save 1.3 oz... that is when i start to wonder. :)

in addition to weight, i like losing some of the bulk of stuff (e.g. a headlamp with strap for a tiny e-lite).

re: knives. i used to carry a little Leatherman Micra, but found i almost never used it, and if i did it was just the little scissors to open something. so i started carrying a razor blade in a cardboard sleeve, and still never use it. but it's never bad to carry a knife, i don't think.

re: light. i used to use a Petzl Tikka, but now i just use a Fenix L0D - pretty dang light and tiny, and clips to a baseball cap brim by reversing the little pen clip. you can't go wrong with the little Petzl - bright enough, convenient, and darn light. i don't do much night-hiking (unless i am forced to!).

Edited by DaveT on 03/24/2009 16:00:59 MDT.

I'm firmly in the knife camp as well.

I always take my Leatherman Juice on every walk. It's always in my pocket and I use it heaps of times through out the day. It's the best 48 grams I carry.

I also carry a knife to cut my salami (and more importantly open the vacuum sealed package), but it is a frivolous use really. I was just playing devil's advocate as I know many people feel deeply attached to their knives. I don't think my knife is even sharp enough to cut bandages etc...however a Leatherman Juice is a different beast as it has many other tools on it. In this respect I DO sometimes carry a small pair of scissors, a good set of tweezers and a razor blade, but I have not 'needed' a knife for as long as I've been backpacking. I have also never needed Needlenose Pliers, Wire Cutters, Hard-Wire Cutters, Extra-Small, Small, and Med/Lrg Screwdrivers, Phillips Screwdriver, Lanyard Attachment, Can/Bottle Opener, Corkscrew, Fish Scaler, or any of the other myriad attachments found on many multi-tools (at least not on the trail).

I agree that there are far worse weight:cost savings ratios occurring here at BPL than $47 for 8 oz. That's a real bargain!

Thanks all - this support is way better (and cheaper) than therapy!

To be frank, I don't remember the last time that I used a knife in the backcountry but an ounce and a quarter for, presumably, some peace of mind if I ever do need it is worth it.

I avoid true night hiking or just use the moon and the EOS is actually too bright for much of what I do. I will keep it, however. If I was to give it away I would then need it at some point. Always the way.

No doubt about it , for a gear addict like David $47 for 8 oz is going to be hard to beat.
To cut salamis you should really use the Opinel. I do miss a good glass of red when I do that.
Talking about the Leatherman, for three moments I felt a bit inadequate because I have a Juice but take a smaller one that I thought it was the Squirt. It's a Micra (s), so I feel a bit better now.
Franco

What a bargain... I expect to spend $20/oz.

I feel naked without a blade. Like Franco,I like Opinels...but I do have a soft spot for the light Leathermans too.

IMO, theres no such thing as a "light" Leatherman as far as the multitools go...

Don't infringe on my 2nd amendment knife to carry a right!!!

No, seriously, I like a good fixed blade.

Yup. I would never cut a salami with anything other than an Opinel. And no one can infringe on my right to protect myself from salamis with whatever arms I deem appropriate (usually my right arm bears the knife, but my left arm holds the perpetrator in position for the thrust).

"But latest figures show an 89 per cent rise in the number of under-16s with serious stab wounds in the past five years and a 75 per cent rise for older teenagers over the same period." -the New Zealand Herald

"A knife is the weapon of choice in countries where firearms, specifically handguns, are not widely available. (reference Mayhew, 19??)" -

Englands Knife crime epidemic:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0807/S00370.htm

https://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/51721/Why-is-Britain-being-savaged-by-knife-crime-

lets keep the political discussion to those "other" threads shall we? I've been avoiding them and don't care to see it here either.

I don't really understand not carrying a knife. I mean, I understand it academically, but I carry a knife at home, I carry a small knife to work, I feel naked without one, so I'm carrying one on the trail.

David, we all have a problem, otherwise we'd be on another site. be of good cheer, you're in good company.