While you can technically use any kind of knife for cooking while camping the reality is some knives are just better suited for cooking than others.
After all, you wouldn’t use a machete to cut your steak, would you?
This is why we created this list of the top 10 best camping knives for cooking so you have the proper knife to make sure every meal turns out great while camping.
- DFACTO Rugged Butcher Knife
- MIKI 440A Stainless Steel Blade
- GSI Outdoors Rakau Gourmet Knife Set
- Perkin Handmade Bushcraft Hunting Knife
- KastKing Fillet Knife 9 Inch
- Ka-Bar Tactical Spork
- GSI Outdoors Santoku 6″ Chef Knife
- Farberware 5119324 Non-Stick Resin Santoku Knife
- ZYLISS Chef’s Knife
- MIKI Camping Pocket Folding Knife
Now that we know the best camping knives for cooking, in the rest of this article, we’ll go into more detail about each knife as well as the best use for each.
Best Camping Knives for Cooking
Keep in mind that these knives are listed in no particular order as each of these camping knives have their own unique strengths and are each best suited for particular camping cooking scenario.
1. DFACTO Rugged Butcher Knife
Just by looking at the DFACTO chef knife, you can tell it was built for camping and outdoor cooking.
As the blade is made from stainless steel and is flash-tempered and acid stonewashed giving it its aggressive matte look.
The matte blade isn’t just for looks though as the finish on the blade actually helps to prevent corrosion and rust.
The rugged design doesn’t stop at the blade though as even the handle is constructed in such a way to hold up to even the most rigorous of conditions. Constructed with a Mil-Spec G10 fiber resin and secured with three Corby bolts makes the handle virtually indestructible.
Best Use:
The DFACTO Rugged Butcher Knife is great for general-purpose cooking and prep and is best suited for slicing, dicing, and chopping, fruits, vegetables, and meat.
2. MIKI 440A Stainless Steel Blade
In essence, the Miki 440A Stainless Steel Blade is your standard chef’s knife but the unique thing about this chef’s knife is that it’s foldable allowing for easy storage.
This is great for camping and cooking outdoors because easy storage and portability are the names of the game when cooking outdoors.
Just because the knife is foldable though don’t think that this somehow sacrifices its ability to be a great camping knife for cooking as it is more than capable in keeping up with any standard fixed blade chef knife.
Best Use:
The Miki 440A Stainless Steel knife is a great multi-purpose chef knife that really shines when space is at a premium such as when backpacking or cooking in remote locations.
3. GSI Outdoors Rakau Gourmet Knife Set
The GSI Outdoors Rakau Gourmet Knife Set is a great knife set when you’re planning on doing extensive meal prep and cooking while outdoors.
As this knife set from GSI comes with three separate knives including a 3.5″ paring knife, a 6″ Santoku knife, and a 6″ serrated knife, ensuring you always have just the right knife for your needs.
Best Use:
This Rakau gourmet knife set is best suited for car camping when space is not at a premium and when you plan to do a lot of meal prep and cooking while at the campsite.
4. Perkin Handmade Bushcraft Hunting Knife
There are many bushcraft knives on the market but this Perkin Handmade Bushcraft knife with full tang and sheath is one of the best for camping and cooking outdoors.
Because of its 420C stainless steel blade, you shouldn’t have any issues slicing and dicing while cooking in the great outdoors.
Also because it comes with a standard sheath it makes it easy to store and transport the knife without damaging the blade.
Best Use:
While bushcraft knives don’t make the best kitchen knives due to their short and thick blades.
If you’re looking to carry an all-purpose knife that you can use both for general camping needs and also to perform some basic cooking tasks, it’s hard to go wrong with the Perkin Handmade Bushcraft Hunting Knife.
5. KastKing Fillet Knife 9 Inch
While fillet knives are commonplace around the kitchen most fillet kitchen knives would have a hard time holding up to the rigors of outdoor or campsite cooking.
This is why the KastKing Fillet Knife stands above most fillet knives for cooking outdoors because its purpose-built for rugged and outdoor use.
To begin with, the blade doesn’t use your run-of-the-mill stainless steel instead the blade is made from premium razor-sharp G4116 German stainless steel with a black finish to help the blade to stay sharp no matter what you throw at it.
In addition, it also has an ergonomic and rugged handle that provides a comfortable and firm grip while prepping your meals outdoors even in less than ideal cooking environments.
Best Use:
The KastKing Fillet Knife is best suited for filleting fish or cutting meat away from the bone while out in the field.
6. Ka-Bar Tactical Spork
While the Ka-Bar Tactical Spoon is certainly not the most capable camping knife for cooking it certainly can get the job done in a pinch.
The other great thing about this general purpose knife is that it performs double duty while camping acting as both a knife as well as an eating utensil and who doesn’t love camping equipment that can perform double duty while camping.
Best Use:
The Ka-Bar Tactical Spork is best for general cutting while cooking and is best suited for backpacking when space is at a premium and you only plan on doing basic or primitive cooking.
7. GSI Outdoors Santoku 6″ Chef Knife
The GSI Outdoor Santoku Chef Knife is a great all-purpose cooking knife to have around the campsite with you.
The first thing you will notice is that the blade is rockered meaning the blade is curved allowing you to as the name implies rock the blade back and forth. This is helpful while prepping food as it allows you to cut through food much quicker and easier as well as cut one-handed.
The next thing you might notice is the ergonomic rubber handle which will ensure you keep a firm and solid grip on the knife even when it gets wet.
Best Use:
The GSI Outdoor Santoku Chef Knife is best suited for general cooking and meal prep, allowing you to cut fruits, vegetables, and meat with ease while around the campsite.
8. Farberware Non-Stick Resin Santoku Knife
One of the more interesting knives on this list is the Farberware 5119324 Resin Santoku Knife because of its resin finish.
While traditionally most camping cooking knives are made with standard stainless steel this Farberware knife uses a unique non-stick resin coating over the blade to prevent food from sticking to the blade as well as to keep the blade from rusting over time.
The knife is also easy to transport and keep safe thanks to its protective sheath or cover that comes with the knife to cover the blade.
Best Use:
The Farberware Resin Santoku Knife is best used when you need a versatile camping cooking knife that will perform general cutting and meal prep.
9. ZYLISS Chef’s Knife
Another strong contender for this list is the ZYLISS Chef’s Knife due to its simplistic and basic design.
Because sometimes while camping the most basic and simple tools are the best as they just work and do what they’re supposed to when they’re supposed to.
Just because the knife is basic though doesn’t mean it doesn’t have everything you need for cutting up food and meal prep around the campsite.
As the knife has a high-carbon stainless steel blade for exact and precise cuts as well as an ergonomic handle with a rubber grip to ensure you keep good control of the knife while cutting.
Best Use:
The ZYLISS Chef’s Knife is a good choice if you are just looking for a simple and basic cooking knife to use while cooking outdoors that won’t let you down.
10. MIKI Camping Pocket Folding Knife
Another great compact camping knife for cooking is the MIKI Camping Pocket Folding Knife.
Because while it might not be the most capable for food prep and cooking, what it lacks in this area, it more than makes up for with its compact size and easy storage.
Best Use:
The MIKI Camping Pocket Folding Knife is a good choice when you don’t want to carry a dedicated camping cooking knife and instead want a general-purpose knife for multiple tasks including basic meal prep.
Getting to Know the Different Kinds of Camping Knives for Cooking
While you might assume there isn’t much difference between one camping knife versus another there is actually a lot of difference between different kinds of camping knives especially when it comes to cooking.
The Chefs Knife
The chef’s knife is a good all-around knife that was purpose-built to slice through foods especially meat. The chef’s knife accomplishes this by having a large thin blade that can easily cut through meat or fruits and vegetables for that matter.
One major disadvantage to the chef’s knife when using it for camping is its larger and bulky size. So while it is great for cutting and prepping food, if space is a concern or if you are backpacking to your campsite the standard chef’s knife might not be a great fit.
The Fillet Knife
While the chef’s knife makes a great all-purpose or general knife for cooking the fillet knife is more purpose-built to perform one specific cooking task really well. Which is to fillet fish or remove meat from the bone with a high level of precision and accuracy.
The fillet knife accomplishes this by having a long and slender blade which allows the knife to get into small places while still maintaining a high level of accuracy.
While the specific design of the fillet knife is a great asset if you are a fisherman or hunter the highly specific nature of the knife can be a drawback if you are looking for a more general-purpose knife and only want to bring one knife while camping.
The Folding Knife
The folding knife is every camper’s best friend because it’s easy to carry and to store and is always there when you need it.
From a cooking standpoint though typically folding knife blades are not large enough or versatile enough to do a great job with cutting up food or meal prep.
But if you’re a minimalist style camper and want to keep your pack as light as possible the standard folding knife or pock folding knife can do an adequate job for basic meal prep and cooking.
The Bushcraft Knife
The bushcraft knife is similar to a folding knife in that it is a good all-purpose or general knife to have around the campsite. But it tends to be a little larger than your standard folding knife and because of this, it is much more capable when it’s time for cooking and meal prep while camping.
Bushcraft knives tend to have very strong and thick blades.
So while a chef’s knife or fillet knife might do a nicer job while cutting up and preparing food the bushcraft knife is a great substitute because the blade is strong enough and thick enough to not only handle food prep but also other tasks around the campsite such as making wood splinters for fire starters and cutting down small branches and twigs.
Making the bushcraft knife a great choice if you only want to carry one knife while camping.
Want to learn even more about the different kinds of camping knives and their uses? Check out this helpful video on the different kinds of camping knives.
