Always Take Your Knife on Vacation
My grandfather knew what he was doing when he told me to “always carry a pocket knife with me.” Spending the last few weeks of summer at the beach? You should take a knife. In a hurry to a hut in the mountains? Take the knife. Spend time in a luxury hotel in the middle of a bustling city? Take. Knife.
Knives are technically weapons, but they are also an essential tool that you will need if you want to cook and / or eat some food. There are no knives in hotel rooms, and in vacation apartments and in remote cottages they sometimes “are”, but the knives in these temporary dwellings are never sharp. (Your knife should obviously be sharp. If not, remember to sharpen it before you travel.)
Even if you “don’t plan on cooking” while on vacation, I’m sure you are planning on eating, and I’m sure you would like to eat in the privacy of your room, cottage, or beach. home, away from the prying eyes of the general public. Want some great local seasonal fruits? I bet you would really love it if it was sliced into nice pieces (with a knife). Did you buy fancy cheese or salami earlier in the day? You will need a knife to cut it. Share your birthday cake with your loved one? It’s time for the knife.
Aside from food – which is always my main concern – a sharp knife can help you open a stubborn package, cut a tangled knot, or turn an empty can of Pringles into a phone speaker . (I did this last maneuver in the field after picking berries and everyone was very impressed.)
It is also not necessary to be limited to one knife. I usually bring at least two – my Opinel picnic knife (with a built-in corkscrew) and a tactical blade that looks very serious (I forgot the brand name and don’t want to pull it out of my backpack to check). I’m going to hunt moose this weekend and will grab the third knife – my grandfather’s hunting knife, which is much larger than the other two.
No matter how many knives you take, make sure you pack them safely and legally. For example, don’t put the knife in your carry-on baggage and type “is it legal to carry a knife in [whatever state or country you travel to]” into your favorite search engine before stashing it in your pocket. And don’t try to smuggle the knife into Disneyland or any other theme park for that matter. (I personally never stabbed anyone, but knives are considered a weapon, so treat them accordingly.)