Pool Noodles Are the Best Way to Transport Knives When Traveling

Before heading out into the desert for a short hike, you ‘ll likely cross everything you need off your packing list , but you might not think about the logistics of carrying some of it. Knives in particular can become dull without proper storage and care at best and dangerous without them at worst. There are plenty of hacks on how to store and transport these sharp and necessary items, but can we offer humble pool noodles as the best solution?

How to store knives in pool noodles

The best thing about pool noodles is the hole in the middle, which makes them so versatile, especially if you’re cutting one side. For years, outdoor enthusiasts have relied on pool noodles to sheathe their knives, but how you do this depends on the size of the hole in your noodles as well as the diameter of your blade.

If your noodle has a large hole and your blade will fit in it, stick it right in there and then cut off the length of the noodle so that it is about an inch above where the tip of the knife ends. Ideally, the hole should be too small for the blade, so you will actually make custom sized cuts when you first insert the blade. This will ensure a firm hold and prevent the sharp part from becoming dull, as well as preventing cuts to anything else. Be careful though, as repeated insertions and extractions don’t make the gap too wide, which can cause the knife to fall out or even cause the entire noodle to open to the point of being useless.

What to do if the blade is too big for the hole

This is understandable unless you want to bring your hunting knife to your local dollar store to test how easily it will or won’t go into the pool noodle center. This is suspicious. Unfortunately, if you don’t know how to measure or guess, you can end up with noodles with a hole too small to really sheath a blade. In this case, simply cut off one side of the noodles so that it expands in the center and insert the blade inward in this way. Try to position the cut piece along the flat part of the blade so that the sharp sides are still covered in foam. Wrap the chain around it to secure. (A chain is better than, say, a rubber band because the chain cannot be cut. They’re also relatively inexpensive; here’s one on Amazon for about $13 .)

Things to Keep in Mind

This method is great for storing knives if you’re going to pack them in something that you can push them into, like a tool box or spare fridge, since pool noodles are a sort of bumper that provides extra security for the blade. . However, be aware that while this is a more durable option than others, such as papering them over, it also takes up a lot more space.

Try this if you are planning on doing water sports outside of this year. Whenever the knife is not in use, keep it in the pool noodles. Then, if it falls into a stream, from your boat, or into any other water you’re working with, it will stay afloat rather than sink and be a serious threat to your feet.

Bonus tip: If you keep a lot of knives in drawers at home, consider slicing your pool noodles exactly the width of the drawer, stuffing it all the way in, and sticking the blade tips into it whenever you put your knife down. away. This will keep them from rattling in the drawer and becoming dull, and will also save your fingers if you reach there one day without thinking.