A cutting tool is the most important item of equipment to be carried, a necessity for any trip. With it you can make fire and shelters i.e. keep warm, cook food and purify water. The most useful and versatile of these is the knife, be it a Swiss army knife or machete, leading to the saying, “the best knife is the one you have with you, be prepared”. A good set of knives of varying sizes are an essential piece of kit if you are going to do any carving, however, these have to be used in compliance with UK laws. To my understanding an adult is allowed to carry a folding knife up to a 3" blade. Fix blade knives or knives with longer blades can only be carried if you have an immediate and legitimate reason for doing so. Typical examples given are a chief carrying kitchen knifes home or a farmer clearing a hedgerow with a Billhook i.e. work related activates. My personal feelings are that unless there is a specific requirement for a cutting tool they are best left at home (especially the larger knifes).
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