Best hunting knives & storage bags 2019
| Spyderco Shaman Plainedge spyderco.com This is one awesome knife. Super burly, we used it to split open two dozen little-neck clams one day; yet precise and sharp, as needed on another day when one particularly nasty splinter needed attention. Later in the year we used it to do a delicate caping job on a deer. The knife is big, which adds heft and fits well in our tester’s large hands yet is well-balanced so it performs exceptionally well. Since it’s a folder, the knife is compact and can be carried on any adventure. It’s made from CPM S30V stainless steel showcasing a full flat grind. The handle features contoured, matte-finish G-10 scales that lock into the hand. The stonewashed, four-position pocket clip provides left- or right-side, tip-up or tip-down carry. This is one of our everyday carries. |  |
| Buck 135 Paklite Caper buckknives.com This is a good knife to use to process small game and as a caping knife for detail work on big game, especially on hunts where weight is a concern. The handle is skeletonized to remove weight, yet the handle and blade are strong, made from 420HC stainless steel. The handle fits nicely in the hand and the grooves on the top of the knife provide good traction for your thumb. It’s easy to sharpen and holds a decent edge. |  |
| T.A.G. Bags pristineventures.com The first thing that struck us about these bags was how compact and lightweight they were…our tester actually had to open up the storage sack and make sure there really were six full-size bags in there! Other than a bit of trim meat, we fit all of a moose into the six bags and hung it for several days waiting to be flown out. The fabric is as tough and breathable as it is lightweight. There were no issues getting the meat chilled the first night and keeping the bugs off when temperatures climbed in the mid-day hours. Pristine Ventures makes these bags in a few sizes so you can mix and match them to suit your needs for each hunt. We highly recommend that you pick up a set of these for your next hunting adventure. |  |
| Diamondblade Pro Series Summit (293FG) diamondbladeknives.com This is a high-end knife made with the patented “Friction Forging” process recently featured on the Science Channel’s TV show How It’s Made. The extreme forces used in this forging process produces a cutting edge from the D2 steel that is significantly sharper, tougher, and has been proven to hold a shaving-sharp edge longer than any other knife. This allows a hunter to easily break down an animal without having to change knifes or re-sharpen the edge halfway through the job. We tested the Suregrip rubberized handle and found it comfortable and easy to grip when your hands are wet and slippery. Our tester commented that his bottom three fingers fit nicely on the ergonomic handle, while the index finger fits in the finger choil and thumb rests on the thumb ramp. The classic drop-point design has a blade length of 3.75” and weighs 4 ounces. It comes with a lifetime warranty and a molded Kydex sheath. |  |
| Caribou Gear Moose Magnum Pack biggamebags.com Everything you need to properly bag and tag a moose is in this pack, including zip ties and tags for labeling the contents of each bag. The quarter bags are large enough to handle the biggest moose quarters with the bone in. The pack comes in a handy storage sack and includes eight bags altogether: four quarter bags, one cape bag, one rib bag, one trim-meat bag, and one camp-meat bag. Also included are a pair of nitrile gloves and a plastic bag that can be used for a variety of things. The reflective tabs make locating them in the dark a breeze and the drawstring cinches up tight to keep bugs out. The material is lightweight and breathable but impermeable to flies and other bugs that could otherwise contaminate the meat. Best of all, they are reusable and will last for years with proper care. Once we got home, we just gave them a good cold-water soak and washed them in the washing machine. They came out looking brand new and ready for another hunt! The Magnum packs are available in species-specific sizes. |  |