My Top 5 EDC Knives

Over the almost eight years that I've been into EDC gear, I've tried a whole lot of knives. It's taken me quite awhile to find ones I deem perfect. I thought it'd be fun to do a post about my top five EDC knives from my current collection. If I could only own five knives for the rest of my life, I'd be perfectly content with these.

Going from left to right: Spyderco Ladybug, CRKT Eros, Cold Steel Mini Tuff Lite, Kershaw Launch 4, and Ontario Rat 2. I did not order these from most to least favorite, but I will say I could easily pick my favorite two are the Ladybug and Rat 2. The other three could vary places based on what I'd be doing or my mood.

The Ladybug was my first real knife and is what I consider to be one of my most people friendly knives. I love the size, FRN handles, and of course that it comes in purple. The Eros is probably the best flipper I own right now, flipping smoothly, quietly, and quickly. I was surprised to like it as much as I have. Again, it's the perfect size to not scare anybody. The Mini Tuff Lite has great ergos and has the infamous, tough Tri-Ad lock. It has the shortest blade out of the bunch despite having a full four-finger handle (for me) with a clip. I love the neon green handles too. I haven't felt the need to buy anymore autos, because the Launch 4 is so perfect. Can you see the common theme here is small sizes and fun colors? Lastly, the Rat 2 is my favorite mid-sized knife. It beats every other mid-sized knife I've ever tried. It's the perfect price (only $30), is very compact, and has awesome action If you want more information on any of these, check out the Gear Thoughts tab. Thanks for looking!

First Hike of the Fall!

I'm so happy it's officially fall now since I hate the summer heat. It's still a little too hot and humid here in Virginia, but hopefully fall temperatures are on the way soon. Last weekend I did an eight mile hike in the New River Valley, checking out the Cascades and Barney's Wall. I definitely recommend hiking both if you're in the area. Here's a link to information about them from HikingUpward.

The main draw of the Cascades is a 69' waterfall. It's probably the biggest waterfall I've seen so far and a great sight! Throughout the hike, you can hear the water roaring in the distance which is pretty soothing.

I hung out taking some photos of the falls and then continued onto Barney's Wall. I had heard this was a pretty easy hike overall, but it definitely kicked my butt. 

I was happy to see this view after a harder than expected uphill climb.

Barney's Wall has some massive cliffs. The leaves were starting to change color some too. I imagine it'd be an ever better view during the peak fall colors.

There were some awesome views of the surrounding mountains! It was relaxing to sit up here since I was the only one on the trail at the time.

I used my trusty Camelbak bag as my day pack, and it worked out quite well. I didn't bring much with me, just enough water/snacks, first aid kit, and my nicer camera. All in all, it was a fun way to spend my Saturday morning. Thanks for looking!