I just recently switched over to a fixed blade knife for my hunting endeavors and landed on the Benchmade Hidden Canyon Hunter. A phenomenal little knife that you can find my personal review on HERE. Being the gear nerd that I am though, I am always looking to better my system, especially for backcountry hunting. Things need to be lightweight and extremely functional, not to mention dependable. When I saw that Benchmade came out with an ultralight knife, tailor made for the backcountry hunter, I just knew that I would eventually have to get my hands on it. The Benchmade Altitude Knife is one that has not disappointed me in the least bit. Could this be the perfect knife for the backcountry hunter?
As I said above, the first thing that jumped out to me about this slick little knife was the weight. Any way that I can lighten the load on my pack without giving up functionality, I am game to check out. This Altitude fit that bill perfectly and does it at a mere 1.67 oz. A whole lot of knife for virtually no weight. One of the ways that Benchmade accomplishes this is by their employment of a skeletonized handle. A fairly common way to drop ounces on a knife. I was a bit concerned about this, because of not having any prior experience with a handle of this kind. In light of that, I actually wrapped mine in paracord to thicken up the grip a bit. Not to say that I wouldn’t have been happy with the original handle, but I am for sure satisfied with my version. Benchmade didn’t stop at the knife when it came to being lightweight. They also give you a Kydex sheath that feels like air in your hand. With that being said, I’ve gotta say it feels very durable. This sheath comes in both black or First Lite Fusion camo, depending on what color knife you get. The blades come in orange or black.
One of the big reasons that I always used a replaceable blade knife in the past was that I didn’t want to have to worry about sharpening my knife over and over again in the field. I was impressed when I jumped to the Hidden Canyon Hunter and didn’t need to sharpen it once as I processed my spring black bear in the field. That particular knife was made with S30V steel. The Altitude kicks it up a notch and is made of S90V steel. This premium quality steel holds its edge even longer than the S30V, which is impressive it its own right. I could not have agreed more after using it for myself. Of course one of the downsides of a harder steel is going to be it is harder to sharpen. My response to that is to keep your blade “in shape” as you use it throughout your season. Touch it up here and there. After you are done hunting, take advantage of Benchmade’s Life Sharp service and send the knife into them. They will clean the knife up and sharpen it back to factory settings FREE OF CHARGE.
Another plus about purchasing one of these knives is that part of the proceeds actually go towards helping out Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, which is a great organization dedicated to fighting for all things public lands. All throughout my youth I have been tromping around on Arizona’s public lands, whether that was fishing or hunting with my Dad. The thought of those lands possibly being taken away absolutely breaks my heart. These are the lands that shaped me and probably most of you out there. If you have not yet, please go and check them out. They are doing good things in the name of hunters, anglers, and outdoor recreation across the country.
Not a month after receiving my Altitude I was fortunate enough to fill my archery deer tag here in Arizona. Not only was I super psyched to fill my tag, but I couldn’t wait to test this knife out on my coues deer. The one thing that I was concerned about going into this was that I wasn’t going to like the feeling of the slimmer handle, even being wrapped in paracord. That was put to rest about 10 seconds into cutting. I could not believe how sharp this knife was. It glided effortlessly through my buck, even after working through joints and such. In fact, I actually cut myself pretty darn easy right after I made my last cuts on the skull of my deer. Not once did I have to sharpen this knife during the whole process. I was impressed to say the least. Once I was in the field with it, I appreciated the bright orange color of the knife. This made it easy to keep track of. After I got it home the knife cleaned up easily and was back in my backpack in no time. Ready for the next adventure.
So, is this the perfect knife for the backcountry hunter? I think this will be the perfect knife for a lot of backcountry hunters, but maybe not all. The only reasons I say that is because of the skeletonized design and the price. Not everyone is going to want to shell out the dough for this piece and not everyone is going to like how the handle feels. Other than those two things, I really don’t see how you can go wrong with this knife. In my opinion Benchmade hit a home run with their Altitude knife. From the sharpness and edge retention to the feather light weight, this should definitely be on your radar if you are a backpack hunter. It’s not going to be for everyone, but I think most folks will be extremely happy with it. I know I am and predict the Altitude hitching a ride in my backpack for many hunts to come. Pick one of these knives up for yourself at the link below or learn more at www.benchmade.com!
Benchmade Altitude Hunting Knife
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