Slice, dice, mince, maybe even a fine julienne… the art of culinary knife cuts isn’t only for the kitchen. Camp chefs in the outdoors wield sharp edges to prepare food at a picnic table or near a fire ring.
This year, Gerber has a blade made for campground cookers. The Freescape Camp Kitchen Knife costs $46 and is built expressly for food-related tasks in the outdoors.
It combines a rubber grip with a full-tang build that’s more reminiscent of a survival blade. But its edge shape was made for fine work on veggies and meat.
I cut up some fruit on a paper plate to simulate campground kitchen duty. The blade, a 3.8-inch steel straight-edge, is moderately sharp out of the box.
Bring a stone to hone the steel for fine cuts. Once razor-sharp, the Freescape, with a design that mimics a Santoku chef’s knife, will handle any common food-prep job.
Granted, you can perform basic culinary cuts with any lock-open blade. But for campers who take their al fresco food more seriously the Freescape is a smart option.
The knife measures about 9 inches long. It weighs 6.5 ounces and is versatile enough to whittle off some kindling for a fire or carve tips on marshmallow sticks. Just make sure to slice up the tomatoes first.
Back home, after a trip, the knife is dishwasher-safe. You can sterilize it for your next outing, ready to cut (or julienne) your fireside ingredients of choice.
—Stephen Regenold
