December 2021 EDC Knife of the Month

Backpacking is not for the faint of heart, in the great outdoors you need lightweight equipment you can rely on, and White River & Tool has aptly designed and named their M1 Backpacker to fill that role. Coming in at 2.5 oz the Olive M1 Backpacker is light enough to be carried as a neck knife, belt knife, or boot knife with very little hassle, and the included kydex sheath is capable of doing all three. No matter how you want to carry the Camo M1 Backpacker, the 7” overall length is perfect for tucking away while not in use. Don’t be fooled by the assumption that the Backpacker will be too small to handle normal tasks, the M1 can accommodate a full grip from large hands comfortably.

The M1 Backpacker is part of White River’s Model 1 series that also features the M1 Pro, and M1 Caper. The Backpacker is set apart from the other models with a paracord wrapped handle as opposed to a solid G-10 on the Pro or a Micarta handle on the Caper. The paracord on the Backpacker not only provides extra utility in survival situations, but creates a significant amount of grip on the handle. Another aid to the control of the White River M1 Backpacker is the large and deep finger choil between the blade and the handle. The choil on the M1 allows users to choke up on the blade comfortably and would likely function well with gloved hands in some cases. The spine of the blade features some jimping that is neither useless or too aggressive, instead the M1 finds the perfect balance of grip and bite for optimal blade control. The combination of the paracord, deep finger choil, and grippy jimping make the M1 Backpacker ideal for precision cutting while on the hunt or doing everyday tasks. That’s why they’re so popular at knife stores among exotic knife collectors and knife enthusiasts.

To really seal the deal, White River has made the blade on the M1 Backpacker out of CPM-S35VN, meaning the edge retention and corrosion resistance on this knife are ideal for long outdoor trips. The CPM-S35VN blade is made in a drop point style, ideal for slicing and cutting tasks of all kinds, and in combination with the handle configuration the M1 delivers accuracy that many similar knives cannot boast. The level of corrosion resistance on the CPM-S35VN steel also means that it can be carried close to your body with less risk of rusting overtime due to natural oils like cheaper high carbon steels.

White River has designed an excellent portable fixed blade with the M1 Backpacker, well suited for casual everyday use, heavy outdoor survival use, and anything in between. The paracord wrapped handle is available in several different colors to suit your taste and the blade comes in a stonewash or black PVD finish. No fancy features or gimmicks, this knife is made to cut and do the job well while not weighing you down on a twenty mile hike into the mountains. If you are interested in a more refined kydex sheath for your M1 Backpacker, contact the online knife store experts at Grommets Leathercraft for more information on how you can order a custom sheath to best fit your loadout.