Car bag with knife

Kit, Clothing, Tools, etc
BugOut66
Posts: 69
Joined: Sat May 27, 2017 2:52 pm

Car bag with knife

Post by BugOut66 »

I have a BOB of sorts that lives in my car. It never leaves my boot. In it I have a survival knife... alongside the following.

In it I have
2 Torches
Batteries
Survival blanket

first aid kit
Guerrilla tape
Hi vis vest
Firelighter
Whistle
Lighter
Antibacterial wipes
Binoculars
Spare t-shirts in ziplock bags
Walking boots
Compass
Warm socks in ziplock bags
Ham radio
Knife (not uk legal for EDC)
Camping stove w/ gas canister
Water purification straw
Paracord (100ft)
Glow sticks
Spare phone
Solar panel battery charger

Various other bits.

If I was somehow stopped and searched, and they found the bag and searched it (highly unlikely I know) - do you reckon I'd be sent to jail for having the knife?

How does everyone else deal with having some sort of outdoors-knife in their kit?

Bare in mind this just lives in my boot, it's not just their when I'm out in the country.
BugOut66
Posts: 69
Joined: Sat May 27, 2017 2:52 pm

Re: Car bag with knife

Post by BugOut66 »

I keep a warm jacket in the car too, just not in that bag.
pseudonym
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Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2011 10:11 am
Location: East Midlands

Re: Car bag with knife

Post by pseudonym »

BugOut66 wrote:I have a BOB of sorts that lives in my car. It never leaves my boot. In it I have a survival knife... (not uk legal for EDC)

If I was somehow stopped and searched, and they found the bag and searched it (highly unlikely I know) - do you reckon I'd be sent to jail for having the knife?

How does everyone else deal with having some sort of outdoors-knife in their kit?

Bare in mind this just lives in my boot, it's not just their when I'm out in the country.
I have used this in the past, both in vehicle and on foot:

Before the search of your vehicle/person announce its presence and location,

i.e."Officer there is a bushcraft knife in my rucksack left side pocket, it is sheathed and very sharp. I am going camping today/tonight straight from work/home."

I must add I also include the axe and bowsaw in my statement, raises eyebrows.

Your attitude and demeanour go along way also in interactions with the Police, treat them as you want to be treated and I find I have no problems.

I have travelled overseas, with these items also and had no problems at airports or customs at any country.... know their laws

HTH

Your mileage may vary on this :lol:
Two is one and one is none, but three is even better.
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Jamesey1981
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Re: Car bag with knife

Post by Jamesey1981 »

As long as it's in a bag with camping or outdoor type items it's fine, just say you're going camping or going out to practice some bushcraft skills if anyone asks, they probably won't as it'll be obvious.

It's all about context usually, if it's in your door pocket they'll nick you, if it's at the bottom of a bag full of camping stuff they'd never get that to stick in court even if they did nick you, unless you'd done something daft like told someone you were going to stab them.
There was a chap that did just that, someone on here found an article with someone that had been prosecuted for carrying what appeared to be a legal carry knife, myself and a few others picked up that there was probably something missing from the article that we weren't being told, someone did some digging and found another article with a statement from the police saying that they had only searched the guy's car as he had told someone in a pub that he was going to stab them and they reported it, so that legal knife then became a weapon as he had shown intent to use it as such.

Same with a baseball bat, if you have the bat, a glove, ball and suitable clothing you're fine, if you just have the bat probably not.
That is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange aeons even death may die.
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ukpreppergrrl
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Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2014 9:03 am
Location: London

Re: Car bag with knife

Post by ukpreppergrrl »

My car got stopped in a random road block on the way back from clay pigeon shooting. Well before I popped the boot I told them "There's a shotgun and ammo in the boot - I've been clay pigeon shooting" - didn't want them getting a surprise! The law as I read it has the clause "unless there is reason to do so". i.e. it's only illegal if you're carrying it without reason. As they others say, if it's in the context of camping/hiking/bushcraft equipment then unless you're acting suspiciously, in which case a ballpoint pen could get you arrested, then they are highly unlikely to arrest you. They've got better things to be doing with their time. That is assuming that the knife you have isn't illegal to *own* rather than just carry in a public place, which is a whole different ball game.
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sion_1990

Re: Car bag with knife

Post by sion_1990 »

I keep a 4" knife in my toolbox in the boot of my car. It's always sheathed. Way I see it, it's just a tool. It only becomes an offensive weapon if you go brandishing it about at people. Same would apply to the screwdrivers in the box, the 3ft breaker bar in the spare wheel well, or anything else in my toolbox that's heavy or sharp.

as others have said, key is attitude. However, being on the younger side of 30, with some questionable friends, sometimes all the gracefulness in the world won't help with some officers.
In which case choose words carefully, if they ask leading questions something along the lines of "do you see how this could be considered an offensive weapon?" I say no, it is a tool carried with other tools for emergency use. always be polite and calm.
BugOut66
Posts: 69
Joined: Sat May 27, 2017 2:52 pm

Re: Car bag with knife

Post by BugOut66 »

Yeah this is pretty much what I thought.

I've had various encounters (all friendly) with the Police. A few times o've been stopped for a random check or even minor speeding and they've let me away because it's plain I'm a nice, normal guy. Wether that's right or wrong I don't know, but that's been my experience.

I even got chatting to one once after the event and he said there is an unofficial "attitude test" and basically if you're decent and talk to them like normal human beings (which they are!) then it's all good.

Unless you're doing / have done something that they just can't ignore.

Thanks.
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yorkshirewolf
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Re: Car bag with knife

Post by yorkshirewolf »

I doubt you'll have any problems if, as everyone says, you have the right attitude and don't go waving it about.

I'm a bugger for going home with my work knife clipped to me, the place i work at carpet lines vans so it's one of those folding stanley-knife types, never had any issues with either being pulled or anyone even noticing it's clipped there, but then i dress conservatively, keep myself to myself and (i think) look pretty boring!

I leave my camping gear in my van at all times, it saves packing it if we want to go away on short notice and there's loads of useful stuff in an emergency or breakdown - even used the travel kettle and inverter to have a brew in standing traffic!
Within that is a fixed blade knife, a folding shovel with a sharp edge and a 600mm breaker bar (with sockets) -all potential weapons but never had any issues as they're out of the way and with a load of other camping/breakdown kit.
BugOut66
Posts: 69
Joined: Sat May 27, 2017 2:52 pm

Re: Car bag with knife

Post by BugOut66 »

yorkshirewolf wrote:I doubt you'll have any problems if, as everyone says, you have the right attitude and don't go waving it about.

I'm a bugger for going home with my work knife clipped to me, the place i work at carpet lines vans so it's one of those folding stanley-knife types, never had any issues with either being pulled or anyone even noticing it's clipped there, but then i dress conservatively, keep myself to myself and (i think) look pretty boring!

I leave my camping gear in my van at all times, it saves packing it if we want to go away on short notice and there's loads of useful stuff in an emergency or breakdown - even used the travel kettle and inverter to have a brew in standing traffic!
Within that is a fixed blade knife, a folding shovel with a sharp edge and a 600mm breaker bar (with sockets) -all potential weapons but never had any issues as they're out of the way and with a load of other camping/breakdown kit.
Cheers for this. I feel reassured that I'm not doing anything crazy after reading this thread.