The law and the go bag

[dangerman]

Right, so I'm sure this has come up before, but I have a concern about the practice of carrying my 'go-bag' with me places.

As you'd imagine, everything is in there that I could ever imagine coming in handy (it's continually growing) and this includes some fairly dangerous and anti-social kit.

I've got a bit of a fettish with Bear Grylls Gerber stuff at the moment - I've got the Ultimate knife, Compact Parang, Gerber Suspension multi-tool and of course, the little keyring multi-tool. I've also got a whole host of fire making toys in there. I've got food and water, clothes, radio, solar charger, emergency shelter and blankets etc.

I keep it in the boot of my car - sometimes I go away for a day or two to visit my dad in Somerset on the back seat of the motorcycle.

My worry is that the law says that I'm permitted to have this stuff if there is a good reason. However, it is down to the plods digression what 'good reason' is. If they arrest me for any reason, that would mean incurring costs for vehicle towing and storage, yes? Plus, I'd have to go to court.

Am I being paranoid or is this a realistic fear? I'm preparing for a career that requires me to be an upstanding citizen - if I were to be arrested I reckon it could ruin my career. Hence why I'm trying to research it to see where I stand.

I'm off to Somerset tonight - I think I'll be leaving my knife and parang behind. But I wish I didn't have to. They're really cool bits of kit and I like using them when chopping wood and scouting with my lad. I think that's a good enough reason.

[pseudonym]

Right, so I'm sure this has come up before, but I have a concern about the practice of carrying my 'go-bag' with me places.


I keep it in the boot of my car - sometimes I go away for a day or two to visit my dad in Somerset on the back seat of the motorcycle.

My worry is that the law says that I'm permitted to have this stuff if there is a good reason. However, it is down to the plods digression what 'good reason' is. If they arrest me for any reason, that would mean incurring costs for vehicle towing and storage, yes? Plus, I'd have to go to court.

Am I being paranoid or is this a realistic fear?

I'm off to Somerset tonight - I think I'll be leaving my knife and parang behind. But I wish I didn't have to. They're really cool bits of kit and I like using them when chopping wood and scouting with my lad. I think that's a good enough reason.

You are correct in your assumptions.

You must show good reason.

Going to your dads to help "chop down some overgrown garden" is reason enough.

[Holomon]

There's a few threads here and one recent one about EDC gear. and knives have come up a few times.
Basically, if it's in your bag and somewhere near the bottom, and you have a good reason as Pseudonym suggests, then you should be fine. That's about as legal a situation as you can get when you're carrying something that's not a UK legal carry item.
Mind you, you might want to question why you're lugging a bloody great parang around with you when you can get most things done with a 4" knife. I've only ever lugged those around somewhere hot and uncomfortable overseas, never had the need in good old Blighty.

[dangerman]

Thanks chaps!

Yeah, the parang is a bit of a camping luxury. It's the compact one, fits into my backpack easily. I thought it would come in handy to make kindling for camp fires, either by chopping bits off, or shaving bark from high trees. But I've not even tried it because I'm scared to get it out. The knife is about 5 inches but I imagine I'm in the same boat with that one. I'll just leave it behind.

I've got a little lock knife too (came free with the big knife). It's only little, but I imagine it's considered a banned knife isn't it? The blade is about 2". Looks like this -

The law is a pain - it's all such a grey area. Seems unfair.

[Plymtom]

When one considers that for the most part knife crime is committed with kitchen utensils, a bit of a fettish with Bear Grylls Gerber stuff at the moment, doesn't sound like a mad knife man to me, sounds like someone with a liking for products promoted on TV by this country's chief scout, you're right to be concerned about the legalities and concerns, but when you consider that you have to get them from shop to home, or home to wherever you are going to use them, properly packed, they do not present a threat, about your person readily to hand is probably their main concern especially wandering around in public, I keep saying I'll ask a policeman or two, but I imagine the advice would be don't carry them about if you don't need to, I wouldn't feel happy about leaving things that valuable in my car TBH and you may have one or two more than you need
We do have to keep it legal here and if we have any sense in life too, but let's just say this Knives, Axes, Catapults, Bows, Crossbows, and all manner of firearms do not a mad monster make, if we like these things and use these things for sport or pleasure, or even just collect them, we all need to fight the stigma associated with them, just as having a car and a driving license does not make you a careless or drunk driver.

[dazthechippy]

I have a similar issue in that i work in the city and travel on the trains and in cabs etc going to/from meetings and exhibitions. I have a few select items in my EDC rucksack which is a standard business type affair, nothing sporty or military. Some of the contents could be interpreted as antisocial to say the least and as they are intended for urban situations they could look like I'm off to do a break in or other naughty stuff.

I carry amongst other things a leatherman, paracord, cable ties, bandana, gloves, FAK and eyewash, small torch and a couple of chemlights and master key sets together with some water, pencil, notebook - you get the picture. Essentially this is an evac froma building type kit..

Now I accept there could be a consequence of carrying my gear but I think the risk to me of a stop n search very minimal as I try to act with courtesy and professionalism in all I do and towards everyone, I wear a suit and tie with polished shoes have a sensible haircut and in the city look I like just another commuter, in effect the grey man.

So there it is, my view is dont look like a wannabe gangsta, certainly dont act like one, dont get involved in anything confrontational or even drive your car in an aggressive manner etc etc and the police dont really have a reason to interfere with you, besides there are so few of them about even in London!. If they do stop you, be courteous, explain your position and reason for carrying what you do try to get them to understand - you only get out what you put in and if you give them a hard time you'll get it back and then some.

[Holomon]

It locks so it's not a legal carry I'm afraid. I carry a Boker XS as an EDC, that one is compliant and there's a thread here somewhere about what knives or multitools other guys have to stay within the law.
I think the main thing is practicality, yes, a parang or a machete are handy if you need to build a shelter in a pinch, but you can do the same thing if you have to with a legal knife and a wire saw which are both ok to have on you.

Don't get me wrong though, my kit at home that's ready to go has a machete and a S&W tactical knife so big it doubles as a crowbar/battering ram

[dangerman]

Holomon - you're at where I want to be buddy.

That's a good point though, if any locking knife is illegal then does that mean my Gerber Suspension multi-tool is a no go as well? It has a locking blade and a locking serrated saw type blade. :/

Might have to buy one of those wire saws - will the £1.97 cheapy one do on ebay?

Think I'll have to rethink the whole thing actually. Got some good ideas from here already though, thanks you's!

[Yorkshire Andy]

That's a good point though, if any locking knife is illegal then does that mean my Gerber Suspension multi-tool is a no go as well? It has a locking blade and a locking serrated saw type blade. :/

In short yes....
...

https://www.gov.uk/find-out-if-i-can-bu ... ry-a-knife

there are very few legal multitools ive just got a leatherman jucy which has none locking blades...

there is always the option of taking the tool apart and filing off the locking tabs for both blades if your feeling creative.....

[Holomon]

Might have to buy one of those wire saws - will the £1.97 cheapy one do on ebay?

Think I'll have to rethink the whole thing actually. Got some good ideas from here already though, thanks you's!

No those are commando saws, which are pretty much good for one use before they snap. I've got a Sabercut saw which is still going strong, but the other popular alternative is an Unbelievable Saw.
The little cheapy ones use a barbed type of wire between two key ring loops, and just aren't fit for much work. The chain type ones are beasts though once you get the hang of them.