This isn't about "which knife to bring" or any of that. I'm curious about all the different things that people use their knives for while in the woods.

I ask this because there seems to be a lot of macho shit about big knives and I want to know if I'm missing something.

My frequent activities include:
-backpacking (real backpacking, as in, walk through a mountain range for a week+)
-day hikes
-bike camping
-bouldering
-sailing (which is very different, I keep a knife on me at all times and have various ones around the boat and they have saved my ass numerous occasions)
-a lot of other random shit

Now I spend about 4 weeks backpacking (mostly backcountry, off trail) every year along with all that other stuff and aside from sailing just about never use a knife. My most common application for my knife is opening that pesky plastic food packaging. RARELY I have to cut a piece of cordage or something. Once I couldn't find sticks small enough for kindling some I whiddled some. In places where you have to use a bear can the backside of the blade is convenient for those little locks on them. But in all, despite bringing a small knife everytime (which I will continue to do and am not arguing against) do you guys REALLY need a big knife in the woods? Or is it just show? What do you do with it? What do you do with it that can't be done with a little knife?

If your reason is self defense, then can you find any documented case where a person who was respecting the outdoors was attacked by a wild animal, without provoking it, and was helped by the presence of their large knife, or, in the absence of one, would have been helped?

If it is for legitimate hunting, then that solely I can presently understand. A large knife would be quite useful, in many circumstances.

pic somewhat related, it was taken 3 days ago from the top of half dome, it is the view of tenaya cannon