There are very few hard and fast rules for knife use or selection in the outdoors. As the Avette Brothers say, what works for me may not be right for you.
But, I'll throw out what I have come to learn from my experiences.
There is virtually nowhere in NC that you can go where your "survival" will depend on what knife you bring. For a 3-5 day trip it is a comfort thing. Almost anything you bring will be fine. You might cut some cordage, you might use it when you are eating. You may whittle some stakes or cooking setup. You may even make some "feather sticks" to help start your fire. It's all fun and not life or death. Most campers or hikers are not out trapping, or gathering edibles, or hunting and processing meat. Nowadays it's not much different than going out for the weekend.
Any knife or chopping or cutting tool that is sharp will do just fine for 3-5 days so carry what you are comfortable with.
When you approach it from the Daniel Boone angle, then things get different. I am walking into the forest with what I have and I don't know when and/or if I am coming back or where I will end up, that is when it becomes much more important to carefully pick and choose your equipment.
So for the most part, it is merely an academic pursuit. Something we like to talk about theoretically. Makes for fun internet conversation though! LOL!
Anyway, I'll throw some of my broader thoughts out. Some may be mildly controversial, but I am half buzzed and tired after bush-hogging the better part of the day and then getting soaked by a little flash storm. Most of these thoughts are in reference to a longer stay in the woods. Maybe you are running to the woods with no plans to come back. But sometimes it's helpful to look at long term then back it up to short term just to get the practice, or experience.
Knowledge almost always trumps equipment in these scenarios. Don't fret over the knife too much. Just get out there and do it. You'll figure out the rest.
Stainless steel SUCKS unless you carry a sharpening stone as well.
Cheap stainless sucks worse than cheap carbon steel.
Carbon is easier to sharpen. If you have any experience sharpening.
SOG, Kershaw, modern Case, Spyderco, Benchmade, ZT, most Cold Steel, Microtech, anything branded with a gun manufactures name, CRKT, most Gerber products, anything by Old Timer after Schrade bought them, Al Mar, most things "tactical", and most things made outside the US, Sweden, Germany, or El Salvador, all suck and are pretty much GARBAGE for anything outside of a planned vanilla hike or camping trip.
If I missed anyone's pet brand let me know and I'll try to offend it as well.
I'd rather have a $10 Old Hickory butcher knife made of soft 1075 in the woods than I would a $200 flipper office box opening virtuoso made of stainless or a poorly heat treated "super steel".
I can sharpen carbon steel on a rock. Or other found items. Try sharpening your Elmax or S35VN blade on a rock and let us know how that turns out.
There are exceptions. And in this conversation money does not automatically translate to quality. Swiss Army knives made by Victorinox are good even in the long term, and they sharpen well. Swedish stainless especially as offered by Morakniv (Mora) would stand the test of time in the wilds, and can be sharpened.
Randall knives are for killing not living. You may substitute the word tactical for Randall.
One handed opening is not really a big deal in the woods unless you only have one hand. The price of that one handed opening is fragility. There are exceptions.
Practice with your "chopper" at home. Whether ax or machete or kukri. These are the tools that can injure you so grievously that you may die in the wilds. You know how we practice defensive shooting laying on our backs and other awkward positions? The way I match my stocks and optics on my deer guns for awkward shooting stances? Keep that in mind when selecting your chopper. Imagine splitting kindling while kneeling. Think about chopping upside down or from beneath a limb. Will it notch as well as cut/chop?
Don't necessarily worry too much about whether or not your chopper can be used as a hammer. You are in the woods. The dude abides and rocks abound. Pick up a rock, watch your fingers, and drive that tent stake or peg.
If you use a carbon steel knife daily, as life in the woods would necessitate, rust is not an issue.
Just a few of my thoughts and OPINIONS. Company has arrived so I must cut this short.
One last thought.
If I had to go to the woods with the notion that I may never come back, I am carrying the following as far as cutting tools, assuming I have to pack this stuff in.
An Old Timer made in the US, without the words Schrade or China anywhere on it. It will have 3 blades and be about 3.5 inches long.
A Bark River Gunny in A2 tool steel.
A Mora Companion Heavy Duty in carbon steel.
A camp hatchet. Carbon steel. Wetterlings, Gransfors, Condor, certain Marbles, or certain Council all would work.
A Sven Saw with a 21" blade.
If I carried all those, whose combined weight would be significantly less than a gallon of water, I could build a cabin from scratch, and leave the woods fatter and happier than when I entered. And that is saying something right there!