Batoning large pieces of wood is not necessary...

I'm confused...why was the Izula sent back? Looks more than usable? The very tip missing???

Great to have some pics from you Jeff! Now we just need some of you wailing on a tree with a Lite Machete! :D
 
Mighty1 said:
I'm confused...why was the Izula sent back? Looks more than usable? The very tip missing???

Great to have some pics from you Jeff! Now we just need some of you wailing on a tree with a Lite Machete! :D
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That was a couple of weeks ago rescuing that damn cat. That almost put me into a relapse!
 
Great thread Jeff. Nice to see some of your pics, they're always awesome.

When the dog and I were out hiking yesterday, we found tinder, kindling and fuel wood, all on the ground and believe it or not didn't have to baton anything. Batoning can be fun and is good to know how to do just like traps, etc., but it's definitely not something you have to do every time.
 
About the only time I baton a knife is for small kindling and if I'm cutting a notch in a small stick.
 
Jeff this couldn't be more true, found it funny you felt inclined to baton the fatwood:)

I went out to build a debris shelter for last years contest, entering the woods with only a ESEE 4 and was cutting down trees as needed with it, found out right then and there the best tool in the woods is not your knife but your ability to 'think it through', your second tool that is absolutely priceless is the 'baton' with this you can turn a common knife into a chainsaw..

I broke most of my wood using the fork system for leverage, when you're trying to get it done in a timely manner you can't afford 'pretty' baton cuts, break the wood and be done with it....

also you'll see people using their knife to delimb small branches off a piece they intend to baton for fire, USE YOUR BATON !! its faster to take off the twigs and helps keep your knife sharp....

Keep your mind sharp and you will survive.................btw, strider wrap is my fav for comfort good choice.. unless you got it returned that way:)

Nice pics btw
 
Izula came back with that wrap.

A beater stick is something we have always taught.
 
Nice pics. I never batoned anything until I came around the forums, and I had been building fires all my life! :)

Now I baton some.
 
Batoning wood just like anything has its place. Usually not necessary however makes life much easier after alot of hard rain. Also dont forget the good firelighters( dead lower branches on pine trees). Skills are a great thing to have and weigh nothing, its even better knowing when you need those skills vs. Just dicking around.
 
I've only done it for the experience, and with my cheap knives. If I wanted to do it all the time, I'd use my $20 Ontario Cutlass machete. It's 1/8" thick, 1095, and cheap enough to replace.
In 12+ years of frequent backpacking, I never did it, could have found dry wood on one occasion. Even then, I could have done that with an axe or machete/chopper.
 
You may need to split something a bit bigger than wrist size if the place has been soaked real good. Beyond that there's not a ton or reason.
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Anyone want to guess which one processes wood?

God bless,
Adam
 
You've killed it, Jeff. We're gonna have to find something else to do with our knives when we snap photos of them now. Teh interwebz will never be the same.
 
Even with wet wood, once you have a fire going you can just stack on the wet wood which will steam for awhile and eventually catch fire.
 
Nice post, brother. I agree with you, not necessary everytime you need a fire. Picking or dragging deadfall is always the better choice. Saves energy, and the knife.

Great pics too. I had the fortune to be "camera man" for Ethan today, we got some good stuff, but if the pics turn out like crap, that would be my fault.

Great thread.

Moose
 
Between the batoning thread, and the recent axe vs big knife debates, I literally thought about this ALL DAY while I was walking around at work.

I made it 30 years without batoning. So it's obviously not something that required. It's like anything else, useful in moderation. Making a bowdrill, notching traps, spliting some kindling, etc. Banging out cordwood.... eeeeh not really needed.

Good luck with the lungs, That takes forever to heal up right. My Doc always gets upset when I won't quit smoking through stuff like that.
 
I baton wood just to take pictures of it and impress people. I have seldom had to do it to start a fire in the wild. :D
 
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