Beginner to bushcraft with question about cutting tools

[Waldamir]

Im trying to put together a lightweight kit that i can just take on hikes and practice bushcraft with. What im unsure of is if the setup on planing would be good for shelter building and fire making. I plan on carrying a laplander saw, a Fiskar x7 and a mora robust. Any input on these tools and how they would work together? thanks in advance

 

[lmalterna]

Just one person .02 but that is a fine field proven set of cutting tools. With practice using them, they should do anything you need and I would be happy to carry them.

I have a similar set up- the smaller fiskars hatchet with tinder stuffed in handle for a few inches and sealed with wax. plastic mora sheath shoved into handle and tapes there and Bahco saw taped to handle with electrical tape, Firesteel and scraper taped to hatchet handle. Just a one grab kit in the back of the car.

Bill

 

[Shotgun]

Not bad at all. I would be more inclined to carry a spare fixed blade over the hatchet if you really wanted to go light. You can take your hatchet out with you and experiment with getting by without it. Depending on your environment/time of year you may find the hatchet to be dead weight. Then again you may find it invaluable. Have fun.

 

[wildmanh]

Im trying to put together a lightweight kit that i can just take on hikes and practice bushcraft with. What im unsure of is if the setup on planing would be good for shelter building and fire making. I plan on carrying a laplander saw, a Fiskar x7 and a mora robust. Any input on these tools and how they would work together? thanks in advance

This sounds like a great setup! Each piece is good quality and you have the bases covered, IE a Slicer/carver, a saw and a chopper. I say, Get out there and have fun!

 

[Mannlicher]

Those are the fundamentals. You might get many opinions on variations of those three, but ax, saw and knife are always appropriate.

 

[RescueRiley]

I've been using a similar setup for years... swap out the saw for a sak camper, and the mora robust for a mora companion...
and you have my set up.. and it;s done all that and a bag of chips time and again. good solid functional choices...
when the fiskars is new the edge might role or micro chip.. but if it does just sharpen it out and it usually doesn't happen again.

 

[sideways]

Those three (saw, ax, detail knife) are the foundation to build on. Many people stop there and are very happy. Well done.

Now go out until you have a decent number of nights spent out in the sticks. See what you are doing out there and tailor the kit to your outdoors style and other gear. It is your kit and should fit your needs.

Examples of specialization. Through hikers who don't spend a lot of time building shelters go out with only a SAK. Some people prefer a large knife to an ax, for batoning wood instead of chopping. Some prefer longer saws for faster crosscuts. Hunters often carry a knife suitable for dressing game. On and on it goes.

If I were you I might opt for a longer saw, like one of the EKA folding saws, trailblazer saws, or Bob Dustrude's folding Buck Saw. But on the other hand that really depends on how much sawing you are doing. When I winter camp the wood has usually been ready cut and dried earlier on with a chainsaw. I guess I am just lazy that way.

 

[Kevin McGee]

Im trying to put together a lightweight kit that i can just take on hikes and practice bushcraft with. What im unsure of is if the setup on planing would be good for shelter building and fire making. I plan on carrying a laplander saw, a Fiskar x7 and a mora robust. Any input on these tools and how they would work together? thanks in advance

Hi Waldamir. That sounds like a good woods trio. Here is my bit of advice: Use the hand axe for delimbing, for sharpening the ends of poles to be stuck into the ground, for making digging sticks, and for splitting firewood and kindling. The poll of the hand axe can be used as a hammer for driving poles or tent pegs into the ground. Also learn to use it as a scraper and to do tasks you'd normally do with your knife. The Fiskars axes have a center of balance within the head, so gripping the head gives you good control. Get the hand axe as sharp as the mora, to the point it will shave the hairs on your arm. Touch it up after use. Keep it in its case when not using it. Use the saw for cutting wood to length, for a campfire you can leave the logs longer and save energy. Make sure you have the wood positioned where it will fall away from the saw blade and not bind it. The Mora, keep it sharp & practice knife safety. Learn the grips, positions and cuts & how to make things like pot hooks, feather sticks and tent pegs. The robust can take more abuse than other Moras but don't beat on it too hard. Good luck and have fun.

 

[neeman]

Waldamir,

Excellent choice
Could last you for years and never need to buy anything else

Add a Swiss Army knife as a pocket knife

 

[Brad "the butcher"]

I concur with above advise, enough to get you started and adding a good sak with scissors, saw , awl and some other goodies will serve you well.

Make sure you have a well stocked first aid kit with you and think in advance(if untrained) what you will do if cut and how and what to use and keeping a small go to ziploc loose inside the kit with enough for 1 basic wound care and a pair of gloves in case its not you.
That way just open it and grab the bag............everyone learning with sharps can get bitten.

With the hatchet always think about if the blade bounces or glances off where the trajectory will go. If you even think there is a chance towards you, change your angle.

Regards

 

[MatthewSB]

Im trying to put together a lightweight kit that i can just take on hikes and practice bushcraft with. What im unsure of is if the setup on planing would be good for shelter building and fire making. I plan on carrying a laplander saw, a Fiskar x7 and a mora robust. Any input on these tools and how they would work together? thanks in advance

I never use a saw. I've never had trouble finding what I needed in sizes that could be broken in a "Y" branch, or chopped through in a minute or two with whatever else I had handy.

I also tried a small hatchet, but found it to require more energy than just batoning through small stuff for a fire or shelter.

The point is, everyone will have their own preferences. The gear you chose is pretty inexpensive, so definately go with it and see if it works for you.

Last season I wore a Bravo 1 on my belt and had a Gransfors Bruks Wildlife Hatchet strapped to my pack. This season, I'll be wearing a Bravo 1 on my belt and have a Golok strapped to my 'pack. I'm thinking about getting a medium sized axe and swapping the Golok for that. Then I'll have a better idea of what works for me, and I'll either keep or sell what I'm not into. At least I've settled on a knife that works for me...

 

[Mannlicher]

I got a new Sven saw recently, and thought that it would fit right in with this thread. That saw, a small Wetterlings, a nice woodcraft blade, like this one by Ray Laconico, and my faithful SAK Trekker.

 

[gadgetgeek]

Just to give more encouragement as I agree, you seem to have a really good base to learn from. Those tools should show you what you like, and don't like about each, and you can adjust later down the road. Part of that will also be your environment, as you lean what it has to offer you, you can see how adjustments to your kit can be made. And above all, don't rush, think in front of the blade, and keep your first aid stuff handy!

 

[lightleak]

Sounds like a nice setup to me - Yet I personally would not choose any hollow plastic handled axes. I managed to break the plastic handle of a fiskars hatchet, so my experience taught me to deal with the little extra weight and have a nice wooden handle. It also feels so much better in my opinion.