Recommendation? Bushcrafty backpacking wood processing setup

[va3rbz]

Hi everyone

My friend and I are planning a fall backpacking trip which is a short hike in, set up camp and do day hikes from there. I want to cook with wood on a small wood stove rather than pack in fuel, so looking at a wood processing setup. I have bigger saws, axes and hatchets etc but I'm thinking this could cover everything for a small wood stove while keeping the weight reasonable. Thoughts? Would a hatchet really make more sense? It weighs less (minus the saw) than my SFA.

Fall 24 backpacking by irib_ca, on Flickr

 

[Old Biker]

Hi everyone

My friend and I are planning a fall backpacking trip which is a short hike in, set up camp and do day hikes from there. I want to cook with wood on a small wood stove rather than pack in fuel, so looking at a wood processing setup. I have bigger saws, axes and hatchets etc but I'm thinking this could cover everything for a small wood stove while keeping the weight reasonable. Thoughts? Would a hatchet really make more sense? It weighs less (minus the saw) than my SFA.

Fall 24 backpacking by irib_ca, on Flickr

What kind of stove are you going to use? I have never used one of those backpacking wood stoves, but it has always looked to me like they would only take twigs and small limbs. If that is the case what you picture should be more than adequate. But I would suggest you try the stove at home before you go into the woods. Figure out what you will need for fuel. When you do that it will be apparent whether the saw and knife will work, or if a hatchet will work better.

Good luck with your trip.

O.B.

 

[NapalmCheese]

If a hatchet weighs less than that middle knife then it absolutely makes more sense to carry the hatchet unless you just really want to carry that knife.

What do you expect to do with that knife on a fall backpacking trip with a short hike in?

To be completely honest I would be surprised if you couldn't feed your stove with nothing more than that pocket knife. Those little wood stoves generally require small fuel like twigs and maybe thumb thick branches, the type of stuff you can break to size. Though loppers can be useful. Even in the cold and wet expecting to feed your stove by splitting deadfall sounds like pain.

If you're looking at general campfire stuff then I still think the hatchet is leagues ahead.

 

[eveled]

If you can’t find enough twigs, then chips made with a hatchet might be all you can fit if the stove

 

[va3rbz]

What kind of stove are you going to use? I have never used one of those backpacking wood stoves, but it has always looked to me like they would only take twigs and small limbs. If that is the case what you picture should be more than adequate. But I would suggest you try the stove at home before you go into the woods. Figure out what you will need for fuel. When you do that it will be apparent whether the saw and knife will work, or if a hatchet will work better.

Good luck with your trip.

O.B.

Thanks for the reply.

The stove is a 5" Firebox, which I'm familiar with but that was on canoe trips with a proper saw and axe for splitting. I've never done much in the way of batoning wood so I'm curious what peoples experience is with it vs a hatchet for smaller (3"-5") pieces of wood. Plus, the older I get the less I like the idea of swinging a hatchet around in the middle of nowhere
Likewise with the saw, I've always had something bigger so curious if people find it inefficient.

This worked well, but trying to save some weight.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/h2YKJR]IMG_1301 by irib_ca, on Flickr[/URL]

 

[va3rbz]

If a hatchet weighs less than that middle knife then it absolutely makes more sense to carry the hatchet unless you just really want to carry that knife.

What do you expect to do with that knife on a fall backpacking trip with a short hike in?

To be completely honest I would be surprised if you couldn't feed your stove with nothing more than that pocket knife. Those little wood stoves generally require small fuel like twigs and maybe thumb thick branches, the type of stuff you can break to size. Though loppers can be useful. Even in the cold and wet expecting to feed your stove by splitting deadfall sounds like pain.

If you're looking at general campfire stuff then I still think the hatchet is leagues ahead.

Thanks for the reply.
Mainly I plan on using that knife for splitting small wood, doing feather sticks etc. It does feel like a bit of overkill though. I have 2 hatchets that weigh less, but I don't know if they'd be any better at splitting small wood vs the knife.
The trip is months away, I'm sure I'll change my thoughts on this more than a few times between now and then.

 

[catspa]

Plus, the older I get the less I like the idea of swinging a hatchet around in the middle of nowhere

You can baton a hatchet too, y’know.

Parker

 

[Alberta Ed]

I'd go for a MSR Pocket Rocket (there are other makes, too). Gas stoves are hard to beat for convenience and efficiency. Maybe a lightweight folding saw just in case you want a wood fire, too.

 

[Pr3inar]

For easy cooking with a Firebox (at least cooking something that takes some time), I would definetly bring the saw, and something to split a small log with (a loq in the same height as the firebox). Almost any knife kan «baton» a log this size.

You will need the saw to cut the wood to the right heigth, to split it almost anything will do. Bring what you want (but I would, and do, carry a Wildlife hatchet and a knife suitable for cutting the food)

 

[Arathol]

Those Tom Brown tracker style knives have always been a bit dubious performance wise...... You can do a lot of things with them it seems but for the most part it doesn't do any of them particularly well. Best bet is get a knife that will do the things you want it to do.
For not lot of money you can get a BPS Adventurer that will be more than adequate for your usage

Or, for a bit more, something like this Condor

Or something larger and more exotic like this Marttiini Leuku

Point is there are lots of knives that will outperform that tracker.....

A hatchet doesn't need to be large to be useful. This GB mini is only 11oz, but it chops, cuts and splits as well as many larger hatchets.

You don't swing a hatchet when making kindling. You use it like a wedge. Hold it in place on top of whatever you are splitting and whack it with a larger piece of wood. This is something that many so-called bushcraft "experts" seem to forget when they say over and over that a hatchet is just too dangerous.

 

[353]

Hi everyone

My friend and I are planning a fall backpacking trip which is a short hike in, set up camp and do day hikes from there. I want to cook with wood on a small wood stove rather than pack in fuel, so looking at a wood processing setup. I have bigger saws, axes and hatchets etc but I'm thinking this could cover everything for a small wood stove while keeping the weight reasonable. Thoughts? Would a hatchet really make more sense? It weighs less (minus the saw) than my SFA.

Fall 24 backpacking by irib_ca, on Flickr

Looks good to me.

But If it was me I wound switch out the large knife for something with a straight edge, like an A1.

And the slipjoint for a smaller fixed blade like a mora or similar.

 

[RokJok]

$0.02 of my opinion, which will probably vary depending on exactly what environment you're headed into:
- Keep a folding pruning saw on the list. Light weight & compact carry vs hatchets being the attraction to me.
- I guess I've always seen the Tom Brown knife promoted as a desperate survival situation choice. Since it sounds like you're going to be civilized camping, I'd replace the Tracker knife with a 5"-7" straight/drop/clip point blade fixie from your maker of choice to IMHO better handle food prep & general camp chores. I'd recommend 1/8"-3/16" stock, hi-saber or full flat grind. But you do you.
- Slip joint is convenient enough to always be on your person. I'd probably swap in a SAK for an uptick in versatility.

Hope you & your bud have a great trip!!!

 

[va3rbz]

You can baton a hatchet too, y’know.

Parker

Yea, but where's the fun in that?

But the hatchet definitely seems like the best too for the job.

 

[va3rbz]

For easy cooking with a Firebox (at least cooking something that takes some time), I would definetly bring the saw, and something to split a small log with (a loq in the same height as the firebox). Almost any knife kan «baton» a log this size.

You will need the saw to cut the wood to the right heigth, to split it almost anything will do. Bring what you want (but I would, and do, carry a Wildlife hatchet and a knife suitable for cutting the food)

Thanks, that's one technique I haven't tried yet but from what I've seen it burns a long time.

 

[RokJok]

As for splitting firewood with knife & baton, it's the norm to see the blade on its first cut driven across the full diameter of a round piece of wood in Gorilla or Mongo Mode. That necessitates the blade be a good bit longer than the cross section diameter of the wood to provide an anvil for the baton once you're deeper than the height of the blade.

If instead you shave an arc off the edge of the round (called a chord in geometry, see pic), you can accomplish the task with a shorter knife. Split a chord off, rotate the not-fully-round-anymore wood a bit, split of another chord, repeat-repeat-repeat until you get to the center of your wood. Like peeling off layers of an onion.

While we're on splitting, carving a wooden wedge or two beforehand, however quik 'n crude they may be, relieves the blade from bearing the full brunt of cracking off hunks of wood. Open an intial crack in the end grain with the knife, then replace (or supplement) the blade with one or more wedges you can beat on with impunity.

 

[va3rbz]

Here's the revised kit, definitely lighter and still more than enough to get the job done. Thanks for the input everyone!

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2pvqC2g]Backpacking revisited by irib_ca, on Flickr[/URL]

 

[DocJD]

5" Firebox

So ...like this ? :

If all you need,

Here's the revised kit, definitely lighter and still more than enough to get the job done. Thanks for the input everyone!

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2pvqC2g]Backpacking revisited by irib_ca, on Flickr[/URL]

is enough wood to feed the little stove for cooking , Your revised kit should be more than enough IMO .

Probably could do without the hatchet , but good to have along .

 

[va3rbz]

So ...like this ? :

If all you need,


is enough wood to feed the little stove for cooking , Your revised kit should be more than enough IMO .

Probably could do without the hatchet , but good to have along .

That would be the stove. The hatchet is handy for pounding tent stakes and carving spoons as well.

 

[knoefz]

If you like your tracker knife , know how to handle it , just bring it along and enjoy it! It's a beauty. . It's a bit heavy but a lot of fun and capable for many tasks.

Works for me!

That style of knife doesnt get too much love on most places,. I love mine though

 

[va3rbz]

The problem with being a knife collector is having too many options Canoe trips are easy, I just bring everything I feel like playing with.