hatchet, saw or kuhkri?

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Buck268

Joined
Nov 5, 2006
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So I'm considering add something for wood cutting or shelter prep to the daypack for hiking with the family during winter. This would be part of the kit for day hikes ranging from 4-10 miles with wife and typically just the toddler (and his Bob stroller - which does awesome things). We usually over-pack for these trips but I see that as a benefit. 1. If bad things happen I am prepared. 2. It helps up train for heavier packs and bigger trips.

Anyways, I'm mostly thinking about winter here. Considering adding something for wood cutting, particularly with respect to shelter building but also possibly firewood. I have a couple different hatchets, though none of them are high tech or light weight. Or perhaps a folding saw or kuhkri would be a better weight to performance option?
 
I'd go with the saw. Sounds like you've got the hatchet covered.
 
The choice is so dependent on ones own personal preference, I can offer little help.
I can express what I carry and why, but it would only be my opinion and not the best choice for you.
 
Silky saw. I love my Pocketboy. Its amazing how much easier and quicker you can cut fire wood. I have hatchets,khuks, machetes etc and still throw that Pocketboy in the pack every time.Usually with a 12" Ontario machete and a large folder. --KV
 
kvaughn said:
Silky saw. I love my Pocketboy. Its amazing how much easier and quicker you can cut fire wood. I have hatchets,khuks, machetes etc and still throw that Pocketboy in the pack every time.Usually with a 12" Ontario machete and a large folder. --KV
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Do the same thing except for the 12" Ontario machete. I absolutely HATE that machete (have 2) and the handle is unbearable to use for more than a few swings. I go with Condor stuff. The 10" Kumunga works for many things from chopping to some less detailed cutting. (Have folder for detailed stuff.) The Condor Pack Golok or Village Parang work very well for chopping. But it is all personal preference as many prefer hatchets and tomahawks. The CRKT Chogan works as a tomahawk and I like the hammer head for pounding stuff. You can swing it two handed for power if you want to. But all this stuff is heavy and sort of clumsy... so it is a matter of how much you might use a chopper when I would already have the folding saw with me. The Kumunga is easy to carry.
 
A lightweight saw like a Sven or even a Silky will reduce the amount of work necessary to process firewood almost exponentially over a small axe or hatchet. Neither tool (saw or hatchet) is a substitute for the other, but if I had to pick one it would be the saw hands down. (I always have a fixed blade knife with me too to split whatever kindling might be needed). YMMV
 
Buck268 said:
So I'm considering add something for wood cutting or shelter prep to the daypack for hiking with the family during winter. This would be part of the kit for day hikes ranging from 4-10 miles with wife and typically just the toddler (and his Bob stroller - which does awesome things). We usually over-pack for these trips but I see that as a benefit. 1. If bad things happen I am prepared. 2. It helps up train for heavier packs and bigger trips.

Anyways, I'm mostly thinking about winter here. Considering adding something for wood cutting, particularly with respect to shelter building but also possibly firewood. I have a couple different hatchets, though none of them are high tech or light weight. Or perhaps a folding saw or kuhkri would be a better weight to performance option?
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Take a good tarp and learn how to make an expedient shelter with it. Chopping around and trying to make some kind of knock up, leaky shelter and blowing all your energy while the wife and toddler are waiting it out in a freezing rain might be a bad idea. Insulated, puffy parka and pants, rain gear to go over it for everyone and a little saw would make for a good plan under an expedient tarp shelter. Practice making your tarp shelter before. If it is windy you will need to really fasten it down with stakes or to small trees. The saw should cut anything you need for fire and I'm sure you have a good knife for the rest.
 
If I had to rank the 3 choices, I'd go 1. Saw, 2. Hatchet, 3, Kuhkru.

I like a Bahco Laplander saw. About half the price of a Silky saw and I've never broken mine. A hatchet is handy to have but they are heavy and you expend a lot of energy to use them. I've never owned or carried a kuhkri.

I'm guessing you have a good quality fixed blade already. That + a good folding saw (Bahco or Silky are two most mentioned names) should cover most needs. Good luck!
 
I love my Silky saws, they are great! However, they are addictive. :)
 
kuks are cool but when the wife and I are hiking with baby thomas in his all terrain mountain buggy a folding saw and a 5 to 9 in fixed is in the bottom basket....with a tapered 1 pole shelter tarp with ties and my folding woodstove. if it was overnight an axe would be added.
 
Saw. Saw. Saw. If you are thinking of it being an emergency item, you need both of you to be able to use it. Your wife may be a very capable lady, but any time stress enters the equation, you need tools that work predictably. I love choppers, axes and all that, but I would not want a chopper to be my tool if someone else has to be using it to help me, or if I'm injured and needing to use it. Either way, a saw is safer, less work, and generally lighter for a given size.
 
gadgetgeek said:
Saw. Saw. Saw. If you are thinking of it being an emergency item, you need both of you to be able to use it. Your wife may be a very capable lady, but any time stress enters the equation, you need tools that work predictably. I love choppers, axes and all that, but I would not want a chopper to be my tool if someone else has to be using it to help me, or if I'm injured and needing to use it. Either way, a saw is safer, less work, and generally lighter for a given size.
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You read my mind,^^^
 
Saw.... But really, there are so many variations of using wood buddy. One can lazy out and just do one of the star fires or whatever they are called. Simply drag smaller dead trees and feed the ends into a fire in a star shape. No chopping/sawing, just push the wood in as it burns. That type of thing.....you can even find videos on splitting sawed wood. But a saw is much less work (in my view anyway)and much, much safer to use. I like all the toys but I don't like humping a ton of stuff.
 
neeman said:
A saw is faster and safer and lighter
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A GOOD saw, that is.

I used to scoff at this advice, even after trying a number of saws. Then I bought a Silky, and boy was I proved wrong. A folding Silky saw with large teeth will chew through small wood as fast as a cheap chainsaw. They're ridiculously good cutters, pose no risk of missing fingers/toes, and weigh much less than a hatchet or khukuri.
 
Kuhkri for the coolness factor. For day hikes it'll be perfect. No need to cut big piles of wood which would be a chore with any silky type saw. A bow saw would be miles better.
 
Bob Dustrude Quick Buck Saw works well.
Those Silky saws look pretty neat, but at only ~14" blade length they may not be as capable.
Tradeoffs - pick something you like, and practice using it before you need it.
 
Tried a kukri for hiking and backpacking and it is hands down way too heavy.

The saw is a great option, fast quick and light. Its downside is that it is not very versatile.

I now carry a G&B wildlife hatchet, it's an in between option and I love it.
 
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