Jungle Wood Processing

Well buddy, good luck to you. But it sounds like you're ready to equip for a bit of travel through the woods, not living in them. I know it's a far different environment, but somewhere on youtube there was video 8mm or some such. A guy went to Alaska for a season, felled trees. Came back next season, packed in everything he'd need to live: tools, stove etc. And let me tell you it was cool to watch, but it was bloody hard work and done by someone with amazing skill and knowledge.

Have you talked to people who have done this kind of work before, who are intimately familiar with the work and area? Discussed with them what it takes to clear and cultivate land like that you own? Have they told you about the time, recommended tools, cautioned you about weather and wildlife, helped you understand what to eat and how to eat it? I loath to ask, but I ask none the less, because it sounds like you have a really cool idea, but I'm not entirely sure you've done all the math yet to really know what you're heading into. I'd hate for this to turn into a 'went into the wild and languished/died' adventure.

Whatever you choose to do over the next few months, I wish you wisdom, health and peace.
 
The locals don't clear land with an axe they take the big valuable hardwoods and fell them, then they burn the rest. They sell the charred wood to the local town or city as cooking fuel. within two year all the nutrients of the land are used up and farming is impossible. The locals then buy another plot And to do the same thing leaving bald spots in the jungle behind them. The locals don't always use the best methods.

The kukri has been used for a long time in the jungle of Indonesia by farmer and everywhere else by the gurkha warrior. It has its advatages, there are some mixtures of machete and kukri that look interesting but I'm not gearing up for zombie apocalypse I want something functional That is far more likely to cut wood than flesh.

As for what I'm taking with me, I'm taking an 18v Milwaukee power tool set including Sawzall and circular saw. I have a solar charging station I've built here in the states, but I'll build another once I get to my destination. We will have to go to Lima at least once a month so there will be fasteners, saw blades, and other supplies. My tool chest is wheeled and 55 gallons, the only other bag I'm raking is my pack with my personal mess kit, water kit, fire kit, hammock set, and some small electronics for communication. Inside my tool chest my bow, my guns, my power tools and any other items of value Wrapped in clothing and filled full. I'll have to pull that chest into the jungle.

It's likely there will already be structures called Tambos built on the property, they are built from fell sapplings and young trees with thatch roof and screened in like a porch. there will be some milled lumber available, used for floors and flat surfaces.

So I am looking for my personal knife, the one on my belt everyday when I walk the fields. The wood is hard and the nails are cheap. I need a tool with mechanical advantage. Yes we will be building structures but I will likely have a saw for that work. We have plenty of plans fir all kinds of things but hand tools and power tools will be available when called for. There will be locals with us, several farmers and there are already other farms like ours in the area run by expatriot too.
 
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Vigilan said:
Thank you for the advice, I think I can go either way with SV5 or the 0-1. I think I'll use it first and put it through some paces before I leave the states, that way I can have a knife maker rehandle it if need be.
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You could also opt for the sanmai III version which is stainless and still hard to break. Iirc it's also convex ground which makes it excellent for splitting and chopping. You might also wanna pick up some conical or round sharpening rods as its very difficult to sharpen a recurve on a flat stone.
 
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While I wouldn't want to swing it all day bushwhacking trails the new Timberline MSS survival machete is a real beast. Comes pretty close to being a good substitute for an axe in land clearing.
 
Vigilan said:
The locals don't clear land with an axe they take the big valuable hardwoods and fell them, then they burn the rest. They sell the charred wood to the local town or city as cooking fuel. within two year all the nutrients of the land are used up and farming is impossible. The locals then buy another plot And to do the same thing leaving bald spots in the jungle behind them. The locals don't always use the best methods.

The kukri has been used for a long time in the jungle of Indonesia by farmer and everywhere else by the gurkha warrior. It has its advatages, there are some mixtures of machete and kukri that look interesting but I'm not gearing up for zombie apocalypse I want something functional That is far more likely to cut wood than flesh.

As for what I'm taking with me, I'm taking an 18v Milwaukee power tool set including Sawzall and circular saw. I have a solar charging station I've built here in the states, but I'll build another once I get to my destination. We will have to go to Lima at least once a month so there will be fasteners, saw blades, and other supplies. My tool chest is wheeled and 55 gallons, the only other bag I'm raking is my pack with my personal mess kit, water kit, fire kit, hammock set, and some small electronics for communication. Inside my tool chest my bow, my guns, my power tools and any other items of value Wrapped in clothing and filled full. I'll have to pull that chest into the jungle.

It's likely there will already be structures called Tambos built on the property, they are built from fell sapplings and young trees with thatch roof and screened in like a porch. there will be some milled lumber available, used for floors and flat surfaces.

So I am looking for my personal knife, the one on my belt everyday when I walk the fields. The wood is hard and the nails are cheap. I need a tool with mechanical advantage. Yes we will be building structures but I will likely have a saw for that work. We have plenty of plans fir all kinds of things but hand tools and power tools will be available when called for. There will be locals with us, several farmers and there are already other farms like ours in the area run by expatriot too.
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People here farm the exact same land for generations. Its a matter of using fertilizer or alternating crops to " feed" the land. The land is quite fine. If what you say is true, its the farmers who have the problem.
 
Cool deal man. Enjoy your trip and stay safe. I'll still put my vote on a Tramontina. The guys who run ESEE knives teach jungle survival courses. They sell an overpriced machete (with a great warranty) but Jeff still recommends a cheap Tramontina machete. Why? They're cheap, and they work.
 
pinecraft said:
People here farm the exact same land for generations. Its a matter of using fertilizer or alternating crops to " feed" the land. The land is quite fine. If what you say is true, its the farmers who have the problem.
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It deffinately is the farmers problem, I come from Oklahoma and these farmers are using dust bowl tactics in the rain forest. Due to precipitation and sheer size the effects aren't as apparent from far away like they were for my family a few generations back. We are using homesteading techniques, crop rotation, nitrogen fixers, etc to grow out plants. When we build a successful business the other farmers in the area will emulate and thus the farming techniques spread.
 
Vigilan said:
I'm currently in the process of becoming an expatriot. I've decided to join a group of people buying a business and land in the Amazon Jungle. The group is purchasing land which will be used to produce plant for medicine food and house the community.

This is true off grid living, in the place I was at last Iquitos there are no roads, thus shipping even a small box is extremely expensive. In the permanent location the city is a six hour trek by foot and boat, thus everything I bring with me is essential to me.

On to knives; I have "two" already. The first is my EDC, it's a ZT0350BW. I plan to use it as my primary edge, I currently use it for everything that is clean and won't damage the edge. For utility, I carry a Leatherman Wave, I use it for everything dirty like drywall, box tape etc, and hard wire cutters for anything that might damage the blade.

The thing I need is a pathfinder blade. The knife must make short work of 4+ inch hardwoods and wayward sapplings. In addition it will need to be capable of carving a path through the jungle.

My first thought is a Kukri and I have looked at a few already. I would prefer a way to keep my hand off the blade, either a ringed grip like a traditional Kukri, or a hilt. I would also like a lanyard so a hole in the pommel is preferable. Also the Kukri must be heavy enough and with a distinct wide spine to mimic a hatchet as a wedge, and be able to be hit from behind.

The Ontario is attractive but I don't need the black coating, the condor heavy seems perfect except no way to keep hand off the blade in a thrust. I've been thinking of a custom, but this is needs to be a hardworking knife that will last multiple lifetimes For me to justify 400 or 500 dollars. I also want good steel, I'm not the best free stone sharpener, and I don't want to deal with a rolled edge every day. I'm willin to spend money but the Nepalese blades seem cheap and easily replaceable, which would be effective, if not for my location.

Other options are a GB wildlife hatchet and a machete, both are dangerous to carry without a pack but excel at their individual purposes. I really don't like machetes, very rarely do they have an effective sheath especially when you buy it in Peru. And the hatchet is really effective wedge but will not clear a path. Thus the Kukri, although any advice is appreciated.
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1. Condor Hog Sticker Machete can cut and pierce just like you requested.

If you must have a heavier thicker blade or hatchet I would say husquvarna hatchet 13 inches, not to heavy.

for a smaller knife kabar bk15 is awesome along with a esee 3 or 4. if u want something in stainless I would go fallkniven f1 or even a few moras.
 
WOW!!! Congratulations and best wishes for your new venture/life change.

I have a lot of thoughts on your situation and things to consider - well beyond what I would include in a public forum (I have a cultural anthropology background coupled with other perspectives).

However, un-requested "advice" is nothing more than a bothersome, clanging gong and I'd rather not be that guy. If you would like to hear my thoughts, simply PM me and I'll give you my perspective from an anthropological point of view as well as other things to consider.

So, to address your specific question;

1) for your belt knife, since you're wanting something large and useful for splitting wood, chopping up to 4" diameter trees/vines/shrubs I would be shopping/searching for a Busse Combat knife of appropriate dimensions for your intended purposes. I wouldn't look anywhere else (I don't own anything Busse nor have anything to gain in my recommendation). Busse knives have a legendary warranty and reputation for absolutely the toughest blades. Since you're wanting a belt knife/EDC that's going to be used daily and used HARD, I'd want the absolute best tool I could find and Busse has a flawless record.

2) If you're intent on using a knife to "chop" with, I'd strongly encourage using a cross-batonning technique in lieu of swinging a knife around (especially since you will be so far from medical emergency assistance). Cross batonning accomplishes the same goal as chopping, but in a much safer and controlled way.

3) in that climate/terrain I would learn to love a machete - their huge popularity is due to their usefulness. Buy a couple Tramontina machete's of the same model and get a nice Kydex-type sheath for it.

Again, best wishes in your new venture.
 
Sounds like fun! Based on a large, heavy belt-knife idea like you've presented, a Condor Solobolo, Village Parang, Eco Parang, or Bushcraft Parang would seem to be good choices. No D-rings, but you haven't said if you have used D-handles before...just FYI they really hurt with prolonged use, especially heavier ones which you seem to be leaning towards. The handles on the ones I listed still provide slippage protection though. The 12" Ontario would be a fine choice too, but will need handle shaping. The coating is there to prevent rusting, which you'll need down there. Have you used good machetes in the past? My Tramontina and my Marbles (and my Ontario) will go through 4" stuff easily with good aim and technique. I think a high end custom supersteel machete would be a mistake...the edge may last longer, but with limited resources, it'll be much harder to resharpen once you do dulll/chip/roll the edge. Some of those tropicals (like Australian pines and Brazilian pepper) get very hard when dry...one errant swing and you'll be wanting an easy-to-sharpen cheap machete. And you will definitely want to brush up on your sharpening skills with a stone...it's sort of a prerequisite to using these tools in the tropics.

Splitting is a different matter. None of the larger knives including the kuk will have a true wedge shape anywhere close to a hatchet unless they are super thick. But then you won't want to swing it at vines and such for very long as it'll kill your grip and arm in short order...and that's when things get dangerous. They'll all baton, but if you're talking about splitting actual log rounds, you'll need an axe. I think you may be looking at two different tools...keep a short-to-medium sized machete or large knife on the hip and an axe on the pack for when you need it.

For comparison, I do heavy field work in South Florida, which is as close to rainforest as you'll get in the lower 48. I've carried everything from my heavy, blunt-tip Ontario (19"), to my lighter 14" Tramontina Bolo, blunt-tip Latin Tramontina (17"), and unknown Colombian 16" machete. The worst to carry all day by far was the Ontario, but it certainly packs a harder punch...and my arm was dead at the end of the day. By comparison, if I'm carrying a machete all day and looking at more light vegetation clearing/trailblazing, I'll be using my Trams or my Imacasa/Marbles machete. With a good convex edge, those Trams and Imacasas will really tear through some vegetation without killing your arm and grip. But if you're serious about processing large amounts of wood from large sources, an axe will be worth its weight in gold.

I think my suggestion would be to decide what tasks the tool will be used for most, and pick something that leans that direction. More trail clearing, cutting saplings and shrubs, vine cutting, etc, I say look into a medium machete. If it's going to ride on your hip or pack all day with occasional use that leans more towards heavier wood, get a heavy parang. If you really foresee splitting a lot of hard, difficult wood, get an axe and supplement it with a lighter machete.
 
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Vigilan said:
...400 or 500 dollars. I also want good steel, I'm not the best free stone sharpener, and I don't want to deal with a rolled edge every day.
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Also, you may want to do a comparison...$400-$500 will buy somewhere in the range of 20-30 good machetes. If you lose the one custom, you're out of luck. You can have 5 machetes ready to go at any moment for far less money. As for steel, the Trams, Imacasa, and Ontario i have all have excellent steel. They are run a touch soft on purpose, so they can be easily sharpened in the field with a simple file or stone. That's an asset, not a liability...case in point...




This is my bolo Tram...convexed edge sharpened to strop. It went through a 2" acacia in one swing, and a 4" sapling didn;t take much more effort. I did this on some hidden dead branches on an Australian pine. But 5 minutes later it was back to shaving sharp with a simple two-sided stone and kept the edge the rest of the trip. A light stropping when I got back and it's ready to do more work. This gives it character and makes it mine, and it's no less effective. The steel on these are tempered for toughness...it's hard to bend them permanently, which is shy they can baton through wood without much damage. I've never used the baton method because I've never needed to, but it can be done with these...they'll take a beating.
 
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Living there on your own property...why wouldn't you take a machete AND a full size axe AND a saw? I think if you're looking for a one tool solution you're going to regret it. YMMV
 
My first thought would be the ESEE Juunglas. I used mine to trail blaze at the state park when it opened and had no problem chopping all day with it.
Now I would most likely take the Huntsman Knife "Fell Beast" just because it ...........well it's a beast. Might be a little big to ride on the belt all day though.

The multiple inexpensive chete route is the best option though. Also the most boring.
 
Tankerwolf said:
My first thought would be the ESEE Juunglas. I used mine to trail blaze at the state park when it opened and had no problem chopping all day with it.
Now I would most likely take the Huntsman Knife "Fell Beast" just because it ...........well it's a beast. Might be a little big to ride on the belt all day though.

The multiple inexpensive chete route is the best option though. Also the most boring.
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I agree, buy a box of the local favorite machete, a half dozen files, and what ever sharpening stone the local use. And then try to learn how to use them half as well as they do.
 
If you have that kind of budget, buy a couple moderate machetes/choppers, some spare sheath. Nothing beats having spares. A broken machete down there is bad juju.
I was in the cloud forests and I had a pair of Danners fall apart on me. Luckily, I packed a extra set because I had 4 weeks left in my trip....
 
Just buy a grip of machetes from a local suply store when you get there. Those little $5 and under things will serve you just as well as the natives. If you've got real trees to deal with, bring a chainsaw and some spare parts.
 
I'm sure we've all heard of the slash and burn farming techniques. The idea of leading by example showing that things like crop rotation and crop selection can be successful as well as profitable is a good one, hope it works as planned.

The following is my opinion so take it with a grain of salt. A big knife will never compare to a proper axe when it comes to processing wood. When you refer to an axe as a wedge it leads me to believe that you've never worked with a decent axe. Don't take that as an insult I had the same mindset no long ago. You mentioned GB as an option but in my opinion for the hard woods you will be working with I think you could be better served by a vintage American axe for a faction of the cost. From what I understand GB axes are not as well suited to hardwoods as they don't exist in Sweden. A good axe should cut as well as a big knife, it should bite relativity deep and force the wood apart at the same time.

For clearing paths I would imagine that the light weight machete would be far less fatiguing than a heavy knife. A decent sheath can be made from hardwood, bamboo or any number of other materials. Like you pointed out however you can always pick one up locally and so there is no sense brining one with you. The Axe on the other hand for an investment of 20-30 dollars for a head, new haft, and a leather sheath I think you should consider even if it won't be your primary tool.

Good luck!
 
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