To those of you that chose an Axe--
Why???
Remember it's your ONLY edged tool.
You can't dig or pry with it--and skinning with a full size axe,,,???
If the Wooden handle breaks--then what>???
What can an Axe do that I'm missing????
Thanks for your input
My turn- YAY!
I tried to think of something else but this was in my mind as soon as I read the OP.
My Little Baby (the axe):
I'm a gimp so hiking out of Alaska in the winter would be one of the last things I'd think of. My plan- heat, shelter, water, food (I'm insulated pretty well so I could suffer hunger pains better than some).
Why did I choose this axe?
It's been by my side almost exclusively for the past 15 or so years.
I'm an axe man who has used them since childhood, fire and shelter are faster.
Chopping- check
Slicing and detailed work- check, as evidenced by the feather stick
Game processing- Check- I've filleted a Northern Pike with it to prove a point. Not my best job as I used to work in a fish processing plant, but it cooked up nicely. As far as game processing goes, there is no need for nicety in survival so a sloppy job isn't that bad.
Shovel- check
Prybar- check, that is the back spike, made for being lazy picking up rounds to split, but also with frozen icy wood piles in mind.
Hammer- check, both pommel and back of head.
Shelter- Check, it is a hewing axe after all.
No sharp point is a drawback, as is the weight. I have split wood with this axe on different handles, and know how to efficiently.
What if the handle breaks? Well many southern Americans have told me that that thick of an osage handle will not break on me and if it does I'll improvise like I have done before:
If we were beyond the tree line I'd want the Koyote Leuko in the first pic- closest to a snow knife I have, hidden tang, and fully capable of arctic survival based on my arctic experiences.
At least that is my take on Pit's silliness.
Haven't tried making a shelter with it yet but it should work fine.
