Mini-Axe, Folding Saw or Big Knife/Machette?

Hawk45

Hawk45

Joined
Jan 28, 2005
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2,154
What do you prefer to bring along on a long packing trip? I'm starting planning on going on a 2 week packing trip and need to bring something for cutting splitting wood for fires and other possible means. What would you recommend or what do you use? I will have a quality 4" fixed blade with me that I could use for splitting.. but would waste lots of effort in the chopping area.

Thanks,
hawk
 
I would suggest a good folding saw. Silky's are the best but if you can get your hands on a Bahco you won't be disappointed.

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That would depend on the terrain your going into and there is also a point of philosophy as well. If you are going into a jungle area you might do better with a good solid machete and longer knife (i.e. BK7, BK9, etc..). Problem with an ax is that it weighs a lot. If you are going to chop down trees then you might get one. If you are looking for firewood and need to split it then you can carry a larger knife that will provide more universal utility. IMO.. EESE makes a good product in the 7-9" range as does Becker (great value) and TOPS which I own. I use a TOPS smoke jumper for much of my batoning and I can tell you that it works really well. I can't speak for the other products but my esteemed colleagues like them a lot.
 
I use a saw and a big knife for splitting and sectioning wood. I cut to length with a saw, and then I baton it with a knife. That, or I chop it to length with the knife for the fun of chopping.
 
TheGame said:
I use a saw and a big knife for splitting and sectioning wood. I cut to length with a saw, and then I baton it with a knife. That, or I chop it to length with the knife for the fun of chopping.
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This is what I usually do as well for backpacking. Sawvivor and Busse Skinny ASH-1 (but I'm thinking about getting a Bushtrekker or Bushmoro from Wildertools to replace it). I occasionally take a bigger knife but find that I end up taking it off more frequently in camp.
 
Sturdy machete like the Condor Bolo.

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I'd bring a saw if you were going to be cutting down lots of thicker branches and such. But for splitting and chopping wood around camp the machete is hard to beat IMO. But one of the sturdier ones designed to be used for chopping,
 
Gerber 6.5" Sportsman's Wood Saw. Super light, cheap as borscht, and based on a hugely successful Fiskars design. 3.4 ounces and less than $20 MSRP, you can probably get it at Wally's world for far less. And yes, you can saw lengthwise for kindling - it's not that difficult, you don't need a knife for splitting.

If you're going on a two week backpacking trip, you're going to hate a large knife three days in to it for the weight. Carry the wood saw an an 84MM SAK like a Camper or Scout and it'll be 2/3s the weight and 5x the functionality.
 
I like to have a small axe a big knife and a folding saw. And a smaller belt knife, and a "tactical" folder, and my Vic Farmer. Tomahawks are fun too.... :)

But that's just me... You can pick up a folding saw for cheap. I think I paid $15 for mine. A wetterlings is around $70 or so. Why not buy both? A gerber hatchet with a saw in the handle is around $30.
 
I second the Saw / Sak combo. I personally prefer silky saws, mostly because they cut way faster than any other folding saw I've used, including the Gerber. As for SAK, I prefer saks with locking blades, so I would recommend the Hunter, Rucksack, Trekker, or Fireman.

For some, the main drawback of choosing a saw over a hatchet or long knife is not having a tool that allows you to split logs. But that is a misconception. You can use a folding saw to split logs. These two videos explain it better than I can.

Ray Mears splitting wood with saw
Splitting logs with folding saw
 
Preacher Man said:
I second the Saw / Sak combo. I personally prefer silky saws, mostly because they cut way faster than any other folding saw I've used, including the Gerber. As for SAK, I prefer saks with locking blades, so I would recommend the Hunter, Rucksack, Trekker, or Fireman.

For some, the main drawback of choosing a saw over a hatchet or long knife is not having a tool that allows you to split logs. But that is a misconception. You can use a folding saw to split logs. These two videos explain it better than I can.

Ray Mears splitting wood with saw
Splitting logs with folding saw
Click to expand...

Excellent links - I'm adding those to my bookmarks. Thanks!
 
I'm partial to a good half axe. That's just the Canadian in me, though. Living in the rainy northern boreal forest does that to you. 10 months out of the year up here, everything is soaked. The only wood viable for burning will be the innards of standing dead wood. Can't have fire without using a big chopper to get to it! A saw works too, but is less versatile. I can handle the extra weight of a 19" axe for the additional versatility.
 
It really does depend on the terrain, season and your level of comfort/experience. I don’t carry an axe as much as I use to…it’s just not a big necessity where I am most of the year. For the weight/size, I think a good Silky or Bahco folding saw is a great addition and if you plan to do any camp-construction (holder for you pot over the fire, camp chairs, etc.), you’ll find your saw comes is extremely handy. My son uses it as he collects larger downed branches and saws them into smaller pieces for the fire.

What I’ve used for a larger knife/chopper this summer was my BRKT Golok. Slim enough to slide into my pack, long enough for decent chopping, easy to batten or use as a draw knife. It’s not the best for light vegetation but excellent on hard-wood branches.

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I carried the Sawvivor and my son carried my Kershaw/Bahco…the Kershaw saw more use, but I like that the Sawvivor can be folded up and carry an extra blade.

ROCK6
 
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