Minimalist camping without a fixed blade

GREENJACKET said:
But these are Base Camp tools. Travel heavy with beer.
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The best kind of travel in my opinion, I can make it 12 miles in a day while being able to eat full meals without too much hassle, with better gear for comfort and security. Sure, I carry some extra weight, but the comfort I camp in is worth it.
 
My dicking around in the woods pack comes in at a tad under 55lbs, with several days worth of both food and water... and beer. Skrama, Small Forest Axe, Silky Saw and spade; full gas cooker, pots pans and most of the food fresh... heck even eggs and bacon. Henessey Hammock in summer and Terra Nova Laser 2 tend in winter. I'll not be traveling too far, nor fast, but I will be living like a king.

I've done the bivibag and tarp thing for years, now I like my comfort. I do like a night or two out still, though I'm not adverse to a hunting lodge.
 
GREENJACKET said:
My dicking around in the woods pack comes in at a tad under 55lbs, with several days worth of both food and water... and beer. Skrama, Small Forest Axe, Silky Saw and spade; full gas cooker, pots pans and most of the food fresh... heck even eggs and bacon. Henessey Hammock in summer and Terra Nova Laser 2 tend in winter. I'll not be traveling too far, nor fast, but I will be living like a king.

I've done the bivibag and tarp thing for years, now I like my comfort. I do like a night or two out still, though I'm not adverse to a hunting lodge.
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You described my general setup almost perfectly besides the difference in tools. I have the same 4 main tool configuration with a BK20, Hults Bruk Kalix, Bahco Laplander and a Glock E-tool. I have a Fiddleback Bushfinger along with me for small tasks (yes, 2 fixed blades, excessive I know). My tent's an enormous MSR Hubba Hubba (cheesy name) that I use in all 4 seasons, I have yet to get into hammocking. I carry bacon, eggs, beer, water, and plenty of freeze-dried food packs for emergencies or for others with me who might not have brought enough food. In my Kelty Redwing I believe it's ~50 lbs all together, or nearly 25% of my body weight. My camp stove and food utensils are the only truly ultralight gear I carry with me, an Olicamp Ion stove and a bunch of titanium and anodized aluminum dishes. I also bring spare clothing for emergencies or rain soakage (of which we have plenty in our area).
 
You might be surprised.

That large pruning saw does a good job on grass, brambles, and small branches. It is, after all, a row of small knives.

What it can't cut, it can saw.
 
I do like my Titanium.
Found this titanium special forces spade (bottom) on the bay, its 1/3rd of the weight of the Cold Steel (top) or Glock (have in car):
IMGP7401.jpg


I have my belt knife and SAK. Waterproofs and spare set of clothing. Water by squeeze/gravity filter system. All the toys. Swaro Binos too.

I also have a completely different system, feather weight, for trekking but in truth I don't like trekking and prefer to walk my miles hunting. Now thats another story for another time.
 
KingMC said:
Have you tried a BK20 yet? I know they're sold out but I don't remember if you managed to get one or not.

I find mine to be superior to every other big knife I've chopped with, but I have yet to really get a good shot at chopping with a Junglas.
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Never had the chance to get one of those. :(
Too bad, as it looks like a pretty snazzy knife, and came with some other good ones too.
 
jackknife said:
In my younger days as a knife nut, I always had a fixed blade or two with me. A Randall number 14 was my go-to knife. Then as I got older and gained more experience, the fixed blade got ditched. I just never needed a fixed blade that much. But when I did, I found the fixed blade not big enough. Evemnturally I settled for a pocket knife and small machete. The pocket knife does the small jobs, and the small machete takes care of everytibng else. I have no need of any fixed blade under 10 inches. The small machete can be choked up on, and the machete makes a great bread knife, ham slicer, kindling chopper, fish beheader, and hot dog stick maker.

I have no use for a regular fixed blade.

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I read of an African safari bush guide company outfits its local employee guides and trackers with SAK Tinkers and small machetes. Seems to be good enough for them, too.
 
stabman said:
Never had the chance to get one of those. :(
Too bad, as it looks like a pretty snazzy knife, and came with some other good ones too.
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It weighs similar to a Junglas but has a FFG on 0.25" stock, and with the comfortable handles from Becker it's really easy to use for hours on end. If you get a chance, I'd recommend it. It replaced the BK9 as my camp knife/chopper as soon as I used it once.
 
GREENJACKET said:
stabman, I was an extreme skier so took the cable cars to the top and then went a bit further.
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We've played on similar playgrounds.

Our local big attraction.
Tuckerman-Slatboard-small.jpg


I've done a few of the more pedestrian lines in the mid 30 range. The lip can get towards the mid 40s depending on how it sets up, as can Dodges drop, which is between Hillmans and Left Gully.

I've since traded alpine gear for making tele turns on "hippy-sticks" in the powder in the woods. Pinnah is to pinner as lobstah is to lobster. Still... bicycle turns are memorable in no-fall zones.

I was young once.

On topic, no need for fixed blade in the pack. Well, maybe for scraping off klister in the morning.
 
GREENJACKET said:
My dicking around in the woods pack comes in at a tad under 55lbs, with several days worth of both food and water... and beer.
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For multi-days, my pack weighs less than half that. As I've aged I've decided to "need" less and to carry little more than the essentials.
 
leghog, I did say it was my dicking about in the woods pack with all the toys. Given some distance to do I take a lot lot less.

pinnah, looked it up looks fantastic.
This sums up what I still do, not me but skied this many times. Can't find the trickier ones, but you get the drift. I first prolapsed a disc in my back jump turning on breaking crust trying to get off a bad mountain side; got down eventually. That was the end of my extreme skiing. Now its just for fun. I've skied most of the Alps. My daughter next year wants to do a season in Canada/States.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pg2uX1N5UeA
A bit more:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgH8kjKFEmI

When I was 15 (35 years ago) I skied with this guy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgH8kjKFEmI
A bit more, my kind of play ground:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSmW2FjR-a4

One more for luck, couldn't help myself:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFDxHtzMvZM
 
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leghog said:
Yup. My son is 27 now. We still spend much time together in the woods and mountains.
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Leghog and Greenjacket, if your kids are still hiking with you at that age, you've done and are still doing a lot of things right, IMO.

Leghog, great shots. And I agree on pack weight. I don't even carry 50lbs for winter trips at this point. Too many collapsed discs and too little cartiledge left!! Lighter is easier on me!!
 
"Too many collapsed discs and too little cartilage left", just about sums it up. Military did the compression, and skiing (not mountain fit enough) did the prolapsing. Best medicine is keeping relatively fit. Hurts like buggery when you get it wrong though.

Thing is keeping up with the youngsters. Experience keeps you there! They might be faster, but I know the short cuts, and better route. Nice when they are older you can have a beer with them, and if they drive can snooze on the way home.

Well that was a break, back to work now.
 
GREENJACKET said:
Thing is keeping up with the youngsters. Experience keeps you there! They might be faster, but I know the short cuts, and better route. Nice when they are older you can have a beer with them, and if they drive can snooze on the way home.
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I don't even try to keep up with my son. My son sometimes takes my pace and sometimes just moves ahead and later waits for me to catch up.
 
I never hit the woods without a fixed blade. Why you say? Mostly because I like them. They are stronger, more efficient for cutting larger pieces of wood. Not to mention I look very cool, like I know what I'm doing, when I carry one. Folders in the bush? They're OK, I guess and I do always carry a SAK. Much rather have my BHK Bushcrafter, ESEE 6, Kabar Mk 1, Woodbear Black Bear, Breeden Kephart, Ontario Butcher, Mora Bushcraft Black, Enzo Trapper, Mora #2, Remington RH32, Marbles Ideal, Buck 119......etc, ad nauseum.
 
pinnah said:
Fixed blades are not needed in the backcountry and those who insist that they are lack basic knowledge about backcountry skills.

That's not meant to be an insult. But it's straight up reality. Don't like hearing from me? I can point you to countless books on backpacking and mountaineering that make the same point. Or you can consult the packing lists of people who regularly complete the PCT, CDT and AT.

It's dangerous to propagate false information about backcountry travel. In the Whites of NH, we typically see several deaths a year traceable to a lack of knowledge. Knowledge and proper equipment are needed. With proper knowledge and equipment, a fixed blade becomes an optional luxury item (or excess "bad" weight, if you are doing big miles).

I'll ask you the same question that Shinyedges dodged.

Can you think of a single circumstance in camping/backpacking in which is a fixed blade is needed?

As you think about your answer, here is a shot from a typical winter for me. Temperatures hovered between -5f and 0f all day. Very nice green wax skiing.

This shot was taken several miles away from the nearest trail head. A guy I know nearly died within a mile of here while skiing, as he hooked his tip while skiing solo and got a double spiral fracture in his femur. He survived, in no small part, due to his knowledge, skill and equipment (and a great deal of luck).


Lunch spot by Pinnah, on Flickr
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Uh............let's carry thru with your logic. Folders are not NEEDED in the back country. In fact, if your skill set is good enough, NOTHING is needed in the back country including clothes. Now where's my fixed blade? I'm going into the back country.
 
Stuff is only needed when you need it. First aid kit? Optional, until you need it. I think if anything this thread has shown that we all have our preferences and even the people who claim to be minimalists, still carry un-necessary stuff with them in the woods. Clothes... optional? Sure, until you need them or want them as the young female hikers you meet on the trail call 911 to get you arrested for indecent exposure.
 
22-rimfire said:
Stuff is only needed when you need it. First aid kit? Optional, until you need it. I think if anything this thread has shown that we all have our preferences and even the people who claim to be minimalists, still carry un-necessary stuff with them in the woods. Clothes... optional? Sure, until you need them or want them as the young female hikers you meet on the trail call 911 to get you arrested for indecent exposure.
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He mentioned a skill set instead of carrying clothes. I understood that meant making your own cloths and not going commando. [emoji14]
 
Jens Schuetz said:
He mentioned a skill set instead of carrying clothes. I understood that meant making your own cloths and not going commando. [emoji14]
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Just zip tie some leaves to your nuts. :thumbup:

Or is it nuts to your knives? :confused:
 
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