Mount Nebo Utah Backpacking trip (9/17-9/18), which blade and gun?

[wildmanh]

A friend and I are planning a backpacking trip up Mount Nebo here in Central Utah for September 17th and 18th. You all are welcome to join us. It's going to be a blast! We will be starting sometime between 12pm and 2pm Friday the 17th, hiking till sometime that evening and camping at about 9,000. The campstie we are shooting for is about 2/3rds of the way up the trail we take.

Saturday we will be meeting up with a group from Wasach Academy, the private highschool in Mount Pleasant Utah. This is the weekend of their anual Nebo trip. We will hike to the top with them, hang out for a bit then hike back to camp. Eat, clean up and hike back to the cars. Will post more information as we get closer, if people are interested.

Since this will be an over night trip, we are planning on having a fire up there if there are no fire restrictions. Which brings me to my first question, which of the following blades should I bring to chop fire wood:

#1. French Hawk by Keith Johnson of Great River forge
#2. Tramontina 14" Bolo Machete
#3. Lisa, my 20" HI Sirupati made by Bura

Wood will mostly be Ponderosa Pine, Maple, Quaking Aspen and some other stuff that I can't remember off the top of my head.

Next Question, I'll probably be bringing a side arm. My two options are:

#1. Springfield Armory Standard Model 1911-A1 in .45 ACP in a polymer holster.
#2. Ruger Blackhawk 4-5/8" Barrel in .357 Magnum, with leather gun belt and holster.

I've tried wearing both with my setup and both work. So which would you bring? Thanks,

Heber

 

[gravertom]

Sirupate and blackhawk!

have fun!

Tom

 

[Radrunner]

.... A sidearm for camping?

Only have experience with the 1911, so i'd say go with that

As far as the knives go... I hiked with a 15" BAS. I found it to be *too big*. The weight got draining mile after mile, and i ended out sticking it in the pack since it got in the way once in a while. I imaine a 20" siru, being even longer, would just keep getting caught on stuff and become a nuissance. That said, if you don't mind the weight and are willing to put it in your pack, probably not an issue.

14" Bolo Machete sounds more like the BAS i took. I'd take it over the Siru just because the decreased length will make it far less cumberson.

Don't know about the French Hawk so can't comment.

 

[Wolf_1989]

Sirupati and 1911 :thumbup:

 

[wildmanh]

Sirupate and blackhawk!

have fun!

Tom

Tom, thanks for weighing in.

.... A sidearm for camping?

Only have experience with the 1911, so i'd say go with that

As far as the knives go... I hiked with a 15" BAS. I found it to be *too big*. The weight got draining mile after mile, and i ended out sticking it in the pack since it got in the way once in a while. I imaine a 20" siru, being even longer, would just keep getting caught on stuff and become a nuissance. That said, if you don't mind the weight and are willing to put it in your pack, probably not an issue.

14" Bolo Machete sounds more like the BAS i took. I'd take it over the Siru just because the decreased length will make it far less cumberson.

Don't know about the French Hawk so can't comment.

Will be carrying which ever chopper I deside on, on or in my pack. My pack is a Blackhawk SOF Ruck Pack Kit. It has loops on the sides and back for stuff and my choppers fit nicely in them. Blades will be on the pack so no worries about them being cumbersom.

The 14" Bolo has a 14.5" Blade and a 6" handle so it's as long as my Sirupati, but it is a bit lighter. Even though the sheath is made from 10-12oz leather, the whole package is probably a little lighter then the Sirupati with sheath. BTW Lisa is about 23oz with out the sheath.

Thanks for posting. Let me know if your mind changes after reading this.

Sirupati and 1911 :thumbup:

Thanks for weighing in.

 

[DaddyDett]

I have to go with the 1911 and the Suripati. I tend to hang my 15 in BAS off my ruck ( Gregory Palisades 80) or day pack ( Gregory Miwok) , rather than walk around with one side of my pants down to my knees from the weight. A couple of the Velcro type utility straps are great for that and reach over the shoulder access is no prob..

 

[gravertom]

just to expand on my choice of the blackhawk over the 1911. The 357 offers greater useful range than the 45 acp. it offers more power if you need to shoot something bigger, and it offers the flexibility of 38 special if you need to shoot some small game. Also, you can carry a few shot shells.

lately, i'm finding a Khukuri is more suited to my hand for chopping than a hatchet or bolo knife, hence the siru as my knife choice. If there happened to be any sort of scrape that involved shooting and then the knife as a last resort, the 20" siru would most certainly be my pick.

Hope that gives you something more to work with!

take care,

Tom

 

[Cpl Punishment]

How much actual foliage is there?

If there's a lot, I'd carry both the hawk and sirupate, if the siru is riding on the pack. The hawk I'd carry in hand, as they are useful for hooking and moving branches and whatnot out of the way.

If there's not a whole lot of foliage, then just the siru.

The 1911 isn't a bad gun to take. You can do plenty of hunting for both small and large game with them, and even load the first round with shot for snakes. It'd also be a good excuse to buy some leather for it.

However, I think the .357 has to be the ideal outdoors handgun caliber.

Me, taking only one of each, would choose the Blackhawk and sirupate.

 

[wildmanh]

I have to go with the 1911 and the Suripati. I tend to hang my 15 in BAS off my ruck ( Gregory Palisades 80) or day pack ( Gregory Miwok) , rather than walk around with one side of my pants down to my knees from the weight. A couple of the Velcro type utility straps are great for that and reach over the shoulder access is no prob..

Thanks for the idea on the straps. Since the pack already is setup for this it won't be a problem, but might help with another pack I have.

just to expand on my choice of the blackhawk over the 1911. The 357 offers greater useful range than the 45 acp. it offers more power if you need to shoot something bigger, and it offers the flexibility of 38 special if you need to shoot some small game. Also, you can carry a few shot shells.

lately, i'm finding a Khukuri is more suited to my hand for chopping than a hatchet or bolo knife, hence the siru as my knife choice. If there happened to be any sort of scrape that involved shooting and then the knife as a last resort, the 20" siru would most certainly be my pick.

Hope that gives you something more to work with!

take care,

Tom

Tom, Thank you for your post. Your thoughts pretty much echo mine. Will be bringing the fire arm because I can and I want to get used to carrying it. Also for the slim possibility of Black bears, cougers and the like.

How much actual foliage is there?

If there's a lot, I'd carry both the hawk and sirupate, if the siru is riding on the pack. The hawk I'd carry in hand, as they are useful for hooking and moving branches and whatnot out of the way.

If there's not a whole lot of foliage, then just the siru.

The 1911 isn't a bad gun to take. You can do plenty of hunting for both small and large game with them, and even load the first round with shot for snakes. It'd also be a good excuse to buy some leather for it.

However, I think the .357 has to be the ideal outdoors handgun caliber.

Me, taking only one of each, would choose the Blackhawk and sirupate.

I'm not sure what the trails are like these days. Back in '97 and '98 the trails were not so good. But in 2000 to 2002 the Forest Service worked them over a bunch and made them much nicer. Those 3 years they were really well maintained. Of course a summer storm could knock something loose...

Pairing the Hawk with Lisa is an interesting idea. I've used hawks for hooking logs before for dragging or rolling so I know how well they work. Will definantly have to keep that in mind.



So far I'm leaning towards the Sirupati and Blackhawk. It's been a while since I shot .357 Mag out of the Blackhawk, because normally I shoot $10.99 a box 9mm's out of it with the 9mm cylinder.