New!!!Help me make my bushcraft/camping set plz

[field trip]

Wow Brian if you can pick a wife that good, you'll have no problem finding good camping gear! $500 is a nice chunk of change that you can use to round out your equipment. I'll stick to talking about edge tools though.

For camping and wood cutting in the 2-6 inch range, do yourself a favor and get a pruning saw. A small to medium fixed blade, folder, or even multitool can handle the rest.

My old $4 kmart pruner works good but spend $30 on an ARS turbo saw and you won't be sorry, it cuts on both draw and push. My ARS cuts real easy, it's light and compact, and has 13 inch blade.

I bought the kmart model 8 years ago for $3.99 and I have about 4 months of camping with it at 2 weeks each year. I finally retired it in favor of the ARS last year.

Chopping wood with a large blade or axe far from help is not my preference.
Of course it can be done but to me the pruner is easier, safer, and lighter.
I go remote backpacking and canoe camping where weight matters and you're several hours from the nearest car plus a long drive to town so chopping yourself could end up real bad.

Here's my ARS, I have a bunch of yardwork and several camping trips on it already, works great. SA-UV32, $30 at amazon today with free shipping.

You could buy a sheathed version of this saw for around $60 and spend the remaining $440 on a high end 3-5" fixed blade and sheath. Batoning for kindling can be done down on a 3" blade but in my experience the need for split wood is way overstated.

Besides the saw I bring either a swisstool or leatherman wave plus a folder. I like to try new gear all the time, it's just fun to try new stuff and eff with it. This year I'm going to try out some new to me fixed blades (ratmandu, hrlm, game warden), and folders (buck vantage pro, buck folding alpha hunter) and my favorite combinations and available gear will keep evolving.

No matter what you pick you're in for a lot of fun for shure. The hardest part as years go by is making time to go camp with friends so if you figure out how to do that let me know.

-PB

 

[Widerstand]

Im am new to the forums and to bushcraft and camping in general. My wife is letting me spend only about 500 dollars on this since i am just starting out and i need some help putting together a set of tools that will cover all my needs.

Well you should be able to put a rather nice little kit together for that!

This is what my kit looks like, maybe it will give you some idea.

On my person:
1. Ka-Bar Becker BK2
2. Leathermen Wave
3. Streamlight Stylus Pro
4. Home made double side cotton bandanna

The bag itself is a 18th century style Pathfinder Haversack, you can pick one up at http://www.canteenshop.com

In the bag:
1. 1-Litter Platypus Water Bottle (http://www.cascadedesigns.com/Platypus)
2. Stormwhistle (http://www.stormwhistles.com/)
3. Brunton Adventure Racing Compass, with home made Ranger/Pacing Beads (http://www.brunton.com/product.php?id=419)
4. Strikeforce Fire Starter (http://www.ultimatesurvival.com/camping-hiking/StrikeForceFireStarter.php)
5. Cookset (Snowpeak 900, Bushbuddy stove, and Spork)
6. Kershaw Folding Pack Saw (http://www.kershawknives.com/productdetails.php?id=169&brand=kershaw)
7. 75 Feet of paracord
8. Smith's Retractable Diamond Knife and Tool Sharpener (http://www.rei.com/product/726793)
9. Adventure Medical Kits Thermo-Lite 2.0 Bivvy (http://www.adventuremedicalkits.com...name=Essentials&prodname=S.O.L. Thermal Bivvy)
10. Note book and map reading tools.
11. Sil-tarp

Also if you wanted you could throw in a pocket fishing kit and a small Mora knife as well.

Hope this helps some!

 

[ChapmanPreferred]

I would suggest that you also pick up some sharpening gear to compliment and maintain your cutting tools. That is probably a different thread topic though.

 

[Raymond1000]

All these recommendations for choppers, to a beginner…I’m sorry but I have to ask. Do you know how to use an axe? Do you know how to use trail knife or a machete, or a hatchet? Can you use them safely?

Do not leave this to chance. Choppers are dangerous even when you know what you’re doing. The least dangerous is a full size axe, but that’s not practical for backpacking. Anything shorter, from Hudson Bay size to a pocket hatchet, is dangerous. Long blades are marginally safer but you can still mess yourself up. An axe or a knife doesn’t care what it chops. You have to provide the care. You must provide the skill.

Find someone who knows how to use these tools safely and efficiently. Practice under supervision until your muscles and mind have proper habits solidly established. Never use a chopper when you are tired, drunk, in shock, or otherwise incapacitated.

In the meantime a good saw is much safer.

 

[pyro777]

For bushcraft stuff and outdoors I would really recommend also getting a sak farmer, it works as a good combination of tools that easily fits in you pocket. For a larger knife i would say a esee 4 or 6 but thats just my two cent.

 

[chopchop]

An axe or a knife doesn’t care what it chops. You have to provide the care.

I like that. I might have to use that one! :thumbup:

I would second the axe safety commentary. Axes are cool, but if you don't know how to use one or don't need one, they're dangerous and heavy. Even if you do, they can be dangerous and heavy. Just like with knives and every other tool... be safe.



sturdy, warm & waterproof clothes & boots
a good tent/tarp
a good sleeping bag/pad/hammock/underquilt
something to carry water & treat it
signaling device/s
a way to find your way back home (compass, map, etc.)
some sort of first aid kit
some way to start a fire quick (eg a bic lighter)
your favorite knife
some extra cordage/duct tape/etc to make repairs if necessary
something to carry it all in comfortably


and of course the knowledge to use all of the above is where I would start.

I would add a saw or axe if I were going to be out in temps or potential conditions that I would *need* a fire & don't think I could get the wood from foraging.

Some bushcrafty books to see what kind of skills you might want to learn/practice could also be helpful.



If I had that money I would buy at least one thing I've always wanted, regardless of whether I thought it was the best thing for "bushcraft". That $500 is gonna be fun to spend!! I'm jealous.