The importance of the axe

It really depends on where you live, in all honesty. Where I live, a nice sized blade is completely fine. I prefer them, even. However, in Canada, an Axe would be with me, no doubt.
 
Buck saw and a bowie knife for me. Wouldn't substitute for a full size axe if a lot of splitting was involved, but hatchets just aren't my thing.
 
kgd said:
Great statement!

There are many ways to approach a problem in the outdoors and no blanket statements or truncated equipment list will cover all bases with the most efficiency.

Often time where one piece of equipment may excel for technical reasons or another, the users familiarity,training and skill may tip interfere with this and make another piece of equipment optimum.

Simple statements like - whenever you go out into the wild you should carry x....are always going to be rubbish. X may be good here, it may not be good there and it may be good here with John W but not for John Q. Finally, lets not forget that people go out into the wilds with different equipment sets and these will re-parameterize what is needed.

Consider the typical backpacker who hauls on their back a shelter and stove. Do they even need a chopper of any type? They've circumvented the need for a chopper because they already provided a solution for sleeping, cooking and warmth. Even just bring shelter materials radically reduces your need for wood if heating requirements are minimal and fire is only required for cooking. All depends on circumstances.

In the end, I think that axes + a good buck saw are preferred tools for processing large quantities of wood. However, I rarely ever find myself needing a large quantity of wood. Its a pretty rare bird who goes out and really behaves like Nesmuk now days, making their shelter, provisioning heat, purifying water all with the aid of fire and foraged wood on site.

Also consider that in a survival situation, the thinking is not what is the best piece of gear to have in case xx happens. The thinking is what is the least pain in the ass piece of gear to carry around with me just in case xx happens. Optimum performance is routinely compromised for simplicity when the odds of something happening are low.
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Exactly.
 
I wouldn't even think about carrying a saw or hatchet backpacking, BUT my "winter" 24 (or 72 hr) hour kit contains both (Rocky Mtns)- my "summer" kits I lose the hatchet, but the 3 oz folding Gerber saw stays in. The hatchet isn't a giant liability weight wise, but 17 oz is fair amount.

In the "winter" I feel much better having both the saw and axe (knife goes w/o saying).

I don't own a big knife, not sure I ever will- hard for a knife no matter how big) to compete w/ both a saw and axe :)
 
I'm not a regular poster here in W&SS, but I'll throw in my two cents.

I think a lot of the difference comes from the different objectives of different hikers. Some people want to carry everything they can regardless of weight, some people are on the search for the "most efficient" or "most adept" gear for a certain task, and some are looking for the lightest kit that still covers the basic needs for survival. The first group might carry a variety of fixed and folding knives, a hatchet, axe, and machete, a tent, sleeeping bag, matches, firesteel, tinder, ect., so as never to be without. They also may need a pack mule for all of their gear. The second group has experimented, and found what works best for their skills and area, so it can be any combination of items, but constitutes what they perceive as "the best" for them. The third group carries the absolute minimum, sacrificing some function in order to save as much weight and bulk as possible. Would an axe be better for splitting wood than a knife? Of course, but a knife can get the job done, so it's good enough. Of course, there are varying degrees in between as well.

Now, I am not stating anything new. You all know this already. What I see is that, sometimes, people from different groups and areas will disagree, and since they feel they have the "best", any disagreement tweaks the ego a bit.

For myself, I am still in the experimental stage. I carry a variety with me when camping. When I take my hikes, though, I try different configurations depending on conditions. It's all just for fun, so far, but I also try out different skills while out, just to make sure that, if I need them, they are there, even if the "best" tool isn't. After all, our most important tool can't be left behind.

It can, on the other hand, be a little dull.:D;)
 
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we are on the cusp here in North Mudzoory.
not the north north, nor the south of south

in between....

a good knife with a 4 or 5 inch blade will suffice. for camp and cruising the timber or creeks.

a small two bit or a small wildlife axe is carried during Deer season. it is used to trim limbs and to sever the breast bone.

i have thirty axes. maybe more. twenty of them are hatchets. several have been customized by trimming away the unwanted extra steel.

i keep a small hatchet in the car. one in the truck along with a good boys axe.

for extended camping and cruising i always pack a boys axe and a small hatchet. one of the silky saws is handy too.


like most of the previous posts, depends on what and where i'm headed.
i always have two or three knives in the mix. testing a new knife is always interesting and fun

if i had to limit myself i'd take a knife.
buzz
 
Here in northern Canada an axe is absolutely essential.I prefer a knife in around the 4'' range to go with it,but if I could only have one or the other the axe would be it,especially in the winter.
 
personally i feel a Husky 3120XP with skiptooth chain is essential, but for some reason the powers that be frown on such a tool in the provincial parks.....
 
might be because you carry it while wearing a hockey mask :D

seriously though, a chain saw in a provincial park just doesnt make sense to me.
 
It depends. Here in New England I bring either a camp axe or hatchet on overnights in colder weather.

I don't really see a need to in warmer months or on day hikes.


But I did just order a Wetterlings 10 inch belt axe from Ben's Backwoods today. Soooo... that is subject to change.;)
 
Chainsaw makes perfect sense to me if there's a lot of wood to be cut... and I don't have to carry it. Why, it's probably even faster than my Silky saw.
 
kgd said:
There are many ways to approach a problem in the outdoors and no blanket statements or truncated equipment list will cover all bases with the most efficiency.

Often time where one piece of equipment may excel for technical reasons or another, the users familiarity,training and skill may tip interfere with this and make another piece of equipment optimum.

Simple statements like - whenever you go out into the wild you should carry x....are always going to be rubbish. X may be good here, it may not be good there and it may be good here with John W but not for John Q. Finally, lets not forget that people go out into the wilds with different equipment sets and these will re-parameterize what is needed.

Consider the typical backpacker who hauls on their back a shelter and stove. Do they even need a chopper of any type? They've circumvented the need for a chopper because they already provided a solution for sleeping, cooking and warmth. Even just bring shelter materials radically reduces your need for wood if heating requirements are minimal and fire is only required for cooking. All depends on circumstances.

In the end, I think that axes + a good buck saw are preferred tools for processing large quantities of wood. However, I rarely ever find myself needing a large quantity of wood. Its a pretty rare bird who goes out and really behaves like Nesmuk now days, making their shelter, provisioning heat, purifying water all with the aid of fire and foraged wood on site.

Also consider that in a survival situation, the thinking is not what is the best piece of gear to have in case xx happens. The thinking is what is the least pain in the ass piece of gear to carry around with me just in case xx happens. Optimum performance is routinely compromised for simplicity when the odds of something happening are low.
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I think I'll frame that.
 
Ya need a Knatchet !!!!

design029.jpg


Yeah it's gonna be a compromise of sorts but for I do it should be perfect !

If I was gonna be chopping 4" + diameter trees down all the time then obviously I'd take one of my axes but for anything up to shelter size material this should work fine and perform most knife tasks as well !
 
I appreciate what a good little ax can do, and I carry a small Wetterlings when I camp.
The pack will also have a folding saw, and several knives. Blades are a camper's best friend. :)
 
When venturing into the hills My preference is to carry one of my 5" blades and my H.I. M-43 kukri. I much prefer the kukri to most axes in its size range and it performs many more tasks far better than a hatchet.
 
wildmike said:
when venturing into the hills my preference is to carry one of my 5" blades and my h.i. M-43 kukri. I much prefer the kukri to most axes in its size range and it performs many more tasks far better than a hatchet.
Click to expand...

pics! :D:D:D
 
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