You can only have ONE with you

I wouldn't even consider not taking a good sized axe.

This could well be different for people in warmer places, but in the vast majority of Canada, it is too cold in the winters not to need a hell of a lot of wood.

If nobody is coming to help me, maybe ever, then I want a nice little home out there - saves on the firewood, for one thing! I would be cutting up trees for a little log house faster than you can say a medium-long word, e.g. "gesticulating."

Fire is probably the first thing you need in the cold north, followed by shelter, followed by water - and for lots of the year, there is one way of getting water better than any other: cut a hole in the ice with your axe and pull some up. I think you probably could do it with a knife, but man, what a lot of work!

Now, fine tasks are a little trickier with an axe, but not near as much as you might think! In fact, I find an axe easier to work with than a big knife a lot of the time - but I admit I don't have lots of experience with big knives (I call knives upwards of 6" blade big.)

I have often thought that with an axe and a pot, I could probably manage for a lonely winter in the bush up here.
 
"North American woodland setting. You'll need to construct shelter, prepare firewood, start fires, trap, fish, and do whatever else it takes to thrive in this situation."

Lots of variables in N.A. woodlands. I would choose an axe.

J.
 
Well Chris i were thinking more in a very long term as in many years. I would agree with you that a smaller knife would do. My most fancy knife now is a Mora. I did get this weekend a Bushman just to see what a larger knife is all about. I also have a very old Collins axe that a few months ago i put a convex edge on. I choped some wood with it and its still shaving sharp. After i used the axe to clean and prepare a chicken and it done very well... I played with that axe for over a month tried diffrent things with it. It done it all very well. No i dont realy carry it as the Mora handles it all for me. But many times when i think of getting a bigger knife i look at my axe and think why...

Sasha
 
misanthropist said:
I wouldn't even consider not taking a good sized axe.

This could well be different for people in warmer places, but in the vast majority of Canada, it is too cold in the winters not to need a hell of a lot of wood.

If nobody is coming to help me, maybe ever, then I want a nice little home out there - saves on the firewood, for one thing!
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Is part of this scenario you can't leave, at just 5 miles a day for 5 months, April through August, I would be almost 800 miles closer to a beach in florida, or maybe just a snug cave. Lots of variables here, what time of the year are you stranded, where are you stranded, what gear do you have besides the one sharp. Chris
 
sasha said:
I choped some wood with it and its still shaving sharp. After i used the axe to clean and prepare a chicken and it done very well...

Sasha
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Did you catch and kill the chicken with the axe, or buy it all ready to be cut up at the grocery store. Chris
 
This Becker has done it all for me, splitting wood, making fuzz sticks, cleaning fish, pickin out splinters, cutting up cheese.... you get the point.

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Not too big, not too small, comfortable in the hand. I'm going too miss this brand.
 
allenC said:
I don't agree.
I've never been in any forest where there wasn't plenty of firewood and logs already on the ground.
And the multi-tool's woodsaw is surprisingly effective at bringing down larger trees than you might think...trees easily large enough for a long term shelter.

IMO, the only real need for a chopper might be the dreaded "need to get to the dry inner wood of a log when all other wood is soaked from rain" senario.





Again, I don't agree.
IMO, the mid-size knife is the worse compromise....
Too small for serious chopping, and too large for fine cutting tasks.
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I have to say I agree with all of the above. In all my years of boy scouts we never chopped a log to get in the center and we were in the rain a lot. I opt for my BSA Huntsman after careful consideration because I like the keenness of the knives and the scissors which I have used for minor surgery. The saw can take down all I need for shelter. It might take longer but I will get it done.
 
WVHILLS said:
I would have to say this one, its big enough to chop and still small enough to do camp chores. A big knife can do the work of a small knife but a small knife can not do the work of a big knife:)

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This one can !!!!:D It can do the work of a big blade but it just takes a little longer to do it. It can also do smaller tasks which would be hard to do with a large chopper type knife. The main reason this would be my choice though is that I know I could trust my life on it !!!!:thumbup:
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Id rather trap the chicken then run around trying to kill it with a blade. Just me.. :-)

With that said, from what i have and use, Id go with my Busse Badger or Mark Terrell WSK. As tempting as a small knife, I prefer the reliability of a large blade
 
shotgunner11 said:
This Becker has done it all for me, splitting wood, making fuzz sticks, cleaning fish, pickin out splinters, cutting up cheese.... you get the point.

DSC00008.jpg



Not too big, not too small, comfortable in the hand. I'm going too miss this brand.
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Shotgun,
I got some pretty good trade bait, let me know what you want for that knife.:p :thumbup:
 
The smart choice would be a heavy machete or axe,but Im partial to Vics,and I always have one on me,so I'll say my Victorinox trekker,easy to sharpen,won't rust,and the saw is more efective than many would think.
 
I'd take a Leukko, probably around 8 or 9 inches or so. Like misanthropist says, making fire is a big concern and if it's during the snow months I'd want something where I can easily chop and baton into some wood and get stuff going. Sure, you might find something not covered in snow and ice after looking around, but I'd rather pick up the first good looking log I see, break it apart, carve out a few shavings if I can't find better tinder and get a fire going. Right after that I'd get to work on a shelter, which is work done more quickly with a chopper than a saw.

It's a tough call between that and something like a OHT. I'd take the SAK if it were late spring to early fall. allenC pointed out lots of good benefits to carrying one.
 
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It's the sharpest blade I've ever handled (now) and I don't enjoy trusting a folder to stand up to all the possible abuses it might have to. An axe would be nice, but it just won't cut it for the smaller stuff.
 
Chris it was a dead chicken already lol. If i had to run after it and kill with an axe i think i would end up killing you from laughing too hard watching me lol. Any way i did gut it and opend it. I took the breast of the bird and cut each breast into two pieces. Then it was the wings and the legs separated the body in half. From one chicken i make three dishes. To say it was easier then a kitchen knife heck no its not. But it did take me maybe 5 min longer. I used the axe as you would use the ULU (forgot the spelling) It actualy feels like one when you use it. Its not one of the larger axes its a 1 1\4lb collins. The head fits nice in my hand.

Sasha
 
The mountain men of the 1800s, who were experts in your scenario, would have chosen an axe, if they could only have one edged tool. I'll vote with them.
 
Wasn't it a Rocky movie where he trained by chasing chickens, it was pretty funny as I remember it.:D

The beauty of these threads and scenarios is to get you thinking, and that is all I was trying to do. I personally think the edged tool you have with you depends mainly on what else you have. If I have good clothes and fleece in my pack, a role of 550, my tool kit, my favorite scattergun, my telescoping fishing rod and tackle, sleeping bag with bivy sack and a siltarp I believe I could get by with an imperial barlow in my pocket.;)
 
Dog Man said:
The mountain men of the 1800s, who were experts in your scenario, would have chosen an axe, if they could only have one edged tool. I'll vote with them.
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And you know this how?
If you finally found the online time machine that actually works I would love the URL.

I think the mountain men would be as divided as we are. Chris
 
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