Efficient tool for processing wood

[Kid Brock]

I was fortunate enough to spend 3 weeks in Arkansas taking Wilderness Survival courses. While I was there, I was able to talk to 2 people that completed the 21 day " Naked and Afraid" challenge. The biggest thing I learned is that living with minimal equipment, in the woods, is a calories game. That means you want to get maximum results with the least amount of calories used.

I said all that because the Folding saw is the most efficient tool you can have in your pack to process wood. You can cut down trees, cut fire wood, cut wood used for shelter, and use to make notches real quick among other things.

Not only does it cut more efficiently than an AX or large knife, it also weighs less than 1lb. So you are not burning a lot of calories to haul it with you. It also folds into a small/compact handle, making it easy to pack.

Below is the kind I personally carry. There are several brands and a few different sizes, most are pretty similar. This is the Silky Saw GomeBoy. I prefer the Silky Saw because I can change blades easy. So I also carry an extra blade, just in case.

[Ice]

Kid Brock,

Thanks for posting this man. I have been looking for what the best knife to have in the woods for a very long time (probably 1-2 years since I started putting a go bag together).

What do you think about this machete for woodwork?

http://www.amazon.com/Ontario-Knife-833 ... ario+knife



It seemed to do really well in the bladeHQ vid when they were chopping wood here - But, wasn't sure how long it would last, or how reliable it'd be in the long term.

Looked up reviews awhile ago and what I could find was that it seemed to hold it's own - though no one really talked about LT.

[Kid Brock]

A machete would be useful if you are going to be in heavy heavy brush, ( Having to cut a path through the woods). Other than that, I do not think they are worth the calories you use to carry it, ( they are heavy) and in your bag, ounces matter.

The machete can chop wood fine, but that is about it. If all he had was the machete it would be very difficult and dangerous to process that squirrel:) Plus any woodwork such as notching, scraping, and whittling is much easier and safer with the smaller blade. Also, the folding saw will cut down trees with much less effort than a machete (plus the folding saw is more compact and very light).

Good video, around minute 2 you see how easily his knife chops small limbs from trees. Side note: The knife he was using was the TOPS B.O.B ( Brothers of Bushcraft ) knife, that was the last one I had a picture of in the knife thread:).

He only used the machete from time 3:01 to 3:20. So 20 seconds out of a video over 7 minutes. That is pretty accurate, because there are few times it will be much better than a good knife.

Because I can do everything a machete can, with a smaller knife, I would not have one in my BOB. Just not worth the space and weight it will occupy.

[lfthk1]

Cost of saw?

[Kid Brock]

That one is around $30. You can get different brands for $15-25. Great small investment for the work it does.