"Old Jimbo" from knifeforums.com suggested I post this there and I thought it would be appropriate here as well (I hope!).<br><br>I am looking for a Schmidt Packsaw. They used to be made (maybe are still made?) by Peter Schmidt, came in 24" and 30", and (I've been told), were carried by Western Mountaineering and Piragis- I've sent them both e-mails in the last two days and had no response so far.<br><br>I first found out about these apparently excellently made folding saws in a book by Robert Kimber, " Made for the Country", 1991, Lyons & Burford Publishers.<br><br>He lists them available at Curtis-Stebbins Camp and Trail Equipment, in Denmark, Maine. I've not explored this company (yet). I'll do so after I've posted this. Robert Kimber may have wrote about this company and saw some time before the book was published. & I'm going to try and contact him thru the publisher.<br><br>Any help would be appreciated and I'll post my progress here if it's ok. I think it would be a benefit for those "car camping" survivalists (many of us I believe), but a folding saw would also be very useful for the avaitors and canoe campers.<br><br>I have been in several situations where a saw would be very useful. Out here in the pacific NW, a fire is IMHO often necessary to make it thru the night. I have usually managed to get a fire going nicely without using a saw- but it can be time consuming, and perhaps more important, energy consuming. Our climate here, as many of you know is often very rainy & wet. This is why the fire-starters, tinder, leaf bags and "storm shelter" are so important in my kit.<br><br>This stems from an experience I had last week. I was helping a friend take out some trees on his vacation property and I got very cold and very wet. It wasn't raining, yet there was a lot of water in/on the brush. I got to a point where I couldn't move forward, couldn't lift the chainsaw. I realized I was in trouble, so I had my friend start a fire with a road flare, and I got outta the wet clothing and into the dry. This took a lot of effort and way longer than it should have. I'm grateful my truck was a fairly close 300 feet away. I could only walk 10 or 20 feet at a time, then I took 1 min or less break, them walked... after several minutes I was at the truck, stripping, and into some dry clothing. I drank some water and ate some snacks, felt better (I was probably pretty dehydrated from the heavy work, (chainsawing and etc). The fire was going good when I got over to it and I drank several cans of water heated by the fire, (from an old beer can). My friend drove us home- in my truck, with the heater up as high as it would go. I continued to drink the warm water and soon everything was ok. The hot coccoa at the restaurant was one of the high points of my cullinary experience. FYI, we were 15 min from the nearest help. Also I was wearing poly long underwear with synthetic chain saw pants over this, a nylon pile shirt, and a old firefighter coat over this. I don't remember being very cold, or shivering, except my hands, until I couldn't move. Maybe that was because I ignored the signs so we could get the job done. It was somewhere around 40 degrees F. and this incident occurred after about three hours of work. I usually wear something similar to this and I don't think I would change what I was wearing-- I just wish I realized what was happening quicker. The clothes I wore are pretty water resistant, but with extended contact with the wet brush were [censored] wet. <br><br>The only other thing I should add is that I remember not wanting my friend to help me with my wet clothes. I felt embarrassed and there was the "machisismo pride" thing. I'm grateful for all I have learned (includying here), and for the equipment that I keep in the truck for such "unplanned" events.<br> <br><br>Thanks, Tim "9-fingers" Hogan, Edmonds, WA <br><br>

Tim,<br><br>Piragis had these in their catalog last year. I had it on my Christmas list, but did not get one. They do not seem to have it now, but I recommend you call them directly and ask. They are an excellent company to deal with.<br><br>Your hypothermia experience is good information to review this time of year. I had a similar experience when I was in College. My friend and I spent most of a cold rainy day in a small boat in Yaquina Bay Oregon collecting seawater samples, clams and sediments. When we were about 45minutes away from the dock he started to just slow down. It did not occur to either one of us that he was hypothermic. I had to guide him into the boat and then get back to the Center. It took many cups of warm water and a very warm room to get his mental state back. We were both working hard and the air temperature was normal for the coast, about 40 deg or so, but the work, cold water on the hands etc just crept up on both of us.