I agree that a hatchet is handy, but it’s a tool that doesn’t allow for misjudgments in aim. I have one that I take camping, I find the saw faster for wood of 1-inch or bigger and the hatchet better for smaller wood.

Both are handy tools, but the saw is more forgiving and less dangerous to use.

When camping with my son (he’s 18-years old) I let him use the saws any time he wants, but I have a hard time letting him go with the hatchet. I do it, but every time I watch and remind him how to use it and make sure he does it in a way I feel is safe. At 18 you think you are invincible, ( I know I thought I was) you have to get old like me before you figure out this isn’t so. I guess that’s why the young are the ones to storm the beaches of the world, they are too dumb to know you can get killed.

My pocket chainsaw resembles the one you got at Walmart, its called a SaberCut from Ultimate Survival, a good brand that makes fire sparkers and other interesting things, http://www.ultimatesurvival.com/product_view.cfm?product_ID=430. I originally bought it thinking to replace my Sven saw for cutting away smallish trees down across the trail (while I don't cut green branches for shelter, I do cut the occasional dead tree to clear a trail :-)), and its pretty good, but I think the motion of sawing with the Sven saw is more natural, I've kept it instead. Now the SaberCut is relegated to a BOB, but its not clear why I would use it in an emergency (most of the trees that might fall around my house are too big to cut by hand). Its definitely smaller and lighter than a Sven, and seems plenty durable unlike imitators, just not quite as handy as a Sven or frame saw.

Before I started getting into the preparedness mindset, I was on a snowmobile trip that taught me a lesson about the need to have wood cutting tools on hand. We, two of us, left for the trails on a beautiful, snowy morning with nary a second thought about cutting wood. By the end of the day, pine trees were literally falling down around us due to a combination of heavy snow accumulation on the trees, soft ground and wind.

We soon encountered trees that had fallen across our only trail back to the base camp. Due to the depth and texture of the snow, along with the lateness in the day, it wasn't feasible to hike out. If we didn't ride out, we would be forced to make do on the trail until morning, something that we were ill prepared to do.

The trees couldn't be drug out of the way because they were still attached at the stump and they were too long to allow us to swing the free end past standing trees. We ended up hacking through the fallen trees by taking turns with my buddy's single SOG SEAL Pup. Trees were falling around us as we attempted to clear the trail. The beautiful winter wonderland that we had so enjoyed earlier was trying to kill us and I would have given all my worldly possessions for a good hand saw.

Before that trip was over, we had purchased a variety of packable wood cutting tools, vowing that we would never again be unprepared for a similar situation.

I would go on but I need to go fondle my saws.

+1 on that BobS.

The ability to drive a tent stake isn't that high for me- you can always find a rock around here. While an axe is worthwhile, a hatchet in my experience isn't as efficient a use of space as a 12" machete for the small stuff, and a buck saw for the larger.

I guess I was lucky. I was clearing trees on my uncles land (at his request) at about eigth. I was too small to swing his full sized axe, so I cut down 10"+ pine trees with a rig axe (large hatchet with a checkered face hammer head on the other side). Been swinging edged tools ever since. I don't always hit exactly where I want to, but have never cut myself either...

I thank you all for your input. I think I will go with the hand chain saw in leui of the sawz-all blade. It is cheap enough at approx. $10 and IMHO would probably keep my hands in better condition for other vital tasks. One of the reasons I enjoy this site is that there are varieties of opinion and respect for the variances. All I have to do now is find a space in my pack to store the saw. I will probably put one in each of my vehicles emergency boxes.

Again thanks for the ideas and information passed along.

A word of warning: unlike fixed saws, the flexible kind is nearly useless for very light work. I imagine you're aware of that, though...

Gents, I subscribe to Tactical Knives Magazine, and a gent named Dan Shechtman pens the Survival column there. He opines that through various means, you can loose or be separated from your pack or anything that is not "attached" to you. He recommends a "pocket-able" folding saw. I took this recommendation to heart and purchased a Silky Pocket Boy 170 (www.silkysaws.com), it is the largest model that will fit in a BDU thigh pocket. I has a comfortable orange rubber like handle (any handle in a given size series will fit any blade in that series) and I ordered a full selection of blades and spares of each. I'm still in the testing stage, trying to figure out what each blade design cuts what best, and to see if I can narrow it down to 1 or 2 blades that cover most of what I would need to cut. So far, it's a great saw, I'm very happy with it.
Between it, my PSK/PFAK, SAK, Leatherman Wave (Gen.I), lock back folder, a substantial fixed blade, Zippo and the K&M brass match safe with waxed strike anywheres, most or all of which can in some way be tied or affixed to me, I'll miss my pack as it floats down stream, but I'll not be without tools.
Regards, Jim

PS, you can order directly from Silky.

I don't think you're lucky. I think other people are just paranoid.

In the same vein, i.e. a cut it all (even if slowly) folding or takedown small saw, does anyone have any experience with the "MXZ Saw" for sale at www.asseenontv.com?