Usually it's me, thus my nom de web. Also, last night I discovered to my dismay that Mrs. Magnet found the new hatchet. So far it is both undestroyed and not yet returned from where it was taken. If anything funny happens I'll update the thread.

Personally I like a hatchet. There's plenty out there that are sub 3 lbs. Like any tool, it can be learned.

Unlike a saw, you can hammer with a hatchet. You can (sort of) whittle. You can use it on on a ferro rod.

And, if you need to, you can use it for self defense. You don't watch "The Patriot" and notice anyone with a pruning saw.

I don't have much use for an axe nor a hatchet although I do like my Fiskars splitting maul. For self defense I prefer a firearm, usually a 9mm on me, occasionally a .38 revolver, or a 12ga pump when I'm out for a couple days. I feel that 12ga slugs will be better if I need to ward off a bear than a hatchet! I would rather not get close enough to use the hatchet!

Making kindling is kind of tough with a 9mm.

Ironically, never taken a firearm camping, had about a half dozen encounters with black bears and one distant mountain lion.

Maybe in grizzly country I would.

Look at all the old time trappers. What did they take?

A saw is great for cutting trees into logs, but when you're just busting up sticks, a hatchet is a lot more effective. You aren't building a log cabin with the thing. Go watch "naked and afraid," Les Stroud, Bear Grylls, or any YouTube survival channel. How big are the sticks in their fire? Not exactly saw materiel. Do you ever see anyone on Naked & Afraid bring a saw as their item?

I would be very cautious about relying on anything advocated on the scripted TV entertainment shows you mention as reliable advice for a real time emergency. I find it much more useful to consider the experiences of those in actual survival situations.

The "old time trappers" did not have access to anything like modern saws, like Silky et al. I bet they would have found a use for them.

It takes a lot of ammo, a safe backstop of course, and it's super loud.

I've managed to do all my fire making for the last 35 years without an axe. IMO a knife works a lot better for making kindling. So far I've never regretted not having a hatchet along.

Likewise, 35 years without a saw.

There's a tool for every job. A saw isn't wrong, but it's not the only right.

Saws have been around for millenia. What exactly did they need differently?

I mean, they did a good job with what they had - felling redwoods, making wooden ships, etc. 2-man saws were probably used then, but 1-hand saws were around.

Hikermor has pointed out many times over the years that very often no tools are needed to gather firewood. I agree. I have been in situations where I'd have had little to no larger wood without a saw but those times are uncommon. You can very often just pick up wood. Longer pieces can often be snapped into smaller pieces in the crotch of a tree. Sometimes you can burn a log in half.

The part that kind of has me at a loss is the whole "bug out bag" notion. If I had to bug out it probably wouldn't be to the forest. I realize a BOB is something different to different people but it's tough for me to envision bugging out to the wilderness. Perhaps someone can suggest a situation where that might be the best option. Perhaps the biggest reason I might have to "bug out" here would be because of wildfires; in that situation the very last place I'd go would be into the woods! If something truly epic was to happen here I'd probably seek to try to get back to my family in the Midwest or head west to stay with friends near Missoula MT or in Idaho. An axe wouldn't do me much good in that endeavor but that's not so say it wouldn't help someone else.

The only real wood cutting task I would foresee might be clearing a downed tree from the road after a storm. For that job I think my largest saw would be best, and a chainsaw would be even better. Alas, I don't have a chainsaw.

To be clear, I am not badmouthing axes or hatches. I really love my splitting axe/maul. I don't ever use a hatchet and rarely use a felling axe but it's probably a circular argument; I use a saw because I'm not good with a felling axe, and I'm not good with the felling axe because I always use a saw.

Still, it would be neat to own a beautiful Gränsfors Bruk or something to pump up my bushcraft cred!