backpacking saw

what kind of saw do/would you carry in your pack? i'm not talking about something for car camping or for use at home use but something for hiking, portaging and backcountry camping.

i've got two and am trying to decide between them. i could take both but i've got to draw the line somewhere!

the two i have are: a sierra saw (plastic handle, blade folds inside) and a swede saw (folding aluminum buck saw). the swede is a little longer, the sierra a little wider, and they are about the same weight. the blade on the swede is longer, the sierra is more substantial. they're both designed for one-handed use, right or left-handed, and they both fit nicely in my pack.

what's your prefence or do i need to go shopping?

http://www.bensbackwoods.com/servlet/Detail?no=420

This is the one I carry and use. Pretty lightweight and cuts very well. I had a Swede saw years ago and it is just too fiddly. Another option, if you plan on a lot of sawing, is the 18" Dandy saw, they have them on Amazon last time I looked.

Hope that helps.

I agree with Widget. I carry a Silky Saw, though I wish it had a brighter handle - like the Fiskars - to avoid accidental loss.

When car camping I prefer a full bow saw or a Trailblazer Takedown Bucksaw, but they are not suited to backpacking or canoe tripping.

I usually carry a small garden saw similar to the Laplander or one these Trail Blazer Take Down Saws

My favorite is the Sawvivor:





I keep one in each of my snowmobiles and in my backpacking/camping bag. They've seen quite a bit of use and have held up great (which really surprised me for as light as it is).

paul, that's the same Swede" saw i have. i may be calling it by the wrong name. i love it, except in tne winter. it's a little fiddly when it's cold but i love it when it's warm.

I've found that the folding saws you find in the garden center for cutting larger limbs, with a blade about a foot long, work quite well on wood up to 4" diameter or so. About $10 for the low end and $50 for a Silky, which my tree trimmer friend claims is the bees-knees.

They usually also sell a larger bow-type saw that handles wood up to 8" easily. There is a quite nice folding aluminum version that is known as a 'Sven' or 'Swede' saw but they get pricey.

Cheap is okay. You work a little harder for each cut but if you lose it, bend it, back your truck over it, or it gets dulled by sand, you buy another.

A little wax, sold in the hardware store to lubricate bandsaw blades, makes any sawing easier. Makes a world of difference. Old-time sawyers used to wet their blades with turpentine or kerosene. Works almost as well, actually a bit better IMHO, on pine with a lot of pitch.

Cleaning up hiking trails I've found a nice set of leather gloves made a big difference.

Teslinhiker, i had one of those once upon a time and didn't like it so much. maybe mine was a different model but i found it awkward to set-up and pack away.

i'll have to check out the laplander! thanks guys!

I use and LOVE my What-A-Saw. It's light weight, strong, folds down small, safely carries assorted blades, and cuts like a lightsabre.

-Blast

that looks nice Blast. think i hear my credit card calling....

You use a saw?! I thought C-4 was your "saw"....

Bacpacjac,

It depends on where I am going and under what conditions. For day hiking or where I will depend primarily on a stove, the saw in my SAK is more than enough. If I am going to use a little firewood, I take my Spyderco (like the Laplander or Kershaw discussed above). I use a Sven or Sawvivor for trips where I will want a fire regularly. If I am going to the deep woods, I carry Trailblazer (the big one). Of course there is an axe (also sized to the trip) along too.

Respectfully,

Jerry

LOL@ MoBob! thanks Jerry. i like that approach - bring the right tool for the job.

i'm with you on the axe. no self-respecting Canadian goes into the bush without an axe when there's a chance of cold weather!

BTW, to me there is a HUUUGE difference between what I'll carry when backpacking (and hiking) and what I'll carry when canoe tripping or camping a bit off the main roads.

I keep things a lightweight as possible when backpacking, but for other uses I'll accept more weight.

A lot of folks out there will think its crazy to even consider carrying a saw while backpacking. In their mind if they can't break it by hand its just too big to burn anyway. Lately I'm kind of surprised by how many backpackers don't even bother with campfires.

BTW, the Unbelievable Saw does surprisingly well so long as you are careful not to get it pinched by drooping limbs. It cuts much faster than most other saws since it tends to cut on 3 sides (in an arc) rather than just one straight line. AND it is a pretty minimal package.

I haven't used mine a lot so I can't comment on its durability - I worry about all the joints and what I'd do if the connection between the blade and the handles failed.

http://www.unbelievablesaw.com/

The Kershaw is the same as the Bacho Laplander saw.It is just made with the Kershaw name on it.If you find them and one is cheaper,go with cheaper.They have the same quality and one just has a name on it and is black instead of green....

BOATMAN
John

thanks Boatman!

thanks Ken! i'm with you - i carry different equipment when i'm on foot than when i'm in a vehicle, but i always take something!

I have been using the Gerber Gator Exchange-A-Blade Saws for years personally and in my kits I sell: http://www.gerbergear.com/index.php/product/id/189

Inexpensive, lightweight and works great.

You can't go wrong with a Silky, the 180 is a good choice: http://www.silkysaws.com/Silky_Saws/Folding-Straight_2/F180-Hand-Saw-180mm-Large-Teeth

The What-A-Saw reminds me of the Sven-Saw http://www.svensaw.com/
that I used on canoe trips and camping trips.

Now I have a Felco pruning saw http://www.felcostore.com/order/f611?referer=saws which doubles as a snow pit saw, which is my primary use for the saw.

What I found is that while a saw with a frame might be more stable the frame limits the diameter of the wood you can cut and the angle at which you can cut. A straight saw with the same size of even shorter blade will cut larger wood at a wider range of angles and in areas with limited access.

I backpack a Corona pruning saw. Ditto what NJS says regarding his Felco, plus its size lets me slip it into tight spaces, even a drinking bladder pocket.

15" Sven saw. Still on my first blade after tons of cutting.

+1 on the Sven saw; reasonably light and effective. I have used one on SAR operations, usually when we had to whack out a helispot or clear a trail for a litter.

But for normal recreational backpacking? Little if any need for a saw. I do have a saw blade on my Leatherman Wave, and I have used it for tasks like preparing a hiking staff. That is about all you need for recreational use, and even then it is not critical gear.

NightHiker,

That looks a lot like the larger version of the Wyoming Saw which I have used for years. Since I use mine mostly for dressing large game, I don't use the wood blade much. It works as well as the Sven or Sawvivor. Which is to say it should be a good one.

The best,

Jerry

One serious consideration:

Can it be assembled and used one handed?

Plus one for the Bahco Laplander.

I find this style of saw a bit more usable than the triangular sven type saws because you can get the blade into some tight spots to cut branches. There is no fiddly setup or bits to drop. Its compact and cuts quickly.

Best suited for hard wood up to about 12cm or 4 inches I think, maybe a bit bigger if you have a softwood. Perfect for firewood and most jobs

The Laplander seems to be perpetually out of stock everywhere.

The appropriate tool depends on the basic assumptions -- what is this saw supposed to achieve?

If it's emergency use, fuel and shelter, then the old school sierra saw is enormously effective. I use several of the $8-10 Coghlans jobs for pruning of my (hundred+) shelterbelt and fruit trees; they are both sturdy and effective. For backpacking, I would ditch the handle and pack the blade by itself, with a guard taped over the bottom third (details on request) -- two ounces tops, for a lot of capability.

On the other hand, if it's rough terrain where you expect to clear the trail -- or chop up standing deadwood for warmth -- or thin out small, live evergreens for shelter/bedding -- a genuine swede/bow saw is a workhorse that never quits. Even a 12" job can move mountains.

BTW, I own and use all of the above (except the Laplander, which is intriguing but pricey). My philosophy is simple: I'm just not willing to schlep stuff I don't need up a mountain pass. Call me lazy if you will.

I have several Sierra folding saws in various packs and vehicles. I like the smaller folding version. Had one for almost five years now and still going strong. I use it all the time while camping and sometimes at the shooting club when an IDPA "prop needs croppin'" Me thinks when it finally gets dull, I'll make a toothbrush outta it.

right you are, leigh. i smashed my shoulder this summer, and it was useless for months. that's when the sierra earned it's spot. unfold it and you're ready to go. no screws to fiddle with.

A good folding saw gets my vote, though in the spirit of full disclosure, they are the only ones I have used to date. A bow saw is mighty handy to use at home though so I am looking into one of the collapsible bow saw-types as well. For one-handed use it would be hard to beat a good quality folding saw like Buck or Gerber or the aforementioned Sierra. No affiliations and YMMV.

The Gerber is a pretty decent saw and I like the ability to change blades. But the handle is quite fragile - use with care. I am sure you could improvise a handle somehow if you needed to.

I hate to bring this up ... because it's a bit gruesome. I just got through watching the show "127 Hours". If you haven't seen this movie ... you should probably rent it sometime. My wife absolutely insisted that we watch it last night - because it reminded her of how we both were in our younger days when we were rock climbers. That movie is true to form about the "free spirit" behavior of people in the adventure community.

Anyway ... not to spoil the surprise but the guy winds up having to amputate his own arm. AGHHHHHH ! Watch the movie - you'll see what happens. The ironic thing is that he didn't have a good saw in his kit, and he didn't even have a good blade on his pocketknife. So it was the worst of all possible circumstances.

Anyway, if you really need to amputate something, a small fine-bladed saw would be a very good choice. And it does need to be able to be operated one-handed.

OK ... very sorry to hijack this thread with these gross comments.
Ha! Ha! Ha!!

other Pete

The Gerber Gator Exchange-A-Blade and the Unbelievable Saw are the way to go. No fine motor skills needed to operate either one of these.

I try to have one-handed use as a consideration for "any" purchase. My reasoning is that I may have my other hand busy holding something, or perhaps injured, so its a consideration, not necessarily the only one.

For instance I may have had to reach high, or lean out, to pull down a branch, and then realise that I need to open the saw to cut it .... one handed makes sense. But there's no point in buying a one handed saw if it won't do what you want it to do.

Not exactly for back packing but I have used both a folding pruning saw, and a folding camping saw. I am not sure what the difference really is as they look about the same to me. Marketing I guess.

They both did a credible job of sawing thru 3 or 4 inch chunks of wood.

One of them I keep in my car kit. Not sure what happened to the other one.

I agree, not much difference. A good quality, sharp pruning saw will work very nicely as a backpacking saw. Perhaps even better, since some stuff I see that's sold as a "camping saw" is disposable garbage. For example, I bought a Gerber slide-out saw that seemed like a bargain but the blade turned into a pretzel in minutes; yet Home Depot carries a Fiskars that looks very similar but is of much better quality. Weekend car campers will toss something that breaks into the garbage; gardeners/arborists will return it to the store and give some pointed feedback as they demand a refund.

The Gerber Fiscars Sport Saw. Scarey sharp, feather light, and retractable. I drilled a hole in the back for a paracord lanyard.

Byrd Man ... thanks! I'll check that out. I normally don't have a saw in my lightweight kit - but that might do the trick.

Pete #2

Yep, that's the one.

Since there's a newer model out, I'm holding out for a sale. Then every kit gets one of these.

EDIT: But avoid this turkey like the plague: http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442626997&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302696925#tab3
(MEC is simply awesome; but on this occasion they've been 'had.')

Both Gerber and Fiskars are made by the same company (Fiskars) in China, makes you wonder why does one suck but the other doesn't eh?

Yeah, exactly. I guess one project was organized by a pencil-pusher and the other by someone who knew what they were talking about. Just be warned that a Gerber isn't necessarily a Fiskars, quality-wise. (I confess I'm increasingly cautious about stuff with the Gerber logo. Some is quite decent and serviceable, but some is just the worst rubbish. <Sigh>.)

I was in the hardware store today - working on getting items to build up my storage capabilities for food and water. While there, I checked the pruning saws. There are some nice folding saws, but all the ones I saw had very coarse teeth. I prefer to be able to make fine cuts. So I wound up going over to the hardware section and choosing a short (but strong) saw with a tapered blade and good fine teeth. For my purposes I am aiming towards urban survival. So this saw will work well for search and rescue in timber homes, and also for survival projects that involve cutting thick plastic (e.g. plastic barrels). It's still short enough to fit in my rucksack.

I did take a look at the Fiskers gear. I gotta' agree that it looks well made. I have noticed that companies that pay a lot of attention to product quality can get good things produced in China. I liked the small tomahawk made by Fiskars. Compact, and not too heavy. So I also picked up one of those - that will also be available for my pickup truck or my rucksack.

Pete #2

I Carry a Sthil pruning saw. I picked it over a camping based saw (such as a cohglans saw or gerber exchange a blade) because a few points I thought about while staring at the price. It had a sturdier locking mech it seemed and I figured it is made for people who work all day doing lawncare as a main job. Its Sawblades are by far thee best i have seen compared to others. Hard chrome coated sharp as all heck and runs threw a 4 inch log like it wasnt there. The blade is held in by a Bolt and nut with a large deep Phillips head so I figure it would be easiest to replace and change if need be.

Thanks Frisket. We have several stihl dealers here (really like the quality of their weedeaters) so I'll have to look into that. One question tho. Are the blades replaceable on the stihl model?

reason for edit: no affiliations (standard disclaimer, just a happy customer wrt their weedeaters)

Yep Yep The blades are infact replaceable just make sure you purchase the right blade for the right saw you own since there is multiple models with difference blade lenghts and shapes.