BTW, it might be called a "machette" but it's really not. It's a flat 10" blade, .25" thick. It batons wood very effectively:



I sharpened mine to the point that it was better at whittling than my Kershaw. The sawteeth on the back are sharp enough that they make it pretty tough to hold onto it via the spine, though. My feelings are mixed; it does a great job chopping and with heavy tasks but you can see by the shape that it has some serious limitations.

Heaven help me, I'm really thinking about a Busse Bushwacker Mistress!

IMO everyone doesn't need to buy equipment suitable for settling the northwest territories. Yes, a more substantial poncho would be my choice but a $.99 disposable unit can be quite useful. Good ones will see you through a sudden storm, perhaps two if your gentle with it. And a $.99 plastic poncho is a hell of a lot better than standing in the rain with nothing at all.

A bonus is that a $.99 unit is cheap enough to stock in considerable numbers and to hand out with no expectation of them being returned. They are also expendable. Use a few times and toss them. Not great for the landfill but not something you would use many of outside a mass casualty disaster.

Being disposable means that if they are contaminated by chemical fallout from an industrial accident, or other slime or toxic mess, you can save trouble by disposing of it instead off having to decontaminate it. It can make a lot of sense to wear a light disposable unit over a more substantial rain-suit and let the cheap stuff take the bulk of the insult.

I was really pleased with the $.99 poncho, truth be told. With a bit of paracord as a belt it kept me snug as a bug in a rug. And thin though it was I could have used it for days if needs be. Especially since my FAK had about 8-10' of Gorilla tape re-rolled. As you say, Art, if this were a survival situation it's not like I'd have been leading the Donner Party- it just would have had to keep me going til I got rescued.

BTW, another interesting "survival lesson" to be learned- the presence of a lot of blood doesn't mean anything. My cut bled copiously but it waqsn't nearly so bad as it initially seemed. Long experience has shown me that I'm a bleeder. No, not a hemophiliac but I do bleed more than the average person. Many people freak out at the sight of blood but I've cut my fingertip off twice and had several to-the-bone cuts in the kitchen. So while I understand and respect the risk of infection and such I also know that the presence of a lot of blood doesn't mean you're gonna keel over in a few minutes. STOP! Relax. Think. Don't freak out and run around, just calmly go to your FAK (you do keep one nearby, don't you?) and treat the injury. Don't dink around, but you do have time.

Phaedrus, you bring up a good point about the cut. Infection is the NUMBER ONE concern when faced with a survival situation. Bleeding and pain are just cues to the affected area . The situation you were in allowed you easy access to medical help, if needed. And, as it was just an overnight, infection likely wouldnt set in until the following day. Thats why its IMPERATIVE to be as careful as possible, and not take risks, when doing this stuff real-world. You illustrated that for all of us .

I gotta ask though-how do you cut the SAME fingertip off TWICE???

EDIT: Please read this as lighthearted. Thats the way it is intended. I am happy that it was a minor cut, and not something worse. At least you may get a cool scar to tell tales around!

Most of the times I've cut myself is when you happen to be doing normal activities. Probaly the worst cut was after sharpening a knife. I thought I'd clean the blade and sliced my finger.
Even at work I sliced my hand the other day. Nothing big but it bled for a while. Sometimes in my line of work it's just part of the job.
Some of the wood we've purchased in the SP's around here has been a litle on the wet side. One thing I've tried this year is some corugated cardboard that is sort of shredded but intack. We had it in a box as packing material. Not the smallest but when car camping you have a little more room. I thought I'd give it try. One of those things about trying to be resourceful.

I carry and prefer to use a military weight poncho.

It's much stronger than the "emergency poncho."
Better for emergency shelter (I carry some paracord and small aluminum tent stakes for the purpose), for carrying out injured party members, won't be shredded by bushwhacking.

Poncho is good for hiking because it breathes a lot better than a waterproof parka. Not great for all-day rains but for passing Rocky Mountain rain or showers it works well.

I've tried to use a waterproof parka, but I found myself sweating so much that I was just as wet on the inside as if I wasn't wearing it. I'm a poncho guy.

I use an Exped Bivy Poncho - mostly for the length (I'm quite tall), but a side benefit is that it has all sorts of snap-up and tarp options.

I find using the hood to be too warm too. I'd rather wear my Tilley synthetic fabric hat - it keeps rain off my glasses too.

I recommend Campmor's Cascade II nylon ponchos to Scouts and leaders in my son's troop. They are reasonably priced (though not 99 cents), well made, and come in several sizes, including an extra long-backed version for covering backpacks.

They also have nylon loops in the corners to allow them to be used as tarps. Slick.

It was about 15 years apart. The first time I was a young pup just starting out on the line. The second time I was in a hurry and just let my focus wander a bit. Considering how much time I spend with a knife in my hand it's a wonder I don't get cut more. In part it's simply that my technique has improved over the years. Even so, no matter how careful you are you will make a mistake. It's just how are brains are wired.

The time I get cut the most when I'm sharpening. Really that makes sense; I'm handling the knives a lot and they're the sharpest they'll ever be when I take them off the final stone. Testing the edge is a danger point but I'd say wiping off the swarf and cleaing up is probably the most hazardous time. I rarely get a bad one this way, it's usually just a lot of nicks.

I'm mindful of infection, both at home and in the field. I try to always irrigate the wound and keep it covered. A lot of the time I'll use a triple antiobiotic cream but lately I've been wondering if that's not worse in the long run than just using water.

I made a snide comment before but there is a serious point to this,
Machetes and axes are wicked cutters and in our grandfather's times a small cut could be fatal (gangrene, septicemia blood poisoning, no antibiotics) and with newer strains of drug resistant bugs things are headed that way again.

It is really easy to forget and put yourself into the line of a cutting edge, especially with machetes and short handled axes.

An old saying is cut towards you chum and not your thumb. That applies quite well to smaller blades but with a machete you have to count the full swing if you miss, as well as remembering not to hold the kindling in your fingers as you try to split it.

I have often seen people swinging tools in such a way that the blade would be biting a leg or foot if they ever missed the cut they were aiming for.

Chicken,

That is why earlier in this thread I had suggested reading (rereading) Doug Ritter's section on Gear & Equipment. I was specifically referring to his recommendations on axes:

"To the horror of many old time traditional outdoorsmen, I tend to avoid recommending hatchets and axes. It is so easy to seriously injure or cripple yourself using these tools that the risks outweigh the benefits, in my opinion. This is especially a problem if you are tired, cold or otherwise not in particularly great shape, not an unlikely possibility for any survivor. An axe or hatchet is not very forgiving of poor or sloppy technique, as many a person, experienced and not, has learned the hard and painful way. For the inexperienced survivor there isn't the time to learn how to safely use these tools, which have been known to bite even those with plenty of years handling them. A saw is simply safer."

These are wise wise words.