Howdy. I backpack 2-4 times a year. None of them will ever really become a situation of surviving as im in a group of 10-20 with multiple forms of GPS communication, however while im out there, i like to brush up on my survival skills. Pretty solid on the basics, but im looking for some recommendations for a good 5-6" knife to split small branches with (4" diameter or less), a good handsaw, and an axe depending on weight. I already carry an m1945 entrenching tool with me but maybe there is a folding shovel with the things above? (ive seen one or two, but i dont know how good/durable they are)
ESEE 4 or 6 depending on how much blade you think you really need. Maybe one of the smaller Beckers? A silky folding saw in the size you want. Gransfors Bruk small forest axe. There’s lots of options though.
I like the idea of carrying a small axe or hatchet. I don’t like the weight of one so I don’t. Personally I’d also ditch the entrenching tool but more power to you.
For non-carbon steel knives Carothers and Fiddleback Forge Mid-Techs come in wonderfully hard durable razor sharp knives I’ve been batoning grocery store or local logs with for over a decade. For carbon steel +1 on ESEE’s are hard to beat and with decent care breaking in (use as a food knife to get that patina protecting the knife from rust) they are clean/dry/sharpen in terms of care with some mineral oil final wipe.
Axes +1 on Gransfors Bruk or Hultefors or Hults Bruk small axes will outlast you. outdoor shop, home depot/lowes type axes will give you blisters and break when you least want it and are close in price. Again for care clean/dry/sharpen.
I backpack a lot, and have tried many types of the gear you are asking about, and these are my personal recommendations:
For the knife: I’d say ESEE 4, unless you want some more heft. I backpack sometimes with my ESEE 5, and it’s great at splitting branches, wood, and a bunch of other tasks, but it’s quite bulky and heavy.
For the axe, I really like the size/weight of the SOG camp axe for backpacking in. I’ve tried multiple axes, and this one is my favorite for backpacking specifically. https://sogknives.com/camp-axe/
For the handsaw, i’ve found that a hand chainsaw actually cuts larger branches/logs quicker and better than a handheld saw most of the time, and is small to pack in: https://www.campndoor.com/products/
Much of it is personal preference, but those are my personal recommendations
My knees ached seeing all that gear you carry, but this is what I use:
MoraKniv Classic #1 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B087R9NY2R/
Fiskars X11 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AQLUE4/
Corona Tools 10-Inch RazorTOOTH folding saw https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084DVY7QW/
The only thing I might change is the saw: the 10" is a bit long sometimes and jams the tip in the dirt when cutting logs propped off the ground. The 7" might be better
As for splitting 4" branches with a 5-6" knife, that doesn’t leave much tip for batoning. You’d be better off with a 8" blade. Pro tip: it’s worth the weight to carry a pair of good leather gloves.
EDIT: When you say backpacking I think 10+ miles/day consecutively. If you’re just hiking to a “base camp” then you might not care for the plastic handled axe and saw. That said, I don’t bring an axe backpacking (the MoraKniv does a great job splitting 2-3" rounds) and rely on the knife and saw.
As for shovel… I don’t know what type of digging you’re doing out there but an entrenching tool seems way overkill.
I like http://www.qiwiz.net/trowels.html
http://www.qiwiz.net/images/Trowel720new.JPG
The big one works well for doing a little gold panning too, use the gloves it’ll save your hands if you’re doing a lot of digging.
A saw and this(in lieu of the knife and axe)
https://www.varusteleka.com/en/product/terava-skrama-240-carbon-steel/30189
Are the trick for processing firewood. Batoning has less chance of an injury during splitting than an axe and it works well for feather sticking.
If going very far I just use some sort of light polymer or metal trowel for digging cat holes, but if you really need to dig and cut down on weight look in to a Glock e-tool with a Cold Steel spetsnaz shovel as a close 2nd.
Need a budget for any real recs there as it spans a wide range.
Esee makes a really good hard using knife. I have the izula2 and had a 5 that I can’t seem to find. I used them both hard and they held up great
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No more than $500 for a knife/saw/ax. Depending on the saw and a good knife for batoning, don’t think I’ll go for an axe.
If you want a knife for batoning to replace the axe, the ESEE 5 is a great choice. I use mine often and it’s hefty, definitely up for the task.
ESEE and Silky for the win…. I use a silky slaw everyday and the ESEE is the first thing I pack camping