Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Do you pack an axe or a saw?

Or both or neither?

On our CO archery hunt, I took a Gerber axe and my partner had a folding saw. To my surprise, we seemed to use the saw more to clear a tent site and to cut firewood. It was also quieter. What do you guys carry?

Neither myself--I don't need it for backpacking and animals get dismantled via knife. Might be different if I used a wood stove a whole lot.

Saw is *always* first choice. I use one of the fiskars/gerber 3oz slide out saws with something like an 8" blade. No reason not to have it. Carry in my Kit Bag in fact.

hatchet or hawk sometimes, but batoning works really well for splitting duties.

I have been taking a small fold up saw, gerber, I think it is. Works well for small chores and is light. Always threaten to carry a Gb small forest axe, but I haven't done it yet.

No to both if I'm not packing a wood stove. Yes to at least the saw (same as Evan's) if I do have a wood stove. Had a mini-ax for a while but still figuring out what, if any, chopper I really NEED to have with me. Batoning has been sufficient for most trips.

A small Gerber folding saw... I like a fire.

Ditto on the Gerber folding saw. Sometime a hatchet or axe, but mostly a good knife that I can baton.

Both at times. I carry a little hatchet more than most folks.

Axe; The smaller 1lb Estwing always goes elk hunting with me. I skin and split the backbone with it if I decide to quarter the elk. Getting wood to burn at the coast usually means splitting it. The convex edge holds up well to being batoned through most anything.

Saw; They are way faster to cut firewood for a little stove than an axe.
I have carried a Gerber folder for a long time but the frame is a litle weak. We have broken a few. The cheap easily changed blades are a plus. I really like the "bone" blade for cutting dry wood.

Lately I have taken to carrying a Bahco Laplander. Replacement blades are spendy and hard to find but I have as yet to need to change one. Amazing saw.

This is one topic I have new information on - Always a saw as mentioned by everone But you owe it to your self to check out the trail blazer Survisaw-you can get bone and wood blade and it's the best-frozen bone no problem and it weights nothing!
As a backcountry horseman here in Montana we live by the crosscut saw and this is next best thing to a crosscut and it's a folder too.

I have a Gerber I take as well.

I did see a STIHL folding saw at a hardware store just recently that caught my eye. It was being marketed to Christmas tree hunters, but it looks a little more compact and lighter than the Gerber. Might have to pick one up.

As much as I like my Gerber hatchet for taking apart an elk I dont like to haul one around these days.

Can someone tell me if the blade on the sliding Gerber Saw and the Folding Gerber Saw are the same??

Curious as the saw blade material on the slide saw is weak.. The Gerber Slide Saw is a total piece of [bleep] and cannot be considered a reliable tool..

I'd really like a axe/hatchet. But they all seam to weight to much for my old azz to carry.

Can you supply a link?

Thanks

I pack both when elk hunting. I strap my small SOG axe on the outside of my pack and my small saw inside a pouch on my pack. If I had to choose between the two, I'd pick the saw.

Shag;
I did a quick search and came up with this, which admittedly may not be what was being spoken about?

http://sawvivor.com/

We've had pretty good success with the Coughlan's folding saw over the years, but admittedly have used it more for bone than for wood.

I eventually replaced the blade on mine as it blew a few teeth removing mulie skull caps, but otherwise it's been a great saw considering they go for under $20 CDN up here.

Hopefully that was useful to someone. All the best to you in 2012 Shag.

Regards,
Dwayne

Link?

He's talking about the sawvivor. Very similar to the wyoming saw, but much lighter weight and folds up smaller. I like mine.

On my last trip I carried a small Gerber hatchet and another member of our group had a Wyoming Saw. We used the saw 95% of the time.

However, I almost always carry a Gerber folding saw with me - whether it be for whitetail, turkey, etc. Great for a small fire, clearing a shooting lane, etc. As others have mentioned, it's just part of my kit. It's lite, small, and easy to carry.

We carry the smaller Wyoming saw but have also carried the folding Gerber saw.

Thanks brother! You too!
And thanks for the link..

Just checked out the link.. I generally don't give anything a second chance.. You fail me and thats it! The Wyo saw has never failed me. But, I'm not gonna pack it into the mountains when counting ounces..

I like the looks of the Sawvivor saw and your description is enough for me to give it a try this coming spring..