Saw or axe? Axe or Machete? Machete or big knife?

[ra2bach]

Spending most of my time in the deserts of Southern Arizona... this is where I am on the subject.

First off, I find that more and more, I want to carry less and less... and I will gladly give up some things to make more room for water! That said, I find I carry:

A small fixed blade for most chores - I am partial to the ESEE Izula II, the DPx HEST and HEFT4, and small knife I made that looks a lot like those other three.

A short machete or camp knife - here I tend to use a Marbles Camp Knife that I rehandled or a modified OKT 12" Machete.

In addition to these, I also carry a SAK OHT and a folding saw. These few tools serve me very well.

Oh, I have that MM/TT pack as well, love it so far!

how does this pack compare in size with something like the Eagle AIII?..

[thebigx]

going to the site it says packs in all colors except black and urban are: Availability: This product is no longer in stock with those attributes but is available with others

any idea what that means???

Dangit! It probably means he's got zero of those particular bags in stock.

If you want a black one, you can get the TT version http://www.tacticaltailor.com/remova...ratorpack.aspx

The straps are a little different, but still the same pack.

I believe the EAIII pack is a little bit bigger. My friend has one, but I haven't gotten around to bring my pack over to compare the two.

[K.L. Davis]

I'd say about 2/3 the size of the Eagle AIII, gives up some room in width... it is bigger than the Kifaru E&E and made from lighter material (550D I think)... just a really nice size and weight for a small pack.

Just spoke with MM and he says the MC and other colors will be back in by the end of the month.

[ra2bach]

I'd say about 2/3 the size of the Eagle AIII, gives up some room in width... it is bigger than the Kifaru E&E and made from lighter material (550D I think)... just a really nice size and weight for a small pack.

Just spoke with MM and he says the MC and other colors will be back in by the end of the month.

damn it! now that means another pack to buy...

and I don't need another MC pack, I have plenty that are larger, I actually want that Urban one to replace the BFG Covert that I, uh, borrowed from my wife for a "gethome" bag...

[ra2bach]

Dangit! It probably means he's got zero of those particular bags in stock.

If you want a black one, you can get the TT version http://www.tacticaltailor.com/remova...ratorpack.aspx

The straps are a little different, but still the same pack.

I believe the EAIII pack is a little bit bigger. My friend has one, but I haven't gotten around to bring my pack over to compare the two.

the black is in stock as is the Urban, which I want.

I understand this pack is an collaboration/adaptation of the TT Removable Operator Pack. any idea exactly how they differ???

[VooDoo6Actual]

For those who have not seen this he shows shows pretty decent tradcraft & skillets w/ an Axe in this video. he pretty handy w/ the other tools as well.
Tune into to about 5:07 marker for some pretty good notching techniques.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYJKd0rkKss

this guy has MAD skills....

Part ll

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3NRdZ8J24Q

BTW, Those "GB" Axes are sweet.
Have a Small Forrest Axe that rocks big time.

[Shao]

I would go real Nepalese kukri. Hand-forged spring steel... I once used my beater to absolutely wreck a Chevy S-10 in a junkyard and the blade was FINE. Do that with any stock-removal kukri. I'm also a huge fan of Condor machetes. I stay away from Cold Steel. Ontario is hit and miss - sometimes they treat their steel too hard, making it brittle - but if you get a good one, they're just about indestructible. Believe it or not, the Ka-Bar made in Taiwan 1065 carbon steel kukri is amazing - especially since you pick one up for around $35.

[cranky]

for those of you who advocate a saw instead of an axe, how do you split wood?

Ray Mears - How to split wood with a saw.

[xanderzuk]

Having lived outside for 6 months uninterrupted while I hiked 2,200+ miles from Georgia to Maine, crossing 14 states, and creating many a campfire...





it is without hesitation that I feel I can fully endorse the Sven Saw.

[ra2bach]

Ray Mears - How to split wood with a saw.

this guy forgot more stuff than I'll ever know...