jimboblog: GEAR REVIEW 2/10 TO BUILD A FIRE

10 Part Gear Review Part 2. To Build a Fire.

My favorite tools for gathering wood for the campfire should be your favorites too. I have used, abused, lost and broken more hatchets and saws that anyone I know.

I do like to pack as light as possible but I’ll never be accused of being a minimalist. It’s no surprise that while a lot of people pick between a saw and a hatchet, I bring along one of each. This way is more fun. You not only have a more diverse array of tools (extra crap you don't need), more than one person can gather wood if the weather has gone sour. And if you weekend warriors get bored without your tablets and iphones you can get off your asses and process some wood for a fine evening of sitting around the fire and enjoying the stars.

SAW:

After experimenting with many options over the years, my favorite camp saw is the 21” Sven-Saw. You can check it out at http://www.svensaw.com/. These saws are constructed of lightweight aluminum and have a sharp steel blade. They fold down into a very compact unit and can slide down the inside wall of your pack or are easily strapped to a thwart of your canoe. This saw is fast and effective against any log or branch that you would reasonably use for a campfire. Sven Saws can take a real beating and the blades are replaceable if you abuse them. You can pick one up for around $30-35.00 at a local retailer and I’ve seen them for as low as $28.00 online. Replacement blades can be obtained for as little as $8.00.

Don’t bother with the 15” model which is not much lighter and can not cut as fast or as large of logs and branches.

AXE (hatchet):

If chopping, bludgeoning and sweating are more up your alley, you should grab a hold of a good hatchet. For many years I have used the Gerber Sport Axe II 14” ($45.00), which you can check out athttp://www.gerbergear.com/Outdoor/Gear/Sport-Axe-II_31-000913. These little axes are great. They stay very sharp as long as you don’t let your bonehead cousins chip them against rocks. All of this hatchet’s weight is in its steel head due to the handle being built out of a super light fiberglass filled nylon composite. I have destroyed one, lost another and when looking to replace it I found that Gerber’s parent company Fiskars puts the same model out in it’s gardening supplies line. You will not go wrong with the Fiskars version. This one has an orange handle which I am less likely to lose and is literally the same tool for $15 -20.00 less. They call it the Fiskars X7 Hatchet 14” ($29.99 or $24.99 at Sears)
http://www2.fiskars.com/Gardening-and-Yard-Care/Products/Axes-and-Striking-Tools/X7-Hatchet-14#.URLoKaXNn8s.