Survival Bushcraft - What are you carrying and why ?

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Apr 27, 2015
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Just wondering what you are using for a long term survival/wilderness/bushcrafting survival scenario?

What is your preference and rationale for your choice of large fixed blade, tomahawk, hatchet, etc ?

Just picked up these two RTAK II by Ontario Blade Company to molle onto the ILBE to complete the load out.

To me they are suitable for an excellent range of duties and worth the extra weight.
 
KOA Bushcamp, Esee 4, Esee 5, Esee 6, And very soon Tops Silent Hero.. You can't go wrong with your new addtions:D
 
Sweet choices guys, after seeing your choices I'm thinking I could do with a smaller fixed blade sheath knife for smaller jobs.

What are your recommendations ?
 
KOA Bushcamp, Esee 4, Esee 5, Esee 6, And very soon Tops Silent Hero.. You can't go wrong with your new addtions:D

Sorry No descriptions...
1) KOA Bushcamp: well perhaps one of the most under rated knives I know of. This knife with a 6" blade is super versatile, possibly a (1) knife that can do all. Light weight, Excellent ergo's with generous finger choil. D2 steel good edge retention but maybe a tad to hard? Good thickness @ .140 in. Anyway, can Baton,Food Prep, and just about any other do it all task. Never hear much about this one and I do not know why? I love this knife. Great value.

2) Esee 4: Have this one as a companion knife. Mine has the sharpened spine... which I do not care for as I really do not need it. It is a good overall knife for a companion but I think a better one would be the Esee 3 which is thinner and be better at food prep.

3) Esee 5: You will love it or hate it... It is a down right beast! If one had enough strength you could cut your way out of car with this one. I have the most experience with this Esee in my collection. Not quite long enough at 5" for me in all situations camp wise. But if I had to have a single knife in a disruptive urban environment, it would be this one. Yes super heavy, but not chance it will fail you. Something about that I just like.

4) Esee 6: Got this one to span just a bit more log camping in which it does. I love to baton my firewood. But turns out not to be as good as 5". Esee 6 has full flat grind .187 in thickness which is suitable for batoning. But the Esee 5 at .25 in and a sabre grind is downright a splitter as long as your timber does not exceed 4" in dia. The Esee 6 Slices though, where the 5 will not or does poorly. All around very good camp knife and I like the fact it does have a finger choil to choke up on where the 5 does not.

5) Tops Silent Hero: Have a feelin this one will be a winner. Watched a lot of reviews and believe its attributes align very nicely with my preferences. Will be camping in a couple of weeks so I will provide some feedback later on this one.
 
I have the Marine Corps ILBE too but I like my REI XT85 pack better. Lighter and more comfortable.

For the knife I always take my Fallkniven A1. Trusted by Swedish Army Ranger units for their survival knife, I simply haven't found a more well thought-out design than this. I modded the sheath so I could fasten a magazine pouch on it which holds a multitool, firesteel, some Tinder-quick, and a tiny flashlight.

My axe is a Wetterlings Bushman designed by Les Stroud. This thing is simply awesome. Its the perfect size; kind of in between a hatchet and an axe and not too heavy at all. Easily used with one hand but big and long enough for tougher two-handed jobs. Hand forged in Sweden. I guess I like the Swedish stuff.

axeampknife_zpspkeja2t5.jpg
 
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GB Scandinavian Forest Axe
Pole and Paddle 24 inch Folding Bucksaw
Enzo Camper

There isn't much I can't do with these. Process pretty big stuff, major long term type shelter building, Cordage, fire, and a container, and everything's covered.
 
Last winter, I wanted to get into bushcraft, so I went ahead and bought a BK-10. Love the knife, though haven't had a chance to use it yet (badly broke my leg in March - healing up nice, but long way to go yet).

sBK10a.jpg


sBK10b.jpg
 
Buck 110 or Uncle Henry LB7.
I use one or the other as one of my EDC knives, so it is always on me. (I also carry a slip joint in my pocket every day)

The 110 and LB7 can do anything I may need to do in a survival situation , from prepping firewood to building a shelter and dead fall traps.
 
Would probably be my Mora Bushcraft Black with either my GB Wildlife hatchet or my BK9. I also really like having a good folding saw.
 
Sweet choices guys, after seeing your choices I'm thinking I could do with a smaller fixed blade sheath knife for smaller jobs.

What are your recommendations ?

Any Mora, or if you like them Ontario knives a lot try a Falcon or Afghan. Smaller and strong.
 
I like almost of the Moras. No 1 or Companion make great lightweight neck knives.

I also like the BK 16. It's extremely overbuilt and heavy, but that adds confidence when you are talking about a serious situation.
 
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I use my RTAK II for Internet Bushcraft tasks, great knife...

[video=youtube;XPh2xSQFQ0g]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPh2xSQFQ0g[/video]
 
ESEE Junglas does almost everything I need.
Woodlore, ESEE 3 or a pocket knife will do a lot of the rest

I've been trying out my Gransfors Scandinavian Forest Ax. Real nice for alot of wood processing
 
ESEE Junglas does almost everything I need.
Woodlore, ESEE 3 or a pocket knife will do a lot of the rest

I've been trying out my Gransfors Scandinavian Forest Ax. Real nice for alot of wood processing

It's a great camp axe...
 
I like the Kabar Becker BK-15 and BK-16 quite a bit. But I generally carry a Blackjack 125 for the last year or so as my woods knife and by default, my survival knife. Always have a SAK with me too. I don't do anything too strenuous with knives. But in a true survival situation, I would be most comfortable with either of the BK's mentioned.
 
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