Too much steel in my Boreal Bushcraft pack? Is my Chopper obsolete?

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FinnickyFin

Joined
Dec 3, 2011
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Hello all. Just joined this amazing forum yesterday and this will be my first post. It concerns a question that has been nagging me lately: "Do I have too much steel in my pack?"

My geographic area contains temperate rain forests, boreal forest, large mountains and sub arctic tundra and is fairly remote. With that in mind and considering that my particular style of living outdoors is a cross between Bushcraft, horse packing and mountaineering I carry the following blades for anything off the pavement:

- Neckknife - Finnish Puuko, Carrlson hard forged blade (Scandi Grind) with reindeer/curly burch handle in traditional sheath

- SAK "Hunter" model in my pocket

- In my Pack:
- Gransfors Bruks Hunter's Axe
- Bahco "Laaplander" Folding Saw
- a Chopper - either a Survival Golok from Valiant or a Fallkniven Tor
- a Leatherman Wave Multi-tool

I also usually have one or two random knives somewhere in there. A test knife, a mini Opinel folder in a survival kit etc.

My main concern is that the axe makes the chopper obsolete. Even so, there are formidable winter blackberry, Salmonberry and other thickets to deal with.

So.... What do you think?

*I apologize in advance if this is not in the right forum and would welcome any suggestions about where Bushcrafting/Wilderness forums are as well as Scandi Knife Making (I'm still sorting through the massive search results)
 
Welcome Finniky Finn. I also live in a very remote area. Like you I carry a lot of steel with me when ever I go in the bush.From October on you never know when you can be hit by a snow storm. I always carry a knife with around a 8 to 9 inch blade on my hip. I carry a leatherman wave on my hip along with a handgun. I always have an axe strapped to my pack.Yes I can do nearly everything with my chopper sometimes the axe makes it quicker to cut poles for a shelter. The chopper is better for cutting the other branches from the pole. I like to make a lean to and thatch it in with evergreen boughs and then cover it all with a tarp. I also build a reflector for my fire so that it keeps the heat in my shelter.So I guess in my long winded answer I feel like the 2 compliment each other. I am also one of those odd ones that likes doing everything with an 8 inch bladed knife.

Once again welcome, and that is just my humble opinion.
 
It would be too much steel for me. I can see your problem with “axe making the chopper obsolete” but still having the thorny stuff to deal with which the axe is hopeless at. Personally I'd scale down on the chopper. I like a #2 chopper for chopping clout but these days I tend to not need that at all. Most of my long blade work is just clearing bramble type stuff and I find my big 'ole fish chopper does that just fine for a fraction of the weight. Frankly, I'm strongly moving away from machetes, goloks and all that jazz toward simple butcher knife type things about a foot long. A simple Victorinox would be a good start and probably be 1lb or so lighter and minimum maintenance. In fact, with a saw I seldom even bother with that axe now either. I'd sooner load up on the saw if need be and go from folding to a fixed one with a couple of spare blades taped to it.
 
you know, I have toyed with all options for many years now. I see, to have stuck with a fixed (4-6") a multi use tool, leatherman or sak and my axe and folding saw.

With that said, I have moved to a kukri for a little bit, I find my self working in low light conditions (playing after work in the northern alberta doesn't give me much light ;)) and the longer blade has been safer then swinging an axe in the dark.

Have to admit, im enjoying the machete, honestly, in the boreal forest, and working with soft wood, its a perfect mix. I can still split with the kuk, and lets face it, its fun using.
 
you could bail on the heavy chopper and pick up a lighter one like a Tramontina machete... if weight's an issue, the chopper is what I'd cut out. I often carry both though, large blades have their uses.
 
The next time you go out leave out the chopper
and the following time leave out the axe
That will allow you to see which one you like/use more often
Some like choppers more some not at all
Having a good axe is something no one would argue with
Let us know what you decide
 
Im not a lightweight packer. I like to have a good machete or axe with me in my pack. Ive been in too many situations where snow/rain came in unexpectedly and I didnt have my shelter and firewood ready to go. Having a good heavy duty chopping tool is a must, because even though you can make a 4" knife act like a 8" knife, there is no substitute when you are cold and wet. Being that you have an axe, I would hang on to it because I think it is the most valuable tool in a survival situation. Your chopper may not be necessary to survive, but like you said, it certainly helps clear out the thorns in your path. If you feel that you can do without it, I would leave it at home.

How often do you build shelters vs setting up your own tent/camp? The folding saw could easily be eliminated if you have your own tent. If not, I find them to be very helpful and would hang on to it.

Have you evaluated the rest of the gear in your kit to see what you could cut down on?
 
Wlecome to the forums Finn. Hope youll stick around, its a great place here!

Nowt thats alot of steel youre packing there. I often hike in the same terrain as you, and my edged tools consists of the following:

Gransfors SFA
Fallkniven F1/RAT Cutlery RC-3 or a similiar sized blade. I never carry anything over 4 inches with my axe.
A SAK with scissors

If im going lightweight, ill drop the axe and bring my:

Fallkniven A1
SAK with saw/scissors.

Like you, i also carried my heavy Charge or Swisstool with me on trips, but i quickly found out, that i rarely use any of the tools.

Sometimes i bring along my Spydersaw too, sometimes i dont. Ive never found myself REALLY wishing id brought it. Its more of a nice-to-have thing.
 
Fin, weight can be a major issue especially in the mountains. Here's an idea that could save a lot of weight yet still cover you for survival......Carry a sturdy 12"-16" machete like Bolo or Barong along with a 24" Bahco Peg Tooth Saw blade. Use a piece of green wood to make the bow saw and then use that to buck bigger logs and then split the logs with your machete. On my blog I just posted an older review (which I revised) of a 12" Cold Steel Barong Survival Machete, which looks like a giant Cold Steel Bushman and in the review I split part of a large knotted Douglas Fir log with the machete. Worked very well. That way you have the ability to do everything you need without carrying all that extra weight around.
 
If you're travelling (alone?) in a back-country setting, of course you want to be prepared, but unless you're doing it for fun (or punishment) I feel there's no need to be carrying so much. I would go so far as to say, drop the multitool, drop the chopper, drop the SAK, and drop whatever other random knives are floating around in your backpack. I feel a multitool is heavy and unnecessary outdoors, unless you have a lot of technical/mechanical equipment you might need to repair or adjust. A SAK with it's tools, unless it's a tiny one with just a can and bottle opener, also seems redundant -- and do you really need that extra small blade? I say, practice with your "one" knife so it can do everything you need. I would drop either the axe or the chopper depending on your preferences and the local terrain and weather. The saw I would keep if you intend to do any construction or serious fire-building, they are generally fairly light weight anyhow. You can split logs without giant hunks of steel, by say, notching them with the saw and driving a wooden wedge into them.

If you are doing any real climbing or scrambling in the mountains, you should notice a (ha-ha) mountain of difference after dropping all that weight. When you're putting miles under your heels for several days at a time, every ounce counts (I imagine the horse would appreciate this too). It is, on the other hand, tons of fun to go out with more than you need and to goof around. :D
 
For me it would be to much.

With the saw I don't think you need the axe and the chopper pick one of them. The suggestion of one time leave the axe and the next time leave the chopper is a good one. See which one you miss more. If you have sofft woods then the chopper may be a better pick for you.

I also don't think you need a SAK and a multi-tool, pick one or the other. I would take the SAK as I think they are more comfortable in the pocket.

Saw
Axe or Chopper
SAK or Multi tool
Fixed blade

cut down from 6 to 4 you could even drop down to three by dropping the saw since the chopper and axe can all handle the wood processing, maybe not as neatlky as the saw but they will get it done.
 
JMHO- if staying extended days and shelter building is needed- Axe, folding saw, SAK and small light knife. I could get by on just the saw and a medium knife by making a heavy mallet for pounding/batonning. A saw is a staple for me, easy to use one handed- helps me make square notches and flash tinder from the dry sawdust, folds small for a pack pocket.

If no shelter building, folding saw, light knife, SAK.
Bill
 
Guys, remember, he's talking Boreal forest, also known as the subartic forest! This time of year one HAS to have a chopper with them or it could kill them. We have subartic forests here at high altitude and this time of year can be absolutely vicious, far worse than what most people are used to. Splitting wood with a saw is great in the summertime, but winter it gets so cold there that you can freeze in minutes if something goes wrong and an axe will get the job done much faster under those conditions.

Fin, I would only leave the axe and take the machete if you coupled it with a large 24" peg tooth bow saw or saw blade. Otherwise, I'd rec'd just carrying your Gransfors, a short thin machete and a Victorinox Camper on you. The SAK Camper is super light yet has a saw which is vital for close work and for also repairing or rehandling an axe in an emergency. I'd also be sure to carry a small metal file for chopper blade repair (you WILL need it, trust me) along some sandpaper and a strip of leather to sharpen your tools after repairing them with the file.

Best of luck!
 
I use to carry a ton of stuff with me and most of it was redundant for what I was doing. When I got to thinking if I had to carry this stuff in any of the various zombie end of the world scenarios I realized I wouldn't be able to do it very long or far. So after figuring out which worked for me and still be mobile if needed my pack is much lighter. I'm not saying I don't miss some of the tools but it forces me to improvise more now which isn't such a bad thing either.
 
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