Most people would agree that a cutting tool is essential for the wilderness. There are many theories on what people should take. I have seen as little as a razor blade and as big as a full sized South American machete toted as essential cutting tools for the wilderness. I remember my Ranger at Philmont Scout Ranch telling our group that only 1 pocket knife was needed for 12 people. She obviously didn't know Boy Scouts very well! What I carry into the wilderness varies for the type of trip, time of year and intended activities on the trip. What I carry for a paddling trip is sometimes different for a hiking trip. Weight matters less when paddling compared to hiking.
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| SAK Swiss Champ and Survival Kit |
I always have some sort of multi tool. A SAK Swiss Champ with the double pouch survival kit was my first multi tool and it was a Christmas present from my parents when I was in my teens. The total package was standard equipment for every campout in Scouting and it was kept in my car for years. The knife went with me on my NOLS Yukon course and also to Philmont Scout Ranch. When I want a lighter and slimmer package I go for the Gerber MP 400. However, I have been reevaluating the survival kit I carry separately in my pack. The SAK with survival pouch contains everything I need and it rides on my belt. If I get separated from my pack I still have a lot of stuff to help me survive. So for the time being I am ditching the survival kit in my pack and only going with the SAK kit for hiking trips. Paddling trips are different so both kits are carried. I will list the SAK survival pouch contents below.
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| KaBar Dozier folder |
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| Mora Classic #2 |
I also carry a larger blade for basic cutting tasks. On paddling trips I like to have as little in my pockets and on my belt as possible. This makes it easier and quicker to facilitate swimming breaks. The less I have to remove from my belt and pockets the quicker I can get into the water! With less on my belt it makes it easier to move about the canoe to access the cooler for a frosty beverage or snack. I have carried my Ka-Bar folder clipped in my pocket and a Blackie Collins Buddy knife around my neck. Both are stainless steel and are easily attached or removed from my person. Recently on paddling and hiking trips, I have been carrying a Mora Classic #2 around my neck with the sheath modified to carry a few basic survival items. I did some work on the handle as you can see from the pic. I removed the red paint and stained the handle with homemade black walnut dye. The contents of the Mora sheath are listed below.
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| Western W49 Bowie |
I also take a long a chopping tool. This has taken many forms over the years. My love affair of big blades began with a Western W49 Bowie Knife. This knife accompanied me on most Scouting campouts as my Scoutmaster was cool with sheath knives. It also went along on an infamous AuSable canoe trip just after high school. My bowie knife helped us flip burgers and prepare fire wood to help warm up a friend suffering from hypothermia. My high school friends still speak of The Big Knife whenever we reminisce about the trip!
Another big knife that I fell in love with was the parang from Malaysia. My wife introduced me to the indigenous big knife of her country. Parangs are designed as a multi-purpose tool with different parts of the blade suited for specific tasks. The front portion is used for skinning game. The area just after the curve is for chopping and the long straight section of the blade is used for batoning/splitting and like a draw knife. The geometry of the blade makes for efficient chopping of woody plant material. The jungle in Malaysia is more of a woody jungle compared to jungles of south america. I had the opportunity to test a parang in the Malaysian jungle and was instantly sold on its effectiveness at chopping and batoning wood. The parang in the picture is the first one I bought. I have several others all much bigger than this one but all are effective chopping tools.
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| My first parang |
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| Gerber Hatchet with paracord wrap |
Occasionally I will take a small hatchet instead of the parang to practice using a different type of chopping tool. I have had a Gerber sport axe since I was in Scouts. It survived the abuse of a young scout and went with me when I lead wilderness trips for the YMCA. I keep my hatchet very sharp and it excels at chopping and splitting small logs. I have a fear of splitting logs with a hatchet as I missed my mark once and almost chopped off my finger. I have a cool scar on my index finger to remember the event. That is why I prefer batoning with large blades over splitting with a hatchet.
On almost all paddling trips and sometimes hiking trips I take along some sort of saw. Lately it has been a cheap bow saw I picked up at a gas station in rural Maine. The blade was crap so I replaced it with a good quality one that cost more than the saw! Having a saw allows me to process larger logs to more manageable sizes for batoning or splitting.
There you have it folks! To summarize, I carry a multi-tool, larger knife, chopping tool and saw on most paddling and hiking trips. Some would argue that this is too much. I like to have options in the wilderness and tools give you options. Below is a list of contents for the SAK survival kit and Mora knife sheath kit.
SAK Sheath Kit:
Flashlight
Sharpening Stone
Compass with thermometer, ruler, level, and magnifying glass
signal mirror
bandaids
whistle
bic ligher and BSA Hotspark fire steel
Fishing Kit
safety pin and sewing kit
Mora Sheath Kit
BSA Hotspark fire steel
small ziplock with magnesium shavings
sewing kit and safety pin
rubber bike inner tube: holds contents to sheath and used as tinder
bank line
paracord neck lanyard
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