I’m looking for something lightweight and not too expensive.
I’ve got one of those triangluar types from a hardware store, which does the job but is getting a bit old now, maybe a bit heavy and it’s not collapsible.
Sven Saw
Mine is about 30 years old and on it third or fourth blade. Works for me.
David
I have one that has a round handle
and folds that is a brush saw. It will cut throuh a three inch limb nicely. I got it at Home Depot for around $15.
It has cleared our way through strainers very nicly and I am on my third year with it.
It isn’t big enough for cutting larger fire wood though.
Jack L
Ditto on the last. NM
Sven Saw
I’ve been using a Sven Saw for many years, for backpacking and clearing hiking trails. Great saw, not too expensive and folds into its own handle.
Aren’t you gonna ask about best trowel
for digging a cat hole? );-)>
Fast bucksaw
Go with the wood Fast Bucksaw. It’s nice and light, folds up easily and has a good feel to it since it is wood, not metal. Also cuts great
Can’t remember where I bought my
– Last Updated: Jun-19-13 9:37 AM EST –
bucksaw, but I think you might want to rethink your hunt for the lightest. Wood pushes back a little...and in many situations you might not have the opportunity to stand directly by the object for cutting. When one has to do the cutting with arm extended a little weight will help your wrist in steadying the blade for a smooth stroke without bouncing...fwiw. Not to oppose any of the previously mentioned...most are made pretty well.
$.01,
SteveD
saws
– Last Updated: Jun-25-13 7:38 PM EST –
Being a traditionalist, I went with a wood framed pack bucksaw from Sanborn Canoe. More money than my sven saw, but should last the rest of my lifetime. I still carry the sven for backup.
http://www.sanborncanoe.com/shop/j-a-fallman-bucksaw-hickory/
Trailblazer Takedown Tube Saw
I’ve been using one of these for about 8 years now. A blade usually lasts me a couple of seasons and the saw has held up well.
http://www.amazon.com/patio-lawn-garden/dp/B000LW1Q1E
Sawvivor
The Sven Saw has been around for a while. But it’s mediocre due to it’s triangular design; you can’t get a full cut stroke. 15" saw weighs 16 oz.
The 15" Sawvivor by Trailblazer is better. It’s trapezoidal, which allows for a full cutting stroke and more usable blade length. Lighter, weighs 9.6 oz. Made in Nova Scotia, Canada.
You can find it at Amazon, REI
Here’s review:
http://backpackingsaw.com/folding-saw/sawvivor/
My experience
I used to use a Sven saw,but was never real crazy about it. I now use a 13in Forester pruning saw I found at my chainsaw dealer. It has a fixed blade and a wood handle. Its set up to cut on the pull stroke rather than the push,and I find it works better for me that way. It’s real sharp and cuts fast.
Turtle
Whichever saw you end up with
– Last Updated: Jan-10-14 7:17 PM EST –
consider getting blades designed for cutting dry wood, not green wood. Most saws come with blades with intermittent non cutting teeth designed to rake out green saw dust from the kerf. When you are cutting dry wood, which of course is 99% of the cutting canoe travelers are doing, you do not need to have unproductive non-cutting teeth to rake out the kerf and saw blades with out those teeth - ie. all cutter teeth - are significantly more efficient. Makes a difference over a long trip with daily firewood cutting.
If you can't find the blades locally (it can be hard to find them) you can order here - http://www.fastbucksaw.com/.
UPDATE - these drywood blades are often called "peg" blades. Turns out fast bucksaw may not be shipping with peg blades now. I just received an new one and it has a green wood blade with raker teeth. But - you can find a replacement blade if you search for Bahco. There are folks who prefer the all around functionality of the raker tooth blades - but I find that for my purposes on a canoe trip the peg tooth blades save me a lot of time and effort over the length of the trip.
Another vote
Another vote for the wood Fast Bucksaw. I’ve got one and love it. Lt wt and assembles easily. Plus isn’t cold in your hands if you use it in winter. Blades are easy to come by too.
Ditto on the Sven
Durable and works well. Mine is over 20 years old and still on the original blade.
Get over it
You’re in a canoe. Just take saw (why - lot of drift wood) and relax.
Best bowel trowel -since you asked
– Last Updated: Sep-01-13 8:03 AM EST –
g2d, whether sincerely or facetiously; here's what we found to be the best for use in the rocky, rooty conditions in Quetico Provincial Park camp. For many years we used those plastic trowels then one year someone broke it. Not a good thing when you're on day 5 of a 9 day trip and there are 6 people sharing it. So Darryl covered the new one with fiberglass cloth and epoxy. One industrious member of our party managed to break that one too a few years later. We came on a great replacement when visiting Johnnie's Seeds of Maine: a small steel gardening trowel (blade is maybe 2 in. wide by 6 in. long). Twenty years and many cat holes later and it's in good shape. It even has a nice leather cord attached to the handle.
OP: We've used the Sven saw for years and it's held up great, with an occasional new blade. I made a case of 4-mil plastic and duct tape with a tie cord on top and keep handy tied to outside of my pack for use on portage trails with downed trees.