Saws for Survival

Having a saw included with your field gear greatly enhances your ability to gather wood for fires and construct items to make your life more comfortable in the forest. A compact folding saw adds little weight to your kit, and lets you gather wood with a lot less energy expenditure than using an axe or hatchet. A saw also lets you make smooth, square, cuts when constructing items from wood.

While there are many quality saws available, those that I personally own and use are the:

• Silky Gomboy Folding Landscaping Saw
• Bahco Laplander Folding Saw
• Sven Folding Saw
• Sportsman Pocket Chainsaw

Each of these saws is a top-quality product that holds up to hard work in the field. The Silky Gomboy, Bahco Laplander, and Sven Saw all allow you to cut branches and small trees. The Sportsman Pocket Chainsaw will let you fell even mid-sized trees quite quickly. As long as the chain can wrap part-way around the tree, you should be able to cut it.

Being able to quickly fell trees and cut branches, lets you build a much stronger and more secure shelter than might be otherwise possible. Raised bed construction is easier with a saw than with an axe, and even just gathering firewood for the night is accomplished more easily with a saw. So, before your next trip to the forest, consider adding a saw to your pack.