Hot Tent Batoning Knife

[treillw]

It was about 60 degrees in the days prior to temps dropping and all that snow. I think the wood just had a lot of moisture frozen onto it.

 

[schwaf]

I had no business charging in to this thread and doing what amounts to criticizing whatever guys want to do in the woods, my bad.

Admittedly, I don’t spend much time dinking around at camp on these backcountry hunts, Im typically maximizing my time hunting And worry less about comfort. My thought process is; spending time dinking with my stove keeps me from being in the woods at prime time before light. If that stove was warm and toasty, it makes me want to hang out for another cup of coffee.

Thus I go as light and compact as possible…. different priorities.

FWIW, every forest that I’ve been in in the lower 48 has so much standing dead timber that wood is not a problem- even in freezing temps. The pitch chunks from those dead trees is the best natural firestarter there is.

The only time i’ve ever had a hard time finding dry wood ( and a dry spot to pitch my tipi!) was on a fly in drop camp on the Alaskan peninsula. Even then we would find dead standing willows and other standing dead- just more work to find it. Its fewer and far between compared to the lower 48.

The only real tip I have in those tough conditions with no standing dead timber is to have a little bit of fire starter ( cotton balls in vaseline or other equal ) and a constant pile of twigs drying for the next fire starting adventure.

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That's cool man, thanks for being a good sport. For what it's worth, I agree with you on most things. I don't spend much time at camp while hunting, but I do during the summer scouting and bushcrafting season. If I'm at camp I'm usually working. In that case, I'll opt to bring an axe and larger saw, in addition to a "bushcrafting" knife. My priorities are different in the off season, and I'll work for camp comforts.

During hunting season I'll usually backpack into location for several days and strike out from there. If I know I'm going to use the same camp for several days and want to make fires, I'll find a dead standing tree about 4" diameter, cut it down, and process it into logs, quarters, and kindling and stash it under a tarp or trash bag. It only takes about an hour of hard work. That wood will last me for a week if I'm using it for cooking in my titanium firebox, or make one really awesome fire. It's nice not to rely solely on expensive stove fuel that I have to carry in and throw in the garbage. I really like walking back into camp, starting a hot fire within seconds, and not need to walk off and find more. I've done all the work ahead of time.

A "survival" knife, to me, is a compromise that I'm comfortable with. I'm not carrying an axe while hunting. I use knives all the time, practice with them, and can keep and repair an edge in the field no problem. Here's a video of the knife that I use. I can tell you from experience this is no bullshit.

Watch the first few seconds to see it splitting oak.

 

[Lawnboi]

Iv been in a couple situations where I needed to split to really get a good fire going. The first time, I had nothing to split with, white gas got it going eventually. Brings me to another point, never put white gas in your tent stove! The flame out the door was pretty wild

 

[Mosby]

This is what I got for my ti stove to split wood for tinder. Heavy duty but simple. Mora farrior knife:

 

[ElPollo]

That Gerber hatchet weighs the same as my saw, belt knife, and pack knife combined. I've used that Gerber hatchet, and it splits nowhere near as good as my Fallkniven. It's also far more cumbersome and dangerous swinging around axes, especially at night or while you're tired.View attachment 330171View attachment 330172

Those little Silky saws are the bomb. Like a pocket chainsaw. That and a 4” knife will buck up stuff way bigger than those little TI stoves will eat.

 

[treillw]

I'm contemplating one of these for mass wood prep prior to the season.

 

[schwaf]

Those little Silky saws are the bomb. Like a pocket chainsaw. That and a 4” knife will buck up stuff way bigger than those little TI stoves will eat.

I use that 5" pocketboy to process up to 6" diameter trees. It takes no time at all processing a small tree with it. The big fixed blade silkys are insane.

 

[schwaf]

I'm contemplating one of these for mass wood prep prior to the season.

Consider this instead.

https://smile.amazon.com/270-33-PROFESSIONAL-Curved-Scabbard-thickness/dp/B0014C4QMG/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=silky+zubat&qid=1632795518&sr=8-2

 

[schwaf]

I have a drawer full of bark rivers and respectfully disagree. They make a couple I think are worth it but in the realm the OP is talking I feel like there is better to be had for less money.

We'll have to agree to disagree

I think LT Wright makes great knives, as do many other makers. I think Bark River is an exceptional community of people, family and generation owned, and honestly the most experienced and knowledgeable knife makers in the industry history - Mike Stewart. I recommend you check out the Bark River facebook page, if you have facebook. It's the only reason I see fb being worthwhile for. What's not to like about the designs you own? You can literally send them in with written instructions on how to make it perfect for you, and they will modify it with warranty intact. It's unconditional lifetime even if you drop it down an elevator shaft.

 

[Marbles]

Consider this instead.

https://smile.amazon.com/270-33-PROFESSIONAL-Curved-Scabbard-thickness/dp/B0014C4QMG/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=silky+zubat&qid=1632795518&sr=8-2

Yep, the Zubat, if you just Velcro the plasic edge protector on and leave the sheath is solidly under a pound. About 10-13 ounces, but I don't have my spreadsheet handy to give the actual wieght.

 

[Davebuech]

I have a drawer full of bark rivers and respectfully disagree. They make a couple I think are worth it but in the realm the OP is talking I feel like there is better to be had for less money.

I'll take em off your hands at a reduced price since they are no good, if you want to get rid of em

 

[Lawnboi]

I'll take em off your hands at a reduced price since they are no good, if you want to get rid of em

Iv sold all but my bark river kitchen knives and bird and trout, those I like.

 

[mtwarden]

for my hot tenting I've got a small custom Silky saw and use a Fallkniven S1 for splitting- 9 oz for the pair; my stove is a SO U-turn Medium - very happy with that combo

 

[treillw]

for my hot tenting I've got a small custom Silky saw and use a Fallkniven S1 for splitting- 9 oz for the pair; my stove is a SO U-turn Medium - very happy with that combo

What do you use for a sheath on the knife?

 

[mtwarden]

What do you use for a sheath on the knife?

have a kydex sheath I had made it for it, came with a pretty nice leather sheath, but the kydex is more secure

 

[treillw]

Think I'm going to go with the Bark River Bushcrafter.

I probably am overthinking it, but I enjoy learning about all the different grinds, steels, etc.

At least I don't have 400 knives.... yet.

 

[wilbur007]

I can recommend the custom saw that mtwarden uses - very nice for processing larger pieces of wood when your hands are cold or you're tired. The Mora Companion has always worked to get into the middle of medium sized wood.