How do you cut firewood?

[Justin Crossley]

I've been thinking about getting a Sawtooth with a stove for late season trips and winter camping. Do you guys use a saw, a hatchet, or do you just break wood up by hand for the stove.

Thanks
Justin

 

[Elkfitness]

I'm doing my first trip with a stove in real weather this November. I did a test run this past weekend and just broke up the wood/sticks by hand. Thought about taking the wyoming saw in November. I'd like to know what those with cold weather experience do as well.

 

[Tim in Wa.]

I usually just break the wood up.However if I think it will be extremely cold I'll bring a folding Corona saw.You can buy those saws at Home Depot I think they weigh 8 or 10 oz.

 

[Whisky]

Two years of using the Little Buck saw and so far I'm still satisfied with it. Looks kind of chincy but surprisingly works well and is solid.

http://www.qiwiz.net/saws.html

I have a 10" stove so a SAS is kind of necessary for me to break wood down that length to fit. Tough snapping them over your knee or stepping on them that short. A saw will also allow you to get bigger logs cut.

 

[Ironman8]

No real experience camping in the cold/snow (until this Nov), but I do have experience with cutting wood outdoors. I'll take a saw over a hatchet any day. Plus the weight is usually much less than a hatchet.

 

[Jcberg]

I just bought a Sawtooth and small stove and used it last week on a five day archery trip in western Montana. We got 6" of snow and lows in the teens and it was worth it's weight in gold! We used my Wyoming saw to cut most of our wood. It takes a LOT more wood than you think to make it through a night. What amazed me was how easy the stove would re-ignite after the fire went out and there was nothing but hot coals. Just throw a log on the coals, close the door, and within a couple minutes POOF! it would start on fire again. In my opinion, you definitely need a saw of some type to get the size logs that will burn for awhile. Also, we used emergency tinders from Coghlan's and they worked AWESOME on damp wood. We tried fire paste but the tinders were far better. Just my two cents!

 

[justinspicher]

A buddy and I used his ST and stove a number of times this past winter. We took both and I am glad we did as they each have their own purpose. We used the saw (Sven) to cut small logs and the axe (Gerber) to split them.

We each carried one and I personally would go without one or the other. We vacuumed sealed kindling and threw it in the pack for a base and gathered the dryest wood we could find, unless we were pulling the sleds, then we brought wood from home.

 

[DaveS]

Two years of using the Little Buck saw and so far I'm still satisfied with it. Looks kind of chincy but surprisingly works well and is solid.

http://www.qiwiz.net/saws.html

I have a 10" stove so a SAS is kind of necessary for me to break wood down that length to fit. Tough snapping them over your knee or stepping on them that short. A saw will also allow you to get bigger logs cut.

I've had a Little Buck saw for about three years and have cut a lot of wood with it. After a couple years of use one of the zip ties loosened up and the saw would come apart while using it. I replaced the zip tie and haven't had a problem since. I also have a bone blade for it. It's always in my pack since it is so light.

 

[Backstrap]

I use a Sawvivor. Great saw, compact and lightweight, but they went out of business. They pop up on e-bay periodically. I'll be trying my first Wyoming saw meat blade mod to attempt to make a replacement for my Sawvivor since the blades are not available either.

 

[Flyrod]

I don't have a stove, but for hiking and fires I use a Silky Gomboy 240M folding saw and a 6.75" fixed blade knife (SurviveKnives GSO7/7) that I will baton to process wood.

 

[justin davis]

I break all my fire wood with my feet. Lean it up against a rock and break it down. Beats Carrying a saw .

 

[Browtine]

I break all my fire wood with my feet. Lean it up against a rock and break it down. Beats Carrying a saw .

^^^ For the Kifaru small or para, boots and a rock work great. For our bigger stoves, we usually take a Corona saw and a fixed blade for batoning

 

[colonel00]

I used a Sawvivor as well last week. You can break the wood up with rocks and your feet but getting them down to 8-12" or smaller can be a pain. Besides, are you carrying some sort of saw to cut horns off a skull?

Also, as mentioned, you will need a lot of wood as it burns up quickly if the stove is chugging along. I guess it depends on the wood you have available but still plan to go through more than you think you would.

 

[BroodBuster]

A saw works best for stoves especially in dryer areas. I still carry a small axe because in Western Wa many times the only dry wood is in the middle of rounds so I saw rounds, split with the axe, and then saw to length.

If I only had to carry one though it would be the axe as it can be used for an endless amount of camp/hunting chores.

 

[Jcberg]

View attachment 19577View attachment 19576Wyoming saw's handy work. About enough for a long cold night.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

I usually snap the wood to length. Every now and then will take a folding saw.

 

[Jdog]

small folding saw worked for us this year in AK--loved having heat!

 

[diesel7]

I carry a winkler tomahawk, chops wood great, also chops leg bones well too.

 

[Hunt'nFish]

I have a hard time leaving my Fiskers hatchet behind.
I keep it razor sharp and one whack will cut most limbwood in half.
Not the lightest solution, but it sure is fast and convenient. Makes short work of making tent/tarp stakes as well. Not to mention trail clearing chores. I usually keep it on the outside of my pack just for that reason. I have a larger version that we hang off the horse saddle as well.
Hunt'nFish

 

[16Bore]

Gerber Brush Thinner. The model with the hollow handle is much lighter. Amazing what you can cut with that thing.