No, you do not need to haul all of these tools into the woods, but give some thought to which will be most useful to you. If you are headed out with a group, maybe you should still make sure at least one of each is distributed among everyone to cover all your bases.
In no particular order, let's take a look:
1. Machete
If you need to deal with brush, a machete might be the ideal tool. In this case, I have an older pattern of Gerber Gator with a saw on the spine. This has been rattling around in various vehicles for ages.
The saw is no gimmick. I have used this to deal with fallen trees on back roads. The ergonomics are bad compared to a proper carpenter's or logging saw, but it works. I do know a lot of campers swear by various folding saws instead, but if you already need a machete for brush, this might be a good way to combine tools to reduce weight.
2. Hatchet
If you read Hatchet as a kid, you may still think of this as the ultimate survival tool. A small axe is handy for processing firewood, clearing small trees, and other odd jobs, but I'm not convinced it's an essential for basic camping. Utility increases if you need to build shelters or perform other heavy chopping tasks.
If you do carry one, get a scabbard or sheath to protect the edge and yourself. I bought a cheap Harbor Freight hatchet and a cheap generic nylon sheath that fits it pretty well.
3. Knife
In my opinion, this may be the most essential tool in this array of gadgetry. A good knife is indispensable. Even a cheap full-tang fixed blade knife like this one with a 4-5 in. (10-13 cm) blade can do a lot. Just don't buy a shiny piece of junk, OK?
Everyone has their own ideas about the best blade profile, material, etc. so I'll leave that to the comments section. Chime in!
4. BIGGER KNIFE
Yeah, we all know that scene, right? THIS is a knife!
Pros: choppy like a machete. Lots of steel for batoning firewood if you need an axe substitute.
Cons: Cumbersome.
Fortunately, this particular example also has a small scabbard for a smaller knife. Despite the gimmicks, it's not really a bad tool at all, and the sheath has a nice cargo pouch for other odds and ends, too. Oh, and thanks to @thepholosopher for the morale patch!
5. Entrenching Tool
This is a knockoff of the current US GI folding shovel, and it came with the black carrier. ALICE clips easily connect it to your belt, web gear, or a pack. If you can find the real deal at an army surplus store, it might be better. Regardless, a shovel is incredibly useful. Level a tent site. Dig a latrine. Scrape flammable debris away for a safe fire pit and dig a pile of dirt for emergency extinguishing. This is tool is probably the number 2 (heh...) in importance for safe and sanitary camping.
6. Entrenching Tool (again)
I bought this at a surplus store, and I'm reasonably sure it's European military surplus. It has a marking of "10/3575" on the blade, and there is a cap screw with a 6mm hex socket in the swivel, if that means anything to anyone out there. The gray leather carrier had started to rot, and the blade of the shovel had a lot of surface rust, so I hit it with some Rustoleum rattle-can. The wood handle is still secured in the socket. Anyone out there know anything about this? At any rate, I bought a green surplus E-tool carrier to modify for this older fixed handle. I think I prefer this to the newer knockoff in all respects except size when folded.
There are a lot of tools that try to cram a lot of cheap crap into one package. I generally prefer using dedicated tools built to perform a specific task well. Multitools aren't inherently bad. I love my Leatherman Wave, for example. On the other hand, I can tell you right now without even testing it that this is utter garbage.
Buy wisely. The list above is just what I have, not what's best for the job, or best for you. Your environment, budget, skills, and training may also lead you to prioritize some tools over others, so please chime in. I'm no survivalist guru, just a guy who grew up semi-rural. If you disagree with anything I wrote above, make your case and start a conversation!
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5 and 6 are what hubby calls the shovel of shame. When a camper picks that one up you know what their business is. 🤣 Can't argue it's importance. 😉
If you have a group camp with no.... ahem facilities, it's often worthwhile to dig a trench, hang a tarp for privacy, and leave the shovel there so people can backfill after doing their business. Just make sure it's downwind and downstream.
Down stream is doable, I'm sure, but this South Australian wind never blows in one direction for long...
I can't be trusted with sharp things, so I'll just carry the shovel thingy. And some toilet paper, because that's really important out in the woods.
The shovel is the most useful, by far - you can chop stuff even with a fairly blunt blade, and some even have serrations, so you could use it as a saw.
I'm sure there's a convenient patch of poison ivy should the TP run out.
Your helpfulness is subject to suspicion.
DANG, Jakob!
I need to read this in depth amd buy a few backups,
I'm a community leader in my group and have lots more
Experience and research into the prepping than most of
The next 3 or 4 people in the neighborhood 🤔
Cheap but durable spares can be handed out to newbs...
Definitely the smallest yet significant survival tool. Being pretty handy is a +1
I never thought of a spade'y type digging thing before. I have many blades and a hatchet. That and my striker flint thing and a torch is usually me good to go!
Wouldn't mind a machete right enough but it could bode ill for the world.
Bode Ill for the World 🌎
😁😁
In my treasures from Dad series, I have a huge machete ON DECK for a future story! I need a good sharpener for it HAHA
I'd like a giant Lansky style
A huge machete would be grand! I just don't think I would be able to stop chopping!
Is your theme song Mack the Knife or Butcher Pete?
Most definitely Butcher Pete!! :OD
16-20" is about right for a machete. I bought a longer blade from Cold Steel a while back, and it's just not very useful at that size.
Blade or blade + handle?
I showed 23" with about a 5" handle... call it 18" blade?
I meant just the blade.
🤣
You didn't hear it from me, but rumor has it some work with an angle grinder can transform a leaf spring from the wrecking yard into a reasonable facsimile of a sword.
I can confirm that - sword blades are frequently made from the exact same alloy as leaf springs.
Oddly enough, there is a really old book in my library called The Boy Mechanic that shows you precisely how to make a crossbow out of a leaf spring.
Say no more. I am certainly not holding this information tightly within for my next
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STOPWoah, that is a lot of sharp things there. When I think camping I think tent and sleeping bag type of stuff, but then again I have never gone camping in a serious manner. In future, I plan to change it, so this list is very useful :)
I think, I would pick 2 and 3 as the first sharp thingies in my arsenal as they can cover most jobs of the other tools (probably not too great, but if there is nothing better on hand).
There is always a tradeoff between how much more do you want to carry and what do you think you might need.
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Good Stuff!!
SHTF IS HERE... 😱
We are in for rough times thanks to inflation, production reduction, labor issues, COVID, political responses to COVID, transportation problems, and other chaotic influences but I hope it doesn't mean I have to rely on this stuff every day.
Yeah man, I'm hoping for the "minimal disruption model" that the Q people are promoting. But if you believe the more sinister possibility that Q is a Deep State Psy-Op, they are trying to get preppers and patriots to be less prepared.