Hello from a fellow Hennessey fan. I have a question about a saw.

[DangerJudy]

I got the Hennessey from this site's recommendation among others, and it is has been a great purchase. I wondered if you folks had used this saw:
http://www.basegear.com/ulsursabcuts.html


It's a pocket chain saw. I realize this is not a lightweight backpacker item. However I canoe camp and would like a saw I can keep in the canoe or car for getting firewood. I camp primitive quite a bit, indeed there is primitive car camping out there. Also kayaking creeks there are sometimes surprise additions to the wood/strainers on the river and a saw is necessary.

Thanks for any input...

DANGERJUDY

[Zero Day]

I don't know about this saw , but I have had a SVEN saw for years. Don't use it much now since going lightweight, but it works good and is more like a "real" saw that cuts from the top.

[CanoeBlue]

Many years ago (scouts) I had a flexible "cable" saw - that was pretty close to useless. The flexible chain saw looks like a much more efficient option, and perhaps useful if you needed a light weight saw to cut large chunks of wood, but how often do you need to cut large chunks of wood?

Most cooking fires are too big, use too much wood and use pieces that are too big to be efficient and controlable. For light weight camping/hiking there really isn't much need for a saw at all. (Check the fireplace used by Nimblewood Nomad - it uses twigs.)

If I am with a group and we are going to do a lot of cooking over fires (for canoe trips we use an environmental fireplace), I opt for a light weight foldable pruning saw such as the SVEN that Zero Day uses. It is light, takes up little space in a pack and you can steady a branch or piece of drift wood with one hand and saw with the other.

For light solo hiking/camping I made a titanium version of Nimblewood's stove and it doubles as a wind screen for an alcohol stove if I am in an area where a fire is not appropriate or I just want to boil water in a hurry. A little fuel goes a long way and the combination is great.

[Sgathak]

If this saw is used from above the wood to cut DOWN, its usefulness is decent. However, it is USELESS for cutting from below the wood UP. The woods weight collapses on the blade and the blade becomes stuck. If your alone and the wood being cut is very wet, or very heavy... you will probably loose your saw.

I would use a small gerber camp ax were I in your position. Or if functionality is more important than a clean cut, a Cold Steel Spetsnaz Shovel (with its edges sharpened for use). Neither will make nice flat cuts on the wood, but both are vastly more reliable and have multiple uses.

The Spetsnaz Shovel itself can be used for everything from a shovel, axe, knife, emergency paddle, hammer, pancake flipper, riot baton, and so on.

[cldphoto]

I have a "Pocket Chainsaw" I bought several years ago from the Sports Authority. Basically like a bike chain with teeth, with two wire loops for your fingers; comes in a metal can similar to a can of shoe polish. It works decently when cutting down, as noted above. Two peeves. The little finger loops that came with the saw are wholly inadequate for prolonged use -- they slip out of the holes at the end of the chain far too easily, and they tend to bite into your fingers when you try to cut with any degree of force. Also, the saw rusted very, very, very easily -- when not in use, I had to make sure the chain was protected with a light coat of 3-in-1 oil, also known as CLP (clean, lubricate, protect). Looks like the saw linked above was designed to take care of those two problems.