pocket/survival/commando saws

Those are all crap. Get a small folding one if you really need one.

I'm a big fan of hiking with saws, they're nice for cutting larger firewood in camp and around here it's a rare day that I hike without coming across a blowdown on the trail.

My personal favorite is the 15" folding Sven saw, it collapses into a stick that fits great in the side pocket on my pack. I've easily cleared blowdowns in the 6" range with it. Still using the original blade it came with 10+ years ago, seems like if you keep a bow saw blade out of the dirt and don't bend it it'll last a very long time. Of course it weighs 15 oz. which is a very hard sell on here but I love it. There is a cottage maker called Qi Wiz who makes a much lighter version, think it's around 3oz and change but the tradeoff is a bit more time consuming assembly.

I've messed with folding saws a little but keep coming back to bow saws for backpacking, the lack of ability to apply much downward pressure on a folding saw seems to make for slower cutting and worn out hands with a lot of use. Currently have an 18cm. folding saw by Coghlans that I found on the trail. I'll throw it in the pack for day hikes, it works well enough but I'd be a little disappointed if I had paid for it. Feels cheesy and the blade bends very easily, though it does have some super aggressive sharp teeth. If you want to go the folding saw route there's a company called Silky that seems to be the gold standard for saws among tree care professionals. They have a few folding or fixed blade options in the 8-10 oz. range.

Silky saws are pretty good:

http://www.silkysaws.com/Silky_Saws/Folding-Straight_2/Super-Accel-210mm-Saw-1375#sthash.BaQk7Vlu.dpbs

It depends on what you'll be cutting, but another option is to carry a beefier knife (like a 6" ESEE) and chop down small branches.

http://www.coronatools.com/item/rs-4040?referer=folding-saws

6 inch folding saw. 5.5 ounces. $20 including shipping. Very aggressive blade. Cuts through branches larger than 6 inches with difficulty but less than 6 inches is easier

My buddy Jim swears by his tactical tomahawk.

I guarantee that a Silky saw (of appropriate length blade) will cut through a 6" limb several times faster than a tomahawk.

I've used Silky saws on a regular basis for work for 12 years , and axes of various sizes for longer. An hatchet will be quicker up to a certain size branch, but unless well dressed and a skilled/practiced user, it could be a liability.

Gerber's Switchblade saw has two blades, one for wood and one for bone. I haven't weighed mine but it's likely around 6 oz. with one blade.

Works for me – but do not carry it very often.

I hate my iPhone

A wire saw won't hold up for very long, so they are best kept in a real emergency kit where they are intended to see service for only one night.

A folding saw will hold up much longer, but that depends on whether it can be sharpened or not.

I hate a pull saw.

–B.G.–

+1 silky saw super accel weight 7.1 oz.

Great info. The Silky looks perfect.

Thanks!

Chainmate pocket saw.. its basically just a 24" chainsaw blade with some pull loops on the end. I have only used it a couple times but works well and has lots of positive feedback on Amazon. $10 and weighs in at exactly 4oz with the pouch.

David over at GoldGear is doing some cool stuff on saws. I have the Japanese, but have yet to sufficiently test it. Can't beat the weight and is built from a full size saw, so no worries on durability.

http://www.goldgear.co/saws.html

I use a Sawvivor (10oz). Pretty lightweight. Pretty hard to get a hold of.

http://sawvivor.com

http://www.cutleryshoppe.com/browseproducts/Trail-Blazer-15-quot;-Sawvivor-Saw.HTML

That paired with my Rat7 (13oz), Buck Hoodlum (15oz) or Buck Punk (7.4oz)

That is a very capable system of fire preparation.

But if i'm bringing that stuff theres a different philosophy of backpacking too… Isn't my BPL lightweight mindset.