Outdoorsman Machete

[coheterojo]

I have never carried my machete on the AT. Or on any backpacking trip ever. It is a great tool for all sorts of things but would be overkill for hiking.

I live close to the Swamp Fox passage of the Palmetto Trail here in SC and often do a little trail maintainence w said machete.

It's fun to chop things up into tiny little bits! Relieves stress, asserts my manhood and all that good stuff. There's a certain rare pleasure to be obtained from cleaving things in twain at the flick of a wrist. But ... I digress.

The OP's featured blade is not suited for anything more than occupying space IMO.

[vamelungeon]

I have an Ontario machete at home that I use for clearing briars and what not. I have used it to split wood before, hitting it with a wooden maul.

[TD55]

You should definitely be able to go after a 2" pine with a machete.

Why the heck would you cut a "2 pine on the AT? Why would you cut a "2 tree of any kind in a NF or NP or on or near hiking trail? If it is dead wood you can break it into pieces. If a person feels compelled to carry a tool of this sort, why wouldn't you want to carry a good quality tool instead of a sub standard cheap piece of crap that does nothing other than look cool in a catalog?

[JAK]

[QUOTE=Sorefoot;952380]

Not all trails have magic trail fairies like the AT.

I know that, as I have encountered some well over grown sections in Fl.

So what your are trying to say is that you carry a machete. Which is cool, not something I am going to do anymore. Yes I have and find it a waste time energy and weight. All a person is doing is adding to possibility's of getting hurt a bad cut could happen with a machete. When you have wet and sweaty hands it can slip out of your hand. You can very easily miss swing and the thing go flying in your direction. No the little gay wrist strap will not save you if anything it will make the injury worse.

I was just responding to the fellow that said the OP shouldn't have been doing what he was doing. The OP wasn't just out for a hike. He was really doing trail maintenance. Presumably he would be hiking the trail again soon, or he was clearing it for others. A machete was a good choice for that sort of brush, though he probably had the wrong machete. I wasn't advocating routinely carrying a machete on a hike, especially on the AT. I was just defending the OP from someone who questioned why he would be doing trail maintenance. Sorry I wasn't that clear.

[JAK]

Why the heck would you cut a "2 pine on the AT? Why would you cut a "2 tree of any kind in a NF or NP or on or near hiking trail? If it is dead wood you can break it into pieces. If a person feels compelled to carry a tool of this sort, why wouldn't you want to carry a good quality tool instead of a sub standard cheap piece of crap that does nothing other than look cool in a catalog?

Dude.
This thread isn't about carrying a machete while hiking the AT.
It is about trail maintenance, or more specifically, about machetes.

A real machete is a very useful tool, and cost about $10.
A cheap machete is a dangerous tool, and cost about $10.
Then there are various fancy blades you can pay $100 or more for.
I wasn't talking about those.

I think folks are jumping to conclusions.
Maybe this thread should be moved to trail maintenance.

[JAK]

This thread should be moved to trail maintenance.

[Chance09]

cold steel is having a sale on a few of their machetes you might want to check out.

[Old Hiker]

Wally-World had a Fiskars machete-looking brush knife that seemed pretty sturdy and well made. I've had great luck with any Fiskars products. The brush knife had a hook on the back side for heavier brush and a machete like blade for lighter stuff. I can't yet justify the $20 or so, as I have 4(!) trees in my yards, but I'd like one for the FL brush on overgrown trails here around Tampa.

[Wise Old Owl]

Why the heck would you cut a "2 pine on the AT? Why would you cut a "2 tree of any kind in a NF or NP or on or near hiking trail? If it is dead wood you can break it into pieces. If a person feels compelled to carry a tool of this sort, why wouldn't you want to carry a good quality tool instead of a sub standard cheap piece of crap that does nothing other than look cool in a catalog?

When I started this thread I was thinking hiking in general, I wasn't talking about the AT as it is well maintained. However the best of campfires end up with long 2" branches that extend out into the brush from the cleaned circle of leaves and brush. From a safety standpoint and anti trip I like to break up the fallen debris and chop into a manageable useful pieces. I was shootin for lightweight.

[tammons]

Stay away from the gerber gator. First time out bent the blade.
Threw it in the trash.
The saw is worthless.

This saw on the other hand is worth a million and very sharp.

http://www.knivesplus.com/GB-46048-Gerber.HTML

Personally I would like to have a mears type perang, but I cant find one of this exact design.

Thanks LI Hikers,

The Gerber I just found would do just as well

http://www.forestry-suppliers.com/dr...ry.asp?cat=203

[Wise Old Owl]

Thanks to everybody who posted this was a great help