Nessmuk Trio?

Tabnabs

It's a new concept to me, but one that makes quite a lot of sense. In essence, the ultimate minimal bushcraft tool kit:

• The hatchet (double) where one edge was kept thin for cutting clean wood, and the other edge was kept thicker for shopping through knots and bones.
  
• The fixed blade knife which is "thin in the blade, and handy for skinning, cutting meat, or eating with."
  
• A double bladed pocket knife for carving and woodwork.

Personally I tend to use folding saw more than an hatchet/axe, as axe work is relatively high skilled and the repercussion of getting it wrong when out in the woods (especially alone) don't bear thinking about. Also the saw is quieter than an axe. I also use a fixed blade for carving and woodwork instead. I was brought up that way and it's a hard habit to break. I tend to use a SAK or similar for food preparation (except for raw meet) as it keeps the blade clean when tucked away.

Do others here use a similar system to the Nessmuk Trio when out in the woods or have you adapted a more suitable set-up from your own experience?

dazza161989

Personally i usually carry small foldable saw( cut firewood, make shetler/ windbreak etc) , lockable folding knife ( preparing food, peeling bark) and a slim fixed blade ( skinning, preparing fish etc)

Deise Musashi

Folding saw or sometimes a Wetterlings axe, a fixed blade and a swiss army or leatherman tool.

Half the fun is taking various kit out for a test run.

The Glass Key

Tricky to know exactly what to take as minimal kit, I always have a SAK, a filleting knife and cheap Aldi/Lidl folding saw but don't carry any other edge tools due to weight. Nearly forgot always have a couple of scalpels in the survival tin and they are as good as a filleting knife for the likes of gutting fish. The filleting knife wandered into my kit one day when I noticed how light it was and its stayed there ever since. Only problem is it looks a bit dangerous so I tend to keep it buried in the bottom of my pack and so rarely use it.

I used to have a really nice paring hook which is a small lightweight billhook great little tool for working on small diameter timbers for shelters but don't know what happened to it, rare antique item I doubt I'll ever be able to replace (I'm sure I could, but not at the 50p car boot price I originally paid).

I'd be partial to a double sided billhook http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bill-Double-Edged-Blade-Hedging/dp/B0048LROW4 but while that's versatile its a bit bl00dy heavy to carry around and not so handy for more delicate work. It wouldn't have any problems however with larger butchering jobs.

The Glass Key

Been thinking about the original post and while there are only 3 items the list is missing the "unseen" 4th or even 5th?

What do you sharpen them with? An axe used on bones will need something courser than a skinning blade to sharpen it so whatever tools you chose you could end up adding significant weight to your kit with a sharpening stone and possibly a file.

I accept the scalpels I carry and the hand saw aren't sharpenable and are in effect throw away items but I do carry a small fine sharping stone for my pocket knife and filleting knife.

ShadowFox

When Im hiking I carry SAK, Large folding knife and one of the hand chain saws and always have a Mora knife for food

Camping ill carry SAK, Med to Large fixed blade the hand chain saw and a folding saw again a Mora knife for food

I rarely carry an axe/hatchet with me due to the weight and it really only has one use the pocket chain saw will cut anything an axe/hatchet will with less weight and effort

H.O.T.A.S.

What sort of saw do you carry Tabnabs? I have pair of the folding aldi/lidl saws. Have never found a wire saw that was worth carrying and have a bog standard hatchet but weight constraints. I tend to use a parang for clearing ground whilst setting up the bivvy.

Tabnabs

I have the Bahco Laplander Folding Saw. Grand saw, has done both garden and woodland work. The only problem is the olive green colour, I keep putting it down and it gets lost in the undergrowth

If you watch amazon, you get them for £16 or less (+P&P)

Pat Mustard

I'm using a Silky Pocketboy folding saw. I find it excellent. Got it from these people.



Also this hatchet, but I'm beginning to think that it may not be worth it's weight anymore, since the Pocketboy.


And a bog standard opinel folding knife, which can be got in any tackle shop. Cheap and easy to replace, so no tears are shed if you lose it.