Pocket Chainsaw

I was going to do a review for this but alas, I couldn't figure out a place to put it on the site, but it's worth sharing so here you go

Website: http://www.pocketchainsaw.com/

I've used this on two week long trips and it has worked perfectly (though after this last trip I'm going to have to oil it). The saw works incredably well (see the video on their website-it's true to life).

Pros: Incredably fast, compact, light, durable, reliabe, can be used by two people at once

Cons: Tires you out (but if you do it with another person, it's much better)

I cannot imagine going on a trip without this saw, it makes cutting fire wood less of a chore.

Matt09,
You obviously don't live (or backpack) anywhere near California, do you? :)
About the only place in the State I know of that you can start a fire is in or around Death Valley....and that chainsaw isn't going to do you a whole lotta good there!! :P
Good looking product. Too bad I have no need for it.

Matt
(aka BeritOlam)

Nope :) Clear across the country, New York.

gotta say that little thing looks pretty handy! ive used several wiresaws and buck saws, but that looks a bit stronger and effective.

Well,...I hope were talking about cutting up a small amount of deadfall. Not standing timber...right?
I have found it is easier to just let stuff burn in two when possible, again talking about loose dead limbs. It is very important to limit this practice as much as possible, there is no need for a large campfire unless someone has hypothermia and/or you must dry clothes quickly.
When car camping I still bring my own pre split wood if the guys want a campfire.

This is what I carry when it is needed. It weighs only 15 oz. and will out cut most other saw thingy's out there. (If you know how to use a saw)

http://www.rei.com/product/404013

1. The wood cut in the product's video is waaaayyy dead, making it look easier than it really is.

2. I think this tool has a lot of uses around the home - none in the backcountry.

Any idea what it weighs? Too much for my pack!

According to the web site, it weighs six and a half pounds(!)

Ultimate Survival Technologies makes a similar, but much lighter, saw: http://www.ultimatesurvival.com/product_view.cfm?product_ID=430

edit: Not sure which is accurate, but the Pocket Chainsaw site also lists weights of 4.5 pounds and of 5 oz. (which seems a bit more reasonable).

If you watch the end of the video closely, it looks like the timber flies pretty forcefully toward the off-screen sawyer. Be careful!

Yeah, f lock, the little tree almost fell over!
Dave, I also found the weights listed to be conflicting, is the can itself 5 oz.? or the whole thing? If so how could it also weigh 6.6 lbs. ? Just talking out loud, no need to answer.

I have had a couple of these, you expend a lot of energy because you have to remove so much material due to the thickness of the saw chain. They do have a following with off roaders though. I have found the bow saws to cut faster if you get the Swiss blades. (not the Chinese ect.)

It's 5 oz. (Dave, the 4.5 is for a box of them) And yes, I use it to cut up deadfall (or standing dead wood..which we did this year). More specifically, I have gone on a Canoe trip up in Algonquin Ontario and by the time we go (beginning of Aug.) finding reasonable wood can be a bit of a chore; this makes it a bit easier.

f_klock, that wood is way dead, but it cuts through less-dead wood faster then anything I've tried before.

And Dave, I've never had the timber fly at me, but if you're not paying attention, the chain will come back up at you after your threw...nothing major but I've gotten a couple of scratches that way. It works much better with two people.

I can see it with two people, It's a chore with just one.

matt09, only you know what works best for you. The 5 oz. weight sounds a lot better. I go on canoe trips to the local lake to go island camping, and we used to have something similar. I certainly think it's faster than a hatchet. Tried that too.

If you like it, wear it out man.

I did notice that the kerf width is 1/8". That's only as wide as the blade on my table saw. Not TOO wide. I was under the impression that this was a real chainsaw chain. It is not. it is a much lighter version of one.

I looked at one of these in a hardware store. It looks functional enough, but I would be VERY careful not to side load the chain. It looks like it would bend or even break under lateral pressure, rendering it useless.

Being an upright walking mammal, I can admit when my impression of something
changes. It IS an interesting tool. After closer examination, I feel that it does have particular uses around the yard, garden, or backyard/car campsite. But...Because of risk of failure, due to the MANY moving parts, I would hesitate to depend on it as my only saw.

Here are the complete instructions:

http://www.equipped.com/pp/pic90.htm

I prefer Gerber's folding, lodkblade "Exchang-a-Blade" saw but I carry only the saw, not the pouch & extra blade, when car camping or winter camping.

Eric

Trailblazer Survival saw, 9.5 oz. with foam handle. It folds away into a safe little packet. Great if you are going with a small group in an area where you can have fires, or car camping. I find that on solo hikes or with just one or two people, there is no need for a saw. There is usually enough deadfall or standing deadwood to make a nice fire.

As f_klock pointed out, there is a risk with using these things... These things are sharp!!! If you are in the backcountry and slip, you could bleed out long before you find help. They make a nice ragged cut, hard to patch up with super glue or butterfly stitches. If the line breaks or the blade slips when you are tired and not paying close attention, thats when things go wrong...

My son has one, and it works very well. It is easy to cut through 4" branches in short order, much faster than any folding saw that I have used. I'd have to weigh it, but 5 or 6 oz sounds about right. It is pretty robust, I'm not worried about it breaking.

And contrary to popular opinion, there are plenty of places where you can have fires in California. A lot of the car camping locations have a fire ban, but if you go into the back country in Sequoia/Kings Canyon, there are large areas where fires are allowed. Just exercise proper precaution. Here are the campfire restrictions in Sequoia/Kings Canyon:

http://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/kernfire.htm

I usually don't have fires (and when I am camping above treeline it is obviously not possible) but when I take scouts on backpacking trips they like to have one.

Thanks for this link Dave !
http://www.ultimatesurvival.com/product_view.cfm?product_ID=430
I received this for a gift awhile back and the instructions were missing. After viewing the clips- I gave it a try and works great ! I have it in my car survival kit as this most likely the only place I will be in need of this type of tool. We travel off road quite a bit and am trying to be prepared. Thanks to others for input also. Really enjoy all the input !!