A good, durable camp saw

Q. Hey Gear Guy,

I want to buy a camp saw that will really last. Something that can take a beating. It doesn’t need to be lightweight for packing since we usually drive to our campsites.

Any suggestions?

– Lumberjack Tyler, Mundelein, Illinois

A. I have just the thing for you, Tyler: the Sven-Saw. It’s a foldable saw that’s well-made, durable and capable of cutting a log 6 inches in diameter. I know you said you don’t care about it being lightweight, but it is totally packable and weighs less than 1 pound. It comes in 15-inch and 21-inch versions ($35–$37, svensaw.com). For a solid, budget-friendly solution, check out the BSA Folding Saw in your local Scout shop ($15, scoutlife.org/links/scoutstuff).

Now that you know which camp saw to get, don’t forget the principles of LEAVE NO TRACE and minimizing campfire impacts:

• Standing trees, dead or alive, are home to birds and insects, so leave them intact. Fallen trees also provide bird and animal shelter, increase water-holding capacity of the soil and recycle nutrients back into the environment through decomposition.
• Stripping branches from standing or fallen trees also detracts from an area’s natural appearance.
• Avoid using hatchets and saws or breaking branches off standing or downed trees. Use dead and downed wood, which burns easily and is easy to collect.
• Use small pieces of wood, no larger than the diameter of an adult wrist, that can be broken with your hands.
• Gather wood over a wide area away from camp to avoid depleting the wood supply and to let nutrients return to the soil. Along rivers and seashores, use dry driftwood.