The Best Backpacking Wood Saw Ever
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Every year or so, I take time to inventory what I carry in my 'get home bag'. This year I am trying to get my pack from a winter weight of 40-lbs (30-lbs summer weight) to under 30-lbs (25-lbs summer weight). The difference in weights between winter and summer revolves around clothes. During this year's inventory review, I will also analyze the items I am packing to see if they make sense.
I currently pack a nifty folding handsaw made by Felco 60 that weighs in at 5-ounces. The saw with its 6-inch blade has done an adequate job on small stuff; However, I have been looking for years for a bigger option that did not weight a ton. Well I found it and it is called Boreal21 by Agawa (https://agawagear.com/products/custom-boreal21-kit).
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The blade on the Boreal21 is 21-inches long and weighs in complete, with pouch and extra blade at 24-ounces. The saw comes in 15 & 24-inches too. You can buy the saw alone for around $75- but I went the complete package route. The saw is available in two colors - Green/black or yellow/black grips. I went with yellow because it is easier to spot when I lay it down in the woods. Last, I ordered it with the Sidney Rancher Aggressive blades not the other options available. The all-purpose blade and hunter blade used for sawing through bones.
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Now for the proof in the pudding. I went out and tried it out on a 6-inch tree that had come down in the winter. It took me ~4-minutes to cut through the tree trunk (see feature article image).
The collapsed size is 21 1/2 x 1 1/8 x 7/8-inches (L x H X W). When collapsed no blade is exposed so you could easily find a spot inside or outside along your pack. I will probably leave the pouch at home as not being needed.
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Total cost for the saw, scabbard, and extra blade was $110- and in my opinion well worth the cost.
My only negative at this point is the weight. Although 19-ounces is not bad for a backpacking saw, a sub 16-ounce saw would be better. Probably cost prohibitive to the average buyer though.
In closing, I highly recommend this saw and it will see a lot of use on the trail and around the redoubt.
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