Ultimate camp/survivor tool?

[Timelord]

Started it today. coming on well. A super large 2 handed ancient rusty cleaver - to be turned into a multifunctional, considerably lightened, Axe/large knife/entrenching tool/hook/striker steel/long prybar. each tool use will be a seperate part of the tool, so the knife is not the same part of the blade as the axe or entrenching tool etc.
The weight is critical. It started off at 2.025 kilo's without the 2 wooden handle fillets. It needs to come down to 1 kilo or so for effective use and kitability... At the moment it is 1.4 kilo's and there is more to come off. I am using my medieval weapons tech to craft this one. It has been a while..
Quality edged old industrial tool to be turned into a mad max 1 handed ????? What?

I don't know what I will call it yet! It will speak to me as it takes form. More later.

[Scythe13]

You could call is Custty - Camp Ultimate Survival Tool ThingY

[Timelord]

Why thankyou. Please can you spell that phonetically?

[Scythe13]

Personally, I'm just going to add 2, possibly 3, big tools to my BOB. A machete and an axe for sure. Maybe an Annihilator style item as well.

And I probably couldn't spell it phonetically. Custee, I guess?

Sounds like a great project though. I look forward to the photos.

[Timelord]

Oh yes, forgot to mention, It will also double up as a pole for my basha. It is not quite as long as one of the webtex aluminium poles I received last week off ebay, but it will be long enough for 1 person clearance or the foot end & with a protector over the handle/prybar end. Those webtex poles weigh 225 grams each. Wow! I won't be carrying any of those in my BOB for sure, not when it only does one job and weighs so much.. Seem to have wasted my money on those. They are now relegated to BOV kit.

[Scythe13]

I'm definitely strapping an Axe to my BOB. I've learned to make a wooden hut and am going to be increasing my woodwork skills when I recieve some Amazon love.

So, how are you doing to turn the cleaver into all these things? Are you going to be cutting into the blade or what?

[Timelord]

Oh yes, serious metalworking going on. It is cool. I will show it to you soon enough. I like axes too. The problem was, while each tool can do a few different things, none could do it all & if you want to do it all, then that meant carrying it all.....

A knife is not an axe, is not a spade is not a prybar. That is the puzzle.

[Scythe13]

(6 April 2012, 21:48)Timelord Wrote: A knife is not an axe, is not a spade is not a prybar. That is the puzzle.

I have cut off quite a few items from my kit list.

Knife: Essential. Have minimum of 3 in BOB
Axe: Very Important (for me and my possible long term plans). I will only have 1 for certain, but if possible, I'll look into getting another if I can keep the kit light enough.
Spade: What would I need a spade for? I'm not digging a garden or planting a tree. I'll go old-school....sharp stick! haha
Pry Bar: BORING!!! Unless it's for entering a building, or leaving one, I can't see too many times I'll need one. It's too much of a single use item.

[Timelord]

A pry/crowbar is for easy access to the multitude of industrial or utility buildings / outhouses etc. These places could be really useful and possibly devoid of people ASHTF. It is not a tool I would carry individually but it would be useful to have as part of multitool. Why is it multitools have to be little things carried in a pouch on the belt? Why would you need more than one axe. Surely 1 quality axe is adequate? Knives are v.good, but If you have an axe, then you don't really need a large knife. Yes I agree, a big knife is probably one of the hardest items to consider leaving out & I am struggling with that. A small knife is of course invaluable to keep, maybe 2. My large knife weighs 400 grams.
A spade is a useful item, that is why the military carry entrenching tools. Ok, you might not want to dig an underground bunker, but the ability to build turf/earth shelters, dig latrines, dig various other holes as required, erect earth walls or a shallow trench, drainage ditches, dig up caches, use for self defence - is a lot of usefulness. It would not come above an axe or knife on my list, but it would be very handy to have. I would not carry an individual entrenching tool due to weight & clutter issues, but if it was combined into one weight saving multitool, then it would be a big bonus for me.

[Scythe13]

That's a fair comment about the spade. I'll look into one I can easily attach to my BOB.

As for the Axe thing, I'm considering having 2, just because I have to test a few more, and if I'm keen on them, then I'll probably decide which to go for. But for now, I'm stuck with 2 that I quite like, and none that I love.