Took my Wenonah fisherman to Lewey Lake, NY to fish for a week. Second day while splitting wood, split my ankle instead to the tune of 19 stitches. Since I couldn't get the leg wet or dirty, I headed for home on Monday. The RN at the Primary Care center said I did a "great" job bandaging my leg, small consolation. Just a reminder, bad things can happen very fast, be careful out there.
Much like Glenn, some axe threads on this board prompted me to find an old Boy’s Axe head, reburbish, rehang and sharpen it as a “tripping axe”. That is a pretty little axe, and as sharp as the day I finished it; it has yet to go on a canoe trip, and probably never will.
It’s not that I lack confidence or experience with an axe, I have been splitting wood since I was a kid, and still run a wood stove at home in winter.
But my solo tripping needs do not require an axe. A small saw does everything I need, and little enough of that when I am solo and a small, hour long fire will see me off to bed.
If I’m on a group trip and folks want to gather round a blaze I am guaranteed that one or more of my companions will have an axe, and maybe have worked as a forester or wildland firefighter. They do pretty axe work, and seem to enjoy it. On the whole I’d much rather sit and watch them while I drink a beer.
I don’t even swing the splitting maul at home when I’m alone; less for safety reasons than because the progeny tote the logs, set them on the chopping block and fill the woodbox. Yeah, I can split wood all day long. . . . .if I never have to bend over or pick up a piece of wood.
Even a handsaw can be dangerous; a friend had to evac from the Green River after a saw oops. A companion had one of these in his 1[SUP]st[/SUP] aid kit. Said bloody friend bought a couple after the trip and gave one to me.
https://www.amazon.com/Adventure-Me...=8-1-spons&keywords=quikclot+trauma+pak&psc=1
Nice guy, I didn’t know the kit was that expensive. I mostly want the clotting sponge; I already have the other stuff in my group 1[SUP]st[/SUP] aid kit, but the whole Trauma kit is small and durably sealed, and having everything in one unopened kit could be fast handy.
I guess I oughta add a clotting sponge to my solo first aid kit (makes note to self).