does anybody carry machettes with them on the trail?im definetly bringing a hatchet but i was contemplating whether or not to bring the machette
DerekJerz
Hey - Appalachian Trail
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#2
People will laugh at you for bringing a hatchet as well as a machete. Completely unnecessary to carry either.
Tell it like it is
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#3
I’m sorry, but I’m laughing just thinking of it. Derek, please, don’t bring a hatchet and don’t bring a machette. And keep the axe at home too. Simply too much weight and you’ll never need it.
grinds
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#4
Machette or Hatchet?Absolutly not.All the cool hikers are now carrying chain saws.
Old&In The Way
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#6
only the 3oz solar-powered kind from RONCO… right? $19.95 +S&H
but WAIT, there’s MORE! :lol
Wild Hare
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#7
The only time you may need those would be if you are planning on hacking out a new trail to Main!:lol
Green
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#8
As much teasing as you got in the answers to your question, it is actually a perfectly legitimate assumption to think you’d need a small hatchet or machete for a long hike. But the AT is an unusual trail, in that it is (with a few exceptions) remarkably well-maintained. There are lots of examples of equipment that you wouldn’t think of leaving out of your pack for a 2 week backcountry trip in, say, Colorado or Utah, that are completely unnecessary on the AT.
Some examples, in addition to the hatchet/machete: any knife with more than a 2" blade, repair kits for your tent/water filter/stove/thermarest, folding shovel, maps (seriously, you can get by without them - although I would recommend bringing the profiles just to keep your sanity), leatherman… and the list goes on. The bottom line is that bc the AT is well-marked, well-maintained, and goes thru towns every 3-4 days, you need to carry precious little with you. It is a different kind of trail, and allows for a much lighter pack!
camera1
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#10
Man, this is the funniest post I’ve read in a while. Especially the post by Old&In The Way. Why just this past weekend we were discussing, while sitting on a tent platform, about designing an ultra-lite chain saw.
:lol
Hikerdude
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#11
DerekJerz,
If you desire / need a fire, you should be able to find enough downed wood to suffice. Break it by hand or stomping or smashing with a big rock.
I carried a hatchet and then a small folding saw during my first few years in the Sierra, but quickly realized it was additional weight for no utility. A Swiss Army Tinker pocket knife is all I carry now.
booger