4 Survival Saws That Could Be Useful On Your Next Camping Trip

After you've requested some time off from work and downloaded an app for finding the best camping spots, you're going to need to stock up on tools and supplies before your trip out into the wilderness. One item you'll definitely want to make sure you take is a survival saw, which will enable you to cut through wood and ice, as well as bone (if you're hunting). Because survival saws are typically compact and lightweight, they're more practical to bring on your excursion than larger traditional saws. This quality also makes survival saws great for camping and hiking trips and emergency preparedness kits, as they can be small enough to fit into a backpack or hang from a carabiner.

Survival saws come in many different shapes, sizes, and types — including hand chainsaws, folding saws, and saw attachments built into some of the best multitools for hiking and camping. With so many options, you may find it difficult to decide which one is best for you. There are several factors you should consider when purchasing a survival saw, including its portability, durability, sharpness, and quality of its blade, and, of course, its cost. To help you choose which tool may be right for you, here are four survival saws that could be useful on your camping trip, based on hands-on testing by experts working for reputable publications. More information on how these items were selected can be found at the end of the list.

After testing many different options, GearLab named the Corona RazorTooth its "best overall folding saw," highlighting its fast cutting action and ergonomic grip. The tool comes in three sizes: 7-inch, 8-inch, and 10-inch, which can cut 3-inch, 4-inch, and 6-inch diameter branches, respectively. The 10-inch saw, despite being the largest, is still very portable and lightweight — weighing just 9 ounces — and comfortable to use, thanks to its soft co-molded rubber handle and a locking mechanism that is placed far enough away from your hand that you won't need to worry about accidentally pressing into it. The tool is also designed with a triangular-shaped opening that is perfect for attaching a lanyard.

The razor has a triple-ground pattern of impulse-hardened teeth, strong enough to cut through hardwood and even bone. With the 10-inch RazorTooth, you'll be able to cut through small and medium branches at your campsite with ease. Corona puts its products through four different manufacturing processes for maximum durability, hardness, and friction reduction so that this tool will stick with you through many excursions into the wilderness. The taper-ground folding blade is also replaceable, so you can swap out blades after they've run their course while keeping the rest of the high-quality tool.

Since the curved blade is designed to cut with a pulling motion, GearLab found that the saw "might be too aggressive for cutting smaller branches." If you expect to use this survival saw on less substantial wood, you may want to opt for one of the smaller sizes. The 10-inch Corona RazorTooth is available from Amazon for $24.

When you think of a chainsaw, you probably picture a big growling piece of equipment used by lumberjacks and horror icons alike, but chainsaws don't have to be motorized. In fact, a manual hand chainsaw, which is typically a chain of sawteeth with handles on both ends (like a jump rope), can be an efficient way of cutting through branches on a campsite. Obviously, you'll need to put a little more grunt work into the task than you would with a traditional chainsaw, but those aren't really practical to bring with you on a hike or trip to the wilderness (even if they're one of the best mini chainsaws.) A manual chainsaw, on the other hand, is very lightweight and portable.

Built with heavy-duty 4000N, 65 Mn carbon-fired steel, the Campndoor 36-inch Pocket Chainsaw is equipped with 48 sharp and durable tiger claw teeth paired with 48 clog-clearing bulldozer teeth, making it a formidable saw. Plus, its thick nylon handles make the tool more comfortable to use. The chain is 36 inches long, and the entire saw weighs only half a pound, so you'll barely notice carrying it around in your camping or hiking gear.

Bob Vila named the product its "best pocket chainsaw tested in 2023" compared to several other hand chainsaws, praising its construction quality, as well as its heavy-duty carrying case, which comes with a useful belt loop and secure hook-and-loop closure. However, the chainsaw doesn't come with any other accessories — such as a firestarter — like some models do, if that's a dealbreaker for you. Honestly, though, it's often better to assemble your camping kit with individual pieces anyway so you can select the best of each item. You can purchase the Campndoor 36-inch Pocket Chainsaw from Amazon for $24.99.

Named the "best triangular frame saw" by GearLab, the Agawa Boreal21 would make a fine addition to your camping equipment. Its strongest feature might be its stainless steel blade, which is extremely sharp and durable — it will likely meet all of your wood-cutting needs during your trip outdoors. It's coated with anti-rust protection and includes double-pointed rakers that can clear chips and fibers, as you saw, for an even more efficient cut. Plus, its trapezium-shaped frame gives it a wide range of motion, and its rigid shape gives you more leverage and makes cutting even easier, with its sawing performance also bolstered by the saw's automatic and reproducible blade tensioning.

When folded, the tool is 21.5 by 2 inches and can slide easily into your backpack. It's also lightweight thanks to its aluminum, steel, and fiberglass-reinforced nylon construction, weighing just 18.7 ounces. It unfolds simply and quickly in one smooth motion, and since it's all one connected piece, there are no loose parts to contend with. Its blade can easily be replaced without using tools for added convenience. One downside to the saw is that it's a little heavier and bulkier than many folding saws, and its handle could be more comfortable to hold and use. It's also a little pricey. If you can live with that, you can find the Agawa Boreal21 for $82.

Victorinox, the manufacturer of the iconic Swiss Army Knife, includes a pocket saw in many of the variants of its popular multitool. The Victorinox Hiker is one of these Swiss Army Knife variants that has several tools ideal for a short trek into the wilderness and comes with 12 different functions in addition to its wood saw: a can opener, bottle opener, wire stripper, awl, key ring, toothpick, tweezers, two blades, and three screwdrivers. The Hiker is 3.6 inches long and weighs just 2.7 ounces, so you can keep it just about anywhere on your person while camping or hiking away from your site to forage for firewood and other items. Knives Illustrated lists the Victorinox Hiker as one of the "perfect knives for hiking" and specifically highlights its "great saw blade," which is both sharp and durable.

Of course, the saw blade is much smaller on this pocket multitool than what you'd find on many other survival saws. You won't be chopping down any trees with this product, and folding saws or hand chainsaws would likely make cutting firewood easier. But, if you're looking to carry as little as possible and want a saw that you can easily take with you far from the campsite, the diminutive size of the Hiker offers a lot of use in a small package. The Victorinox Hiker has a list price on Amazon of $39.

It's unwise to judge a tool merely by the description and claims made by its manufacturer — the best way to know if a product is reliable and works as advertised is by trying it out for yourself. If you can't do that, you can rely on the testimony of those who have, especially experts in outdoor gear and equipment who have tested many different items and can compare the pros and cons of each to one another.

The tools selected for this list of survival saws for camping have all been tested by experts writing for reputable publications and have received overall positive reviews after this hands-on testing. These publications include Bob Vila, GearLab, and Knives Illustrated.

Additionally, an effort was made to offer different types of survival saws to offer more options to campers with different preferences. For example, several other high-quality folding saws could have made this list but were omitted to make room for other high-quality products such as manual chainsaws and multitools. Together, they comprise a list of survival saws that are different from one another but that can all still be useful on your next camping trip.