(Part 2) Best products from r/Bushcraft

Steel is steel mate. You can go with the expensive stuff, or with the cheap stuff - We're talking expensive at several hundred and cheap as under 20-50. I've seen 20 dollars knives made just as well as the 600 dollar knives, they just dont have the name brand. It's a chunk of steel, treated so it stands up to specific conditions and holds an edge better. It looks to be full tang - not sure what is up with the holes in the blade, or the design near the MT-5 logo. I found pictures online, looks like the steel comes out a bunch there? No idea what this design is or what purpose it could have - looks sketchy. And the holes in the blade...I mean I've seen the 5 dollar walmart knives with holes so you can create a makeshift spear but..Other then that, no idea why they are on this knife, and they cause more harm then good. You can use it for basic bushcrafting tasks but I'd be careful batoning, I've personally never heard of the brand - it could be name brand and be great, but it has some weird designs.

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Really, steel is steel - all the fancy features cause more harm than good.

https://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Companion-Stainless-4-1-Inch-Military/dp/B004ZAIXSC/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=morakniv&qid=1571462370&s=sporting-goods&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&sr=1-4

That is a 12 dollar knife, and you really won't ever need more, but there are better options. The 12 dollar knife has a thinner blade and isn't suitable to as heavy duty work, but is a great beater knife for doing anything.

https://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Bushcraft-Survival-Starter-4-3-Inch/dp/B00BFI8TOA/ref=sr_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=morakniv&qid=1571462370&s=sporting-goods&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&sr=1-7

And their top of the line knives are

https://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Garberg-Carbon-Leather-Sheath/dp/B07B8SP4G9/ref=sr_1_10?dchild=1&keywords=morakniv&qid=1571462370&s=sporting-goods&sr=1-10

https://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-M-12642-Stainless-Compatible-4-3-inch/dp/B01I1GITMA/ref=sr_1_12?dchild=1&keywords=morakniv&qid=1571462370&s=sporting-goods&sr=1-12

There's a carbon version and stainless steel version. I'm gonna be honest...for the most part, they all do the same thing, but people want different things and fancier things - the garberg is the only full tang out of the bunch, but even their half tang knives are bulletproof, they hold up incredibly well and I've batoned with him countless times without issue. Mora, IMO makes the best knives - I have several other brands, and there are some I like better for ergonomics - but that's not the point, the point is any knife will work, steel is steel. Just find what you think looks and feels good, learn how to sharpen it and what you like, it depends on the what materials/types of trees you are working with, and what type of work you do. I prefer convex and Scandinavian grind (V Grind) knives, the Cudeman MT-5 looks to be a full flat grind - which I mean..AFIAK is mostly used in like chef knives and stuff, it's incredibly sharp but it's not durable, hitting hard objects is gonna cause knicks and it's gonna be brittle. This is all from experience, it's not like im an expert - but to be fair, I'd just keep trying different ones and see how you like it, but I wouldn't go spending crazy money, the $300 knives you see all the fancy bushcrafters use...these are what I call wall knives..They use them in the videos cause they look good but most people would just keep them at home and keep using their beater knives, because we are hard on our equipment and honestly, they work just as wall, all the fancy scalings and what not make them expensive, but they don't make them better.

TL;DR: Steel is steel. Get a cheap knife, in a better grind suited for the work your doing. All depends on what work you do, and what tress you have, soft woods, hard woods ETC.

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Edit: Definately don't have to go with Mora, I've just always used them and they've done me well.

Hey Champ,


Not sure what the exact budget is. IMO, get something with a blade 4-5" long, high carbon steel, have a 90 degree spine and be full tang. Everything else would be personal at that point. This will allow you to carve, make notches, process game, make feather sticks, strike a ferro rod, baton wood, process tinder (scraping bark, etc), 1 stick fires, learn flint and steel (by using the blade as the steel), etc.


Mora has a knife that fits this criteria called the garberg (offered in carbon steel or stainless). Roughly $95-105 depending on the sheath option. I use this as a backup knife when I'm in the woods. Great knife. Pretty sharp out of the bag. Both sheaths are ok. Not great, but not bad either. Knife has a pummel o on the end.
https://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Garberg-Carbon-Leather-Sheath/dp/B07B8VWK9K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1541621943&sr=8-1&keywords=carbon+garberg&dpID=41VOdUkdtRL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch


SRO has a nice selection of in-house knives. Several options to chose from. The Mountain Lion is my fav. of the ones I have. Good balance between size, weight, and feel. Their knifes come hella sharp out of the box. Price of the knife is roughly 100 and a sheath is 35.00. Even though the sheath comes sep. there are so many options to chose from. Leather or Kydex. Left hand \ right hand. Ferro rod or ligher holder, etc, etc. Makes it nice for me being left handed. Sign up for the email list since they have 10-15% off coupons pretty frequently to drop the price some more. The other nice thing with SRO is their superior customer support. SRO is known for having great customer service and replacing any product that doesn't meet your satisfaction.

https://www.selfrelianceoutfitters.com/collections/pks-the-best-survival-knife


Have a couple others like Jeff White and Habilius, but the above ones are high quality and reasonable in price.


Good luck! Let us know what you end up getting and practicing your bushcraft skills.


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I want you to have the best experience possible, so don't think I'm saying what I'm saying to be contrary. A lot of that stuff is gimicky and not going to serve you well in the long term. It's not worth the money.

Take the bow set, for instance. That is not going to do well for hunting. If you're in need of a bow that isn't too expensive but will be a solid piece of kit, you can check out some of the bowmakers like this one. That's a plain hickory flat bow that you can get in 45 lbs. and will take any game in North America.

Also, if you have bear spray, you don't need pepper spray. So, drop that and save 25 bucks.

I'd drop the fishing reel, too. Sure, you can fish with it, but you don't need a full blown reel setup to gather food. Plus, the more you add moving parts the more you're asking for something to break. Learn to make fishing trap baskets and snares, and just carve yourself a fishing pole from a sapling. You could do that and toss a butt load of fishing line in your kit for a fraction of the cost of that reel.

The bracelet isn't a "bad" item. It just doesn't provide much real functionality that you don't already have aside from the compass. I'd ditch it and get a better navigation compass if you really want a compass. Look for something like this.

Those ponchos are fine for short term use, but why not invest in the long term? For between 20 and 30 dollars, you can get a ripstop military poncho that will last you a long time.

I'd advise against that sleep pad for long term use. It's an air pad, and it's only a matter of time before you get more holes than you have repair material. Foam doesn't pack down as small, but it's much longer lasting. This is still my favorite, and you can get it cheaper from Varusteleka, I think. I just can't pull up Varusteleka from the computer I'm at right now. That is going to provide you with more comfort than that air mat and last you a lot longer.

The canteen kit you listed will most likely work fine. I tend to stay away from them for anything but water. It's not that they don't work. They do. I just always worry about whatever gathers in the interior seem that I can't clean out. That's why I prefer bottles over canteens. A whole bottle/stove kit can be found here, or just the bottle and cup can be bought here.

That stadium blanket you have isn't going to last you very long. You'd be much better served by a wool blanket or two. 100% wool blankets are ridiculously expensive, so don't go that route if money is tight. Look at 80/20 or 90/10 wool blankets. I like these. When you first get them, hang them up outside on a line and spray them down with a waterhose. Then just let them sit out in the sun until they dry. That gets rid of the packing smell they come with. But, one of those around you along with the Snugpak Jungle Blanket you've linked and that Finnish mat under you is going to keep you warm. With your clothes on, you're probably good down to about 20 degrees. If you wrap up that sleeping bag you linked in those blankets, you're definitely good down to zero. Maybe a lower with clothes on.

That pillow actually looks pretty nice. I've never tried it, but I'm tempted. But, if you get it, I'd suggest a waterproof stuff sack for it or always to keep it somewhere waterproof.

The water filter is good. I've used it. It's not the one I have now, but I never had a problem with it. I think that's a good choice. I wound up getting a smaller one since that one was just overkill for my uses, but I stuck with the same company.

I'll have to disagree here. The Mora Bushcraft Triflex is one of the finest blades I've used. It is light weight, yet, is extremely durable. It sharpens easily, holds and edge, and is about the right size for bushcraft in my hands.

I've used them to prep meat and vegetables, carve wood needles, baton firewood, cut cordage, fell tiny trees, and most other tasks one needs in the woods or at home. It is a joy to use.

I've used other brands at 20 times the price and have been left not nearly as satisfied.

Don't take for granted that you won't feel bad about really using this blade. At less than $30 you won't worry about replacing it (but you might never need to).

I've held and used the Mora Companion and the Mora HighQ Robust, I give them to folks that go into the woods with me as gifts. They are fine knives as well, with the same qualities as the Triflex.

If you are cheapo, grab one of these knives and try it. I'd bet most people like them.

As for the knife is not an axe part, we'll disagree there too. The Parang type machete, and other long knives of similar design is a type of tool used in many parts of the world. It can be used very skillfully for rather delicate tasks, such as food preparation, or it can be used to cut down a tree. In some areas that's all a person carries.

Firesteel, I'm with stupid_guy, hit Amazon: Light My Fire Scout has been working for me. I like that when it feels like you are holding it right, you are. Works good in the dark that way.

Guyot Stainless Steel Bottle, 32-Ounce

And one more thing you didn't ask for, but I love. And I like to spread the love:

GSI Halulite Ketalist

I've got a compass that I've used for 30 some years, but can't find it anywhere.

Let us know what you get and how much you like it after using it a bit! :-)

Registered nurse here. This is one of the best first aid kits I've seen here in a long time. This has pretty much everything you should have and nothing you shouldn't.

Kudos for opting for steri strips over sutures and I'm glad to see no leftover or fish antibiotics that drive me nuts in other kits.

The only additions I can think of that I'd include is aspirin for heart attack, a tourniquet (I prefer the CAT), and a small headlamp like this one that packs super small. It's just really nice to have a light immediately on hand so it's one less thing to look for in an emergency. Also, I'd probably include a sharpie as well for snake bite- circle the wound, document the time, and continue tracing the redness/swelling as it develops while you make your way to the hospital. Also I'm not sure if I saw nitrile gloves in there. You want those. Also a wound irrigation syringe.

Top notch first aid kit. Thanks for sharing.

Personally, I look for steel to be suitable for the job above anything else. To me, any knife out in the bush is better than no knife and the last thing that you want is it to fail on you out in the middle of nowhere. I always look at the heat treat to see if it suits the proper intended usage of the blade, steel choice, etc.. I like to see a steel with a good ratio of toughness and wear resistance while also retaining an acceptable amount of corrosion resistance and sharpenability.

After that, I move on to the blade grind and shape. Scandi grind is probably my favorite for working with wood. Full Flat Grind is probably a close second. I want the blade to actually cut, so having a nice balance of thin behind the edge, while still retaining decent thickness and strength in other areas like the spine, swedge, tip, etc is important. Definitely a huge plus if the spine is 90 degrees and rough to give you the ability to scrape.

The handle is probably the last thing that I care about, but still important. I want it to fill my hand, but not be too thick or long. If you can work a finger choil in the design without sacrificing a lot of cutting edge, great, but it's not a necessity. I prefer there to be minimal finger guard, but I do like for a little something to be there and not just a straight, abrupt transition from handle to cutting edge.

FWIW, My usual bush knives vary from the Mora High Q Robust, to the Spyderco Mule Team in CPM 4V (or PSF27) for smaller blades, to the Cold Steel Bushman in 1095 (or SK5) or the Ontario RTAKII in 5160 for larger blades.

I do these for myself. The good news, they are cheap and easy to make, I'm going to link to the various rods I have used so far here, the 4.5mmx75mm, the 8mmx80mm and finally the big one, 12.7mmx127mm. All of these rods have performed well for me, I personally prefer the larger diameter, although the 8mm might push it a bit. I have some 6.5mmx75mm rods on order, expecting to see them in the new year.

The next part is a bit of antler. For these, I picked up a bag of antler tips off of Etsy, I think the bag of 50 tips was less than $20 shipped. So right around $2 to make the 8mm size.

I did these a little different, and tapped them both the antler and the fero rod. I recommend that if you have a tap and die of the right size. I used JB Weld on these, and am happy with the results, any good 2 part epoxy should give you a good bond.

One of the things I like about this hobby is being able to make good equipment, if you decide to try, don't hesitate to ask questions, I'll answer the best I can.

I cannot recommend these enough, Dickie's Carpenter Jeans:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0039ZOMNO/

I can buy them locally at Rural King or Tractor Supply Company, but use Amazon for the additional color options. Either way, they run about $25 a pair. I have had them in Moss Green and Timber (brown). Both are excellent colors that blend in well with the woods.

Two things make them functionally great, in my opinion. First, a Bahco folding saw fits perfectly in the long, slanted pocket on the right side; never had it fall out. Second, the tool "loop" on the left is ideal for a sheathed hatchet or small axe. Being made as it is, it holds the hatchet upright and appropriately tight to your body, unlike the loops you usually see on this style of pant. I wouldn't necessary trek with it there, due to weight, but it's fantastic in situations where you are processing wood or something. You don't have to constantly put it down. Instead, slip it in the loop and it's always at the ready.

Finally, they are as durable as anything I've ever owned. I also have a pair in Navy which I wear at work and they are put through hell this time of year. They've held us as well as, if not better than, anyone might reasonably expect, especially considering how abused they are.

Congrats on starting the journey that is bushcraft and woodsmanship. It's such a rewarding pastime. Since you seem to be loading up on gear I have on huge piece of advise for you. I beg you BEG YOU to invest a little bit of money on a good belt knife. Nothing to fancy. Some thing like an Old Hickory butcher knife or a good quality Mora . Both are relatively inexpensive and quality products. When I started out I bought a cheap "survival knife" which wasn't worth the cardboard packaging it came in and then eventually upgraded to the Bear Grylls ultimate survival knife which promptly broke after about 3 overnights of use. Budget bushcraft is fine for most things however spending 15 dollars on a mora you will have to replace MAYBE every 3 or 4 years if you take care of it certainly beats spending 10 dollars 3 or 4 times a year on junk. Good luck and remember... in the famous words of Ray Mears "If you're in the woods and you're 'roughing it' you're doing something wrong"

Nalgene 38oz Guyot designs, with a nice flat bottom. Amazon Canada, $76 (stupid!),
Amazon US, $30

Kleen Kanteen 40oz, Amazon Canada, $70 (just slightly less stupid!),
Amazon US, $23

There's the best of the best options. Try not to live in Canada for the best deal.

I liked Dave Canterbury's Bushcraft 101. I thought it started from zero and started working up well. I've also purchased his other two books in this series and enjoyed both of them as well. Pretty much everything in his books he has a good youtube video on already too so you can really see what he is talking about in real time and then keeping the book with you to refresh the steps has been really helpful when I was starting out.

I felt the same way before buying a Classic Mora. I have a number of other knives, including an Ontario RAT-5 and I use the Mora more than anything else (except for batoning, that's where the RAT-5 shines). The handle is far more comfortable than you would imagine, in a variety of holds. The Scandinavian grind makes for smooth, easy cutting and slicing and is simple to hone.

I'd really like to get an ESEE 4 (or a TOPS B.O.B. Hunter) because the RAT-5 is just more knife than I need and ESEE knives come with a lifetime warranty, but I'd still carry the Mora as a supplement. It's easily the best $15 I've ever spent.

Yeah for sure man it was a great video watching profesionals work is great. I am still learning myself so I watch alot of these videos.

The op just happened to go too fast and took off the thumb from the wood which is what made it dangerous. Had he gone a bit slower and kept his thumb there it would have been a good cut. But hey everyone makes mistakes, I know I do. Even the best carvers still get cuts from time to time. I once slipped with a gouge and had a curved cut on my hand, needless to say I haven't done it since (also have a scar as a reminder). I've also had a few close calls with knives too, but I generally try to take my time and do controlled cuts.

If you want to learn great cuts I highly recommend this book: http://www.amazon.com/Swedish-Carving-Techniques-Fine-Woodworking/dp/1627106731, this is where I learned most of these cuts, it is really an amazing book.

I definitely agree that even I think some cuts look pretty dangerous when watching the pros do it, but then I think these guys know what they are doing and just looks dangerous to the untrained eye, when really they are in full control.

Not to be that guy... but knowledge is the cheapest tool. But you probably know this! I'm just reiterating for other viewers. A compass and a map, along with some compass-using skills, would be my absolute first pick for going out in the wild. A knife would be #2 (a close #2), but most of the time you'll never be so far away from civilization that you can't just walk to safety. If you are, and don't have all the tools, you're screwed anyway. But that's more for r/survival rather than r/bushcraft.

So then I'd say get a Mora. The Mora Classic 2 can get to your front door within a week for ~$20, usually less. It's tough as nails, super functional, and classy as hell with it's wooden handle. Be a little carefu because it doesn't have a guard.

But if you're looking for other, more functional items, get yourself a steel cup and a few large trashbags. The trashbags can be used to collect rainwater, as a makeshift tent, maybe a bivy bag, and poke some holes in it and you have a parka.

The steel cup is just the epitome of bushcraft to me: You go into the woods, start a safe fire, and make yourself a cup of tea while enjoying the bush. You can make wind-shields from sticks and saplings (knowledge). Make a fire using wood you've collected (knowledge and matches). And then create a rain shelter to sleep in (knowledge, sticks, and fallen leaves). But what fun is all of that if you don't get to do something neat? Boil some snow or rainwater and make yourself some bush tea. Steel cups are cheap and allow you to do a lot of things in terms of food and water.

Wow, That cooking set looks absolutely amazing.

I saw that $58 price tag and was a bit put off (as I was looking for cheaper starting stuff) but after going through the contents and seeing what I could remove from the amazon shopping cart It really doesn't seem that bad.

With the items mentioned in the original post I also added this and this the total came out to $65 on amazon.

After removing the stuff included the kit and having the tarp, knife, and paracord it is about $35. With the kit its puts the total up to about $95.

Considering this is about a $30 increase but with all the extra kit it really does seem tempting.

I'm a big fan of Condor's carbon steel knives. Scandi grind, well made and the price is great.

This one with the micarta is quite a bit more than the wood, but it's pretty sweet.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003D9ORT0/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

dont use the edge (blade) of your knife, use the spine of your knife (if it's a sharp 90 degree, and generally carbon steel works better than stainless). i really like the light-my-fire scout ferro rod personally, but the Sparkie mini fire starter is a sweet little rig; can create sparks on handed without an external sparker. your magnesium/ferro combo is very nice, and will last you a while, but when you plan to upgrade shop around for what you like.

How about a survival starter kit? I like to get a one-quart widemouth Nalgene bottle, a steel cup that fits around the base of the bottle for cooking, and a bottle bag to carry it in. In an emergency, you can take out the bottle and empty its contents into the bottle bag for carry while having a bottle for water.

For my friends I add something like a Survivor HK-106 series fixed blade knife with fire starter; it's not a top-quality bushcraft knife and I typically have to spend some time with it and a sharpening stone, but it is rugged, full-tang, stainless steel, and will get those bushcraft jobs done; I use it over others (such as the Mora, which I use in other applications) because it fits inside the bottle, the sheath fits too (though they don't fit when sheathed), and it's a good value.

You should easily be able to get all this plus a water filter or purification tablets and have budget for a few more items if you like. I usually leave it at this and let the recipient Google "water bottle survival kit" and finish customizing the kit--there's plenty of room left.

Great set. Though if you plan on using that saw often you may want to replace it with a higher quality model. It's a great bang for your buck saw, but in my experience it does not stand up to continued use well. I took mine to work (I work for a tree company) to test it out and it lost a few teeth/started to dull after only 10-15 cuts.

Silky makes great pruning saws, though more expensive ($40~). That type of saw is mostly suited to cutting green wood, however. If you plan on using it mostly for dead stuff (firewood) it may be worth investing in something like a bowsaw that is designed with that purpose in mind.

Disclaimer: I have no personal experience with that particular bowsaw and cannot personally attest to it's quality. Though it does seem well regarded.

Edit: That knife seems nice, but from what I can tell it is not made of high carbon steel so it cannot be used for firestarting on it's own. It may be worth investing in something cheap like a Mora so that you may use it with a flint

start watching around [1:38] in or so.

This looks like the same kind of thing that Otzi used to carry coals. His was a live coal buried in ash, wrapped with green leaves, and carried in a birch bark container.

I saw another kind in Larry Dean Olson's book

A coal extender like king alfred's cake is good fuel too.

I've never seen bamboo used to carry a coal, but it sounds like a good option, if you happen to have that resource available.

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Second video http://youtu.be/-6Mj0RxVxs4 and again the fire carry bamboo thing is put into use around [1:50] however watch the whole thing from the beginning to see him put a bamboo rice/food cooker into use. He doesn't make it in this video, but it's simple enough to do with a pocket saw and a kinfe.

I've been comparing "The Complete Book of Camping" to "Bushcraft 101". Both of these are great resources and are fairly similar conceptually. Obviously, there are some differences seeing as "The Complete Book of Camping" was published in 1966 and "Bushcraft 101" was published in 2014. To answer your question, yes and yes. This would be a good book for both collection purposes and being used if you found yourself lost in the woods.

You might try a lansky knife sharpening system. I have been sharpening my knives for years with the same (relatively) inexpensive set. Or a slightly more expensive diamond set. You can reprofile a knife with these, so, for just regular sharpening make sure you use only the finer stones.

...For a axe / hatchet you do want a sharpening puck. And if you carry an axe or hatchet -- do yourself a favor and sharpen it regularly.

And get yourself a strop, too.

People who are a lot more technical about it use water stones, and more expensive knife sharpening rigs. But for me, the lansky is totally sufficient (and I do appreciate a honed blade)

edit: grammar

From Amazon: 90% Wool Blanket 4.4 lbs "Washable" 66"x90" (Amazon Associate link)

Like many wool blankets this one may have a petroleum odor to it. That fades in a couple of days of airing outdoors, if the smell even bothers you. Expect this in wool.

Also, I only wash my wool by hand, never agitating it or drying it in a drier to avoid felting. If you want to wash in a machine, that's OK, just try this method.

Thanks, I actually went with this one and fits great.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H3HDMDO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I had been making photo albums but just started a YouTube channel. My friend was nice enough to let me borrow his GoPro and mounts but most of the time I record with my phone (also have another camera but it's a bit broken and can only take pictures). Part of what I'm ordering from amazon is a new monopod/tripod/selfie stick which I'm very much in need of at the moment since my videos are a bit shaky.

Haven't gotten around to do any solo 2 day trips yet (most of the time I'd be with a group and there would be designated campsites to fill up water at) but if I was going out with no means to fill up I'd take anywhere from 4-6 liters of water. The climate here is very hot and there is no such thing as bringing too much water. If there was a water source I could potentially allow myself to bring less since I could boil any water I find.

Amazon list:
-5.11 Rush 72 55L backpack
-Mora Companion (stainless steel)
-Bahco Laplander
-Headlamp
-Jetboil 10in frying pan
-Whetstone

All together that weighs 7.9 pounds and at some point I'd like to get a sleeping pad and tarp bringing it up to ten pounds (not including food, water, and other supplies which might get me to around 15-20 pounds depending on the duration of my outings).

As for the grill it's just a makeshift one. Four tent pegs and a small grate.

This kind of folding saw is great for camp-scale stuff. And a nice 4" fixed blade knife that you can baton with is all you need to split it. I've heard this is a good starter knife for bushcrafting but I haven't got to use mine yet.

Did you know Amazon will donate a portion of every purchase if you shop by going to smile.amazon.com instead? Over $50,000,000 has been raised for charity - all you need to do is change the URL!

Here are your smile-ified links:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H3HDMDO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00

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^^i'm ^^a ^^friendly bot

Not necessarily a dedicated resource for trapping but a useful resource all the way around: Outdoor Survival Skills https://www.amazon.com/dp/1556523238/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_CGhYzbFCJBZ7W

For the money, it's hard to wrong with a Mora. Amazing value in a darn tough and well-made knife.

I'm referring to other fire steels here, like these:

https://www.amazon.com/Relefree-Ferrocerium-Magnesium-Survival-4-5mmx75mm/dp/B00UKZE6AA/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1480561555&sr=8-5&keywords=relefree

Pick up these two books...

https://www.amazon.com/SAS-Survival-Handbook-Third-Surviving/dp/0062378074/

https://www.amazon.com/Bushcraft-101-Field-Wilderness-Survival/dp/1440579776/

• [BushCraft 101] (http://www.amazon.com/Bushcraft-101-Field-Wilderness-Survival/dp/1440579776) by [Dave Canterbury] (https://www.youtube.com/user/wildernessoutfitters)
  
  
• [BushCraft: Outdoor Skills and Wilderness Survival] (http://www.amazon.com/Bushcraft-Outdoor-Skills-Wilderness-Survival/dp/1551051222) by [Mors Kochanski] (https://www.youtube.com/user/morsKochanski)
  
  
• [Essential BushCraft] (http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Bushcraft-Ray-Mears/dp/0340829710/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1425230789&sr=1-1&keywords=ray+mears) by [Ray Mears] (http://www.raymears.com/)
  
  *** EDIT: Adding
  
  
• [BushClass] (http://bushcraftusa.com/forum/forumdisplay.php/132-BushClass-USA) by BushCraftUSA

Even cheaper in Carbon Steel

Edit: or carbon with a thicker blade

https://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Companion-Outdoor-4-1-Inch-Military/dp/B004TNWD40

or, if you prefer a wood handle:
https://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Classic-Handle-Utility-4-2-Inch/dp/B004D6H1WC/ref=sr_1_21?ie=UTF8&qid=1540401595&sr=8-21&keywords=mora

I know this answer gets teased for being ubiquitous...but a great first knife in this arena is a Morakniv Companion. It's very hard to beat in terms of quality-to-price ratio.

Don't worry about a sawback knife....especially since you said you already have a good handsaw. I haven't seen one that saws worth a damn anyway.

As noted, this might be worth a look OP. Personally I think you'll be able to use that knife you bought, but you'll find it will wear down or break. Not because it can't cut, but because it isn't designed for heavy use. Just keep that in mind. Anyway here's the Mora people are talking about.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004TNWD40/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1484813998&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=mora+blades&dpPl=1&dpID=31hduVz10IL&ref=plSrch


Edit: and everyone in this sub has bought a knife just like yours (we aren't trying to be assholes, we just are naturally occurring assholes). There's a reason we're recommending something else.

With that one you are paying a large premium for the sheath. This has a thinner blade 2.5mm vs 3.2mm, but is arguably not as tough.

http://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Companion-Outdoor-Military-4-1-Inch/dp/B004TNWD40

mora companion is an inexpensive and extremely reliable bush knife. You can get it in high carbon steel or stainless depending on your preference. Its really hard to beat for the price. I have take used and abused mine and its still holding up very well.

https://www.amazon.ca/Morakniv-Companion-Outdoor-Military-4-1-Inch/dp/B004TNWD40

holy crap those are expensive. may I suggest a wetterlings and a mora, and a ka-bar primary?

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dsporting&field-keywords=KA-BAR

http://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Companion-Outdoor-Military-4-1-Inch/dp/B004TNWD40/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1407815295&sr=1-1&keywords=mora+knife

http://www.amazon.com/Wetterlings-Large-Hunting-overall-cutting/dp/B00ALQKQ0M/ref=sr_1_13?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1407815318&sr=1-13&keywords=gransfors+bruks+small+forest+axe


Heck, this smaller wetterlings is even cheaper and more in line with those kits. http://www.amazon.com/Wetterlings-119-Backcountry-Axe/dp/B00A0ADV6U/ref=sr_1_6?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1407815595&sr=1-6&keywords=gransfors+bruks+small+forest+axe

The classic Companion is a sore dick deal - you just can't beat it!!