The point of this "How-To" article is to help you make intelligent choices about what to put in your backpack. While I am not OCD about weight in my pack (no, I don't drill holes in the handle of my toothbrush) I still subscribe to the concept of keeping the weight down as much as is practical. As I get older and my knees get worse, this becomes more important. And one of those ways to keep the weight down is to leave the axe, hatchet and saw at home. Yes, these are practical tools in the woods, but is the extra weight really worth it?
It's your feet, dummy
It never really occurred to me until I read another guy's article on backpacking. In it he said, (I wished I could remember when and who and I would give him the credit), that it doesn't matter if you carry that 4 lb.44 magnum in the pack or on your hip; it is still on your feet. What this is saying, not only should you consider the weight in your pack, you should consider the "total package." If your pack weighs 50 lbs, and you have another 10 lbs of contraptions on your belt, in your pockets or clipped on your pack straps, you are still carrying 60 lbs. Yes, some of it will help distribute the load around, and I am all for that, but your poor legs and feet still have to carry it all.
Go Caveman
Gathering firewood for a nice fire can be a time consuming chore in some areas. And in a lot of areas in the US, fires are banned for several reasons - one of which is a lack of firewood. However, in much of the Rocky Mountain region, there is plenty of firewood in most of the wilderness areas. Some areas get more human impact and the fuel gets scarce because everyone has used it up, but if you can locate your camp in another area, you can usually find some wood to burn.
So how do you "cut up" firewood without a tool? It's called a rock. Yep. Good old fashioned boulder and a strong back. It is really simple. Put the stick you wish to break leaning on another log or rock, so that the center of it is up off the ground and both ends are supported. Pick up a large rock, stand to the side - not in line with the stick - and drop the rock on the stick. Presto, stick is broken. Repeat until you are exhausted or you have enough wood.
Safety
There are several critical parts to this technique to prevent injury to yourself or others near you.
1. Never, pick up a stick in hand and smack it against a rock or worse, another log. One of my earliest experiences backpacking I did such a thing and had the end that broke off bounce back and hit me in the face! It all has to do with physics and momentum, stored energy, etc. Way too complicated of a topic for here.
2. Always throw the rock from the side of the stick. Once again, the force of the rock falling on the stick will make one or both ends of the stick bounce back generally in line with the stick.
3. Never, ever, straddle the stick when you drop the rock. If you do, you may never have kids.
4. Always chose a rock that is heavy, but not so heavy that you can't chuck if from a safe distance of 2-3 feet. The dynamics of the rock/stick impact will cause things to fly around and you want to be able to get out of the way or better yet, be out of the way.
5. Never do this technique in an area cluttered with other logs or rocks. The ricochet effect could prove hazardous to your health and you want clear footing to move around and jump back from the impact area.
So leave that 5 lb ax at home (unless you are a Forest Service employee and you have to have the ax to clear trails) and go caveman to save your legs and feet while backpacking.