A camping saw earns its place by weight and folded length before anything else. On an overnight or a backpacking trip you carry it all day and use it for twenty minutes: cutting firewood, clearing a tent spot, trimming deadfall for a lean-to. That job wants a saw that packs small and cuts clean, not the heaviest blade you can find.
Who this guide is for
Campers and backpackers who want a packable folding saw for firewood and clearing camp. If your priority is processing green wood for bushcraft projects, notching, batoning, and building, that is a different job with different tradeoffs, and we cover it in the best folding saw for bushcraft guide. If you camp mostly from a vehicle and want a bigger cut, also look at our best bow saw roundup.
What to look for
Folded length and weight
This is the whole game for backpacking. A saw that folds to 9 or 10 inches rides inside a pack; one that folds to 14 inches ends up strapped outside where it snags. Weight ranges from about 6.7 oz for a Bahco Laplander to a pound for a full-size Silky. Ultralight hikers stop at the Laplander; car campers can carry more.
Blade length and teeth
Blade length sets the biggest branch you can cut comfortably: roughly half the blade in diameter. A 7.5-inch blade handles up to 4-inch limbs; a 14-inch Silky eats 8-inch logs. Coarser teeth (5 to 7 TPI) clear sawdust faster on firewood; finer teeth bind less on small stuff.
Lock and pull-cut design
A saw that locks both open and closed is safer in a pack. Most modern folding saws, including Japanese pull-saws like the Silky, cut on the pull stroke, which keeps the blade straight and takes less effort than the push-cut saws of twenty years ago.
In the field: all five saws
Bahco Laplander 396-LAP, ~$30
7.5-inch blade, 7 TPI, 6.7 oz, folds to 9 inches. The default packable folding saw for camping and backpacking. It cuts dry and green wood, locks open and closed, and weighs almost nothing. The best camping folding saw for most people, and the one to buy if you are not sure. Read the full Bahco Laplander review for the long version.
Silky Gomboy 240, ~$45
9.5-inch blade, 8.5 TPI, about 9.6 oz, folds to roughly 10.6 inches. A Japanese pull-saw that cuts noticeably faster and cleaner than the Bahco for a bit more weight and money. The upgrade pick when you cut firewood every trip and want the extra reach. Comes with a hard case.
Silky BigBoy 2000 (360mm), ~$80
14.2-inch curved blade, 5.5 TPI, about 1 lb, folds to roughly 16 inches. A two-hand saw that cuts logs a hand saw has no business cutting. This is for car camping and group camps where you feed a fire all evening, not for a light pack. Overkill for a solo overnight, ideal for a base camp.
Corona RazorTOOTH RS 7265D, ~$25
10-inch curved blade, impulse-hardened teeth, 7.5 oz, folds to 12 inches. A garden pruning saw that doubles as a cheap, capable camp saw. The curved blade pulls into wood on its own, and the price is hard to argue with. The budget pick if you want a bigger cut than the Laplander for less than the Silky.
Agawa Boreal 21, ~$92
21-inch folding bow saw, about 18 oz, folds flat to a slim frame. This is a bucksaw, not a folding hand saw, and it handles wood up to 6 inches in one connected assembly that opens in seconds. The choice when you want bow-saw cutting power in something that still packs. Heavier and pricier than the rest, but nothing else here matches its cut per stroke.
How to choose
Pick by how you camp and how much you cut:
- Ultralight or fast-and-light backpacking: Bahco Laplander. Lightest, smallest, cuts enough.
- Regular firewood, want more speed: Silky Gomboy 240. Faster cut, still packable.
- Car camping or group base camp: Silky BigBoy 2000. Two-hand power, big logs.
- Tight budget, bigger cut than the Laplander: Corona RazorTOOTH RS 7265D.
- Bow-saw cutting power that still packs: Agawa Boreal 21.
For the difference between a bow saw and a folding saw, see bow saw vs folding saw.
For most camping and backpacking, a 6.7 oz folding saw that packs to 9 inches beats a heavier blade you leave in the car.
Should you buy it?
Most campers: Bahco Laplander. Faster cutting for regular firewood: Silky Gomboy 240. Car camping big fires: Silky BigBoy 2000. Cheapest capable option: Corona RazorTOOTH. Bow-saw power that packs: Agawa Boreal 21. Once you have a saw sorted, put it to use with how to build a campfire and campfire cooking for beginners, or browse the full saws category.
Affiliate disclosure: Some links in this guide are affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. It does not influence which products we recommend. Read our methodology.