Up until recently, I often backpacked into the wilderness to escape the world of man, and to become lost in the wonders of the natural world. I had always refused to be that guy who used power tools while camping, because it affects the wildlife you see and hurts the environment. I have always feared poisoning one of the last remaining natural areas. But what that entailed meant that I traveled rougher, with less gear, and less comforts. I used to build a fire strictly off the land, and lighting it with a flint and steel kit, but on my last trip, I decided to try something different and it worked out extremely well. While that practice is invaluable, especially for wilderness survival mastery, I know that I may rarely go that route in today’s day and age, because of new technology. I will always carry a flint and steel kit with me, because you never know when you might need it. But I may never travel the same again.
I recently teamed up with Lowes to test out their Kobalt 80v Max Brushless chainsaw, which is a cordless electric chainsaw. It is the first time I’ve worked with an electric chainsaw, as I’ve been used to the gasoline models, and I came away very impressed. Read on, as I’ll explain why…
The reason I’ve always despised people who camped in an untouched natural area, with power tools, generators, with RVs and ATVs, is because those things create a lot of noise and pollution. They scare away animals, and poison the air, water, ground and vegetation. I once had a very red-faced argument with a man who pulled up with his family in five vehicles, right next to my backpacker campsite in the Snowy Mountains of Wyoming. For an entire day they used power tools to cut wood, generators to run their electronics, their TVs, their lights and mobile showers. That entire day, I didn’t see or hear a single animal, and what made matters even worse, their horrible generator would rumble throughout the night. The breaking point was when they decided it was acceptable to have their kids run ridiculously loud and destructive ATV vehicles right through our camp and into the deep, untouched woods, mere inches from mowing down my tent. That was the point that I had enough.
The reason I’ve always despised people who camped in an untouched natural area, with power tools, generators, with RVs and ATVs, is because those things create a lot of noise and pollution. They scare away animals, and poison the air, water, ground and vegetation. I once had a very red-faced argument with a man who pulled up with his family in five vehicles, right next to my backpacker campsite in the Snowy Mountains of Wyoming. For an entire day they used power tools to cut wood, generators to run their electronics, their TVs, their lights and mobile showers. That entire day, I didn’t see or hear a single animal, and what made matters even worse, their horrible generator would rumble throughout the night. The breaking point was when they decided it was acceptable to have their kids run ridiculously loud and destructive ATV vehicles right through our camp and into the deep, untouched woods, mere inches from mowing down my tent. That was the point that I had enough.
So ever since then, I’ve had strong opinions about such things being used in Nature, and only recently have I felt at peace with taking a chainsaw abroad. Why? Well, this Kobalt chainsaw is a different breed than the traditional noisy, gas-guzzling saws. Fitted with a massive 80v battery, the Kobalt 80v Max Brushless chainsaw is a modern chainsaw that fits in beautifully with the movement of living well while remaining balanced with the natural world. It’s a powerful chainsaw that provides the user with a relatively light tool that can transform the time spent preparing a fire in the wilderness, and since it’s electric I can still backpack deep into the woods with it and not have to worry about carrying gasoline.
Beyond that, since the Kobalt 80v Max Brushless chainsaw is battery powered, it is tremendously quieter, and will affect the wildlife much less. I’ve already camped with it once in rural Ohio, and it performed beyond expectations, cutting wood quickly and quietly, with precision. Nearby animals may have scattered at first, but within fifteen minutes, I could see and hear them all around me, which is an amazing experience to have. I found the Kobalt 80v chainsaw to be an awesome addition for my more luxurious camping trips, because it cuts the time spent laboring away with a felling and maul axe, and lessens the amount of gear I have to carry over all. I will always carry a hand axe for as long as I can, because if the battery were to die, I would be forced to use traditional means anyway. But for the first few days, I think the Kobalt electric chainsaw is a great way to simplify the physical demands camping may require, but since electric can run out, it’s always important to learn how to survive off the land, because you never know when you may need that knowledge.
If you would like to find out more, click: Lowes & Kobalt.
Article written & Photos by Brandon Scott / Eye & Pen
Disclaimer: Lowes provided Eye & Pen with a free sample in order to conduct this review article. I received no compensation or additional benefits for mentioning the products in this post. The opinions and ideas in this post are my own and are uninfluenced by any other person or business.
Beyond that, since the Kobalt 80v Max Brushless chainsaw is battery powered, it is tremendously quieter, and will affect the wildlife much less. I’ve already camped with it once in rural Ohio, and it performed beyond expectations, cutting wood quickly and quietly, with precision. Nearby animals may have scattered at first, but within fifteen minutes, I could see and hear them all around me, which is an amazing experience to have. I found the Kobalt 80v chainsaw to be an awesome addition for my more luxurious camping trips, because it cuts the time spent laboring away with a felling and maul axe, and lessens the amount of gear I have to carry over all. I will always carry a hand axe for as long as I can, because if the battery were to die, I would be forced to use traditional means anyway. But for the first few days, I think the Kobalt electric chainsaw is a great way to simplify the physical demands camping may require, but since electric can run out, it’s always important to learn how to survive off the land, because you never know when you may need that knowledge.
If you would like to find out more, click: Lowes & Kobalt.
Article written & Photos by Brandon Scott / Eye & Pen
Disclaimer: Lowes provided Eye & Pen with a free sample in order to conduct this review article. I received no compensation or additional benefits for mentioning the products in this post. The opinions and ideas in this post are my own and are uninfluenced by any other person or business.
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