Prevent Injuries – Modify Your Gear, by Jessie Blaine

Preventing injuries is an important aspect of readiness, preparedness, and training.  We should take every chance to incrementally improve our position through education, training and in some cases, gear modification.

It’s great to have training on how to respond to a medical emergency, but I want to go one step further and try (as best I can) to PREVENT a medical emergency.  And sometimes that can be done with risk analysis and situational awareness.  Recognizing that my new hatchet was a necessary tool that introduced new hazards, I took steps to make sure it wasn’t a simple accident with a hatchet that took me out.

In a grid-down situation, medical help may not be on its way.  We all have to prepare to self-rescue and be our own first responders.  And I’m not as medically proficient as I would like to be, so that means trying to engineer a simple and effective solution to a potential problem.

After getting my hands on a new Fiskars X7 hatchet, I saw that it was a good tool, but I felt that it had a few shortcomings that could be improved easily and cheaply.

This hatchet comes recommended as an economical entry point for cutting tools.  I prefer wooden handled hatchets, but working with limited resources, I felt the Fiskars X7 hatchet was a good compromise.  Overall, it is a good tool, but I opted for the following modifications:

1. Add a lanyard
2. Stipple the handle
3. Modify the sheath

Sure, a lanyard on a small hatchet isn’t necessary, but it is a simple preference.  I like to add lanyards to my hatchets and small shovels, not just because it helps in handling, but it also makes for good housekeeping.  When I’m in between uses, with a lanyard I can simply hang the tool to keep it off the ground.  Also, having a bright colored lanyard makes it easier to see and to identify if there are others who have the same tool.

I also decided to stipple the handle.  Using a woodburning tool, I simply used a ‘flower’ head, turned the tool up as hot as it would go and just pressed it into the handle until I could see an impression.  I didn’t follow any particular pattern, I just pressed the hot woodburning tool into the handle where my hand would rest.  I didn’t feel a need to stipple the entire hatchet as this didn’t seem necessary.  Stippling provided the right among of grip and texture to prevent the hatchet from slipping out of my hands when wet with sweat.

Sure, the hatchet comes from the factory with an OK grip, but I don’t want to settle for OK.  I want to have something that give me an advantage.  I want tools in my hands that won’t impede progress, and I want tools that will contribute to success.

Stippling the Handle

Lastly, I modified the sheath so that it would sit tightly on my pack.  Originally, the sheath came with a pre-molded plastic handle, but I didn’t need that, so I cut it off with a hacksaw, smoothed the edges with a Dremel tool and touched-up the edges with 100 grit sandpaper.  Now it looks better and is less likely to snag on something and cause a hang-up.

Modifying the Case

In summary, this modification took under 10 minutes and cost nothing but sweat equity.  Modifying the hatchet to make it safer and more user-friendly has a huge return on investment.

It’s great to have training for when an injury does happen, but it’s better to have a solution before the problems shows up.  An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cures.

This modification isn’t just about the hatchet.  It’s more about a mindset.  A Partisan Prepper mindset to look ahead, foresee trouble and implement changes.

In the end, I have a hatchet that is safer to use and a sheath that works well with my set-up.  As I prepare for an uncertain future, I’m looking for every advantage I can get and preventing injuries is at the top of the list.