Let’s not waste time explaining what a camping hatchet is for; if you’ve ever camped with one, you know it’s everything. And if you’ve ever gone camping without one, you know how uncomfortable it can be.
The camping hatchet fits comfortably with your gear and can be operated one-handedly. It makes clearing up, splitting wood, pounding tent spikes, kindling, opening beers, and crafting hot dog spears easy. Fifty other tasks you won’t remember about until you’re performing them.
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Best Camping Hatchet
Morakniv
Morakniv has been making sharp, sturdy, and elegant knives in Ostnor, Sweden, for over 400 years. Our selection for the best camping hatchet is the Boron Steel Camping hatchet ($60) because of its history.
While this hatchet is light enough to be used for car camping and backpacking trips, its weight does not detract from its performance while splitting tiny pieces of wood around the fire. Although the Morakniv is not a heavy-duty winter axe, it is ideal for cutting smaller amounts of wood for campfires.
This hatchet’s razor-sharp blade is ideal for bushcraft operations, from constructing shelters to carving elaborate motifs into the wood.
The sturdy plastic handle can withstand most jobs. It also helps save weight if you bring this essential equipment on longer outdoor adventures.
The limited lifetime warranty gives good protection if you want to utilize this hatchet.
• Lightweight but sturdy design
• The razor-sharp blade is ideal for both splitting timber and bushcraft.
• Reasonably priced, with a limited lifetime guarantee included
Cons:
• Poorly made hatchet sheath
• Difficulty cutting more extensive logs
• Concerns about the handle’s durability
The Estwing Sportsman’s Axe was the best of all worlds.
This multipurpose camping hatchet could swiftly split kindling and cut through more extensive logs in a single stroke. It even performed admirably when it came to carving duties.
The Fiskars and Coleman hatchets were slightly more efficient in our chopping test, but the Estwing could still cut through most of the branches we threw at it.
It also proved to be one of the most challenging and durable axes in our testing, with practically no damage to the blade, handle, or any other component even after months of field testing and stress tests.
We appreciated how the sheath leaves the rear of the hatchet exposed, allowing you to hammer in tent posts without having to remove the hatchet from the sheath.
There weren’t many drawbacks to the Estwing that we could uncover. The blade wasn’t particularly sharp out of the box, and it wasn’t ideal for carving—the small handle near the head made it difficult to obtain a good, comfortable grip. We liked our Runner-up, the Fiskars X7 Hatchet, for its carving and intricate work.
Most of the time, we utilize a hatchet around camp for cutting and splitting wood, banging in tent stakes, and other hard labour. The Estwing Sportsman’s Axe was virtually perfect for such tasks.
Product Specifications • Weight: 30.2 oz
• Blade Length: 3.25 inch
• Total Length: 13.5′′
• Stainless Steel
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Gerber Gator Combo Axe
• Overall length: 8.75″ • Weight: 1 pound 7 ounces
This Gerber Combo Axe is a two-in-one choice that is a one-handed, and a short-grip hatchet featuring a knife fixed inside the handle. The hatchet has a forged steel head with a low-friction surface to protect it from becoming stuck when chopping. The hatchet handle is almost indestructible, consisting of glass-filled nylon wrapped in Gator Grip, Gerber’s unique textured rubber that provides no-slip control even after the 200th swing. The secret knife is seven inches long and has a nearly three-inch blade, making it ideal for tasks that the hatchet cannot.
Fiskars
If you’re on a budget, Fiskars ($34) is the way. Fiskars, like Morakniv, has been in the industry for a long time and has built a solid reputation. The Fiskars Hatchet continues this long-standing heritage by offering consumers a low-cost choice to keep around camp or toss in the bag for longer journeys.
The Fiskars hatchet is well-made for splitting wood into kindling and works best with small to medium-sized logs. This lightweight and compact camping hatchet come with a razor-sharp blade right out of the box.
It does, however, need more frequent maintenance than the other hatchets on our list. Nonetheless, the axe head’s power is sufficient for most simple splitting tasks, and the minimal weight allows users to enhance chopping speed.
This camping hatchet was designed with budget in mind by Fiskars engineers and works amazingly well without costing thousands of dollars.
The Coleman Camp Axe
The Coleman Camp Axe isn’t very attractive, but it’s an excellent value. This is a rough-and-tumble hatchet that will do the job if it is cutting objects. With its forceful wedge design and slight downward slope, this would be the camping hatchet we’d use to split logs and occasionally cut down a small tree.
Don’t anticipate anything of excellent quality here. The edge was harsh and jagged right out of the box, with several spurs and snags. It was by far the dullest of the blades in our test.
Coleman doesn’t bother with a sheath since you’d have to attempt to cut yourself with this camping hatchet. The blade itself does not require any protection from dents or chipping.
The Coleman Camp Axe is unsuitable for delicate work or carving. Although it was surprisingly easy to handle, its broad head made carving anything precise challenging. However, it could be usable with excellent sharpening. Nonetheless, it would not be our first pick.
The Coleman Camp Axe is an attractive option for searching for a cheap hatchet or a backup to keep in your car.
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CRKT Black Powder Hatchet
Columbia River Knife & Tool collaborates with knife designers and innovators worldwide to create their collection of unique blades and tools. Ryan Johnson of RMJ Tactical, a knife and tactical tomahawk manufacturer headquartered in Tennessee, made this Black Powder Hatchet. The camping hatchet head is carbon steel and features a hammer at the rear and a three-inch blade. The black powder coating and black glass fibre/polypropylene handle make this a stylish—and long-lasting—hatchet.
Adler Rheinland Hatchet
The most visually appealing option may not be the most functional when it comes to buying tools. Nonetheless, it’s difficult to deny the Adler Rheinland Hatchet’s ($79) traditional excellent looks. Fortunately, this camping hatchet is also quite durable and simple to use.
While somewhat more pricey than others in this list, the Adler Rheinland Hatchet more than makes up for it in both function and fashion. The hardwood handle was ergonomically constructed, making it comfortable and safe to grasp and use.
The axe head has a big curved blade that allows users to maximize contact points on the splitting wood. After swinging it for the first time, the sharp and powerful steel blade and the very well-crafted hardwood handle will dispel any fears about strength and longevity.
As a bonus, the wood waste generated during manufacture is utilized to generate electricity, which is used to power the plant, making Adler an ecologically beneficial purchase.
Hults Bruk Alike
It’s difficult to disagree with a firm forging steel by hand in the same Swedish foundry since the late 17th century. As a result, the Hults Bruk Almike ($154) joins our list of the best camping hatchets for 2021.
The hand-ground axe head of the Hults Bruk Almike is hit many times to maximize the density and durability of the finished product. One look at the axe head will convince you of the blade’s dependability.
Coupled with the curved hickory handle, you won’t find a better camping hatchet for cutting small trees and splitting wood around the fire.
The handle is easy to grasp, but the curve and general form are also challenging to surpass in aesthetic design.
The Hults Bruk Almike is smooth and elegant, and it comes with a finely designed leather sheath to add to the visual appeal of this very effective bushcraft instrument.
Off-Grid tools survival Axe
It doesn’t resemble a typical camping hatchet since it isn’t attempting to be one. Instead, Off-Grid Tools Survival Axe attempts to provide 31 functions in a single foot-long implement. From a seat belt cutter to a hammer and claw to a fold-out 6″ Sawzall blade, this multi-tool with a sharpenable hatchet blade on its carbon steel body. It includes a glass-filled nylon handle with a rubberized grip and is black oxide-coated to keep you comfortable while you use it in 31 various ways.
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Wrap Up
There are several factors to consider while looking for the finest camping hatchet. Finally, the best hatchet for you may not be the greatest hatchet for someone else, and you’ll need to balance some personal benefits and drawbacks before you’re entirely confident in your choice.
As you shop for hatchets, keep the following considerations in mind to get closer to the final selection.
• Durability
• Body mass index
• Length of Handle
• Splitting Ease
• Price
If you’re trapped between two possibilities, having numerous tools in your toolbox is never a bad idea!
What are the most important attributes that any camping hatchet should have?
Should it be durability or splitting ease? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below!
