What is the best camping hatchet?

[TheDeltaForce]

Hello ZS Forum!

Recently I've been putting together (2) nice packs. (1) for camping with my young son, and (1) for Bug-out-Bag. They are stored in the same location. Upon spreading out all of my current gear, I noticed that I was missing one very important item, especially for camping. (NOTE: I've never even camped, so I'm researching and buying those items as well, such Eureka! Tetragon tent, etc). The item I'm missing? A simple hatchet or camping axe. Upon looking online, I've seen lots, and are considering several.

I have a few criteria for a camping hatchet:

1.) Gets the job done without breaking
2.) Is lightweight so as not weight down a hiking pack
3.) Is small enough to fit in a small hiking pack

With these criteria in mind, I've narrowed it down to several camping hatchets, in no particular order:

1.) Gerber Gator Axe II (Made by Fiskars, in Taiwan)
- This one sure is useful with the removable saw in the handle
- Is like 15.5 inches long, and weights 2.0 lbs.




2.) Fiskars X7 Hatchet (Made in Sweden or wherever, with better steel than the Gerber above)
- Note this is NOT the smaller model.
- This one really gets good reviews. Supposed to cut 3x deeper than a normal hatchet due to superior edge and steel used. A lot of good reviews.
- Has a neat sheath
- Head is coated for rust/corrosion resistance
- 14 inches long, 1.4 lbs.




3.) Estwing E3-11 Drywall Hammer (Say whaaaaaat?) I know this is an oddball to throw in here, but I saw this at an ACE hardware store and was immediately drawn to it's grip, balance, light weight, and dual functions. I know it will not chop down a tree, but neither will any lightweight, small hatchet. It should be noted that Estwing DOES make hatchets/axes, but they seem quite large and heavy compared to the others listed above.
- Weighs 11 ounces
- One piece of solid steel, perfectly balanced with shock absorbing grip. Because one piece, it won't break like the ones above.
- Has a round hammering head as well to pound, hammer, etc.
- Damn fine made tool.
- CON: Hatchet head is smaller than normal hatchet, but still perfectly functional.




Ok, that's it for my list.....if some of you could throw in your own suggestions or reviews/thoughts on the above, that would be great. Looking to purchase one in the next week.

Thanks!

- The Delta Force

[the_alias]

You could buy crap or save yourself the trouble and buy Gransfors

/thread.

[TheDeltaForce]

Oh yes, I see that that hatchet is the "Rolls Royce" of the hatchet world, and it should be for $180.00!!!!!





I think the price not exceed $100.00???

- The Delta Force

[Regular Guy]

I love my Fiskars. All of them. They rock, hard.

[the_alias]

Those are not the normal models you posted...That looks like a special that GB do.
This is the typical wildlife hatchet:


You didn't say price was an issue in your original post. I'm seeing the average price at around 100-111 USD.

[ninja-elbow]

Under $100? Get Gransfors dirty little cousin Wetterlings.
http://www.888knivesrus.com/product/SAW ... ign=SAW16H

[slannesh]

I've got an Fiskars X7 and it cut up plenty of wood during my snow cave MBO last month. Very happy with it and it's very light for what it is.

*ninja edit*

Oh, and I got it on sale for just over $20 CAD. I'm sure the other hatchet is much better, but it should be at 5-9 times the price

[Boris]

For camping I'd say you don't need a hatchet. I've usually found that 30-45 minutes worth of gathering and breaking will give me enough fuel for a fire for a couple of nights. Anything that requires you to hack at it to use it just isn't worth the effort for me.

[NamelessStain]

Anything that requires you to hack at it to use it just isn't worth the effort for me.

But I like using Zombies

[sicsiksix]

I have an older fiskars model (the all black one, like the gerber). Used and abused it tons holds up well. Stays with my BOB. When I go car camping though, I always bring a chainsaw and a full size splitting axe...

[TheDeltaForce]

For camping I'd say you don't need a hatchet. I've usually found that 30-45 minutes worth of gathering and breaking will give me enough fuel for a fire for a couple of nights. Anything that requires you to hack at it to use it just isn't worth the effort for me.

See, I was thinking that, and hence for a weekend hiking/camping scenario was seriously considering that little 11 oz Estwing drywall hammer (above) for use on smaller stuff to save weight.

BUT......

Then I think about more worst case scenarios.......Murphy's Law and sh*t, where when you need it, you just can't seem to find smaller stuff just laying around and need to break some bigger stuff down. Then what? That's when you kick yourself in the ass for not having SOMETHING with you. I'm sure a lot of this depends on the terrain too.

I saw a nice hatchet at Harbor Freight with a yellow fiberglass handle.....weight and balance was good.....$6.99. Then it hit me, it's probably sh*t pot-metal that will rust up in under a year, cause you get what you pay for. I put it down and didn't buy it. Some things are too good to be true.

Thanks for all of the feedback guys.....keep it coming!!

- The Delta Force

[Towanda]

I have, and love, an Estwing 16" camper's axe. It actually measures closer to 19". If you want something smaller, the leather-handled Estwing hatchet might be better for you. Made of one piece of tool steel, Estwings just don't break unless you're doing something so poorly that you shouldn't be allowed to drink water unsupervised. They are also made of harder steel than either Gerber or Fiskars.

Sent from my phone via messenger owl.

[TheDeltaForce]

I have, and love, an Estwing 16" camper's axe. It actually measures closer to 19". If you want something smaller, the leather-handled Estwing hatchet might be better for you. Made of one piece of tool steel, Estwings just don't break unless you're doing something so poorly that you shouldn't be allowed to drink water unsupervised. They are also made of harder steel than either Gerber or Fiskars.

Sent from my phone via messenger owl.

Are you referring to this one? I see it says it is 12.5" long, and weighs 1.4 lbs. This may just be "the one"!!! I too love the Estwing stuff I have looked at. The 1-piece design means indestructible to me.



- The Delta Force

[Jamie]

Fiskars Hatchet

I have a couple of fiskars tools, including a hatchet, an ax, and a maul, and they are incredibly tough and work like a dream...I question whether a $100+ hatchet would be enough better than the X7 to warrant the extra cost...

JMHO, YMMV...

Jamie

[mystic_1]

Are you referring to this one? I see it says it is 12.5" long, and weighs 1.4 lbs. This may just be "the one"!!! I too love the Estwing stuff I have looked at. The 1-piece design means indestructible to me.



- The Delta Force

That's what I've been using for a few years now. Love it.

I ended up doing an overwrap on the handle using deerskin, because I found the stacked leather washers to be too slick for my taste even after sanding off the varnish that it comes coated with. Other that that I have zero complaints.

mystic_1

[Maverick299]

I owned a Gerber and broke it. I'll never own another one as long as I live. I was splitting a small log and the handle broke right below the head, the head then flew across the campsite, bounced a few times and grazed my girlfriends ankle. It grazed her close enough to create a small cut, another inch to the side and I might have found a use for my trauma kit. It was scary close.

I really wanted a Gransfors but bitched out and got a Wetterling. I've got no complaints so far and they come with a convex edge that is shaving sharp!

[TheDeltaForce]

Ok, I also wanted to pass on that I found this "Camp Ax" (more of a Jr. Hatchet) from Kershaw.......it's about 12" long, weighs 1.0 lbs, and is only $26.00.

Seen some good reviews on it. I'm thinking of staying away from anything but a "one-piece" design; I'm seeing too many horror stores of the head flying off, etc. Yikes!



I'm thinking of also investing in a DMT FWFC Double Sided Diafold Sharpener Fine / Coarse, $27.00. Seem to put an edge on anything and last forever!



Thoughts?

- The Delta Force

[NeverReady]

Are you referring to this one? I see it says it is 12.5" long, and weighs 1.4 lbs. This may just be "the one"!!! I too love the Estwing stuff I have looked at. The 1-piece design means indestructible to me.



- The Delta Force

I too have had this one for years. It outlasted my Ludell Small Axe. It has just been very dependable.

[ninja-elbow]

I think you have already done it, but I'd still like to mention that one must define what they want and axe for before getting one. I bushcraft a lot, so I got the Wetterlings... I woulda' got a Gransfors but I'm not cool enough for that , so I got the dirty cousin Wetterlings. I am bushcrafting more and more and using my axe more and more. It's pretty dang important to me for what I do but it is not as importnat to others and what they do.

That said, before I got into bushcrafting, I used to carry a tomahawk and always wondered why I carry a dang tomahawk as I never used it. I then carried a Spetz, and still do occasionally, and used the Hell out of that thing. I now carry a hunter's axe and am slowly getting the hang of what to use it for and love it.

Whatever axe you choose, keep that sucker sharp like your knife. Hair popping sharp. It works awesome that way.

[Boris]

For camping I'd say you don't need a hatchet. I've usually found that 30-45 minutes worth of gathering and breaking will give me enough fuel for a fire for a couple of nights. Anything that requires you to hack at it to use it just isn't worth the effort for me.

See, I was thinking that, and hence for a weekend hiking/camping scenario was seriously considering that little 11 oz Estwing drywall hammer (above) for use on smaller stuff to save weight.

BUT......

Then I think about more worst case scenarios.......Murphy's Law and sh*t, where when you need it, you just can't seem to find smaller stuff just laying around and need to break some bigger stuff down. Then what? That's when you kick yourself in the ass for not having SOMETHING with you. I'm sure a lot of this depends on the terrain too.

I saw a nice hatchet at Harbor Freight with a yellow fiberglass handle.....weight and balance was good.....$6.99. Then it hit me, it's probably sh*t pot-metal that will rust up in under a year, cause you get what you pay for. I put it down and didn't buy it. Some things are too good to be true.

Thanks for all of the feedback guys.....keep it coming!!

- The Delta Force

Plenty of people hike in some of the most extreme parts of the planet with no blade other than a small pocketknife. I don't know what scenarios you're going to encounter that you will be cursing the skies wishing you had an axe. Most of the chores I do around camp around done with a multitool or a small folder. It's your pack and your back and you seem like you just want a hatchet, so I'll say get a cheap POS one to see if you even use it, rather than a Wetterlings that will sit in your basement gathering dust.

I'll also throw in Condor Knife and Tool makes hatchets, machetes, and other sharp thingies.

[ForgeCorvus]

Fiskars Hatchet

I have a couple of fiskars tools, including a hatchet, an ax, and a maul, and they are incredibly tough and work like a dream...I question whether a $100+ hatchet would be enough better than the X7 to warrant the extra cost...

JMHO, YMMV...

Jamie

Because my friend, some people just want a wedge on a stick to make big wood into handy fire sized bits (campers) and some people want to work wood into other things and make fire sized bits (bushcrafters).....Then there are the bodgers and other greenwood workers who probably have a whole tool kit of axes, for whom fire sized bits are by-products

First thing when choosing a tool, what are you cutting and what are you cutting it for?
Doesn't matter if its what make of hatchet or the axe/machete* debate, what ? and what for ?

I hate the feel of the plastic handled wedges, I'm not very thrilled by the one piece designs either..... But I've spent half my working life hitting stuff (very accurately) with a lump of metal on the end of a bit of wood so I'm picky

To the OP, ultimately you're the one whos going to use/carry/pay-for it.

[bae]

I'd go with a Gransfors Bruks or Wetterling, instead of some lame axe-shaped-object.

Or get really zany, and take a Cold Steel shovel:



I can never decide though....

[Merovech]

I thought that the Granfors axes were build for European timber and were not made for the type of trees we have in north America?

I heard that "Snow and Nealley's" Hudson Bay Camping Axe was a NA alternative of similar quality.

[Dogan]

1.) Gerber Gator Axe II (Made by Fiskars, in Taiwan)
- This one sure is useful with the removable saw in the handle
- Is like 15.5 inches long, and weights 2.0 lbs.

FWIW< I've had one of these as main fireside kindling/firewood splitter in my wood-heated house for 6 months, and I absolutely love it. The only flaw is that the saw tends to slip out after hard swings.