Don’t Leave for Your Next Camping Trip Without One of These Editor-Approved Hatchets

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Even if you aren’t trekking deep into the backcountry, a hatchet is always a good tool to have around for camping. They makes easy work of tasks like splitting wood, driving tent stakes into the ground, chopping through ice, or clearing brush. While hatchets are a simple, classic tool without a ton of variation, it’s essential to prioritize quality construction over any sort of edgy design.

Aside from dimensions and head shape, hatchets come with a full tang—which means the steel runs all the way down through the handle—or with the head attached. There are strong, durable models of both, and we cover our favorites below, along with recommendations for the best hatchets for your next camping trip.

The Best Hatchets for Camping

• Best Overall: Hults Bruk Almike Hatchet

• Best Value: Husqvarna Curved Handle Hatchet

• Best Geometry: Fiskars X11

• Best Lightweight: Gransfors Bruks Wildlife Hatchet

• Most Versatile: Kershaw Deschutes Hatchet

What to Consider

Camp Axes Versus Hatchets

A hatchet is a small, one-hand ax used for splitting firewood or for chopping branches from trees. These use less backswing compared to a camp ax, and have a hammer-end on the opposite side of the bit (the sharp end of the blade). Camp axes are typically larger and used with two hands to maximize power for splitting larger pieces of wood or even taking down trees. Hand axes fall somewhere in the middle, with a longer handle for more swing but without the hammer head of a hatchet.

Splitting Hatchets Versus Chopping Hatchets

A splitting hatchet or ax has a wider, wedged blade for separating wood vertically, while a hatchet or ax designed for chopping has a thinner blade. This makes it more adept at horizontal chops and cross-cutting wood. Blades vary in concavity and convexity also, so while a standard camping hatchet can get most jobs done, there are some blade designs that work better than others for specific tasks.

Handle Material

Hatchet handles come in a variety of materials, including metal, plastic and rubber composite, wood, and fiberglass. Wood is the classic handle material, and metal—while strong—adds a lot of weight to the hatchet. Fiberglass has a good durability-to-weight ratio, and any kind of carbon core or rubberized coating helps reduce impact through your hands and wrists.

Blisters are a common issue when using these types of tools. To prevent them, maintain a proper grip on the handle and don’t work for so long that fatigue impacts your form. The grip should be firm enough so that the hatchet doesn’t slide around and cause friction. But too tight a grip can cause excess strain, so keep the rest of your arm relaxed. Finally, treating a wood handle and keeping it smooth helps prevent any splinters or rough areas from causing blisters.

Head Material

Both Swedish forged steel and Swedish alloy steel are high-quality steels, but forged steel has been shaped and compressed under high pressure (like a hammer or press) and has better grain structure and strength. Swedish alloy uses an alloy composition, which can include chromium and vanadium to help prevent corrosion and hold edges better. Both are durable and reliable, but forged steel lasts longer and is priced higher.

You might also see high-carbon steel, which has incredible edge retention and sharpens easily, but it isn’t as corrosion-resistant as stainless steel. Finally, more affordable alloys sometimes have confounding names like 3Cr13, which is essentially a lower-end, budget-friendly stainless steel that brands use for less expensive tools. It resists corrosion pretty well, but doesn’t hold an edge for too long.

Size

A camping hatchet should be relatively compact and lightweight, especially compared to axes built for felling trees. We look for something no longer than 18 inches in total length for packability, stashing in a camping bin, and carrying short distances. If you’re planning to pack this into a backcountry site, look for a more compact and lightweight model like our smallest and lightest options below.

How We Selected

To choose the best camping hatchets, we considered the models that strike a balance between compact size and versatile function. A camping hatchet has to perform well for splitting, chopping, and finer tasks without being too big and cumbersome to pack into camp. We considered materials, build, steel quality, dimensions, head shape and size, and looked for options that would excel in splitting, chopping, and carving without weighing a ton. We’ve used most of the hatchets covered below at our own front country camps and seasonal cabins, primarily for splitting firewood.

Almike Hatchet

Constructed of dense steel, with a tempered edge to prevent dulling and an ergonomic handle, this hatchet is our top pick for camp chores, firewood splitting, and general camp use.

Because head is attached to the hickory handle with both a steel wedge and a wooden wedge, this camping hatchet is durable chopping and cutting ax.

We wouldn’t recommend backpacking with this nearly two-pound hatchet, but it can be worn on a belt around camp and has enough versatility in power and precision to be a good all-around model that holds an edge and sharpens evenly.

Curved Handle Hatchet

This Husqvarna hatchet holds an edge and splits wood better than models two or three times the price. Its alloy head is much heavier compared to others we recommend, with a wooden wedge to secure it firmly to the hickory-treated handle. There’s also less concavity near the eye of the head, which gives it an edge (ahem) in splitting compared to more chopping-oriented edges.

Some prefer a slightly heavier model when it comes to swing force, while others might find fatiguing. But the overall, ratio between head and handle makes for a strong, stout tool that stands up to more expensive competition.

X11 Splitting Axe

The Fiskars X11 is a modern-looking hatchet with a head shape and handle geometry tailor-made for splitting. The blade comes sharp from the manufacturer, with a wedge-shaped head that curves out and forces the wood grain apart in a fluid, satisfying split. It’s also precise enough for chopping and shaping, though the swing and the head angle make it an absolute dream for splitting along the grain.

The hollow handle creates a head-heavy balance that helps with power through each swing. Plus it’s comfortable to grip thanks to the bottom swell. While it absorbs impact over extended use from the rubber and carbon compound, it doesn’t have the same friction as a hickory handle. This hatchet has a longer handle than others on this list, but it gives more leverage per swing so it’s reasonable to split wood with one hand.

Wildlife Hatchet

Weighing less than a pound and a half, the Wildlife Hatchet is the lightest hatchet built by Gränsfors Bruk, and doesn’t seem like too big of a weight penalty for longer hikes or excursions.

Unlike our splitting-specific hatchets, the Wildlife Hatchet has a rounded edge designed to chop across the wood grain instead of along the grain. It has a beautifully balanced swing and a powerful bite belied by its low weight and compact size. The head and handle have a nice balance between them as well, allowing for precise chopping and efficient clearing even in tighter areas.

Deschutes Hatchet

This sleek, modern-styled hatchet is built with a killer combo of power and accuracy, all in a lightweight package. Cutouts along the blade help this model shed weight, and the full-tang construction promises strength and durability over years of use.

We named this as our most versatile pick thanks to the low weight and power, but also because the blade performs equally well with a cross-grain cut as it does with a split. It’s easy to wield for more detailed work, and the balance and weight inspire confidence even when working with small pieces of wood.

Wood Devil Hatchet

While we wouldn’t bring a hatchet on most backpacking trips, if you have trail work to do or need to clear a backcountry campsite, you might need something sharp and heavy duty. Luckily, this compact, powerful little tool fits the bill for a hatchet we don’t mind packing.

The stout hatchet combines an efficient head angle and weight balance between the handle and cutting head, which helps increase force to maximize the four-inch cutting edge.

The hatchet splits and chops much larger pieces of wood than it looks like it should and is generally a great all-around tool to keep in the arsenal for tasks deeper in the backcountry. It’s also easy to sharpen, and the black oxide finish helps it stay corrosion-free.

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