Topic: The Best Camping Axes of 2022 (Read 35 times)
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Why It Made the Cut
The Fiskars X11 has excellent geometry for splitting, and it splits wood just as well or better than axes that were almost 10 inches longer.
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If the only task you do with your camp ax is split, this one is for you. The bit geometry on this ax is perfect for splitting, and it’s obvious as soon as you swing it. The nice thing about Fiskars is that it’s not a one-trick pony like a splitting maul—it will delimb and chop/shape fairly well. Because the handle is hollow, this ax is very weight-biased towards the head.
It’s slightly different from a traditional construction ax, but it works well for chopping and carving. The bit and handle design don’t make carving an easy task, and the handle material doesn’t have quite as much grip as a treated hickory handle, but the swell at the bottom of the handle keeps you locked in with little effort. The coating on the blade won’t last too long, but the edge holds up much better than the paint.
Why It Made the Cut
The Husqvarna Hatchet has the most bang for your buck and performs well above price point expectations.
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The Husqvarna Hatchet is flat-out impressive. It did well in every test I put it through. This one falls into the hatchet category, and if you aren’t splitting large pieces of wood, it’ll work well. It splits well on seasoned hardwood rounds up to 5 inches in diameter. Great for making kindling, cleaning up brush, clearing shooting lanes for hunting season, and any other camp task. The bit doesn’t have much of a beard (the portion of the blade that hangs down past where the bit and handle meet), so carving with this isn’t ideal, but it’s nimble enough for some shaping for spoons or other carving projects. I like that it’s small enough to throw in a pack for early season scouting, yet capable of taking on almost anything.
Why It Made the Cut
The Council Tool Boy’s Axe is a popular ax because it just works and only costs around $50.
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The Council Tool Boy’s Axe is an excellent ax, and Council Tool managed to make a quality tool in America for a great price. After three years of chopping, splitting, overstrikes, and glancing blows, the head is tight, and the handle is totally intact. The handle length and circumference under the head hinder carving with this ax, but you can still choke up for tasks requiring more finesse.
The thinner handle doesn’t feel quite as co*fy as some, and when I bought mine, the hickory was untreated. After several coats of boiled linseed oil, it was ready to go. Well, right after, I bought a sheath for it anyway. I prefer my axes to have a good sheath so I can pack them. Even after purchasing a sheath, the Boy’s Axe was still a great value. Council tool makes a Premium Velvicut line of Axes, but their budget lineup always impresses me.
Why It Made the Cut
Anything short of a plasma torch won’t break this camping ax.
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My dad used Estwing hammers for as long as I can remember, and my framing hammer is an Estwing. All of them are indestructible, and this camping ax is no different. Short of a cutting torch, you aren’t going to ruin this ax. The handle and head are one forged piece of steel, with a double tempered head, so it won’t be brittle and break under impact. No overstrike will break the handle, the handle won’t dry out and shrink, and the head will never co*e loose. The poll can be used as a hammer without worry. You can use a sledge hammer to pound it through for heavy splitting and leave it out in the rain for a month and hardly notice.
As far as maintenance, it only needs sharpening. But, the Estwing has a long, thin bit because it doesn’t have to wrap around a handle, and this makes it less than ideal for splitting seasoned hardwood. If you took some time to sharpen this ax, it would pay dividends in splitting and cutting performance because the factory edge leaves something to be desired. But, if you are looking for an ultra-tough, basically maintenance-free ax, the Estwing Campers fits the bill.
Why It Made the Cut
The Almike Hatchet is a precision tool. When it co*es to carving and fine chopping, the Almike stood above the rest while staying on par with splitting and chopping for its size.
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If you’re into bushcraft, this is my choice for you. It’s perfectly suited for making precision cuts for shelters, traps, tools, and camp furniture making, but it’s heavy enough to split firewood and fell trees. It’s the best balanced ax on the list as far as how it feels in hand. The extremely sharp edge makes knocking limbs off a breeze, and it chops deep for such a light head and short handle. Relatively thin cheeks for carving that don’t give up so much that it won’t split well. I know these axes don’t co*e cheap, but in this case, I would offer the idiom “buy once, cry once.” The handle was well saturated with boiled linseed oil from the factory, so water intrusion shouldn’t be a problem initially. When you’re using this ax, it just feels right. I really can’t figure out anything bad to say about it. It’s lightweight and strong and excellent for small and big tasks alike.
Why It Made the Cut
The Wildlife Hatchet is the lightest and shortest on the list but hardly gives up any performance and outperforms other “ultralight” or “hunting” axes.
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The Gransfors Bruk Wildlife Hatchet punches above its weight, and you can thank excellent geometry and handle design for that. With its lighter head and thinner handle, the Wildlife Hatchet packs easily and will be my choice when heading to Colorado for an elk hunt this fall. I’ll be backpacking it several miles to my basecamp because its utility is worth the weight. This would also make a great ax to bring on a scouting trip to clear branches and saplings and make natural ground blinds.
The longer beard on the bit makes it good for carving, but the front of the handle behind the beard isn’t as co*fortable as some others. The generous swell at the base of the handle locks your hand in when you’re swinging hard, and as with most of the other axes, there is a lanyard hole drilled for tying a loop to help grip if desired. It’s great for splitting smaller wood to make kindling, but if you plan on a lot of splitting at camp, other options might work better.
Why It Made the Cut
The Council Tool Flying Fox not only takes care of camp chores easily, but it also meets design specs for official ax throwing co*petition leagues.
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I won my Flying Fox in a social media giveaway a few years ago and have been using it ever since. It’s been a workhorse kindling maker during the long winter where I burn wood to heat the house, and it’s been on several camping trips with me. It’s not as balanced or refined for chopping as some other axes, but it’s perfectly balanced when you want to try your hand at some throwing. It took me a while to get the hang of it, and I had some terrible throws, which led to some rough impacts on the Flying Fox, but it hasn’t budged or loosened at all. If you want your ax to pull double duty and you want to mix business and pleasure, the Council Tool Flying Fox might be the ticket for you. This is also a pretty budget-friendly hatchet, and if you’re just looking for a quality utility tool, the Flying Fox will work well for that too.
The most significant factors in determining the best camping ax for you include: intended use, construction, and use frequency.
Understanding ax terminology will make choosing an ax much easier. Here are important terms to know:
Axes are designed to cut or split, so you’ll first decide which attribute is most important. Bit geometry plays a huge role in those rolls. If you’re almost exclusively splitting, don’t buy an ax with a thin bit and a light head. And if you’re doing a bunch of limbing, chopping, and felling, don’t buy an ax with a thick cheek and chunky bit.
Another factor is handle length. If you’re backpacking, a 28-inch handle is too long to pack, but that long handle is ideal for felling bigger trees and heavy splitting. Smaller handles also offer more control for carving and detail tasks.