The 7 Best Camping Hatchets and Axes of 2023, Tested by Experts (2024)

The Hultafors Hultan is hands-down the most beautiful camping hatchet on this list. It’s no surprise, considering the brand dates back to the 17th century, and its hatchets and axes are still traditionally hand-forged in Sweden. The result, in this case, is an heirloom-quality hatchet with a perfectly sharpened blade, an American hickory wood handle pretreated with linseed oil, and a matching leather sheath. Beyond its good looks, it’s a fantastic trekking and camping hatchet. At nearly 15 inches long with a 1.1-pound ax head, it’s perfectly sized for light- to medium-duty tasks like processing firewood and even building shelters—all but the most serious campsite work. It’s the priciest camping hatchet on this list, but often you get what you pay for.

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• Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Overall length: 14.8 inches

Hatchet or ax? Sometimes it’s tough to know which to pack. Estwing Sportsman’s Axe is sized right at 14 inches—compact enough to toss in a tool bag or backpack, yet long enough for most typical wood chopping tasks. The one-piece, tool-grade steel construction is ultra-durable and holds an edge better than any sub-$40 camp ax should. We especially love the lacquered leather handle, although it does require a bit of hand sanding out of the box to maximize grip. The included ballistic nylon sheath gets the job done to keep the blade safely wrapped in transit.

• Weight: 22 ounces
• Overall length: 14 inches

Hatchets are compact by design, but Gerber takes portability to a new level with its aptly named Pack Hatchet. Weighing 1.3 pounds with an overall length under 10 inches, it’s perfectly sized for bugout bags, backcountry hikes, and having on your belt in case of emergencies. The full-tang, stainless steel construction and rubber-wrapped handle ensure extra durability and a secure grip. A decent fixed-blade knife could do many of the same jobs, but we find the wider blade and finger grooves of this camping hatchet particularly useful for light wood chopping and curling. Plus, like most Gerber products, ours has held up well to years of abuse.

• Weight: 20.8 ounces
• Overall length: 9.46 inches

Fiskars proves that you can find a decent camping hatchet (or ax) for under $40. The Fiskars X7 is a medium-sized tool that’s somewhere between a hatchet and an ax. With a 16.5-inch overall length, it’s well-suited for light- to medium-duty campsite tasks like preparing kindling, wood curling, and the like. It’s surprisingly well-balanced with an excellent power-to-weight ratio, especially for a budget hatchet. We heard whispers from other reviewers about quality issues, however, our own X7 has held up well, even after a couple of years of regular use. The key is to regularly sharpen the blade to maintain it.

• Weight: 22.4 ounces
• Overall length: 16.5 inches

When you really want to pack a full-sized ax, but it seems like overkill, there’s CRKT’s Woods Chogan Tomahawk Axe. Even with a 19-inch length, it’s surprisingly lightweight and manageable at under two pounds. The hammerhead-style ax pulls double duty with a traditional ax head to one side, and a hammer on the reverse. It’s perfect for chopping wood and other medium-duty campsite tasks, but also for anything that requires a proper striking tool. The forged carbon steel blade is durable and keeps an edge well year after year. Replacement handles are available directly through CRKT for buyers who like to fix their own tools, but the company also warranties its hatchets and axes for life against material defects.

• Weight: 1.99 pounds
• Overall length: 19.13 inches

At nearly 20 inches long and weighing more than two pounds, Gransfors’ Bruks Small Forest Axe is the largest on this list (though not by much). Still, this full-sized camping ax is incredibly packable for car camping and overlanding excursions, yet durable enough for the heaviest campsite tasks. The wide blade is more than capable of chopping firewood and felling trees with aplomb. It’s the sharpest, most balanced, most durable, and heaviest-duty camping ax on this list. The only real downside is price. But, if your camping style requires serious hardware, this is the chopping tool to buy.

• Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Overall length: 19.69 inches

MTech’s USA Camping Axe isn’t the lightest, most compact, or most durable. But, it is the cheapest on this list. The three-inch satin-finished stainless steel blade is surprisingly sharp, and the rubber handle delivers a secure, comfortable grip. Build quality is mediocre, and we agree with many reviewers that this probably isn’t the same ax you’ll have in ten years. The loose-fitting sheath and budget construction mean this one isn’t designed to go the distance. For around $10 more, we’d probably “splurge” on the Fiskars X7 camp hatchet. But, if cost is your main concern or you’re looking for a backup ax, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better option at this price.

• Weight: 1.48 pounds
• Overall length: 11 inches

Hatchets and axes are similar in many ways. Broadly speaking, the easiest way to tell them apart is that hatchets are smaller and designed for one-handed use, while axes are larger (sometimes twice the size of a small hatchet) and built for two-handed tasks that require maximum striking power. Both typically feature a sturdy handle made of wood or a composite material, with a steel head attached. Some hatchets (like the Estwing above) are crafted from a single piece of steel for added durability and striking power.

Technically, they can both perform the same duties, but it’s best to use them for their intended purposes. Hatchets are ideal for light- to medium-duty tasks like curling wood, preparing kindling, and processing small to medium-sized pieces of firewood. Axes are better suited for medium- to heavy-duty jobs that require both hands, like chopping large chunks of wood, clearing your campsite of smaller trees, and even felling large trees if the need arises.

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The head weight and handle length of the ax or hatchet you buy should match the job you intend to use it for. For intricate bushcraft and backcountry tasks, a hatchet with a smaller handle is best. If you’ll use your hatchet to split wood and chop branches, however, consider one with a longer handle and a heavier head weight. Likewise, the more intense the task, the longer and heavier an ax should be.

Consider your personal camping style too. Backcountry campers and hikers may want to keep an eye toward light, compact hatchets that pack easily into a backpack or tether to a belt. Car campers and overlanders are usually less concerned with weight, so their best bet is whichever hatchet or ax does what they need it to within budget.