Axes are implements that can be used to apply several things, among which we have camping. For you to go camping, you need to take some items along that will assist in chores. Among such tools are axes, leading to listing the best camping axes that can be taken along. Axes are ideal tools that can serve these purposes while you go for camping. We have viewed features and determinants that will aid you to get the top camping axes out there.

Top 8 best camping axes of 2024

1. Schrade SCAXE2 Stainless Steel Axe

This axe is made of a titanium-coated stainless steel head and a handle made of fiberglass. It also has a rubber grip and a thermoplastic sheath. This axe is also ergonomic with a more feel of touch. This axe is a very portable type of axe. It can be carried easily or added to the load you plan to take along for camping due to its weight and portability. Its striking power is very limited if compared to some other types of axes. It does not have a strong striking if compared to others as it can get stuck on a log of wood when hit. It is a very balanced kind of axe, and there is sufficient space that can be used to store something in the shaft that accompanies it.  

Pros

  • Very nice grip type
  • Good and perfect balancing type
  • Not heavy and very portable to carry
  • Presence of some storage space inside its shaft

Cons

  • Shaft is so short to the axe head
  • Hollow shaft which can lead to sustaining injury if swung into a very hard log of wood

Takeaway

This axe is very good for camping as its portability is a key factor, although it has a short shaft.

2. Gransfors Bruks Wildlife Hatchet

This axe is a very fine and beautiful piece. It has a very strong striking power that will shatter it if hit into a log wood. The head of the axe is of a 1-pound weight. It comes with a handy leather sheath of high quality. This type of axe can last for a long time. It is very robust, and its durability is top notch. Although this axe is very expensive, it is of high quality, and a balanced performance can be derived while using it. It comes with a handle that can ensure a firm grip and help chop logs of wood easily. It is common to see some little errors, such as an error in alignment in this axe.

Pros

  • Very fine nature
  • Sheath is made up of quality material
  • Hand made axe
  • Perfect axe for chopping and kindling
  • Presence of a high-quality handle

Cons

  • Expensive to get
  • Comes with some slight misalignment that varies

Takeaway

This axe is a good recommendation for camping despite its high cost as it can be trusted to deliver what needs to be done.

3. Hults Bruk Almike Hatchet

This axe is very powerful, and it comes with good leverage and perfect balance. It has a very topnotch striking power. It has a very dense head that is hand-crafted and made from Swedish steel. This makes it very durable and super sharp to use. It can be sharpened many times, but the sharpness will still be retained due to the material used to forge it. It can be used for chopping normal logs of wood and, at the same, big logs of wood effectively and without getting damaged. It is an expensive axe, but it is worth the price due to the variety of purposes it can be used to do. This high quality axe is very special among other types and is perfectly useful if you want to go for camping.

Pros

  • Handmade type crafted so well
  • Very strong and has the ability to cut big logs of wood
  • Very balanced type of axe

Cons

  • Large weight and heavy to carry
  • Expensive type of axe

Takeaway

This axe is highly for camping as the advantage of its striking power in selected locations can aid in carrying out things regular camping axes may not be able to do. 

4. Gerber Gear Camping Axe with Sheath

This axe displays a high level of portability as it can be carried with ease either by hand or with a backpack. It is very sturdy and has a strong, striking power that can aid in cutting wood logs. It can assist in doing everything you wish to do while cutting wood. It is an ultra-compact type of axe. It is of light weight and has a narrow blade that can be used to perform its activities. Activities include stripping open the bark of trees, cutting of wood logs, and kindling of wood. It possesses a grippy handle that can aid in doing those activities.

Pros

  • Very compact type of axe
  • Light weight
  • Very sturdy
  • Beautiful piece of tool
  • Presence of a sheath

Cons

  • Difficulty in chopping logs of wood

Takeaway

This axe can do all you need it to do only with the exception of chopping of logs of wood due to its sturdiness. 

5. Estwing Sportsman’s Axe

This axe is a type of axe that looks beautiful and classy and can be used for various purposes. It can be carried along when you plan to go for camping due to its ability to chop and cut logs of wood effectively. It is slightly heavier in weight than other axes. It has a broad end that can be used as a hammer to split large logs of wood. It is a cheap axe and can be afforded in line with your budget plan. It is accompanied by a handle that is of lacquer leather. The cutting edge of this axe is very sharp and can cut with ease. It comes with a nylon sheath. The balancing of this axe is topnotch. It comes with certain pros and cons, which can be used to judge it.

Pros

  • Presence of a wide hammer end to allow easy splitting of huge logs of wood
  • Very good looking and fine
  • Affordability and cheapness make it easier to access
  • Made in a single-piece way which translates to not having to worry about the head flying off and causing injury

Cons

  • Its sheath is tacky to an extent

Takeaway

This axe is of high quality, and it is made of a single piece which means the head can never fall off while using.

6. SOG Specialty Camp Axe

This SOG Base Camp is a tough, single-piece axe that is garnished with a sleep finish and a rubber grip. It also has a decent flathead useful for knocking in pegs or anything that needs such application. It is long and very heavy in weight. It is also portable and the best survival axe money can get. 

It is blunt when first gotten and will demand a certain level of sharpening before it can cut through materials. It comes with a blade so shallow that it makes it struggle to cut through huge trunks of wood. It is affordable to get as regards the pricing aspect.

Pros

  • Nice curved and rubberized handle
  • Presence of a flat hammerhead handy for knocking in stakes and pegs
  • Very strong and of a high quality durability factor

Cons

  • Sheath is not of very high quality
  • Very heavy to carry and weighs far too more than recommended

Takeaway

This axe is highly recommended for camping as it can last for a long time and very affordable to get, although it is not portable enough to carry due to its weight. 

7. Gerber Gator Combo Axe II

This axe is a very versatile type of axe as it can serve different required purposes. It is low-cost and comes with a coarse integrated handsaw. The job of this handsaw is to aid the cutting of branches of trees that seem difficult to chop and to aid the sizing preference of logs of wood. It has a textured grip which helps to prevent slippage during wet periods. It has a huge striking power that can be applied to cut or chop logs of wood. It has a length in its accompanying shaft that assists in attaining a great striking power while trying to chop the wood logs. It is a portable type of axe as it can be carried with ease. 

Pros

  • Presence of an integrated saw which is very handy
  • Light weight
  • Good striking power

Cons

  • Not among the top most durable axes
  • Takes a lot of time to achieve sharpness during sharpening

Takeaway 

This axe does not last for long, but its portability and versatility are not to be ignored as these factors are essential in the application.

8. Fiskars X7 Hatchet

This axe is a very cheap kind of axe. It is ergonomic and of light weight. It is fitted with a head which aids in preventing it from getting stuck in the log of wood you are trying to chop. It is very neat and fine on the surface. A lug is present at the handle bottom that aids a firm and likable grip that can ensure topnotch application. It has a good handle system. It has a long-lasting life. The blade is very prone to denting. 

Pros

  • Light weight axe
  • Ergonomic
  • Presence of a good handle which makes firm grip achievable
  • Very cheap to get
  • Lasts for a very long period of time

Cons

  • Presence of a metal touch on the soft side which makes it susceptible to denting
  • Relatively low chopping power due to its low weight

Takeaway

This axe is very affordable, ergonomic, and of a light weight which makes it highly recommended for camping. 

Factors to be considered before choosing an ax for camping

Before an ax can be chosen and selected for camping, some crucial factors need to be considered to ensure easy usage of the tool. 

To choose an ax for camping, it is necessary to consider the weight of the axe, how long the axe is while holding it, the style of the head of the axe, the material used to make the handle of the axe, the durability of the axe, its specification such as an ice axe as well as how expensive or affordable the axe is. It is also crucial to have extensive knowledge of your camping needs before deciding which type of best ax or best tomahawk to carry along. 

Axes are tools that are very versatile in nature and can be extremely indispensable. The way it is used is largely dependent on how great the quality is, no matter what you use it to do while camping. Some survival axe is extraordinary when camping. 

Thickness

Two important factors that can determine the splitting power of an ax are the width and profile of its head. If the head of an axe has a very thick profile, it would be a better option for splitting wood, although its head will also be heavy. The ramp slope of the head of the axe may be sharp and that would lead to its ability in pushing the fibers of the wood separate but if the ramp slope of the head of the axe is gentle, lesser force will be required by the axe to hit deeper into the log which means it could be better for chopping. Likewise other factors. 

Width

An ideal width for an axe used for camping is what? The need for an axe is mostly for chopping and cutting, and instead of putting into use your weight and muscle to chop, it is ideal for getting the perfect axe that suits your taste of width directly. Whether wide or not, the width of your preference of axe should be taken into consideration. 

Haft Length

It is very critical to select an axe with a length that would perfectly work for the job desired while camping. The most crucial consideration that should be put in place while selecting the length of your axe is how comfortable it is while using it. Although the longer the axe length, the safer the axe is because it is safer to avoid any form of a mishap while using it, unlike the shorter the axe’s length due to its closeness to the body parts and ability to cause damage easily. Despite this, no matter the length of an axe, it should always be used with care. 

What To Look For In Camp Axe 

Quality

Imagine me taking an axe on a camping trip and the axe getting broken after just an attempt of chopping. This will obviously disappoint me and shatter my heart as I got a low quality product. This reason should ensure that the materials used in making the axe you plan to use for camping are very high quality. Get stainless steel and a solid shaft that is a sizeable length that can ensure leverage and is also sturdy to prevent you from stunning your hand and arm. This also avoids a sticky grip and ensures a good balance achieved in weight between the head and the accompanying shaft. If the quality of the axe affects the handle, there are ways it can be replaced.

Hand forging

Machinery is used by the majority of commercial axe companies so as to produce and make axes available in bulk. The act of which the metal is being shaped is a very highly laborious task, and this is a determining factor when it comes to regulation of prices which causes differences in prices of axes. It should be noted that axes made by commercial companies are also as strong as their hand-forged counterparts. Still, the time spent and the stress put into it to make it appealing and perfect are factors that make these hand-forged axes more valuable than commercially produced ones. 

Portability

It is fun when an axe you plan on taking for camping can easily and comfortably be carried along with you without any stress. Some axes offer a more streamlined and lightweight solution to this barrier, but this would be at the expense of the chopping power for such an axe.

Types of Axes

Tactical Axe: This tactical type of axe is one of the fast rising modern axes and can act more like a multitool. It has various multi-faceted uses such as cutting, chopping, hammering, can work as a shovel, as a close-range weapon, and also as a wild game butchering tool. It is a kind of ax usually designed from high-grade steel and quality tech materials to ensure it is of ultralight and it is durable.

Hatchet

This is a type of axe that is very appropriate when it is time to go camping.  It is a general-purpose axe that can be used for smaller jobs such as cutting down small trees or splitting wood logs, or while on camping grounds. It comes in different prices that vary. It has a chunky handle that is very easy to grip. The head of this axe is of huge weight, and it comes with a very sharp blade that is balanced perfectly to reduce the risks that could cause injury and make the axe work efficiently.  

Splitting Maul

These axes are used for splitting logs of wood. They come with a long wooden handle so as to make it swing well. The head of this axe is normally heavy than the head of a regular axe. 

Grub axe

This kind of axe is preferably used when working in a garden, and it can also be used steadily when going for camping. It requires less sharpening if the proper ways to sharpen are followed. 

Hunter’s axe

The structure of this axe is made to be more obscure and not flamboyantly available to get. It has been constructed for a special purposes such as chopping wood as well as butchering meat. It is accompanied by a grooved handle so as to make the grip of the one using it easier whether the hands are dry or wet. Its head has been designed to make hide skinning clean and less complicated without causing damage to it. 

Buying guide 

There are different varieties of axes in this age, and they come with various features, their own pros, and cons. They can be used for different purposes, among which we have camping that cannot be left out. We have the best survival axe, as well as parts of the best hand axe. Each axe listed in this review is a high quality axe and will go a long way in making your camping session enjoyable.

Portability: The majority of the camping axes we have are excellent, compact and lightweight, and a perfect alternative to a regular axe. Its handle is far shorter than a normal axe, as well as a shorter blade. It is actually ideal because when going on a camping trip, it is normal to be limited on space, and there may not be enough space to carry it alongside a regular sized axe. 

Versatility: A camping axe most times is very versatile as it can serve plenty of purposes. It can be useful in cutting thick lines such as rope.  

Light weight: A camping axe is very less in weight than normal axes. This special selective feature makes it preferable for people who are likely unable to use such normal axes. 

Cheap: These types of axes are less expensive than the regular type of axes, and this makes them a more budget-friendly option for people who rarely use such an axe or put them into the application just for smaller jobs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a camping axe?

A camping axe is a small, portable tool used for cutting and chopping woods. They can do various jobs such as cutting, trimming, splitting, and chopping, making them very versatile. They can also be used to hit or knock the surface of things. They cannot be used to cut down huge trees or wooden surfaces. 

What are axe heads made of? 

Majority of axe heads we have are made of steel. Various heads are stainless steel, and others are hand forged Swedish steel. 

What is the difference between a hatchet and an axe?

Hatchets are small axes that are more portable than normal axes. They have shafts that are shorter and heads that are narrower alongside a big cutting blade. 

What is the best camping axe?

The best camping axe is a very compact ax and can be added to your camping equipment bag without stress. This axe is made from the best high quality materials with an excellent weight balance for sure and excellent cutting capability.

What is a camp axe used for?

A camp axe is primarily used for chopping and cutting logs of wood. It can be useful in knocking in tent pegs. It can be used to erect temporary emergency shelters, clear a bushy area, and dig up tree roots. It can also be used in hunting. 

Conclusion

Camping axes can be used for people that create time for leisure and go for camping. These axes have various work they do, but they come in various formats and for various purposes. Having read through the top 8 best camping axes of 2024 and their features, it should be easy for you to choose your preferred axe while you camp.