The best axes for backpacking weigh between 1.5 and 3 pounds, with a handle of 14 to 20 inches long. This provides a good balance between easy transport and sufficient power to cut through any log or tree.
This article reviews the best backpacking axe for your trips to the great outdoors. This is specifically for backpackers, not all campers – I’ve selected the axes considering their weight and other features that are important for backpackers who hike and travel the great outdoors on foot and carrying everything they need on their back.
So without further ado, here are the 7 best backpacking axes you can get anywhere in the USA.
| Image | Features | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
Best Overall  |
| 9.1 | Check Price on AmazonCheck Price at Walmart |
Best Value for Money  |
| 9 | Check Price on AmazonCheck Price at Walmart |
Best American Made  | Council Tool Hudson Bay Camp Axe
| 8.5 | Check Price on Amazon |
1. Husqvarna Carpenter’s Axe, 19 inches
This list starts off with one of the larger axes on the list. The Husqvarna Carpenter’s axe, at 19 inches and 2.4 pounds in weight, is the hefty workhorse of small backpacking axes. Designed as a carpenter’s axe, it excels at carving and shaping wood. Its symmetrical bevel makes it more all-purpose and easier to use than many carpenter’s axes which have a single-beveled blades.
You can make a feather stick (for easy fire-starting) with ease, but it’s not as if the carpenter’s axe is good only for such small tasks around your campsite. In fact, its weight gives you more heft and allows you to put more force into your swings if you’re chopping down small trees or splitting logs. And that’s where the beauty of this axe lies. It’s equally good at small tasks (like carving) as it is at bigger ones, such as limbing trees that have fallen across a trail.
Its length allows you to use it comfortably with two hands, which is not always the case with smaller axes, such as the 13” hatchet also made by Husqvarna. Finally, the size and weight of the Husqvarna Carpenter’s axe makes it more viable to use it as a self-defence weapon. The main drawback of this axe might be that it is too top-heavy to use comfortably with one hand if holding the handle at the bottom end. It also doesn’t come shaving-sharp, but a few minutes with a sharpening stone should take care of that easy.
Verdict: Best for backpacking trips where you think you might need a heftier axe for heavier work or if the area has predators that might attack you.
- 20-inch American Hickory Handle
- 2.2-Pound Steel Axehead
- Made in Sweden
- Ideal for Woodworking
2. Council Tool Hudson Bay Camp Axe, 18 inches
The Hudson Bay Camp Axe by Council Tool is an excellent tool made in the USA. This alone almost put it on this list for reasons that I’ll get to shortly. First of all, this axe is based on a design that French and American traders and frontiersman used in the Hudson Bay region hundreds of years ago. The life of a trader and frontiersman was a tough one, and each tool had to be the best it could be.
The design is time-tested. Relatively thin cheeks allow the Hudson Bay camp axe to cut well and deep. The handle is advertised as being 18 inches long, but I measured it at 17 inches. That’s fine – most axes are shortened in the hanging process anyway.
The steel of the axehead is excellent – it’s Carbon US 1060 steel, between HRC 48-55 on the Rockwell scale. And this is where being US-made comes in – since the company is an American one, they have excellent customer service.
There are many good reasons to buy American, and the quality of the Hudson Bay axe and the service Council Tool provide are two of the main ones.
Verdict: A very good quality axe made in the USA, excellent service by Council Tool in case you do have any trouble.
- 24 inch Hickory Handle
- Forged Steel Head
- Made in USA
- Hand Sharpened
3. Fiskars X7 Hatchet, 14 inches
Fiskars is held in high regard as a company that has a lot of experience making affordable axes that use cutting-edge technology to give you the most bang for your buck. Made in Finland, a country of endless forests and which uses a lot of firewood to heat its homes throughout the long Arctic winter, Fiskars axes are designed for maximum chopping and splitting efficiency.
The Fiskars X7 hatchet is a very light hatchet that packs a big punch. The wedge-shaped design of the axehead means that it will split firewood with greater ease than other axes with thinner profiles. The axehead is also coated with an anti-friction coating that stops it from getting stuck in the wood and making it easy to keep up a steady chopping rhythm.
A big plus of this axe is the lightweight handle made out of composite materials and molded around the axehead. Fiskars claims that the material is stronger than steel (and “virtually unbreakable”) but in any case it is very tough and you don’t run the risk of an axehead coming loose and flying off into the bush just when you need it most. At just 1.4 lbs in total weight, the Fiskars X7 is an excellent choice for those looking for a lightweight axe that nevertheless provides you with a lot of oomph and cutting power.
Verdict: Great for longer hikes and when weight is an issue. Very tough and hard to break, with no risk of the axehead coming loose.
- Extremely Durable Design
- Carbon Steel Head and Full-Tang Design
- Shock Reduction Composite Handle
- Lifetime Warranty
4. Estwing Sportsman’s Axe, 12 inches
These are two different axes from the same well-known and highly-regarded US manufacturer – Estwing. They’re similar in many ways, but different in several important ways. First of all, these axes are more or less indestructible. Forged out of one piece of US steel, these Estwing axes won’t quit on you. The handle won’t break (which is a risk with both wood and fiberglass handles, especially in cold weather for the latter), the axehead won’t fly off, and the axe won’t catastrophically fail in the middle of serious chopping – at least not in your lifetime. There are three main differences between these two axes:
The Estwing Sportsman is only twelve inches long from head to handle-end, making it hatchet that is only really suited to one-handed use.
This is a big difference, because the extra inches on the axes mean a difference in weight of a pound and a half! To be specific, the Estwing Sportsman’s axe weighs 1.38 pounds, while the Estwing Camper’s axe weighs 2.9 pounds. That’s a significant difference in weight, and backpackers and woodsmen who’ll be moving a lot or covering large distances should keep this in mind.
The Estwing Sportsman axe has a handle of stacked leather (leather rings stacked on top of one another on the handle and then shrunk tight) with some sort of laminate on it – that’s why it looks like it has a shiny wooden handle in picture.
To sum up, the Estwing Sportsman’s hatchet is good if you need something light to take with you on a camp-out or hike where you won’t need to do a lot of heavy-duty chopping. It’s best suited for splitting small pieces of firewood and things like that.
- Total Weight - 20.8 ounce
- Cutting Edge - 3.2 inch
- Total Length - 16 inch
- Full Tang - Single Piece of Steel
5. Estwing Camper’s Axe, 14 inches
The Estwing Camping axe, however, is 16 inches long, and that immediately gives you the extra length needed to be able to use it with two hands as well as one. The Estwing Camping axe also has a longer cutting edge (4 inches) than the Estwing Sportsman, whose cutting edge is only 2 and ¾ inches.
The Estwing Camper’s axe has a handle of leather dyed blue without the laminate. This, in my opinion, provides a better grip.
The Estwing Camper’s axe will serve you well if you think you might need to clear the trail, chop down small trees, or split small to medium-sized logs. The customer service on these axes, as with most American-made products, is great, and Estwing is officially endorsed by the Boy Scouts of America. Both these axes are a great choice – durable, long-lasting, and with a sharp bite.
- One-Piece Forged Steel Design
- Available in Multiple Colors
- Patented Shocked Reduction Grip
- Made in USA
6. Hults Bruk Almike 16-inch all-purpose axe
Hults Bruk is right up there with Gransfors Bruks as makers of the highest-quality axes that you can still find for sale “off the shelf.” The Almike is exactly what it’s description says it is – a hefty 16-inch axe that’ll slice through most anything that you throw at it – or throw it at. Made by hand from the highest-quality forged Swedish steel, the Almike has a cutting edge of 3 inches with a handle of just under 16 inches.
This is a multi-generational tool that is also a work of art – if you take care of it, it’ll last long after you’re gone. But while you can use it, it’ll serve you well – the steel’s quality means that it’ll take a mean edge quickly, and comes shaving-sharp out of the box. The wood grain of the handle is perfectly straight, meaning that it’s much less likely to break, and, as with all great axes, is made of American hickory.
It’s lightweight – only 1.75 pounds in total weight, but will work just as well or better than larger axes of a lower quality. It also comes with a well-crafted, very tough leather sheath that is both beautiful and very utilitarian. It’s length – 16 inches – means you can use it one or two-handed, and choking up your grip near the top of the handle is a breeze as the Almike is also perfectly balanced.
Swinging is a joy with this axe. It doesn’t come cheap, but then again it’ll last you a lifetime – well worth the investment, I’d say. Swedish axes are considered the best in the field by many for a reason.
- 1.75 lb Weight
- 16 in Length
- Multi-Generational Tool
- American Hickory Handle
7. Gransfors Bruks Wildlife Hatchet, 13.5 inches
Another excellent compact backpacking and bushcraft axe is the Gransfors Bruks Wildlife hatchet. Coming in at 1.3 pounds and just 13.5 inches in length, it shares many of the great characteristic of the Hults Bruk axes. Comes razor-sharp out of the box, the steel is proprietary mid-carbon steel that doesn’t chip and takes and holds an edge well.
It also comes with a durable leather sheath. The main difference with the Hults Bruk Almike is that the Gransfors Bruks Wildlife hatchet is smaller and lighter. Its size means that you won’t be able to use it very effectively with two hands, but as a one-handed camp hatchet it’ll work beautifully.
- 13.5 inch Length
- Durable Leather Sheath
- 1.3 lb Weight
- Mid-Carbon Steel
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best weight axe for backpacking?
Backpacking axes generally weigh between 1.5 and 3 pounds. This is lightweight so that you aren’t weighed down when travelling long distances but is still large enough to complete all tasks around your campsite.
What is the best handle length for a backpacking axe?
The best length backpacking axe handle is between 14 and 20 inches. This gives a good balance between being easy to carry in a belt loop or in your backpack while still generating enough power to fell a small tree or chop through hardwood firewood.
Conclusion
With the wealth of small axes and hatchets out there, it can be tough to choose the right (or any) one for you. It isn’t that hard, though – the 7 axes and hatchets listed above are all great tools. With care, they’ll serve you well for a long time.
Consider your needs carefully – are you going to be walking a lot and doing light work, such as chopping off small dead tree branches, splitting pieces of wood for kindling and firewood, and so on, or do you think you might do heavier work such as trail or campsite clearing? If it’s the first, you’ll want something light. If it’s the second, a longer and heftier axe that can be used with two hands would be more appropriate for you.
And if you have any comments or experience that you’d like to share with others, leave a comment below! Thanks for reading, and good luck choosing the best backpacking and bushcrafting axe for your needs!
