Best Backpacking Hatchet

What I found is that choosing the handle material of your hatchet is really the most important part, along with the size & weight.

All the other factors become important after you make up your mind around these two things as they merely make a difference.

For us backpackers, the most common four materials are: 

• Wood, 
• Fiberglass, 
• Steel.

However, according to our research and study for this review, steel-handle hatchets are worse than the others for backpacking, and hence they couldn't make it into our top 5 products.

Wood

...is the most commonly used material among backpackers.

Why?

Because it's the cheapest, and best looking type of handle out there. It's also the one that's being used for ages. Fiberglass and steel constructions are still warming up for the love of society. 

There are a lot of types of wood used when manufacturing a hatchet handle, the most important being as follows:

• Hickory
• Ash
• Hop-Hornbeam (AKA Ironwood)
• Sugar Maple
• Yellow Birch
• Oak

I've come across an amazing guide that lays out the Strength and Related Properties of Woods by USDA, and it lists the Hickory as the best combination of strength and shock absorption. It's also the most commonly and widely used, especially in the USA and Scandinavia.

But the type of the wood isn't about it either.

You should also take the grain direction into consideration:

Now let's get to the main competent of wood when it comes to choosing a handle.

Fiberglass

I've found that the main advantage that fiberglass has over wood is being less reactive to changing environmental conditions.

What does that mean?

Well, it means that you can basically toss it to the back of your pick up truck and forget about it until your next trip, and it's going to stay just as sharp and durable.

Whereas a wooden handle can and will shrink, swell, soak... whatever you got there.

The disadvantages, on the other hand, of fiberglass handles over wooden handles are that they: 

• Are slightly heavier,
• Become more brittle in serious cold or more loose in serious warmth,
• Impossible to re-handle (expect huge and reliable companies such as Fiskars)

Whereas you CAN easily replace a broken wooden handle. So it really comes down to your type of use.

Steel

Best two hatchets in this review (Gerber Bear Grylls and Estwing) have steel handle. Yes they should be transferring the most shock into your hands (compared to wooden and fiberglass handles) but they're equipped with great grip cushions - rubber and leather.

Which pretty much sweeps all their disavdantages away.

Size and Weight

First thing you must ask yourself here is your type of usage.

• "I'll be using this hatchet mainly for kindling and carving, sometimes for the areas difficult to reach out to."

A larger hatchet would come heavier and larger without any extra benefits. It would even do you worse where your mobility is restrained. I'd go for 9" tops.

• "I'll be using this hatchet for kindling & carving, as well as medium-sized chopping and splitting."

In that case, 12"+ hatchet would be a better choice for you due to the increased angular velocity at the hatchet head.

• "I'll be using this hatchet merely for kindling & carving, and mostly for medium and large-sized chopping & splitting."

Don't get hatchet, get an axe instead.

Whereas you CAN easily replace a broken wooden handle. So it really comes down to your type of use.

Now let's get to their reviews.

Gerber 9.5" Bear Grylls Hatchet

Made in the US, the most durable out of all of these models is Gerber Bear Grylls Hatchet and it's also probably the best choice for 90% of us.

The entire hatchet is manufactured is a single high carbon steel piece (unlike handle and the head being two different pieces) and hence the high durability.

Typically, the main downside of this one-piece approach should be the high shock transmission to the users hands, however Gerber managed to sidetrack this issue by incorporating a rubber non-slip handle.

For us backpackers, it provides extra plus points since it stands at 9.5" and 1.3 lbs only.

But of course, there's a price you pay when you get a hatchet THIS short. It's the splitting & chopping ability.

That's why I wouldn't recommend trying to chop any medium-large size logs. Only small ones that don't require a lot swinging and/or force.

Another advantage of steel construction is that unlike wooden handle hatchets, you don't have to pay attention to where to leave the hatchet at all.

Just toss it inside your backpack or under your bed at home, and forget about it until next time.

It's probably the best choice out there for us backpackers unless you're planning to use the hatchet as an axe from time to time.

No products found.

Estwing 14" Sportsman Hatchet

Estwing 14" Sportsman Hatchet is also one piece steel construction that comes with a grip cover (unlike Gerber Bear Grylls, it's a leather cover) to improve shock absorption.

If you'll be splitting/chopping as much as carving/kindling, it's probably the best choice for you and a great alternative to Gerber Bear Grylls reviewed above. You might say it's a lengthier alternative to it (9.5" vs 14").

Click here for 360 degree free view in Estwing's own site.

The downside, obviously, is that at 14" it's too big for most of us - especially when you consider the fact that most of us use saws instead of hatchets or axes for chopping and splitting.

However, if you're not a saw user and/or you'd like to get it all your needs done with one single gear, then this hatchet is probably one of your best bets out there.

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Husqvarna 13" Hatchet

This Husqvarna 13" Hatchet | No products found. is the only wooden handle hatchet in this round up.

Yes, this wooden handle hatchet by Gransfors Bruks (No products found.) and this wooden handle hatchet by Hults Bruk perform better than Husqvarna, but they're just really overkill for most of us.

But that doesn't necessarily mean your hands will FEEL more at ease with this hatchet.

Why?

Because the grip locations are covered either by rubber or leather in previous 2 hatchets.

So I'd doubt you'll feel any difference in terms of shock absorption. All of them are good enough.

Another advantage of wooden handles is that it's the most weather resistant - e.g it won't swell, shrink or become brittle when it's too hot or cold out.

The downside of this hatchet is that it's heavy at 3.3 lbs. 

If you'll be using the hatchet out in very cold or hot weather occasionally, and you can afford a few extra pounds in your pack, this is probably your hatchet. 

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Fiskars X7 14" Hatchet

This Finnish workhorse Fiskars X7 Hatchet | No products found. is also quite popular among us backpackers because of its versatility provided by fiberglass handle.

Main advantage of fiberglass handles is that they're very durable. Whether it's exposed to industrial chemicals, forgotten somewhere under a lot of load or stress, it mostly doesn't get affected.

It can put up with more punishment than wood handles.

The downside is that they're a pain to re-handle them when they break. Mostly even impossible. That's why Fiskars offer a replacement for the hatchet when it breaks. What's more, they're even more prone to break out in cold weather.

If you think you're not going to be treating very kindly to your hatchet and won't be using it when it's very hot or cold out, this hatchet can be a good alternative for you.

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Conclusion

If you're looking for a small & light hatchet, don't want to be taking care of it constantly in the long term, won't be chopping/splitting any medium-large sized logs and won't use it in extreme cold/warm weather, this 9.5" Gerber is your best bet. If you're looking for something more weather resistant, might chop/split some medium-large sized logs, then this steel handle Estwing is the way to go for you BUT it's heavier and larger. If you'll use the hatchet in extreme weather, and can afford more care for it, this Husqvarna 13" Hatchet can be the best choice for you (No products found. on AMAZON). 

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