Most of the threads I read are concerning situations when all you gear is mobile, or processing a large amount of wood at home. What do you guys bring(axe wise) for "car camping", unless you are too hardcore for this kind of activity. You know when you pull up in a gravel campsite, pitch a tent, grab some half split wood, whip out the gas stove, maybe brought some beer. That kind of thing.
Car camping axe
- Thread starter JackNate
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As far as for my needs I either bring a fullsized axe or nothing at all. Hatchets are great and I use them for small chores around the camp sight but for splitting and serious chopping... it's hard to beat the power of a well made fullsized axe. But I drive a pickup with a bed cover so I keep a good axe, maul, and machete in the bed of my truck all the time. Along with various other tools.
If I knew I was going to encounter wood in such convenient sizes, I'd bring a moderate size splitting maul and a couple wedges. If I thought I'd need to reduce longer logs to splitting size, I'd go for a 30-36" bow saw.
I have a pile of axes so I'm sure I'd bring some but they probably wouldn't get as much use as the above-mentioned tools. A hatchet/hand axe would be useful for smaller splitting chores.
If you have the money, Gransfors Bruks are very nice hand-forged axes and mauls. Wetterlings are likewise good. I also keep around a couple Estwings so that if my campmates damage the edges, I won't have to kill them.
Just last week an 84-year old outdoorsman with many decades of wilderness experience on several continents started chopping into ground brush with my axe. Which is precisely why the only axe I left out was a 30+ year old Sears axe. I was able to stop him before he totally screwed up the edge but he might have chipped the hell out of a really sharp Gransfors axe hardened to Rockwell 57.
DancesWithKnives
I have a pile of axes so I'm sure I'd bring some but they probably wouldn't get as much use as the above-mentioned tools. A hatchet/hand axe would be useful for smaller splitting chores.
If you have the money, Gransfors Bruks are very nice hand-forged axes and mauls. Wetterlings are likewise good. I also keep around a couple Estwings so that if my campmates damage the edges, I won't have to kill them.
Just last week an 84-year old outdoorsman with many decades of wilderness experience on several continents started chopping into ground brush with my axe. Which is precisely why the only axe I left out was a 30+ year old Sears axe. I was able to stop him before he totally screwed up the edge but he might have chipped the hell out of a really sharp Gransfors axe hardened to Rockwell 57.
DancesWithKnives
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- Jun 25, 2007
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- 695
+1 on the Estwing sportmans axe. That is the only axe I have for car camping like you describe. I am waiting on a Reeves custom double bit hatchet though for such purposes in the futre though.