I agree with the last few posts, an axe is nice to have, but I get a lot more use out of the hatchet for firewood and I carry a 50cc chainsaw for everything else. Live by the old adage, work smarter, not harder.
I carry a Collins "boy's axe", that I bought used 40 years ago. I might have paid $10 for it?? Back then Collins made very good axes. It has had a number of handles, nothing fancy, just a nice size for most things I want to tackle with an axe.
yes, there are always better/easier tools but I don't always bring a chainsaw, plus a splitting maul is kind of specialized, rather have an axe. In years of off roading and camping I've used mine quite a bit.
honestly dont know its weight... guess i could check? I do know I hand weighed it against 2 splitting mauls in my garage and it was lighter.. I think one was a 6 and one was 8... though I guess I could have an 8 and a 12?? great..now I need to go check that.... (I know I dont use the heavy maul anymore...it was more fun in my younger years)
>edit< so I took a scale out, the axe is 6#, my light maul is 10# and my heavy is 12# ... no wonder I think my axe is a one hander lol
A good friend of mine bought me a Gransfors Bruk axe as a gift. Honestly I wouldn’t spend that kind of money on myself , but DAMN that is a nice axe. It has a permanent spot mounted inside my Jeep now and has been used countless times at this point. By the way this is the best thread ever of all time on any forum. Next...
A bow saw for clearing trails and light wood cutting plus a small camp axe in my "walk home" bag has always done the trick. Never once thought it would have been nice to have a felling or splitting axe. The bow saws behind my truck seat and mounted to the tub of my Jeep dont look as hardcore as a mounted axe though.