Survival hatchets are great tools to have to help you survive; they may be the ultimate survival tool. These can come in handy during sticky situations when you need them the most but they can also be the best tools for standard outdoor activities and some home uses.
A hatchet can be used for cutting and chopping jobs when a knife just won’t cut it. You get a driving lever force just not available with most cutting implements.
A good survival hatchet not only gives you a good cutting edge that can get through hard materials like wood and soft materials like cloth and food, but it also gives you a multitude of other features that can become indispensable in a survival situation.
A good survival hatchet incorporates a hunting/utility knife, a hammer, a weapon and a fire starter into one tool. Some include a vast amount of other survival equipment into the same tool by hollowing out the handle or changing the shape of the axe head.
A survival hatchet is a smaller one handed axe that is easier to wield and gives you more control over your swings. They are more versatile and usable than fire axes and camping axes and have been designed to be wielded by even the scrawniest of survivalists. For that reason, we’ll only be looking at hatchets and axes under 20 inches.
A good quality survival hatchet will have a high quality steel head and a reinforced or highly durable handle. You’ll notice that none of the hatchets in our list have a wooden handle, this is because of durability and weathering.
A fire axe or firewood axe can use a wooden handle because they spend most of their lives either hung up waiting to be used or only being handled when chopping.
A survival hatchet is designed to be used constantly and not just for one purpose. The handles are usually made from a high-grade lightweight aluminum or high-durability polymer like nylon to ensure they are weatherproof and durable to extended use.
In a Rush?
Have you got a camping weekend with the guys coming up soon and you want to impress them with your brand new toy? Not to worry we’ve got our top pick right here with just a few reasons why we love it.
LIANTRAL Portable Stainless Survival Axe
This compact yet hard hitting multitool will prove indispensable on your next camping trip or in the unfortunate event of needing it for survival. You get all the tools you could possibly need in a package that would fit in your standard backpack.
- Axe and hoe head bundled into a durable package.
- Individual sheaths for each head.
- Adjustable height design extension bars.
- Concealable knife integrated into handle.
- Up to 17 inches in total length.
OUR TOP PICK
The Survival Axe from LIANTRAL is an amazing tool with a huge amount of different uses that come compacted into a tiny form factor.
This aesthetically pleasing hatchet has 9 tools in the one that can come in handy when you’re at home, when you’re camping and more importantly when you need them in a survival situation.
The tools you get are an axe head, a hoe scoop that can also be used as a pry bar, 3 hex nut spanner holes, a sharp fishing knife with a descaler, a bottle opener, a flint magnesium rod for starting fires, an emergency whistle, a safety hammer to smash the window of a car without in case of an emergency and finally a compass.
Everything you could possibly need to not only survive the elements but also thrive in them.
The whole package is completely contained inside the handle of the hatchet, they actually make up part of the handle.
Because of this feature you can choose the length of your hatchet by removing the included extension bars, this gives you the ability to choose between power delivery and control.
The shorter you make the handle the easier it will be to wield and make more precise chops. The longer you make the handle the more power you can put behind each swing allowing you to even fell a small tree.
If you’re going on a camping trip or an off-trail hike and you’re traveling light, the hatchet shrinks down to a minimum length of around 10 inches.
The axe head, hoe scoop and knife blade are made from high quality stainless steel that can withstand a huge amount of use and are very durable.
The handle is made from a thick aluminum alloy that is stippled for extra grip. Both materials are water resistant as they are coated in a stylish black finish that makes the whole piece a matte black and highly durable to use.
With the 2 sheaths that come with this hatchet make sure that you can store it and transport it safely. They are made of thick, high quality nylon that is covered in a digital camo pattern that matches the theme of the hatchet completely.
LIANTRAL are so confident in their product that they are offering a full refund to any of their customers that aren’t completely satisfied.
To round up this great tool, you can use this hatchet for chopping, cutting, splitting, chipping, trimming, gutting, scaling, bottle opening, fire making, whistling, shoveling and navigating.
It will be the first and last tool you could need for camping and even highly stressful survival situations.
Pros
- 17” to 10” adjustable length for utility, storage and versatility.
- 9 tools in 1 package that doesn’t require an extra carrying case.
- You also get a fishing/utility knife with this axe.
- High quality stainless steel and aluminum alloy construction make this hatchet extremely durable.
- Included sheaths make this hatchet easy to store and transport.
Cons
- There is no hammerhead built in, you can use the side of the axe head but LIANTRAL opted for a hoe scoop instead.
EDITORS CHOICE
SOG is a huge name in the outdoor tactical equipment game, they have been producing extremely high quality knives, throwing knives and axes for many years.
Their years of experience and high quality standards have been channeled down into the Survival Hatchet.
This 12.1 inch survival hatchet has been designed with survival in mind but it also caters for a few more uses a hatchet enthusiast might find handy.
The blade consists of an axe head, a textured hammering surface and a claw spike.
The claw spike can be used for prying nails, cutting wires and it also acts as a cradle for the included ferrocerium firestarter rod to create a more sustained spark.
As mentioned before SOG has included a ferrocerium fire starting rod, even though it doesn’t fit into the handle like with the previous hatchet, it does fit into the sheath.
The axe head is made of a hardened stainless steel which means it is durable to heavy use whilst also being weather resistant.
The handle is constructed from a glass reinforced nylon that is completely water resistant and offers a bit of extra grip.
The paracord wrapped around the base of the handle can be removed and used for anything you would normally need rope for. Paracord is extremely tough and has a very high tensile strength relative to its diameter.
The included sheath is made of ballistic nylon that is extremely durable and matches the black finish of the axe.
It has a dedicated pocket for the fire starting rod, and a belt loop so that you can strap the hatchet to your belt or camping equipment.
This means you won’t have to put the hatchet inside your backpack and take up vital space it can hang off the side for easy access. At 19.5 ounces the Survival Hatchet is easy to carry especially for its size.
The other selling point of this hatcher is that the blade is actually straight as opposed to straight and the spike on the back is also sharpened to a point.
This makes the Survival Hatcher from SOG a great throwing axe so if you’re a capable tomahawk or hatchet thrower then this gives you another advantage in a survival situation.
Pros
- 12.1 inches of stainless steel and glass reinforced nylon makes this one of the most durable hatchets available.
- The claw spike is usable for multiple different purposes.
- Included ferrocerium fire starter rod and cradle in the spike make it simple to start fires.
- Sheath has space for the fire starter rod and an included belt loop.
- Straight edge and sharpened spike make this ideal for throwing.
Cons
- The blade isn’t full tang which means you might have to tighten some of the nuts for secure use.
BEST VALUE
This compact multi tool hatchet takes a completely different approach to incorporating multiple tools into one.
Instead of multiple separate tools with a creative method of storing them, the Off Grid Tools hatchet changes the form factor of a hatchet completely and integrates the tools very compactly.
The whole hatchet is only 11.5 inches long and includes a hatchet blade, a hammer head, a nail claw and pry bar, a replaceable 6 inch saw blade, 8 hex bolt sockets, a hardened steel glass breaker and a seat belt cutter.
The full tang design of the blade means you get the ultimate amount of leverage without having to worry about the structure of the head and whether it’s going to come loose.
The blade and handle core are constructed from 420 stainless steel which is hard steel capable of withstanding strikes and slashes but also is weather and water resistant.
The grip is reinforced with a glass reinforced nylon handle similar to SOG hatchet so you can guarantee ruggedness while still accounting for comfort in the grip of the handle.
The Survival axe is designed to be kept in the car, with a hardened steel glass breaker and seatbelt cutter built in.
These features can come in extremely handy in the case of a broken down vehicle or a drowning or sinking vehicle where you’d need to exit quickly.
The hatchet also has a replaceable 6 inch saw built in for sawing needs. You can use it to saw off small tree limbs for firewood or for more precise cuts in a shelter building situation.
The Survival Axe is very compact and weighs in at 1.6 lbs so is very hefty for its size. This helps when trying to chop through thicker branches.
Pros
- Great for camping and survival situations with all the included tools.
- Includes a fully replaceable 6 inch metal saw blade.
- Designed for automobile escape.
- Compact yet hefty.
- Grip is made from durable glass reinforced nylon.
Cons
- The axe comes dulled out of the box and needs sharpening to be useful.
RUNNER UP
The compact entrant onto our list uses a swiss army knife style of multitool approach to tackling the survival hatchet.
The 14 in 1 Hatchet from RoverTac is named well, it has 14 separate tools that you can use in this hatchet.
You get an axe head, a hammer head, pliers, knife blade, saw, assorted hex wrenches, philips head screwdriver, flat head screwdriver, bottle opener, file, flat jaw pliers, wire cutters/strippers and fish descaler.
This means that it can handle most tasks that you throw at it.
The Multitool Hatchet is only 7 inches long meaning you won’t get the full swing and power of a longer hatchet.
The handle is constructed from nylon which is the same material as the solid case that comes included for easy carrying.
Pros
- 14 tools in a very compact size.
- Comes sharpened out of the box.
- The tail lock keeps everything in place when you need to use the hammer or axe.
- Comes with a hard nylon carrying pouch with a belt loop.
Cons
- Too small to chop larger branches.
RUNNER UP
This survival kit implements many different survival tools into one compact carrying case.
The kit includes a shovel and axe combo head, a fire starting kit with a whistle built in, a multi use knife, hex sockets, 2 stippled extension bars, a screwdriver set, a window breaker, a compass and a carrying case with sheath.
With this kit we can guarantee you’ll be able to thrive in the wilderness with no worries of not having the right tool for the job.
You can count on this tool to get you through any rough spots but it’s also a great companion for hikes and camping trips.
The included belt loop with the carrying case makes this whole kit really easy to move around especially at 4.6 lbs total for the whole package.
The only reason this isn’t higher on our list is because it isn’t solely a hatchet, you get a great hatchet with the kit but you also get other tools.
Pros
- Comes with a shovel head and axe and hammer combo head.
- Comes with 2 extension rods for comfortable usage and versatility.
- Has a camo carrying pouch with a belt loop and handle for easy transport.
- Includes all necessary survival tools and works well being stored in a vehicle for emergency usage.
Cons
- Can’t use shovel head and axe head simultaneously.
Best Survival Hatchet Buying Guide
When looking for a good survival hatchet you’ll want to make sure you have a few things decided, the main point of concern is your axe head and its blade.
If you have a good looking hatchet with all the necessary tools but it’s stamped out of sheet steel, you’ll end up with a long thin hammer.
You need to make sure that the material your hatchet is constructed from can withstand not only light usage but also heavy swings and strikes. A high carbon or stainless steel is a good option for most hatchets.
The length of the handle determines how powerful your strikes can be or how precise they can be. A hatchet with an adjustable height is more versatile but more moving parts means more points of possible failure so weigh up your options and decide which suits you better.
If you don’t have a survival kit with you at all times then a survival hatchet by itself will be pretty useless.
You can and should find a kit that is either integrated with the hatchet or includes the hatchet as one of its main components. When you’re trying to start a fire or break the glass of a vehicle that’s on fire then you’ll be glad you had the full kit.
As long as your hatchet meets all of your needs, and could cover you in case of an emergency you’ve got a good survival hatchet.