It doesn’t matter much whether you’re trying to survive the aftermath of a hurricane, an earthquake, a massive flood, an extreme blizzard or a volcanic eruption—once you’ve bugged out to your safe zone, you are probably going to be heating large quantities of water over an open fire.
- RELATED STORY: 11 Quick-Draw Neck Knives For Everyday Carry
Once that fire is going, you are going to equally need the tools to feed it 24/7 for days on end. Around the world, the primary means for this has long been basic axes, tomahawks, hatchets and machetes. Tomahawks and hatchets, in particular, have served Americans as combination tools and weapons from the earliest days of European settlement. Machetes have performed much of the same functions in the lusher vegetation of Central and South America.
The modern bushcraft and backcountry survival movement has given birth to a wide range of new models especially designed to fill this need. Here are a few of the more interesting ones we have found.
- RELATED STORY: 6 Fixed Blades Ready For Combat
For more information on the axes, tomahawks, hatchets and machetes featured in the gallery above, please visit the following sites.
Camillus Camtrax
http://www.camillusknives.com
Condor Eco-Survival Golok Machete
http://www.condortk.com
Condor Cloudburst Axe
http://www.condortk.com
CRKT Birler
https://www.crkt.com
Camillus M-13 Machete
http://www.camillusknives.com
ESEE Lite Machete
https://eseeknives.com
Lansky Wilderness Pack
https://lansky.com
Ontario Bushcraft Machete
http://ontarioknife.com
Heckler & Koch Clout Tactical Axe
http://www.benchmade.com
SOG Folding Saw
https://www.sogknives.com
Spyderco SzaboHawk
https://www.spyderco.com
Timberline MSS
http://gatcosharpeners.com
Wetterlings Bushman Axe
http://www.wetterlings.com
Zippo 4-In-I Woodsman
http://zippooutdoor.com
TOPS Micro Hawk
https://www.topsknives.com
This article was originally published in ‘Survivor’s Edge’ Winter 2017. To subscribe, visit outdoorgroupstore.com.