Hatchet vs. Knife: Which Is Better for Survival?
You’re out in the wilderness, and you can only choose one – a knife or a hatchet.
Most preppers swear by a sturdy knife for its light weight and portability. But a trusty hatchet, without a doubt, has some advantages you’d be sorry to go without!
Both are crucial tools to have on hand during a survival situation, which is why this perplexing question continues to keep preppers up at night.
So, which is the winner? Let’s weigh the pros and cons of each before deciding, shall we?
Advantages of a Hatchet
Hatchets are sweet survival tools that double as nifty weapons. After all, if they’re good enough to be Rick Grimes’ weapon of choice, they’re good enough for us.
One quick question before we let the benefits commence, though. What’s the difference between an ax and a hatchet?
Well, for starters, an ax is heavier and has a handle about twice as long as a hatchet. A hatchet can do almost everything an ax can. But it’s shrunken down into a fun-size model.
This bite-size tool, which is primarily used for cutting wood and chopping trees, weighs about three pounds on average. Before you get turned off by its rather hefty weight and size though, trust us when we say you get what you carry when it comes to a hatchet!
Hatchets Are Great for Chopping Down Trees
One of the most significant advantages of carrying a hatchet over a knife is that you can chop down a small tree and have a fire or shelter up and running in no time.
If you have fire and a good old hatchet to cut you some wood, you can survive self-sufficiently with no problem.
Hatchets Let You Smash Things With a Hammer!
Another function of a hatchet that comes in handy is its ability to double as a hammer. Whether you’re pounding a stake into the ground or cracking some nuts, a hatchet can be useful.
Sure, the end of a knife could serve as a hammer too, but let’s be real. It wouldn’t yield the same results or be quite as forceful.
Hatchets Enable You To Engage in Some Rough Wood-working
Hatchets can also make great woodworking tools if used properly. Of course, they aren’t going to be as precise as a knife.
Still, if you’ve got a sharp hatchet in hand, it can certainly get the job done, whether you’re making a spear or fashioning wood into any other basic geometric shape.
Hatchets Are Perfect For Self-Defense
Aside from hatchets being a survival tool, they also make for great self-defense weapons.
After all, there’s got to be a reason why ax-throwing bars are all the rage nowadays. Probably because no one wants to mess with a hatchet-throwing psychopath. Can anyone say, “here’s Johnny”?
Disadvantages of a Hatchet
Okay, it’s fun to point out all the positives. But what are some of the warnings worth knowing before picking up a hatchet for your bug-out bag?
Hatchets Can Weigh You Down
We already touched on this one, but hatchets weigh about three pounds on average. This can be intimidating to people who aren’t looking to hike with a lot of weight.
Luckily, we live in an age where tools are improving and becoming more lightweight than ever. Believe it or not, some brands out there are carrying hatchets that weigh about half of the aforementioned average size.
For example, check out this 1.7lb hatchet by Estwing!
The truth is, though, even at 1.7lbs, the best hatchets could weigh more than your standard survival knife and can significantly slow you down if you’re in a hurry or out of shape.
Final Thoughts on Hatchets
All in all, hatchets are worth considering over a knife for one reason alone: its ability to quickly chop wood single-handedly.
However, a hatchet’s cumbersome weight is something to consider. And don’t forget the fact that it’s unable to provide the same precision as a knife.
If you decide to carry a hatchet over a knife, opt for a high quality, lightweight one if possible.
Advantages of a Knife
Survival knives are knives whose sole purpose is to help you survive in the wilderness.
If you’ve ever come into contact with a military man, outdoorsmen, hunter, or hiker — or you, yourself fall into one of those categories — you’re probably used to seeing a survival knife on hand.
Why? Because these knives are designed to (hopefully) help you outlive and escape any negative situations or environments.
Knives Are Nice and Light
A survival knife is often favored over a hatchet for one major reason, its weight.
Average survival knives weigh around 12 ounces and vary in length from 10 – 20 cm depending on the type of blade you choose. Its small and light size makes it an easy, portable tool for the average traveler.
Knives Are Great for Skinning Animals
When you inevitably need to hunt and cook meat over a fire, you’ll want a tool that can make precise cuts, all while being strong enough to chop through thick tendons and bones.
This is where a survival knife can once again come in handy.
A hatchet may work for dealing with larger animals like deer. But you’ll want a knife to make precise cuts on small animals like fish, rabbits, and squirrels.
Knives Are a Good First-Aid Tool
If you or someone you know gets hurt, a small blade like a knife is a must.
Whether it’s removing an item lodged under the skin, piercing a blister, or cutting a shirt as a makeshift bandage, the accuracy of a blade over a bulky hatchet can make all the difference.
Knives Are Nifty Fire Starters
With the right technique, a batoning knife can cut through wood and create fine shavings used to start fires. Some blades can also double as a kindling knife with magnesium inside to easily strike against your fire starter.
Learn how to baton wood like a boss in the video below!
Disadvantages of a Knife
Just like with our good friend the hatchet, it has come time to set the benefits aside and consider the downside to wielding a knife in a survival scenario.
Knives Lack Intensity
Swedish knife expert Roger Norling notes that survival knives “are intentionally not great at anything, but good enough at most things.”
We would have to agree. While knives are the versatile option, they don’t exactly deliver a forceful blow.
The most significant disadvantage of choosing a knife over a hatchet is simply the fact that it can’t cut through wood as intensely as a hardy hatchet can.
Although knives are praised for being agile and exact, hatchets are robust and powerful. This makes them the ideal choice for chopping logs and building shelter.
Final Thoughts on Knives
Knives are certainly a useful tool to have out in the wild – especially for their meticulous nature when it comes to cutting, piercing, poking, and prying. They’re also small and lightweight, making them the perfect option for those looking to pack sparingly.
If they packed a little more punch when cutting wood, they would, without a doubt, be the perfect survival tool.
If we had to choose the best survival knife, we would hands down pick the iconic military-grade Ka-Bar knife.
Hatchet vs. Knife: Which is Better for Survival?
Both a knife and hatchet can keep you alive and well in the great outdoors. However, it can be hard to choose which is the best since the two can perform in similar but different ways.
For example, both tools can cut wood, skin game, and be used as a self-defense weapon. But the fact of the matter is, one will be better than the other in some cases and vice versa.
Still, since we know you all read this far to see a winner, we’ll give you one.
Our official HoD pick is a hatchet.
We prefer hatchets for several reasons, the most important being that hatchets can almost do everything a knife can do, whereas the opposite isn’t true.
Before choosing for yourself, though, ask yourself how much weight you’re able to carry for long distances. If you’re already having trouble carrying your bug-out-bag, then it’s best to opt for a quality survival knife as opposed to a heavy hatchet.
If you have some extra pounds to spare, why not opt for a hatchet?
In some cases, using a hatchet could take you longer to accomplish a task due to its bulkiness. However, its strength far outweighs a knife if you’re able to use it properly. Plus, with hatchets becoming smaller and more portable by the day, you’re bound to find one that will fit the bill and become your go-to survival tool.
When it comes down to the wire, it’s all about what you’re most comfortable handling and traveling with for hours on end. If you’re hiking with a partner, your best bet is to carry one of each and switch throughout your journey.
If you want the best of both worlds, you can always opt for a hatchet knife, which is a combination of the two. However, keep in mind that this tool can be hard to come by and hasn’t exactly been perfected.
Which Do You Choose: Hatchet or Knife?
Well, there you have it, folks. The life-long debate of hatchet vs. knife for survival. We’d love to hear your opinion on the matter and which tool you would choose in the comments below!
Want more advice to help you stay prepared for the unknown? Then check out our articles on food preservation, water storage, and prepping on a budget.