An axe is an essential tool for camping. No way around it. Now I've written about Sportsman Pocket Chainsaw and it's a beast for what it is, but it can in no way replace 1 for 1 an axe. There are so many times when you need to chop things such as wood, meat, or ice, and this will double as a hammer. When I'm car camping or when I have a base of operations, I'll take along two or three axes, and I hope to review all of them (in time) on this site. However, for backpacking and wilderness adventures where you want to travel light, the Morakniv Boron Steel Camping Axe rocks.
At 18 ounces including the leather sheath, it is quite light for a foot long axe. The head is about 4.5" long and it has a cutting edge of about 3.5". I wouldn't call this standard for a camp axe, but it is very normal to be around these sizes. The head is black epoxy coated boron steel and it is built to last. I've had mine for a few years and the head shows no real signs of deterioration and I do sharpen mine at least once per year. What gets most people is that this axe has a reinforced plastic handle, which many think makes it cheap. This is really not true and if you take a good look at the axe, you'll notice that the handle is cast directly onto the head. I'm not saying it's indestructible, but handle will take a severe beating.
Morakniv Boron Steel Camping Axe
Overall this is a solid piece and a great tool for camping and backpacking. A couple things worth noting here. One is that this axe blade won't bite super deep, so it's not going to be great for splitting....however I'd say this about most camping axes anyway (only a few in my mind are built for this). On the other hand, since the blade extends above the handle to a decent degree, it will allow you to baton this axe into small wood very effectively. Second point is that if you have large hands, this will probably not be a comfortable tool for you since it has a very flared handle. So when chopping, you'll get a lot of pressure on your little finger. Otherwise I'd say this is a good deal if you're looking for an axe that will take some abuse and meter out punishment.
Price: $53
Available from Amazon