Collecting firewood is a necessary evil when it comes to camping in the great outdoors. With all the heaving logs, splinters, and tedious wood chopping, it’s easy to imagine why you’d want the task over with as soon as possible.
The secret to making quick work of any wood cutting is in the tools you use.
One of the best go-to resources for any firewood cutting tool is Self Reliance Outfitters. With their abundant selection of tools and supplies, you won’t have to look elsewhere for your camping needs.
That said, get your gloves on because here are five firewood cutting tools for your next big camping venture.
Ax
Axes are the go-to tool for any camper looking to cut firewood. The full-sized axes used by firemen and tree-fallers are 36 inches long, but you don’t need one that large for camping.
Consider purchasing a 31 or 28-inch ax for a more portable solution.
You can use the sharp cutting edge on fallen trees or trees chopped down. Splitting wood for fires is a breeze with an ax in hand.
Whatever your intentions, don’t forget to practice proper safety precautions, especially if you’re traveling in a group with children or pets. As a first step, ensure you always check your surroundings before you start swinging.
Hatchet
Hatchets are much easier to wield and swing than an ax and a perfect tool for campers who don’t need an entire tree’s worth of wood for their campfire.
Hatchets are usually 18-inches long and weigh between one and two pounds, making them an excellent choice for hikers with many miles to cover.
Hatchets are also the perfect tool for stripping branches or chopping a pre-downed tree into firewood. The device is much lighter than an ax, meaning you won’t have to be a lumberjack to haul one up to the campsite.
Even kids can use hatchets safely, so maybe your next camping vacation can include the whole family.
Hand Saw
Handsaws are another manual tool that can save you hours with your firewood chores. Hand saws are usually affordable, durable, and light, making them an ideal tool to bring with you on a camping trip.
Handsaws are a diverse group of tools. Some can be under a foot in length, while others are closer to two feet. Some have large blade faces, while others are small.
No matter what sort of hand saw you get, get ready to pour out some serious elbow grease. That said, hand saws are still a vast improvement over breaking off branches with your bare hands.
Knife
A knife can help you cut firewood in a pinch. Although, you shouldn’t make it your go-to tool. Knives are best for cutting branches off of a dry, downed tree.
That way, your knife should be able to cut cleanly through the wood without causing any damage. If you’ve got anything more significant to get through, though, bringing a knife to a forest fight might not be the wisest idea.
Tree Cipper
You may not think tree clippers are an excellent tool for cutting firewood, but in the right circumstances, tree clippers can make a cakewalk out of your walk in the woods.
The best part of using tree clippers is how little effort you put into getting firewood.
You can use tree clippers to cut branches off of dead or living trees. If the trees are dead, you should be able to snap off a piece of firewood with ease.
If the tree’s still alive, cut the pieces small and wait for them to dry out before putting them in the fire.
Wrapping Up
You need fire, and fire needs wood. You’re no RV camper, so choosing the right tools is essential for a memory-filled camping trip.
Once you know how much firewood you’ll use on your trip, you can choose the best firewood cutting tool for you and save yourself the Bengay treatment.
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