Man isn’t meant to stay indoors — our weekly “Trekking” column can attest to that. It’s a column dedicated to the adventurer inside of all of us, the one pining to ditch the office humdrum for a quick surf session or seven-week jaunt in the Grand Tetons. One day we may highlight an ultra-light stove and the next a set of handmade canoe paddles. Life doesn’t just happen inside the workplace, so get outside and live it.
The right hatchet is indispensable… or at least it should be. The single-handed survival tool, which functions much like a small axe or a larger brethren of the pocket knife, has been around for thousands of years, providing people with a convenient means for chopping rigid firewood and building basic structures that would otherwise be nearly impossible to construct with hands alone. However, few modern hatchets look quite as good doing it as the Treeline Outdoors Half Hatchet ($90).
Related: The Haswell Survival Knife is forged for perfection
The simple hatchet doesn’t bask in frivolities, but more so, in the welcome backwoods necessities. Clad in a durable green finish intended to deter unwanted rust, it functions closer to a polished multi-tool than a traditional axe, providing you with a 3.5-inch cutting blade forged of high-carbon steel for the standard splitting, trimming, and cutting of wood. Moreover, the head features a hammer-like striking face on one end and a beveled nail slot on the other, the latter component of which allows you to remove pesky nails with a gentle tug of the 13-inch, hickory handle. A subtle gunstock stain adds to the hatchet’s rustic appeal, too, while a heavy-duty leather sheath and belt slit give further its longevity and resourcefulness beyond your typical, 1.5-pound hatchet.
Each Half Hatchet is also made in the United States, and though they’re not nearly as imaginative as the company’s roof-top tents, a classic build can go a long way.
Check out Treeline Outdoors online for more information, to pick up the Half Hatchet, or to browse the company’s reputable collection of outdoor apparel and gear.
