Nice thread, engaging opinon's, etc. Hatchets are great tools, I've got several...
But who actually carries a hatchet backpacking?
I never go anywhere overnight without an axe along of some variety.
But then I "grew up" different than you in the outdoors order of things. I started out living in wall tents, and packing [bleep] into Deckers on mules. I just made "essential" gear lighter and less bulky in my kit.
I'm not a "geeked out" backpacker kind of guy.
Plus, I have a woodstove in my tent
