Grand River Canoe & Kayak Rentals

Anyone who has ever been to Algonquin Park can immediately see the importance of practicing “Leave No Trace” camping. Portage routes that resemble parking lots and campsites with not a speck of vegetation left intact can be the rule rather than the exception. The amount of use that parks like Algonquin see in a year is simply mind boggling. There is a very real danger that Algonquin can’t recover from the damage we inflict on it year after year. If we don’t practice LNT in high use areas, these places will be destroyed very quickly.

There are however areas of backcountry in Ontario that see very little or no usage. It is areas such as these that “Sustainable Use” takes on a slightly different meaning. I grew up in Northern Ontario, where a lot of people’s livelihood depended on the backcountry. I was taught to respect the land and only take what you needed. This was our definition of sustainability.

When I am traveling in high use areas, I pack my portable stove and leave my axe at home. To me this is just common sense, since finding wood for a cooking fire may be difficult and time consuming, if not impossible. But in areas where it is sustainable to do so, we often do have a campfire. It is these times that I wouldn’t dare be with out a decent camp axe.

So what is a “decent” camp axe? Ask that question to any backcountry guide and you will most likely get a different answer from each one. But generally there are a few qualities that they will have in common. They will usually weigh somewhere between  1¾ to 2¼ lbs. And they will be made of high quality steel that that can be sharpened relatively easily with a file or honing stone (read: soft enough) and stay sharp with prolonged use (read: hard enough). The length of the handle and the shape of the head are all matters of personal preference.

I have owned several camp axes over the years, but my favorite is a 1¾ lbs. “Norlund Hudson’s Bay Pattern”. Sadly the original company is no longer around. There is still a company making axes under the Norlund name, but everything I have read about them suggests that the quality is inferior to the older ones. As I stated above the length of the handle (otherwise known as the “haft” ) is a matter of preference. I prefer a haft length between 18 to 26 inches, with 22 inches being about perfect. This length will allow for comfortable two handed swings, but is still light and compact enough to pack on a backcountry trip.

If you are in the market for a camp axe, and have read the above, I can only offer one other piece of advice. Get the best quality you can afford, with the exception of loss or misuse, a quality axe will last a lifetime or even several lifetimes. My Norlund has served me well for over 35 years! Like any other tool, better quality usually means higher price. Some companies worth looking at are Gransfors, Wetterlings, and Snow and Nealley.

Oh, and don’t forget to keep your axe in a sheath when it’s not being used, a sheath protects you from the axe and the axe from getting damaged and dull.