Hardcore Hammers Camp Companion Axe: Review

When I was in my 20s, I carried all sorts of things in an oversized pack. Ever since then, I have made it a point to make sure everything I carry with me on an adventure serves multiple purposes — even hatchets. This approach has allowed me to trim my pack size and weight without sacrificing my comfort or safety.

Many people think of hatchets as tools for just chopping wood. In reality, hatchets are multitools that serve a variety of purposes. I have owned a multitude of hatchets throughout my time, and the one thing I always look for is a hammer in the poll. You might be thinking that all hatchets have hammers built in based solely on construction and shape. In fact, many manufacturers tell you not to use the butt or cheek as a hammer.

Thankfully, that’s not the case with the Hardcore Hammers Camp Companion. In fact, aside from the obviousness of the brand’s name, the butt of the Camp Companion is so obviously a hammer that one might find themselves hammering more than chopping with it. I know I have.

Over the course of a handful of months now, I have done a fair amount of chopping with the Camp Companion. But it’s also become a valuable tool for hammering in nails, tent stakes, wedges, and more. In short, it’s everything its name implies.

In short: The Hardcore Hammers Camp Companion was made for anyone looking to process a lot of material without having to stop and maintain it. But, beyond that, it’ll do anything else you want it to, which will let you leave some of those single-purpose tools behind when you head out on your next adventure.

Looking for a new camping hatchet? Check out how the Camp Companion compares to the rest of the options out there in GearJunkie’s Best Camping Hatchets Buyer’s Guide.

Hardcore Hammers Camp Companion Axe: Review

First Impressions

Many moons ago, I picked up the Classic Utility Hatchet from Hardcore Hammers and beat the living heck out of it. So I knew the quality of the Camp Companion would be high. However, the two hatchets couldn’t be more different.

The Utility Hatchet is a carpenter’s hatchet designed to be an asset for chopping, clearing, and building. The Camp Companion is nothing short of a survival tool meant to do all of the aforementioned — and anything else you can cook up.

The Camp Companion hosts a 1-pound, 10-ounce head made from FNC-coated 4140 steel with a 3.75-inch bit length. 4140 American steel is a blue-collar steel known for its high strength, unparalleled toughness, and wear resistance.

However, in its raw form, it’s susceptible to rusting, so the FNC coating on the head is a bonus. FNC, or ferritic nitrocarburizing, is a process that not only coats the steel to make it more corrosion resistant but also breaks down the carbon and nitrogen in the steel to make it tougher.

Sizewise, I would consider the Camp Companion a full-sized hatchet. This means that it’s going to get a lot of work done for you. However, I wouldn’t consider it big or bulky. With an overall weight of 2 pounds, 5 ounces and featuring a 16-inch hickory handle, it is still easy to carry and wield out on the trail and at camp.

Personally, I would put this hatchet right in the sweet spot for what you want in the weight of a reliable tool like this. The heavier head and larger bit length really let the hatchet do a lot of work with less effort. That is also true when you flip it around and use the hammer, which has a surface more like a meat tenderizer.

In the Field

The Camp Companion was part of a pile of hatchets I was testing out for our Best of Camping Hatchets guide, and it quickly became the star pupil. I like tough tools that I can use and abuse.

I quickly found myself using it to demo a deck at the house, slamming my nylon wedge into stubborn crevices with the hammer and using the notch in the beard to tear and pry the swollen boards apart. All told, it took about half an hour to take up all the top boards and railings with the Camp Companion.

That one interaction was enough for me to decide to strap it to my pack, and it’s been there ever since. We had a hot, wet, and windy summer previously that left a lot of deadfall on and around the trails. So, I put in a lot of work to clear the way and keep the campsite warm at night as the temperatures dip. All last summer, I left piles of chopped wood on the edges of trails throughout the great state of Connecticut.

I also wasn’t kidding about tenderizing meat with the hammer, either. Overall, it’s 1½” x 1¼” and does a great job with a nice piece of steak or chicken breast. Just remember to let the tool do the work.

Additionally, it’s been great for hammering in tent stakes and breaking apart long logs that get stuck when I’m trying to chop them in half. And, it will come in handy next winter if I need to break through any ice on the river.

I did have an issue that was completely my fault, where I hit an old rusty piece of barbed wire with the bit. It had grown into a tree, and I had no way of seeing it but made a considerable chip. I was able to remedy the issue by using a Work Sharp Folding Field Sharpener as well as Hardcore’s own Sharpening Puck. The hatchet was up and running in less than 20 minutes. This is something that can happen to any axe or hatchet, which is why I always recommend you bring some tools along with you when you’re out there in the thick of it.

In Conclusion: Hardcore Hammers Camp Companion Hatchet

As I write this, I am planning to head out and spend a night in the woods. I have a few options in what I can take to chop and prep wood, but the Camp Companion is the obvious choice. It’s an absolute workhorse for a guy like me who likes to work efficiently.

I’m also really glad I went with the FNC-coated head. I treat all of my tools well and make sure they’re clean and dry before I put them away, but sap is always a challenge. With the FNC coating, sap doesn’t bond to the surface, and the coating also helps the blade slide through wood. Even dead trees can get your hatchet sticky.

Overall, if you’re looking for a hardworking hatchet that you can use for a series of other tasks, right up to building a shelter, the Hardcore Hammers Camp Companion has your name on it. It’s a brute, and there’s no denying that. There’s also no denying that it’s not made for the ultralight crowd — no tools for the outdoors really are, nor should they be.

If you want something reliable, it needs to be durable. Sometimes, that equates to a little bit of extra weight. With how good the Camp Companion is, I’m willing to make that trade every time.