All admirers of active pastime in nature know how important convenient, light and high-quality equipment is in a trip. After all, it depends on him how pleasant the journey through the mountains will be. And this is not only about the tent, sleeping bag, backpack and other personal equipment, but also about the tools that you may need during the trip. So, when planning a trip to the mountains, you should definitely think about such a thing as a tourist ax.
Varieties of axes
It is worth noting that there are a lot of types of axes, but not every one of them can be used as a tourist. And in order not to make a mistake when preparing for the campaign, you need to know what types of axes exist, how they differ from each other, and which one you need. The most popular are the following:
- Joiners. Differ in the small size and weight, are applied at thin work with a tree. In this case, their blade must be very sharp.
- Lumberjack. It is equipped with a long handle, a wide blade and is used for logging.
- Cleaver. Its working part has a conical shape and a large weight, which facilitates the splitting of large logs.
- Universal carpentry. Its weight can vary from 600 g to 1.4 kg. The handle of this ax is relatively small. It is used in the usual "rough" work with wood.
- Ice ax. This tool is necessary for climbers to climb high mountains, covered with snow and ice. Outwardly, he looks like a pick.
- Tourist. Differs in the small weight shortened by a handle and a small blade. A case is usually included with such an ax, thanks to which the wearing of the tool becomes more secure.
Ice ax and tourist - these are the types of axes that you may need when hiking in the mountains. However, the first is needed only in the event of climbing. The second is necessary for both climbers and just tourists who love to travel through the summer mountains.
An ax on a hike: why is it needed?
In a mountain hike, which includes at least one overnight stay, a tourist ax is simply an indispensable thing. First of all, thanks to him, you can chop wood for a bonfire, with which you can cook, warm up or just sit in a large company near him, talking on different topics. In addition, the ax is useful when you need to hang pegs to give stability to the tent or make a canopy when it rains.
It is also worth mentioning the possible protective function of this tool. Of course, do not think that with an ax you can throw yourself at a bear or wild boar, however, situations can be different, and sometimes it can save your life.
Rules for choosing a tourist ax
As you already understood, it is important that the tourist ax performs the main function of this tool, that is, it cuts well. And for this, he must have a number of characteristics, which should be paid attention to the tourist making the purchase.
So, you should start with the weight of the ax. Of course, modern manufacturers have done a lot to make this travel tool as easy as possible. But still, in order for it to perform its function well, its weight cannot be less than 600 g. The exception is only small tourist axes, which are intended only for pulling pegs and chopping small knots.
Pay attention to the ax. Best of all, when birch was used to make it, it is both solid, elastic and light. Often plastic is used for the handle of a tourist ax - its main advantage is low weight, but in this case it is important that such an ax is covered with rubber. Otherwise, working with the tool will be inconvenient. As for the shape of the handle, its end should be thickened, and a slight bend should be present in the middle.
When buying a tourist ax, check it as follows: grab the tip of the handle with two fingers and lightly tap on the corner of the blade - you should hear a fairly long and clear ringing, otherwise you should not rely on high-quality metal. In addition, you must carefully inspect the blade - there should be no forging defects.
Travel Tool Kits
An ax is not the only tool you might need on a hike. And if you want to always have everything at hand during your trip, then you need to purchase a whole travel kit. It is worth noting that among modern tourists, multitools are very popular, because they contain all the necessary tools: a corkscrew, a knife, an opener for cans, bottles, a spoon, a fork, an awl, scissors, mini-saws, pliers, screwdrivers and much more.
Very convenient is a travel kit consisting of a knife, saw, shovel and ax. Moreover, for the last two tools, one handle is often used, which greatly facilitates the overall weight of the kit. It is convenient that the saw and knife are often hidden in the same handle, and then everything is folded into one case. Such sets are very convenient due to their compactness, versatility and low weight.
Advantages and disadvantages of Fiskars tourist axes
The tourist ax Fiskars has already fallen in love with many travelers. After all, it has many advantages, including ease of use, strength, high-quality sharpening of the blade, made by unique technology, durability, high performance, as well as low friction force.
However, along with all the above advantages, Fiskars chopping tools, including the X7 tourist ax, have a drawback. It's about the handle that they are equipped with. It is believed that the material used for its manufacture is less reliable even in comparison with axes made of wood such as oak or hornbeam, not to mention birch.
Travel ax reviews Fiskars. Prices
Over the period of the existence of the Fiskars company, many hiking enthusiasts have already managed to have a tourist ax produced by it, respectively, each of them has formed an opinion on it. Summarizing the huge amount of information provided by numerous users, a number of conclusions can be drawn. Most tourists praise the lightness and high-quality sharpening of Fiskars axes . They also mention the convenience of working with this tool. A nice bonus for travelers is the presence of a cover, so you can forget about the possible dangers when carrying it in a backpack. There is also a bit of negative in the reviews. Some tourists mention that Fiskars is not a “Soviet” ax, and therefore an unsuccessful hit on a stone instead of a log can cost a whole blade.
As for the prices for tourist axes of this manufacturer, they depend on many factors, including weight, size, possible additional functions. The cost of the instrument ranges from 2 to 5 thousand rubles.