While anyone can buy an axe for bushcraft, using one skillfully is something of an art form. And when it comes to wood splitting, there is more than one way to use an axe effectively. In fact, some people might be surprised at the size of the logs one can split with even the smallest of camp axes given the proper technique. It just takes a little bit of ingenuity and simple physics to get the most out of your blade. While it is possible to describe some efficient bushcraft techniques with axes, it is easier to watch them demonstrated in a safe way.
YouTuber TA Outdoors does just that with today's video. Here he demonstrates 10 incredibly simple bushcraft skills that can be done with a camp axe in just over 10 minutes. Most of these skills center on wood splitting, but there are several centered on fire starting, too. The last skill he shows is how to effectively sharpen your axe. Even if you consider yourself handy with an axe, it is worth watching this, as we learned a few techniques we had never seen done by anyone else.
Some techniques, such as using the log's weight to split it by throwing it over your shoulder, were new to us. We also appreciate that he addressed the safety components of each technique. There is always an element of danger to using an axe. Most injuries probably happen when one tries to split with excessive force. However, as you see here, in most cases it is more effective to let the axe do the work. That usually means changing the way you would typically try to split wood.
Probably our favorite clever technique here was the creation of feather sticks. This was an inventive and extremely safe way to go about creating them for lighting a fire. It is a technique we are already looking forward to trying on our next camping trip. It should make lighting up a roaring campfire a lot easier this spring and summer.
For more outdoor content from Travis Smola, be sure to follow him on Twitter and Instagram. For original videos, check out his Geocaching and Outdoors with Travis YouTube channels.
READ MORE: CLEVER GUY BUILDS HIS OWN WINTERTIME BUSHCRAFT SHELTER
