Camping Tools: Tactical Machete Buying Guide

As a camper, you know you need certain things to keep you comfortable. Ranging from tents and sleeping bags to portable stoves, there's no denying that your camping trip will be more enjoyable if you prepare well. But apart from preparing some survival tools, it is important to have some kind of defence that can keep you secure, such as a machete. While it’s true that a machete can save your life in a dangerous situation such as an encounter with a wild animal, it also has several other purposes that will make your camping trip easier. Choosing a machete might seem like an intimidating task, but with the right advice and information, you'll be able to find the right tool for your camping needs.

Blade Style

The blade style of a machete is the name given to the overall shape of the machete. There are dozens of different tactical machetes blade styles and each one has been designed for a specific purpose.


These are the two main types:

Curved Blade

The curved blade style has a slight curve towards the tip. The curve helps it cut through dense materials with ease. Ideal for clearing vegetation and chopping wood.

Straight Blade

The straight blade is designed for hacking away at vines and other flexible plants. The slight angle on the tip of the blade helps it penetrate dense material without getting stuck.

Blade Length

Blade length is the single most important factor in determining whether a machete is right for you.


Small blades, under two feet in length, are best suited to close-in work: pruning and clearing brush. They're also useful for clearing small obstacles such as branches and brambles from your path. If you can only afford one machete, we recommend a short one for everyday use.


Medium blades, between two and three feet in length, are more versatile. They can be used for light chopping and hacking as well as for clearing brush. At this size, machetes are more likely to have a sawback edge; if you anticipate needing to make saw cuts, choose a medium blade.


Large blades, over three feet in length, are useful mostly for clearing trails through heavy brush or jungle. Their longer reach also makes them safer than smaller machetes when used against dangerous animals.

Thickness

A thicker blade has more mass and therefore requires more effort to move through vegetation. A thicker blade will also be heavier overall, making it more tiring to wield during extended sessions of continuous use. While this may seem like a disadvantage, it is actually beneficial as it forces you to put less effort into each swing, allowing you to conserve energy over time without compromising on cutting power. Additionally, the extra mass reduces vibrations that travel up the handle every time the blade strikes an object. This can reduce hand fatigue during prolonged use.

Blade Composition

There are several different types of steel that tactical machetes are made from. The most common is carbon steel, which is made by combining carbon (usually in the form of coal) with iron ore. High carbon steel has a higher concentration of carbon, which makes it harder and more brittle than low or medium carbon steel.


High carbon steel blades hold their edge well but are easy to chip or break if not treated carefully. They also rust easier than other blade types, so they need to be dried thoroughly after use and oiled for storage.


The high-carbon blades come in either 1055 Carbon Steel or 1075 Carbon Steel, both of which are very good for bushcrafting (multi-purpose survival skills). The 1055 Carbon Steel blades are softer than the 1075 Carbon Steel blades, making them easier to sharpen in the field, but less durable overall.

 

Tang

The tang is the part of the machete blade that extends into the grip and connects the blade and the handle together.


Full tangs are considered to be stronger than half tangs, as the weight of the machete is supported by the tang alone. This means that a full-tang machete is less likely to break, but it will usually be heavier and more expensive compared to a half-tang model.


A half-tang extends only partway into the grip. Half-tanged machetes are usually lighter than full-tangs, but they can break if you apply too much force while trying to cut something hard or dense.


Rat-tail tangs have an even thinner and narrower extension into the grip. They are usually found on smaller machetes, such as pocket models.


The downside of rat-tail tangs is that they're weaker than full and half tangs, so they're more likely to break if you apply too much pressure or use your machete for chopping or batoning wood.

Handle Style & Material

Picking the right handle material and style is usually a matter of preference. Wood and plastic are the most popular materials. There are advantages and disadvantages to both, but it mostly comes down to how you like the feel of the knife in your hand.


Wooden handles are more traditional, and also tend to be less expensive. They do require some extra maintenance because they can warp or crack with exposure to water, but this is easy to avoid by drying them after each use. They also expand and contract depending on the temperature which can lead to loosening of the blade, but this is easily fixed by tightening the tang screw (more on that below). A wooden handle is typically made from either G10 (epoxy-soaked fibreglass) or Micarta (a composite material made from layers of linen cloth and epoxy resin).


Plastic handles, on the other hand, don't need any maintenance at all, but they don't look or feel quite as nice as wooden handles. They're often cheaper than wood handles too, which makes sense since they're easier to make.


Regardless of whether you pick a wood or plastic handle, make sure it's comfortable in your hand.