What's the difference between a camp hatchet and a splitting axe?

A hatchet is a short (roughly 12-15 inch) one-handed tool meant for limbing, carving, and processing kindling at a campsite. A splitting axe or maul is longer (19-36 inches) with a heavier, wedge-shaped head designed to drive through and split larger rounds of firewood. Several picks here, like the Fiskars X27 and 8 lb maul, are splitting tools rather than packable hatchets, so match the length and head weight to whether you're splitting logs or trimming branches.