I was going to recommend going a bit higher-end than an $8 Mora, more like $30 for a Morakniv 2000 -- There's absolutely nothing wrong with a model 840 carbon steel Clipper, or a model 860 Clipper in stainless. They're great for the price (I'm also a big fan of the traditional red-handled #2 in laminated steel, although they're not as common), but if you want to compare against a higher-priced knife, I'd use a M2K.

Note, a lot of people hate the sheath that comes with the M2K, but I've read that it doubles as a tube for blowing on your ember when starting a fire, keeping you farther back from the smoke, so you don't inhale it like Michael Skupin did on the second season of Survivor (he passed out, pitched forward into their fire, and had to be evacuated due to burns).

It may sound like a silly thing happen, but people get injured in really strange ways when they don't think things through -- for instance, it's surprisingly easy to cut yourself very badly with an ax when chopping branches for firewood. I watched a youtube video a while back where a guy explained that, if at all possible, he chops from his knees so that if the branch breaks through easier than expected, the blade strikes the ground rather than continuing in an arc that could end in his leg. Additionally, no chopping if you're fatigued or after sundown; if you're tired or can't see well, you're more likely to make [potentially catastrophic] mistakes with an ax.