Hatchet, camp axe or batoning...pretty much what you prefer to do. I went camping a few weeks ago and my friend brought his camp axe and we had to split some small to medium sized logs and make smaller kindling for fire starting...I tried the axe but batoning with my knife was way easier for cutting the wood and for getting the smaller starter pieces cut. My friend liked it so much that he asked me to leave my knife with him when I left so he could use it for the next night/day they were there. Apparently, he didn't care much for using the camp axe either. No bends or breaks in my knife either and still sharp afterwards. But, that's just my preference and only one example...You can chew through the wood like a beaver if you want to...To each his own. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

I will say that survival books and forums talk about and teach batoning as a technique for fire starting, etc.- so there must be some merit to it.