Nick Italiano in DIY

Crafting Wooden Tools

Transforming the Wild

In This Article

The Camp Anvil
The Maul
Fire Pokers
Camp Tongs
Hand Grill
Pilot Stick
Digging Stick
Spears
Apache Throwing Star
Closing Thoughts
Read More From Issue 68

Who doesn’t want to upgrade their camping game? Maybe you can relate — how many tools do you toss into your backpack before heading into the woods? And out of those, how many do you actually rely on? Spoiler alert: Some of the best gear is the stuff you whip up yourself.
For many campers and bushcraft enthusiasts, the joy of crafting things in the wild is part of the adventure. There are plenty of clever ways to enhance your campsite, and they mostly hinge on mastering a few straightforward skills with simple tools at hand.

A wooden stump offers a flat surface for working and sitting, and it can serve as a sawhorse. You can modify it to hold wood for sawing.

The Camp Anvil

A wooden stump proves to be the unsung hero of wooden tools in any backyard or campsite. You just can’t underestimate the comfort of having a flat surface to lean on after a long day of outdoor fun. It doubles as a handy table or nightstand when you need a spot to set your gear down. Plus, when you’re getting crafty with firewood or other camp projects, that stump transforms into the ultimate workspace for splitting or carving. Lay it down sideways, carve a “V notch” on the side, and you’ve got yourself a solid sawing surface.

There are a few ways to accomplish this feat. The easiest is to use a saw to create the “V” and call it a day. The second way is to use a chopping tool and chop the “V” out of the log. The most challenging version is to use a fixed-blade knife and a baton to get that “V” cut out of the log. However, that’s a lot of use and abuse on your knife.

Pro tip: Don’t waste that cut-out “V.” It can be used for splitting wood, steadying a pole bed, or evening that camp log chair.

The author created a wooden maul from green poplar with a single saw cut and roughly shaped the handle.

The Maul

It might sound like something an epic fantasy villain would wield, but it’s just a dependable camping tool. My go-to wooden tool, the maul (or mallet, if you prefer), takes the cake. There’s simply no comparison between a solid hardwood hammering tool and some random stick that may decide to splinter at the first tap. Crafting a mallet is a breeze if you’ve got a saw and a sturdy cutting tool on hand. Mallets come in all shapes and sizes, so don’t worry about getting it “just right.”

Grab a hearty piece of wood, whether it’s dry or green, that’s around 3 to 7 inches thick and roughly the length from your fingertips to your elbow. Mark off about the length of your hand, from fingertip to wrist, and saw down about a 1/2 inch or so. Then, stand the wood upright, with the sawed part facing down, and start using a knife or your favorite cutting tool to baton it down toward the cut. Before you know it, you’ll have a handle taking shape, but you’ll want to carve it until it feels right in your hand.

Let’s talk about wedges to accompany your maul. These are your best pals for splitting wood, especially if you’re stuck without a heavier tool. If all you’ve got is a light tomahawk or a fixed blade, wooden wedges are the way to go. Sturdy hardwood pieces are best and should be about the length of your forearm and around 2 to 3 inches thick. You can whip these up quickly with a machete or tomahawk. Just make a chisel or wedge shape on each side. And don’t forget to bevel the top to make your life easier when you’re pounding it with your newly crafted mallet.

These tools require minimal equipment. I made this pot lifter/fire poker with just a Swiss Army knife.

Fire Pokers

In the 1920s, George Sears, known as “Nessmuk,” penned a chapter on “Camp Cookery” for Dover Publications’ Woodcraft and Camping that every camper should read. He makes a strong case for the necessity of a campfire poker and tongs, declaring, “No campfire should be without them.” I can’t help but nod in agreement, and I’ve learned the hard way that attempting to shift burning logs or coals by hand is a recipe for disaster. We’ve all had that moment of bravado, thinking we could just move a log quickly, only to end up with singed fingers.

If you’re cooking with a kettle or pot that sits in coals or slightly over the flames, you’ll need a special kind of poker. You can whip one up using a fixed-blade knife, a small saw, a machete, or even an axe. While green wood is excellent for this wooden tool because it resists fire better, I usually grab whatever’s around. Most often it’s just whichever sturdy dead stick I can find. Aim for something about the thickness of a broomstick, around 3 to 4 feet long.

The bottom should have a forked shape for lifting kettles out of coals/fire and moving burning logs. The top should be flattened to a point, like a flathead screwdriver. This clever design allows for fire poking and lifting pot lids. With this simple tool at your side, you’ll add a layer of safety and convenience to your campfire adventures.

The author often makes simple tongs by binding a split stick and using a small stick to spread it open, using either dry or green wood.

Camp Tongs

No camping trip is truly complete without a trusty pair of tongs. Let’s be honest, when cooking over an open flame or sizzling on a grill, something is bound to find its way into the fire. That’s when your pair of tongs, crafted from either green or deadwood, comes to the rescue. They’re the ultimate camping buddy and easy to toss back into the forest or pack up for the next adventure.

Making tongs can be a fun DIY project, and I’ve got about four methods up my sleeve. One straightforward technique involves finding a flexible green branch with a lovely “Y” fork. Trim it down about 7 to 10 inches above the fork and 3 inches below it. A little carving to flatten the ends or a few quick saw cuts to texture the inner grabbers, and voilà! You’ve got yourself some quick and functional tongs.

Another option? Scout out a green or dry stick about 12 to 14 inches long and roughly the thickness of a broomstick. Split that wood all the way down to the last 5 inches. To keep it from splitting further, bind the end with some cordage and insert a small stick into the split to create that perfect grip. While you could consider your tongs done at this stage, I’d recommend giving the outer parts a chisel-like carve to help scoop up meat and veggies off a frying rock. Want more versatility? Shape one end to a chisel for lifting and point the other for poking to check doneness. It’s also a sneaky method to snatch food that’s taken an unfortunate plunge into the flames.

You can use a greenwood grill to toast bread, roast sausages, and keep food warm. An open flame can dry or burn the grill, or you can use coals.

Hand Grill

Crafting a grill from sticks is a practical addition to your camp kitchen and a delightful little project. Start by finding some greenwood from a recently fallen tree or a bushy witch-hazel, willow, or alder thicket. Look for a branch shaped like a natural Y. Keeping it thin and springy is best. If it sports three branches like a trident, you’re in luck; it’ll make your life much easier.

To prepare your materials, grab a sharp knife and gently carve away with a 45-degree angle as you bend the branch. Rock the blade against the fibers until it gives way. Don’t forget to trim any pesky offshoots and leaves. Next, twist and intertwine your two Y-shaped pieces together to form a hoop. If they don’t hold on their own, a bit of natural cordage will do the trick. Alternatively, wedge in another stick if your branch lacks a central piece.

Next, grab some thin sticks or a larger split piece and start weaving them in, alternating between going over and under the middle stick. Remember, all your sticks must be green for this project to work.

Pro tip: This wooden tool grill works wonders over hot coals rather than flames, and steer clear of oleander, a common and highly poisonous shrub.

A rabbit or throwing stick is arm-length and wrist-thick, used for throwing, digging, and wedging.

Pilot Stick

This wooden tool will make your life much easier in the wilderness. Its purpose is to create a hole in harder ground for your roasting sticks, stakes, and campfire crafts. Think of it as a pre-hole so you don’t need to hammer on your “Y-sticks” that may easily split. Use hardwood for planting wooden table legs or cooking rigs in the ground. Oak, hickory, or maple are good choices for a pilot stick.

To make it, you’ll need about a 1-foot-long piece of hardwood and a branch that’s no thicker than a broomstick. Use a chopping tool if you have one available. If not, be ready to carve. Use the larger diameter, thicker end for your top hammering surface. Bevel the end well, making it as round as possible with a knife. The other end needs a point, but don’t make it too sharp. Be sure you remove and smooth out any knots on the sharp, tapered end for easy penetration into the ground. Using a chopping tool will make this task easier than carving.

This set of wooden wedges, crafted from dry wood, offers various sizes essential for splitting logs.

Digging Stick

Stick wooden tools are about as fundamental and ancient as tossing a rock. And with a touch of creativity, it can be transformed into a highly useful camping tool. To craft your digging stick, start by finding a piece of wood roughly the length from your fingertip to your armpit and about the thickness of your wrist. If you have a chopping tool, that’s fantastic, but any sturdy knife can get the job done.

When selecting your piece of wood, I recommend choosing one with a gentle curve — nothing as extreme as a boomerang, but enough to give it some aerodynamic qualities. Shape one end of the stick like a flathead screwdriver to assist in digging into the ground, while the other end should be rounded to provide a comfortable grip when you’re using it. It can also be employed for digging up roots or carving out a trench for a Dakota fire pit.

As an extra bonus, this nifty tool can serve various purposes. As a throwing weapon, it works wonders for targeting small game such as squirrels, marmots, iguanas, sloths, and rabbits — hence its nickname, the rabbit stick. When you throw it, aim low and sideways. Thanks to its curved design, it tends to fly relatively straight and true, making it practical for catching small game. With just a bit of practice, you’ll find yourself becoming proficient in your throwing technique.

A green wooden spear with four prongs and a three-pronged trident serves as camp security and tools for hunting and cooking.

Spears

Wooden tools can double as weapons or hunting gadgets, and spears are a classic example that dates back to when cave dwellers tossed them at woolly mammoths. Nearly every indigenous culture has crafted spears from wood, and they serve more than one role. Spears can probe treetops for bird nests (perfect for your tinder needs) or used for gathering fruit. It’s also ideal for sneaky maneuvers in dark spots where your hand might hesitate.

When it comes to frogging or primitive fishing, nothing beats a spear. And don’t overlook small mammals, which can also fall victim to your spear-wielding prowess. To create a gigging spear, grab a pole taller than your head. Choose one with minimal knots and use a knife or tomahawk to create two slits in the shape of a plus sign, around 6 to 8 inches from one end. Hold the splits together as if they’re still one piece, then sharpen the tips all at once for maximum effectiveness.

Next, wedge small sticks into the slits, ensuring they’re opposite each other to make a splayed design. After that, it’s just a matter of fine-tuning your spear to achieve the perfect sharpness. Lastly, wrap some cordage below the splits to keep everything tightly bound and prevent further splitting. Soon you’ll be ready to tackle whatever catches your eye.

Apache Throwing Star

The Apache Throwing Star, also known as the “Apache Crown,” is a classic weapon wielded by Apache warriors. Imagine four sharp, pointed spikes, crafted from wood to offer impressive speed and accuracy. This star is a functional work of art that reflects the creativity and skill of its makers.

To craft your own, grab two pieces of wood about the length of your forearms, stripped of bark (which you can save for some future tinder adventures). Sharpen the ends with a knife to create points that are ready for action. Next, carve out two square notches on each piece in the middle to fit together snugly. Secure them with a pair of jam knots for that extra hold. For bonus points, harden the tips by tossing them into hot coals.

Closing Thoughts

Crafting your own wooden tools enhances your outdoor adventures and allows you to express your creativity and personal style. The tools we covered are just the beginning. Fashioning a sturdy walking stick for your hikes, or versatile utensils for your campfire cooking, serves a practical purpose while reflecting your unique touch. Embrace the joy of woodworking and channel your adventurous spirit to transform simple materials into essential gear for your wilderness escapades.