No, you do not need to haul all of these tools into the woods, but give some thought to which will be most useful to you. If you are headed out with a group, maybe you should still make sure at least one of each is distributed among everyone to cover all your bases.
In no particular order, let's take a look:
1. Machete
If you need to deal with brush, a machete might be the ideal tool. In this case, I have an older pattern of Gerber Gator with a saw on the spine. This has been rattling around in various vehicles for ages.
The saw is no gimmick. I have used this to deal with fallen trees on back roads. The ergonomics are bad compared to a proper carpenter's or logging saw, but it works. I do know a lot of campers swear by various folding saws instead, but if you already need a machete for brush, this might be a good way to combine tools to reduce weight.
2. Hatchet
If you read Hatchet as a kid, you may still think of this as the ultimate survival tool. A small axe is handy for processing firewood, clearing small trees, and other odd jobs, but I'm not convinced it's an essential for basic camping. Utility increases if you need to build shelters or perform other heavy chopping tasks.
If you do carry one, get a scabbard or sheath to protect the edge and yourself. I bought a cheap Harbor Freight hatchet and a cheap generic nylon sheath that fits it pretty well.
3. Knife
In my opinion, this may be the most essential tool in this array of gadgetry. A good knife is indispensable. Even a cheap full-tang fixed blade knife like this one with a 4-5 in. (10-13 cm) blade can do a lot. Just don't buy a shiny piece of junk, OK?
Everyone has their own ideas about the best blade profile, material, etc. so I'll leave that to the comments section. Chime in!
4. BIGGER KNIFE
Yeah, we all know that scene, right? THIS is a knife!
Pros: choppy like a machete. Lots of steel for batoning firewood if you need an axe substitute.
Cons: Cumbersome.
Fortunately, this particular example also has a small scabbard for a smaller knife. Despite the gimmicks, it's not really a bad tool at all, and the sheath has a nice cargo pouch for other odds and ends, too. Oh, and thanks to @thepholosopher for the morale patch!
5. Entrenching Tool
This is a knockoff of the current US GI folding shovel, and it came with the black carrier. ALICE clips easily connect it to your belt, web gear, or a pack. If you can find the real deal at an army surplus store, it might be better. Regardless, a shovel is incredibly useful. Level a tent site. Dig a latrine. Scrape flammable debris away for a safe fire pit and dig a pile of dirt for emergency extinguishing. This is tool is probably the number 2 (heh...) in importance for safe and sanitary camping.
6. Entrenching Tool (again)
I bought this at a surplus store, and I'm reasonably sure it's European military surplus. It has a marking of "10/3575" on the blade, and there is a cap screw with a 6mm hex socket in the swivel, if that means anything to anyone out there. The gray leather carrier had started to rot, and the blade of the shovel had a lot of surface rust, so I hit it with some Rustoleum rattle-can. The wood handle is still secured in the socket. Anyone out there know anything about this? At any rate, I bought a green surplus E-tool carrier to modify for this older fixed handle. I think I prefer this to the newer knockoff in all respects except size when folded.
There are a lot of tools that try to cram a lot of cheap crap into one package. I generally prefer using dedicated tools built to perform a specific task well. Multitools aren't inherently bad. I love my Leatherman Wave, for example. On the other hand, I can tell you right now without even testing it that this is utter garbage.
Buy wisely. The list above is just what I have, not what's best for the job, or best for you. Your environment, budget, skills, and training may also lead you to prioritize some tools over others, so please chime in. I'm no survivalist guru, just a guy who grew up semi-rural. If you disagree with anything I wrote above, make your case and start a conversation!
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