Alas, yet another compromising decision...

Not only do I need to choose between a hatchet or a knife, but even between different types of hatchets. Is a lighter, one piece hatchet going to do the job, or do I need the heavy hunter's style with the short handle and the 1 lb head? Is a Khukri blade going to do the job, or will my big brute Busse Battle Mistress be a better choice? Sigh, it's almost as bad as picking one of my pistols out for my daily carry (arrghh, don't get me started on that one!).

Hacksaw's response is most appropriate. There is not going to be one implement that gets it all done better than the rest. If you can't or don't want to carry more than one, then you are going to have to settle for some sort of compromise based on what you think is going to serve you best for the situation you are liable to face.

Sometimes having to pick one from my collection is worse than only having just one, you know what I mean?