Hi, thanks for the reference to the splitting baton. Actually I use my old Estwing hatchet just about like that! For quite a while I carried my axe camping but in the interest of weight savings and pure utility I've switched over to the hatchet. Pondering the whole chopping thing it seems that you are opening (pardon the pun) yourself up to the possibility of an serious accident when there is a technique that will reduce the wood down without chopping.  My hatchet has a one piece head/handle with a blue plastic grip. The only modification I've found useful is to wrap a bulb of friction tape near to the head to permit the user to "choke up" closer to the head for more control. That steel shaft is just too slim for me to grip comfortably. I use this setup primarily when I'm making something.
Another option is the Ontario knife company's RAT knives. I bought the RAT-7 and it's a great knife and works well to split the wood when hit with a club. Deciding between the rat and the hatchet was hard, in the end I picked the hatchet mainly because I can hammer in wedges when splitting and also tent pegs. Actually that's one of my favorite rainy-day-under-the-tarp activities; splitting that horribly twisted-grain block of wood down into fire sized bits.
Best Wishes, Rob