Kevin,
I was seriously considering the kukri - again my problem was that it does not a good machete make (too heavy), and its also pretty long and heavy for the chopping I need compared to a hatchet. In the end I realised the cutting profile of the kukri is just like our parangs! So I might as well use what's here.
Before you totally give up on "the kukri" for your purposes, you might find it helpful to look at the wide variety of them out there. (The BladeForums subforum for Himalayan Imports will help very considerably in this!) While I agree that there are several that would be very heavy and fatiguing for the uses you foresee, there is quite a range in terms of blade length and blade heaviness. When Himalayan Imports put khukuris up for sale on their forum, they usually indicate both overall length and weight, which can give you a sense of what the knives are like.
Just as kind of a starting point, the heavier "chopping-oriented" varieties include the Ang Khola models (blades sometimes half an inch thick at the spine--virtually indestructible, but heavy!), and the "Ganga Ram" variety. The "World War II" models are a bit lighter. The "Udhaipur" or "Gelbu Special" and Sirupati and Chitlangi varieties are actually pretty long, thin, and tend to have less curvature; I gather that this variety comes from parts of Nepal where the vegetation is a little lighter and (maybe) like what you're expecting to encounter. For your purposes, you really might find that an 18-inch (44 cm)-overall-length Sirupati or "Gelbu Special" might give you the lightness and speed you need for light vegetation, as well as the ability to chop wood when necessary--even if a 16-inch (40-cm)-overall Ang Khola with a half-inch-thick blade was way too heavy.
Now I'm just trying to find an inexpensive way to get a decent parang here in the 'States!
Good luck!
