Do you carry a shovel in your BOB?

zman308

zman308

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Sep 3, 2007
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I just saw an advertisement for the "Gerber Gorge" folding shovel. It is a mini e-tool, weighs about 1 lb. 10 oz. and extends to about 15 inches. I do not carry a shovel in my BOB. I have seen the Glock shovel and it leaves a lot to be desired. I have an old wood handled E-tool and that is big and heavy, but effective. I also have a newer US folding shovel but find them lacking. When I went in the military we were issued the old WWII style shovels, wood handled ones. When the new "paratrooper shovels" (thats what we called them) came out the Gunny told us to hold on to our old style ones. He was right. The new folding shovels were too short, weak, and we broke them. They were suited more for the sand box. Well back to the point. Has anyone seen or used the Gorge and is it worth adding to my overweight BOB. Also do you carry a shovel in your BOB and for what reason?
 
A lightweight large telescopic shovel goes onto my SAR pack for winter missions. Invaluable tool for shelter making.

Skam
 
I carry a "potty trowel" for hiking and an old surplus folding shovel in the truck.

I was looking at the Gerber folding shovels-- are they any good?
 
I have been using an old folding wooden handle surplus shovel for about 8-9 years now. That I only take when I feel it's needed. Other than that I take a small trowel with me or make a shovel stick. Those tri folding shovels suck, I used it to dig out my car in the snow when I got stuck. Never again will I get one.
 
Well, the earlier Gerber folding shovels are made in Finland...I'm thinking by Fiskars. I like mine, although I cannot say that I've really tested its maximum performance (just digging waste holes, stuff like that). It's advertised as "NATO-approved"...not really sure if that means anything; but I hear that it's pretty durable.

Now, I've see the new one...it's made in China. I've not handled one, but it looks kind of cool. Gerber can be so iffy these days...knives, axes, shovels, flashlights...lot of Chinese stuff.

Does anyone here own a Gorge?
 
Great thread, it's definitely got me thinking, but now I have to choose ;)

Hummmm u-dig-it or Gerber.....

Gerber looks stronger, but it weighs a lot more, might go with the u-dig-it.
 
I also carry a steel army trifold shovel (an entrenching tool) in my truck always. I could always grab it if needed but I almost never carry it camping.

KR
 
DaleW said:
I carry a "potty trowel" for hiking
Click to expand...

+1 - good for sanitation, digging roots, etc. It's plastic and lightweight. When equipment gets into the one pound range, I start to seriously weigh its value relative to a pound of food or water.

It's easy for me to overweight my BOB - so I really try to keep in mind a BOB's purpose, to help me survive long enough to get somewhere better. It's not for pioneering the wilderness. A BOB's best quality is how light it is - the lighter it is, the faster I'm gonna cover ground, and the sooner I'm gonna be somewhere safe.
 
I carry a SG German Army folding shovel, $12, in my truck box kit. As for carrying a shovel, I thought that was what the AFSK was for:D. I actually like my AFSK.
 
I chop a stick out of wood from all around me and make a diging stick. Leave the trowel at home. 1 less thing.

Skam
 
I use a nylon one for backpacking and keep a WWII E-Tool in the vehicle. Wife got me the U-Dig-It, but it outweighs the nylon trowel and, so, stays at home. If the ground is too hard for the nylon, I make a digging stick to drive in to loosen it up.
 
I have an old folding shovel I used to carry every time I went off the map, but for the last two years or so I haven't taken it with me. It's just too heavy. I've been telling myself I need to get something lighter and start carrying one again since then. I just keep putting it off or forgetting about it. Any suggestions? Needs to be super lightweight and compact. To be honest, a few times I've just taken a tiny little garden shovel. That's gotta go.
 
I guess my original thread was a little broad. I carry a D-handle digging shovel in my truck in the summer and in the winter months is have a D-handle with a flat blade for snow. Usually when I get stuck those cheap telescoping plastic or aluminum snow shovels made for cars are kind of wimpy. Compacted show can be quite heavy. I keep one of the cheapies in the wife's car. I have a U-Dig-it but have never carried it except at the beach for digging shells. Its pretty solid and well designed, plus rustproof. The Gerber Gorge looks nice and sturdy, like the old folding e-tools. I would like to know if someone would review it. They run around $20.00 on ebay. Not much more than a U-Dig-it.
 
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