Shovels.

[DOC-CANADA]

A survival trowel!

Some other alternatives for digging are a Japanese gardening knife (hori hori)
http://www.arboronstate.com/home/aos/page_885_13/hori_hori_knife.html

I bought one of these recently for foraging duty and it works quite well. It's especially good when digging in virgin dirt with all the little tree roots running through. You can see it here with some Wild Leeks (Allium tricoccum).

Another shot

Doc

 

[Hassilov]

I started out using one of the Orange plastic type trowels, Easily snapped.

Then I moved on to the Fiskars trowel, much sturdier, but bulky.

Next I began using a long perforated snow stake, which works, doubles as a shelter stake, is lightweight.

Finally I came upon the Montbell trowel, which works great, can be used as a shelter stake, and is the lightest of all of the above!

Thanks for the idea! I picked up an aluminum snow stake today and am going to try it out on my next trip out. It looks like it will get the job done and can also be used as a stake on spongy ground.

 

[bltjr1951]

Some other alternatives for digging are a Japanese gardening knife (hori hori)
http://www.arboronstate.com/home/aos/page_885_13/hori_hori_knife.html

I've got one, don't think I paid that much for it. The orange trowels I used at the TX gulf beach. If you're gonna dig a fire hole with air tunnel, you need some kinda trowel.
The montbell reminds me of an ice cream scoop.

 

[kvaughn]

++ on the Cold Steel Spetznatz shovel--KV

 

[1Tracker]

Yeah, so when you encounter that 'wild ice cream' one can just 'dig in'

The Snow Stake works in the softer below treeline type ground; and especially in spongy and swampy type soils as a useful digging tool/stake:thumbup:

I've got one, don't think I paid that much for it. The orange trowels I used at the TX gulf beach. If you're gonna dig a fire hole with air tunnel, you need some kinda trowel.
The montbell reminds me of an ice cream scoop.