Who packs a shovel when out and about?

In my truck I carry a collapsable snow shovel in winter and a GI combo shovel/pick in the summer. In my pack, I carry a Snow Claw in winter and sometimes the U-Dig-It will come along. (Usually not.)

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Just a heads up. Wally World has started making a knock off folding stainless trowel for MUCH less that the U-Dig-It.
 
I carry a collapsible snow shovel (Black Diamond) when winter camping

I made a little trowel out of PVC that makes it into my backpack- even got to use it as a stake (forgot one) :)

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Got a Gerber Nato Folding Spade as I'd always wanted one, works great, though very expensive in the UK.

For lighter carry, I then bought a couple of Fiskars Nyglass Trowels, which are really strong and weigh nothing.


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For desert or arid plains it can be a very useful tool for making solar stills and other water collection devices, along with digging up animal holes, chopping sagebrush (a good wack with the edge of the shovel is all it takes), working adobe etc. The Gerber pack shovel is just about the only product I'd ever recommend from them, and although it's heavy it's compact and extremely durable. I like that fiskars trowel mounted on a wood handle, I will have to try that. With a ground edge it could also suffice as a spear for snakes etc.
 
Thanks much, I'm getting one of those and grinding a sharpened point on it-I'll stick it on the top of a hiking stick and it'll be my bush spear/fire poker! Their UDT knife is pretty sick for 90 bucks, too
 
I pack in the Gerber folding shovel. Its a bit heavy, but since my time in the Army, I just like having a shovel, its a useful tool...cat trench, small fire pit, to put out a fire, chop roots, and the list goes on.
 
gunknifenut said:
I pack in the Gerber folding shovel. Its a bit heavy, but since my time in the Army, I just like having a shovel, its a useful tool...cat trench, small fire pit, to put out a fire, chop roots, and the list goes on.
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Old habits die hard, eh?


Don't forget they are useful when the enemy comes through the wire at night! :D
 
Cpl Punishment said:
Old habits die hard, eh?


Don't forget they are useful when the enemy comes through the wire at night! :D
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True that, when I was in we called em Charlie Beaters. There's no question about it they're a damned useful tool, the question is do I have the space and spine to pack a 3 pound shovel.
 
It also depends on what you do.

I don't hike to hike. I hike to get some place and camp there, even if it's just overnight.

The fact that we don't have hills and do have torrential rains that can hit with less than 10 minutes warning from blue skies to black and pouring, shovels are a necessity for drainage.

Yes, some guys think they are smart with their hammocks and stringing their gear up, and they are. But when you hop off your hammock into six inches of water, you really wish you spend some time trenching the night before. And if you try and be a smart alec and say you'll use a digging stick -- well, have fun. When the rest of us have been done and are relaxing and eating over the camp fire while you're still digging 30 minutes later, you'll wish you brought a shovel. And no, a plastic trowel won't cut it, literally or figuratively.

Like all things, you environment dictates what you need to carry. If you're wrong that vindictive b**ch "Mother Nature" will give you a spanking. ;)
 
Whilst waiting for the seller of the excellent Ti Trowel to confirm if he'll ship to the UK, I came across this little 'multi-trowel', the Ames True Temper 7 in 1 Planter's Buddy, which may be of interest to someone...

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that true temper one would be great for working peat. I like it alot. I'd really like to see a thru-tang or hollow handle for mounting on a stick, I think it would make digging easier and double as an effective snake spear.
 
I have a folding shovel but keep it in the truck. Don't see a need to pack it for the areas I typically hike. However I do like the small trowel that could be place on a hiking stick. Small, light weight, could do light digging work and double as a spear.:cool:
 
I have a small folding shovel that comes with a zip up pouch. Not much bigger or heavier than the folding trowel mentioned here. I am sure I can dig a cat hole quicker and easier than with a stick - sometimes you realise that you need that cat hole pretty quick!

I guess when camping/tramping you should evaluate what gear you should take, many of us have lots of stuff that we COULD take, but would need a pack mule to take it all. For a day hike I would leave the shovel behind, but for a few days camping I would definitely take it with me.
 
Wal-Mart has a 99¢ Gerber/Fiskars zytel garden trowel in the garden department.

it's not orange like the ones you usually see in the backpacking stores. it's less expensive, it's light and it has a removable cap so you could put something inside. i haven't tested either to destruction, but i expect it's tougher than the orange one too.

and it's also handy when hunting for stuff with a metal detector.
 
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