Folding Shovel
- Thread starter Mike423
- Start date
Brian Van Fleet
Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
Yes...army surplus...
dpowell
Mame
+1 to this. Can be folded up very small, doesn't weigh much, cheap, serrated edge. Of course, I recently bent mine so it can't be folded anymore, but it's not expensive to replace.
Folding shovels are convenient to stash away, but unreliable in my experience, especially if you are out at the ends of the earth and digging anything larger than a sapling. I used to bring one, but not anymore.
You need something you can jump on, twist, smash, hammer, and is guaranteed not to fail.
A stout, solid root shovel is a safer bet. You can get more leverage too. And even if you dont need a big shovel, there are stubby shovels that can fit into a backpack that are way more solid than folding shovels.
You need something you can jump on, twist, smash, hammer, and is guaranteed not to fail.
A stout, solid root shovel is a safer bet. You can get more leverage too. And even if you dont need a big shovel, there are stubby shovels that can fit into a backpack that are way more solid than folding shovels.
Brian Van Fleet
Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
Agreed, but even better is collecting in areas that don't require a shovel and a lot of "digging"...
What type of root shovel do you guys find best for backpacking? I was thinking of getting a USGI Folding shovel since I heard they were the best and I could easily attach it to a molle slot on the outside of my pack, but I was also on the ropes about the idea of gatting a folding shovel and am considering maybe getting a short wooden handled shovel instead.
edprocoat
Masterpiece
I have never collected anything but I have dug up and removed troublesome growth from job sites, the drain spade is an extremely durable shovel. Its about 4 inches wide and rounded at the blade tip and has a flat handle grip at the top, they are about 40 inches long and you can chop through roots as thick as five inches with ease with them, you can stand on them and I once pried up a three foot wide rock with one. I am sure you can search for a picture of a drain spade they are lightweight and not very bulky but real strong.
ed
ed
donkey
Mame
most folding shovels are not strong enough however an army fold up trenching tool will take a lot more punishment and is my prefered tool for going any distance to collect.
