Sea to Summit Pocket Trowel (for toilet duties)
- Thread starter Lynx
- Start date
-
Hey Guest, Early bird pricing on the Summer Moot (29th July - 10th August) available until April 6th, we'd love you to come. PLEASE CLICK HERE to early bird price and get more information.
Well I certainly started something here didn't I? 
I haven't tried the Ti Trowel yet but I just liked the idea of something pretty strong and lightweight for the job at hand. I also liked the idea of "covering up" as I went on my way. Anyhow, great feedback and banter guys and I hope we have all learned a few things along the way.
I haven't tried the Ti Trowel yet but I just liked the idea of something pretty strong and lightweight for the job at hand. I also liked the idea of "covering up" as I went on my way. Anyhow, great feedback and banter guys and I hope we have all learned a few things along the way.
Last edited:
Well I wonder though, if you have a decent knife do you really need a trowell? How difficult is it to make a cat hole? Perhaps this might be a new justification for having a fixed blade about ones person when out and about. (I did not wish to pollute the environment M'lud, I had a case of the squitters so had to prepare for that)
It seems to me that the majority of "super lightweight" gear is designed to be marginally lighter than regular gear but is guaranteed to make your wallet MUCH lighter!
I have a plastic gardening trowel that is light enough, strong enough and sharp enough to dig poo holes and it cost £1 in a pound shop some years back.
If you have the dosh spare then £20 odd may seem value for money - I don't and it doesn't to me.
For more settled camps I have whittled poo pit trowels out of wood - that to me is "excellent value for money"!
I have a plastic gardening trowel that is light enough, strong enough and sharp enough to dig poo holes and it cost £1 in a pound shop some years back.
If you have the dosh spare then £20 odd may seem value for money - I don't and it doesn't to me.
For more settled camps I have whittled poo pit trowels out of wood - that to me is "excellent value for money"!
When hunting with a good friend, we have succesfully pressed an old soup spoon into use as a makeshift trowel to dig out the tunnel of a Dakota fire pit... Only just remembered this by reading through the thread, thanks!
Its a good job then that I have backpacked over the Highlands and Islands, Dartmoor, Exmoor, France, Spain, Wales and many other places. Why on earth would you think someone on this forum hasn't been out with a pack on a Mountain?
It's me and you both
.Edit:
as for the 'don't want to carve a stick when I'm desperate'. I've been there, like really been there! So I did the deed, then dug the hole and scraped it in- no mess and you're all done. I thinks it's the best way to be honest.
Last edited:
I love making my little bits of wood kit once camp is set, like my pot hangers and kettle suspension swing, any poles that i need for my tarp setup and my poop stick and toilet roll holder pole next to the bog, coat and hat stand, clothes hangers for hanging wet clothing on to dry, I know any one of these things removed from weight doesn't add up but imagine how much extra weight i'd have if i carried all those things instead of spending 20 minutes making them all, even if they were super light super expensive kit it would still be collectively heavy.
Same here, don't get what all the controversy is about really
.I use any old stick in the woods, I used to carry a plastic trowel when camping on the moors/mountains but I just use my hiking poles now. It's not like you need to dig a full on latrine pit now is it? A scrape in the ground should suffice for anyone.
Not sure why you are trying to pick an argument with me Red, as far as i'm aware i've done nothing to you to warrant it.
If you believe i've slighted you in some way please let me know so we can rectify it and get on with sharing each others opinions rather than some sort of nit picking pedantic point scoring.
I can understand stream-ling quoted posts especially mine as i do have a tendency to "go on" a bit, in this case though it seems to me that you purposely left out the real meat of my point
As you are well aware i made no mention of jumping to any conclusions of forum members that "hasn't been out with a pack on a Mountain"
I was very specific in the distance and ascent.
I used these figures as in my experience that's really when weight of kit starts to be a literal pain in the back.
I've also clearly stated that the weight saving is not my mine priority in buying a Ti trowel.
I've tried sticks, boot heels, tent pegs and plastic trowels and i wasn't happy with them, part of that is the terrain here in Greece which is very rocky and hard packed, again that was the reason i suggested that people not make judgements unless they are doing the same activities in the same places.
End of the day i use a Ti trowel and i find it's the best solution i've found so far.
I'm not suggesting a Titanium trowel is NEEDED and i'm not telling anyone what works best for them.
I'm just passing on my opinion from my experiences.
My Ti trowel is tougher, lighter and works better than any other solution i've tried, only downside is the price.
For me personally the price is justified and i'm happy with it, i can completely understand it if others baulk at the price though, each to their own.
Not really sure what your agenda is.
Do you disagree with my experiences or my decision making process, or do have a better solution i can try?
I'll happily give other tools a go if you can suggest something better for the same toughness and around the same weight.
Same here, don't get what all the controversy is about really
I use any old stick in the woods, I used to carry a plastic trowel when camping on the moors/mountains but I just use my hiking poles now. It's not like you need to dig a full on latrine pit now is it? A scrape in the ground should suffice for anyone.
It's a bit weird isn't it.
I think wood is a good solution for some areas, here in Greece though it's rare you find branches strong enough to dig a hole over on mountain 1500m and over.
The ones you do are often extremely brittle, coupled with a hard packed rocky ground and it's tough to find a good piee of wood to do the job.
As a couple of examples, this is the mountain behind me house and the one i spend the most time on
There are areas on the North side of the mountain below 800m that have decent stout trees, much above 700m to 800m though and it's really only bushes:
What with forest fires every few years and the harsh hot summers here the few trees we get at higher altitudes are extremely brittle
If it's really rocky and i have no chance of digging a hole i'll try and find a rock i can lift up, do my business under then plop back down.
It's tough finding a rock that's large enough to cover your business but small enough to lift, that's all shallow enough in the ground to lift up.
You also have to be careful you don't get sprayed with the "toothpaste effect" as you roll the rock back into place
In most areas i've hiked once you've scraped past the hard pack you can dig a deep enough hole, that hard pack is really abrasive on softer alloys like aluminium tent pegs though and it destroys all the plastic trowels i've tried.
So it's really just a case of different tools for different jobs.
I could probably "make do" with a aluminium trowel or large tent peg, but i wanted to try the Ti trowel to see if it offered any improvement, it does and i'm that happy with it i'd buy another tomorrow if i lost mine.
As i say it's not for everyone, some wouldn't pay that for a Ti poop scoop i can understand that.
I don't understand the strength of opinion from some posters against someone that does though, very odd.
My Agenda is that I find your comments about
and similar comments snide. How do you know what activities I undertake now of have undertaken in the past?
You seem to think you are the only person on the forum that has any experience of covering ground, backpacking or ascending mountains. I can assure you you are not. The types of tools I use on a smallholding are not relevant (although they seem to provide you with amusement), however I was carrying a pack on trips a lot longer than 15 miles and ascending a good deal more than 1,000 feet a long time before you were chap. So whilst you might think
Do not dismiss other peoples experiences - some of us have been doing this a while and really don't need to be told we are "daft" or "not partaking in activities". Its plain rude.
I have too much respect for you to get into any more bickering.
It's clear to me you have some sort of agenda against me, as this is not the first thread you've tried to pick an argument with me.
If i have said something to upset you, i apologise.
As i've said before i enjoy your posts and threads, i'm extremely grateful to you for the parsnip seeds you sent me, i do truly respect you, your opinions and experiences.
I would like just this one post to hopefully clarify a few things that seem to have been misread and to defend my "daft" post.
I'll keep track of this thread and defend my opinions on my kit choice, but i will not get drawn into more bickering.
The point i was making here was my kit choice is very location specific.
When i'm back in the UK my Ti trowel works, but because (generally) most of the ground is soft mud it doesn't make as much sense as here in Greece.
So my logic was that if you haven't spent much time hiking here in Greece it's a bit "daft" offering an opinion on what tools will work best for which job?
As i say i've tried other solutions and had problems with them all, specifically with the terrain here in Greece.
If someone hasn't had those experiences with the same tools on the same sort of ground then surely their opinion is just a guess?
Granted I probably could have worded it better, but surely any logical person would agree that a person can't question someones digging tool choices unless they've actually been to the areas and seen the terrain they're intended to be used on?
Seems that the written word has been misconstrued here.
I have never said or even insinuated that i'm the only person with any "experience of covering ground" if you interpret my posts that way then i'm afraid that's you reading things into my posts that simply aren't there.
There are members here that backpack far further, higher and more often than i do, so it would be very silly of me to even suggest that.
Take a look at some of the TGO challenge reports, they put my daily mileage and ascent to shame.
As you are well aware my point was that the kit choices of someone car camping will be different than someone backpacking, that's just common sense.
So unless someone is covering the same sort of distances and ascent how can they possibly know what's the best solution?
Even IF they do, fitness levels, disabilities body make up all play a VAST part in what weight people are comfortable to carry.
There also seems to be something missed there with your smallholding tools, is it possible you took my posts as sarcasm?
If so that is simply not the case, honestly and genuinely i really really really enjoy your posts and threads, any amusement i find in them is the parts i believe you intended for such.
I used your gardening tools as an example in the hope the analogy made my point clearer.
In Greece?
If so what did you use to bury your poop?
And that's meters of ascent not feet, sorry for being pedantic but there is a vast difference.
I'm not being funny here, but i honestly do believe those question are relevant.
I think this is the crux of the problem, as i believe it's you that's dismissing my experiences in specific areas on specific terrain doing specific activities.
There is also our bodies to take into consideration, maybe you could comfortably carry 20kg 1000m up a mountain doing 15 miles a day, i can't, so i chose my kit accordingly.
As i say i chose my kit for me and the things i do.
Unless you've backpacked the same sort distances, ascent, with the same sort of fitness levels (or lack of in my case) in the areas i've backpacked (i.e. Greece in this instance) on the same sort of terrain how can you KNOW what works best?
That's just common sense to me.
I realise that some of my posts may seem strong, but the way i see it is, if i can't defend one of my opinions then i shouldn't have had it in the first place, and to remind you, your first response to my post was pretty condescending.
To clarify.
I'm not saying a Ti trowel is essential
I'm not even saying it's the best solution for everyone all the time
I'm saying that i HAVE tried the other solutions listed here and they didn't work well for me on the terrain i go on.
So i tried a Ti trowel and found it works better than all the other solution FOR ME
It's my opinion from my experiences i can't in good conscience speak for anyone else, so that's all i've got.
It's clear to me you have some sort of agenda against me, as this is not the first thread you've tried to pick an argument with me.
If i have said something to upset you, i apologise.
As i've said before i enjoy your posts and threads, i'm extremely grateful to you for the parsnip seeds you sent me, i do truly respect you, your opinions and experiences.
I would like just this one post to hopefully clarify a few things that seem to have been misread and to defend my "daft" post.
I'll keep track of this thread and defend my opinions on my kit choice, but i will not get drawn into more bickering.
The point i was making here was my kit choice is very location specific.
When i'm back in the UK my Ti trowel works, but because (generally) most of the ground is soft mud it doesn't make as much sense as here in Greece.
So my logic was that if you haven't spent much time hiking here in Greece it's a bit "daft" offering an opinion on what tools will work best for which job?
As i say i've tried other solutions and had problems with them all, specifically with the terrain here in Greece.
If someone hasn't had those experiences with the same tools on the same sort of ground then surely their opinion is just a guess?
Granted I probably could have worded it better, but surely any logical person would agree that a person can't question someones digging tool choices unless they've actually been to the areas and seen the terrain they're intended to be used on?
Seems that the written word has been misconstrued here.
I have never said or even insinuated that i'm the only person with any "experience of covering ground" if you interpret my posts that way then i'm afraid that's you reading things into my posts that simply aren't there.
There are members here that backpack far further, higher and more often than i do, so it would be very silly of me to even suggest that.
Take a look at some of the TGO challenge reports, they put my daily mileage and ascent to shame.
As you are well aware my point was that the kit choices of someone car camping will be different than someone backpacking, that's just common sense.
So unless someone is covering the same sort of distances and ascent how can they possibly know what's the best solution?
Even IF they do, fitness levels, disabilities body make up all play a VAST part in what weight people are comfortable to carry.
There also seems to be something missed there with your smallholding tools, is it possible you took my posts as sarcasm?
If so that is simply not the case, honestly and genuinely i really really really enjoy your posts and threads, any amusement i find in them is the parts i believe you intended for such.
I used your gardening tools as an example in the hope the analogy made my point clearer.
In Greece?
If so what did you use to bury your poop?
And that's meters of ascent not feet, sorry for being pedantic but there is a vast difference.
I'm not being funny here, but i honestly do believe those question are relevant.
I think this is the crux of the problem, as i believe it's you that's dismissing my experiences in specific areas on specific terrain doing specific activities.
There is also our bodies to take into consideration, maybe you could comfortably carry 20kg 1000m up a mountain doing 15 miles a day, i can't, so i chose my kit accordingly.
As i say i chose my kit for me and the things i do.
Unless you've backpacked the same sort distances, ascent, with the same sort of fitness levels (or lack of in my case) in the areas i've backpacked (i.e. Greece in this instance) on the same sort of terrain how can you KNOW what works best?
That's just common sense to me.
I realise that some of my posts may seem strong, but the way i see it is, if i can't defend one of my opinions then i shouldn't have had it in the first place, and to remind you, your first response to my post was pretty condescending.
A titanium pooper scooper? That's the funniest thing I have ever read - thank you - I'll be laughing all night at that one
To clarify.
I'm not saying a Ti trowel is essential
I'm not even saying it's the best solution for everyone all the time
I'm saying that i HAVE tried the other solutions listed here and they didn't work well for me on the terrain i go on.
So i tried a Ti trowel and found it works better than all the other solution FOR ME
It's my opinion from my experiences i can't in good conscience speak for anyone else, so that's all i've got.
Similar threads
