Shovel

[Stevie]

Greetings all :wave: I've been reading a lot here but not said anything before (my Nan always said "you learn more with your mouth shut" ) but I'm building up my kit and was wondering if any of you use a shovel when you are out and about? I've looked at various military and folding types but was wondering what the experts thought. Thanks :feedback:

 

[MartiniDave]

I keep an army surplus folding shovel in a sort of plastic holster in the back of the Disco, but seldom carry one otherwise, unless I know I'm off to do a digging job, going off-road, or there is the possibility of snow.

Dave

 

[greg2935]

I carry a small one for "number 2's", found the folding shovels weak where they fold, they broke so often on me (went through 3) I eventually cut the handle down on a small spade from B&Q.

 

[JFW]

If I am away for a few days camping I use a NATO folding shove to dig a latrine - they are not too heavy but you can always make do with a digging stick. The steel shovels can also be used to dig your fire or as a flat surface for cooking camp bread on the fire.

Cheers

JFW

 

[bambodoggy]

I keep an army surplus folding shovel in a sort of plastic holster in the back of the Disco, but seldom carry one otherwise, unless I know I'm off to do a digging job, going off-road, or there is the possibility of snow.

Dave

Ditto for me..... Mine is a genuin British Army one and I find them very strong...unlike the cheapy copies you get on Ebay etc...they are useless and break very easily!

I also take a small gardening trowel when out for a weekend to bury my....waste.

 

[arctic hobo]

The small Army entrenching shovels are very good, but I usually just use a digging stick as I don't use it enough to warrant carrying one. That said, they have a multitude of uses besides digging.

 

[Tony]

Cut yourself a digging stick!

 

[bambodoggy]

Cut yourself a digging stick!

Ahhh, but you can't bake bread on a digging stick! lol :rolmao:

(Oh blimey...now I'll get told I can bake bread on a wooden plater!!! I know, I saw the Roy Rodger's edition of Ray's show too! lol )

 

[TheViking]

Cut yourself a digging stick!

Second that.

 

[RovingArcher]

I carry an E. German mil shovel in my pickup and when hiking, I carry a lite weight hard plastic garden spade in my ruck. When I can, I sharpen a digging stick to loosen the hard soil and the spade to clear the loose soil away.

 

[Viking]

If you are going to get a small shovel I can highly recommend the swedish army folding shovel, it will never break and can even be used to cut down tree´s.
But on the other hand it´s pretty heavy piece of steel.

 

[Ed]

If I have my billhook with me then that gets used for digging and scraping alot .... if I've only my knife.... then its a digging skick :biggthump


Ed

 

[Paganwolf]

Ahhh, but you can't bake bread on a digging stick! lol :rolmao:

(Oh blimey...now I'll get told I can bake bread on a wooden plater!!! I know, I saw the Roy Rodger's edition of Ray's show too! lol )

Oh yes you can! lol yep digging stick all the way, why carry a shovel when a digging stick takes very little time to produce, just harden the digging tip in the ash under your fire and bobs your uncle, and to cook your bannock you roll it into a long sausage and wrap it around the end if your stick and lean it over the fire give it a turn now and then and there you have it,twisty bannock

 

[Stevie]

Thanks to all for replying :uu: I've used digging sticks for " calls of nature" but when making a stone oven and covering with soil it's a bit of a pain trying to use a stick. I saw Ray Mears using a folding shovel on TV the other night and wondered if any of you also used one. :?:

 

[woodrat]

sorry guys, your not going to convince me that a digging stick is a good substatute for a shovel. I carry a shovel whenever I go to the woods. Its one of my essential 3. axe or bushknife, shovel, saw. like american express says , I don't leave home without it.if all you need is something small then heres a trick i've been using for years. thift stores and junk shops often have the old style alum.or s.s. commercial ice cream scoops, they are lightweight , strong, and take up very little room in your kit. i have a camp axe I made that has a pick blade on the back to which a shovel blade ,[small e.t. size], attaches.

 

[Wildpacker]

I just use the larger of my two knives to loosen the earth and tree bark to shovel it out.

 

[ChrisKavanaugh]

It depends on where I am. In deep snow country one of the large, aluminum shovels is essential. Out in my deserts it's almost a lost cause. Desert pavement can be tougher than concrete aggregate. For the rest it depends on how involved my adventure is. For a latrine the aforementioned scoop or U-Dig it folding trowel work well. There is even a japanese gardening tool worth trying. It looks like a MOD 4 with a curved shovel like blade serrated on one side and sharp edge on the other. For anything more involved any of the military type entrenching tools work well. Beware of updated inferior commercial copies ( read made in Red China)

 

[Carcajou Garou]

Like RA, I carry an WWII german entrenching shovel (edge ground) in canoe pack, or a plastic trowel in hunt pack, but use digging stick frequently otherwise.
just a thought

 

[Wildpacker]

For latrine use on surfaces resistant to digging, it may be worthwhile to consider the use of clingfilm.

 

[bambodoggy]

I just use the larger of my two knives to loosen the earth and tree bark to shovel it out.

Lol....sacrilege....digging with a knife!!!! lol

For latrine use on surfaces resistant to digging, it may be worthwhile to consider the use of clingfilm.

and that's just horrid....it'll ooze out...use several zip lock bags over each other if you have to pack it out... a mate of mine had one burst while hopping out of a Puma at RAF Odiham and believe me you don't want that happening to you!!!! :yikes: Not nice.... nuff said! :shock: