Trail Shovel

So what is the best trail shovel you guys use? Last March I got stuck in my Avalanche while looking at some property and didn't have one. Fortunately, there was a house not to far away that I walked to and borrowed one. A normal long handle one was great but in a jeep that's not gonna fit so well.

 

In my neck of the woods we get lotza white stuff--so a large aluminum...


In the summer, I carry a little folding "toy"...

On my second jeep, I have a #2 shovel with short "D" handle (and ax) mounted on the swing-out tire carrier.

 

GI folding shovel for me....for years and years and years.

 

X2. A real one. Not a newer cheapie. I have several WWII vintage folding shovels.

 

We're gonna need pictures of these since you brought it up!

 

That's what I was thinking but just wasn't sure it it was big enough being so compact.

 

The army has improved the entrenching tool,used from WW2 though Vietnam! It folds,including the handle,into a rubber pouch,perfect for underseat storage.The D handle shovel can be strapped to the front bumper. I never leave home with out both of e'm!

 

Another case of "one size doesn't fit all". For general trail use, I like a D handle shovel. A REAL D handle shovel with a fiberglass handle. Those also work very well in the compacted snow one usually encounters in the spring/summer.



But for the space limited flatty, I use a trenching tool. They work, but are a lot harder on the back.


A scoop shovel is only going to be useful in loose snow and in the winter I throw in my avalanche shovel left over from my former skiing career.

 

Here is my shovel. Not a pretty mounting solution, but its easy to get to and doesn't take up valuable space. The hi-lift rail is between the shovel and bumper, and the mechanism is in the tool box.

 

Hers's 2 of them. One dated '44 and the other '45. I might have a 3rd somewhere. I DO have one of the cheapie knock offs that I use on the canoe trips. It's a bit lighter than the WWII units and, I figure, if we dump the canoe and the shovel goes to the bottom, no big loss. I like these old shovels. I kind of collect them, though I only have the 2 or 3. I remember Dad had one in the garage. Maybe that's why I like them. I'm sure he dug a few holes with one in Europe and then more when he came home.

 

US ARMY issue 72 vintage

 

Ooooh. I don't have one of those. Didn't know they changed them that much. Wonder what Korean War era shovels look like. Probably left over WWII stuff. Sorry if I'm getting away from topic. Send me back to my corner.

 

I still have my old e tool as well. Keep one in all of my vehicles but I don't typically go places where needing one is very likely

 

Need to find me an old WWII one now.

 

These look interesting. For the prepper/? market. Don't know about the quality.

 

Where did you find those? Reminds me of the pioneer kits our hmmwv had

 

Don't know where they are available--they show up under "combination tool kit - shovel" and...
Mul-Function Combination Tools For Outdoor, Garden, Vehicle Mul-function combination Tools

Good you quietly used "hmmwv" on this ECJ5 forum!

 

Only so much room to pack this stuff away and it does add weight...........after many years hunting in the bush my go to items were a good WW/2 shovel , a sharp ax , dependable winch, snatch block, a strap to get around a tree or rock , and extra 20ft length of cable w/hooks , a piece of 3/8 chain with hooks , points, condenser, rotor ,cap & extra set of spark plugs, extra fan belt, rope , small hydraulic jack, primary wire, jumper cables , basic tools , a dead man land anchor all of which except the ax could fit in the tool box under the seat..............and let us not forget the ingenuity mounted on your shoulders as safety and survival starts long before you leave the house, including never intentionally putting yourself in harms way on the trail.......
My GI shovels primary duty was to maintain the fire.