the essential camping and 4WD shovel

see also:

• photography and camping main index page
• camping, hiking and survival knives
• bushcraft and camping axes
• Four Wheel Driving

• a shovel is a very useful tool when hiking, camping and when going off-road in a 4WD

• an ultralight small hiking trowel is very handy in case you are caught needing to go to toilet in the bush

• these have many uses:
  • helping to dig car wheels out of bogs
  • managing camp fires
    • ash management (especially if needing to place ash on the lid of a dutch oven)
    • pushing logs around on the fire to optimise the fire
  • folding ones can be used to lift a dutch oven out of the ashes
  • in general they should NOT be used for creating trenches around tent sites - this is destructive and should not be needed as most have a waterproof floor in their tent, and they should have selected their site to ensure it will not be in a floodway when it rains heavily

• these are great for more efficient digging and allow extra distance from the campfire, but they generally need to be mounted on the side of the car roof rack which may not be practical
• these are much better than shorter shovels for managing larger logs on a camp fire as they provide better leverage and keep you further away in case a burning log falls down

• will not jam like many of the folding shovels but less compact, do not have a pick, and cannot be used as a hoe.
• Chinese 22“/56cm wooden handle “military” shovel
  • saw, blade, bottle opener; shovel head 15.5cm wide x 20cm long;
  • https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006893959823.html ~$AU60

• these are a favorite with many 4WDers and have the most versatility (can usually be used as a shovel, hoe, pick, wrench, bottle opener, and saw) and are relatively compact
• unfortunately modern ones generally all have a screw down collar which can get jammed with dirt - the older original military ones did not have this issue but these are almost impossible to find in good condition and if you do find one they may well charge you well over $AU200
• handle choices are metal vs wood and straight handle or a triangular handle
• the folding spade or pick at 90deg can be used to pick up a dutch oven with wire handle from the ashes
• can be used for managing ash in the camp fire but too short to provide sufficient leverage for managing logs on a camp fire - get a longer shovel for this
• COUNCIL TOOL CT42-FSS
  • an expensive longer handled shovel/pick made in the US for fire fighters in forests
  • wooden handle is 42” long and it is 51.5“ (1.3m) when opened as a shovel
  • https://www.raptorsupplies.com.au/pd/council-tool/ct42-fss ~$AU360
• Chang Lin
  • adds a thickened 420C steel thickened blade to the side opposite the saw, and has a brass collar;
  • spade head 15.5cm wide x 20cm long x 2mm thick;
  • 62.5cm long, packs to 42.5cm; 1.05kg;
  • https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/305400455291 ~$AU172 from Hong Kong
  • https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007431513268.html ~$AU99 type 308A Manganese steel
  • https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005008390322360.html ~$AU73 308A works well but pick could be stronger
• generic Chinese
  • very similar to the Chang Lin but smaller
  • packs to 16.5”/42cm; 900g; shovel head is 14cm wide x 18.5cm long;
  • https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/388680854589 $AU124
• Mastiff Gears
  • 23“ long wooden handle
  • 0.89kg
  • https://www.amazon.com.au/Mastiff-Wooden-Handle-Folding-Survival/dp/B07QVMVNTD ~$AU83
• multitude of budget metal handled models
  • not sure I would recommend these

• Hamans WJQ-308 multi-tool shovel
  • no pick, but has some unique tools (blade, wire cutter, nail pry, hammer, etc) and a different mechanism compared to usual folding spades but seems locking screw is a bit loose
  • 15” wooden handle; 23“ total length; shovel 15.3cm wide x 19.8cm long;
  • 1kg;
  • https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0BMLMW1GL ~$AU83
• https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007009414603.html similar version but has very wide saw teeth ?functional ~$AU80

• seem like a great survival tool but not sure if they can be relied upon when you really need them
• there are a multitude of these available some are perhaps larger and stronger than others
• usually have a shovel which can be used as a hoe but no folding pick
• the handle sections are usually designed to hold various tools such as fire lighter rods, knife, hacksaw, whistle, screwdriver, etc
• generally weigh about 1kg and sections can be screwed together to extend to 31.5” (80cm) long and packs to ~27cm long;
• eg. https://www.amazon.com.au/Sahara-Sailor-Unbreakable-Shovel-Ultimate-Multi-Purpose/dp/B083SBVTGL/