Camp Shovels and Trowels

Featured review by Mike Mineart

This is a very light, durable, and functional camp shovel with the added benefit of being very useful for a number of other applications around camp that might not be so obvious.

I want to first knowledge that I received my Deuce of Spades as a gift for being a past Reviewer of the Month here on Trailspace and I also want to confess (and I hate to admit...) that I was really excited to be receiving this "potty" shovel as a gift. I have always been interested in gear and equipment and when I first saw the Deuce of Spades I thought it looked like a really cool shovel, but more importantly also thought that it could be very useful for a number of other applications which would make it a great addition to my pack.

Read more: TheTentLab Deuce of Spades #2 reviews (7)

Reviewed by CY6TacticalSolutions.com

An essential tool for backcountry camping, where strength, durability, light weight and effectiveness are critical! Tentlab's Deuce #3 HD Trowel meets and exceeds on all counts!

                                             The Deuce #3 HD Trowel  by TentLab One cannot really wax eloquent on a poop shovel, but if you could...it would be about TentLab's Deuce #3 HD Trowel. I have owned and used other shovels but when an extended trip where weight and durability was really a priority I moved from heavier, folding models I own to the TentLab Deuce models.   Why I chose the Deuce #3 model:  Backpacking in California's Eastern Sierra's and Colorado's Rocky Mountains...the ground is comprised of...well...rock.

Read more: TheTentLab Deuce of Spades #3 review (1)

Featured review by Jboothmtnbkr

Been a durable dependable camp tool for over 10 years. It has taken its share of abuse with rock, roots, and hard ground and shows no real sign of any plastic fatigue.

This is one of our camp staples, both for car camping and backpacking. I find it more convenient than trying to find a stick that's strong enough to dig in our rocky CO soil or using the heel of my boot. Plus, when you gotta go, sometimes you gotta go and it's nice to just have the tool right there. It has worked for us for more than 10 years and I can see it going another 10. Update (July '14): My trusty trowel snapped in half on my last backpacking trip. Trying to coax a hole in some very rocky terrain ended up being too much for it after many years of use. Oh well, maybe it's time to save the few ounces of weight and try the stick method for a while.

Read more: Coghlan's Backpackers Trowel reviews (3)

Reviewed by Mike Mineart

This is a very strong, durable, and functional backpacking potty shovel and spare tent stake with the added benefit of potentially being useful for a number of other applications on a backcountry trip or around camp.

When I first received the Dig Dig Tool my general impression was that the design was very utilitarian/functional. After taking the Dig Dig Tool out on several trips I have found that it does a great job doing what it is intended to do, which is to dig catholes. Design and Construction The Dig Dig Tool’s overall length is 8 1/8 inches, it is about 1 5/8 inches wide and weighs 1.3 ounces, and it is made from a grade 2 Titanium. So while the shovel is reasonably light the material and method of construction make it very stiff and strong, so there is little to no risk that it would ever bend or be damaged during normal use.

Read more: Vargo Dig Dig Tool review (1)

Featured review by BigRed

It's ultralight and gets the job done, but digs into the hand when digging or chopping in rocky or rooty soil.

I have three Deuces – I guess if I had four of a kind I might have a winning poker hand.  My stable of  trail trowels I didn’t choose any of them myself. The first (red) was a gift from my daughter after our eight-person through hike of the JMT in 2014, when we all shared a much heavier but very effective U-Dig-It Pro for daily dumps. Like many of the other reviewers here, I received the other two as Trailspace Top Reviewer booty. All three are the mid-weight (0.6 oz, 17g) Deuce #2 variety, but have evolved more toothiness over time, culminating in the current DirtSaw® model.

Read more: TheTentLab Dirt Saw Deuce #2 reviews (2)

Featured review by BigRed

A sturdy folding trowel for doing trowel-related business. Not exactly UL, but it won't break or bend even when prying rocks or chipping at compacted soil.

Needless to say, this was a very popular item on our 8-person, 24-day hike on the JMT. The U-Dig-It Pro handled all that traffic with aplomb, allowing for safe and adequately deep deposits of bodily fruits in the Sierra's tough, rocky soils. My daughter kept it on one of the compression straps on the outside of her pack so it was always available and everybody knew where it was, and the words "have a U-Dig-It experience" entered our trail vocabulary! Ralph wants one too! Ready for action! Ours is called "U-Dig-It Pro" but it seems to be the same item with a new name.

Read more: U-Dig-It Pro Folding Shovel reviews (3)

Featured review by JimDoss

What can one say about a small little trowel, designed to dig cat-holes in the woods to bury crap in? Well, how about it’s well designed, has a really fun name, and does what it’s supposed to do? This thing is not designed to dig trenches around your tent in a rainstorm, make fire pits, cut kindling, mine for gold, or stir your scrambled egg breakfast. It’s designed to dig small hole in the ground. Remember that. Remember, too, that while the iPood Pocket Trowel is a really neat item, it’s not 100% perfect.

Read more: Sea to Summit iPood Alloy Pocket Trowel reviews (5)