I am gathering some things for the back of the Expy for being prepared and I wanted to get your feedback on the best shovel...i have seen the following options as far as small stowable shovels:

- Wooden handle, shovel only, US surplus probably 1940-1950 style...multi angle head

- Wooden handle, shovel and pick, German surplus, nice blade protectors...multi angle head, can be used shovel or pick and shovel or pick only...very strong pick

- Tri-fold recent US surplus shovel, seems to have at least two sharp edges for use as a hatchet, fold on two hinges that make the package ~6"x8"x1.5"

between the first two, i like the German model with the pick for $15...the trifod is nice for the compact size, and 'blade' on the but the only pick is the shovel at a right angle.

What do you guys use? I don't like the idea of always carrying a full shovel, but may carry one if i am going in the back country...looking for a shovel that stays in the truck, like my truck tool bag does...Thanks for the feedback.

PS...this is for a 2001 Expy 4WD for use when camping, or on forest/backcountry or pass trails/roads.

 

thats funny u talk about shovels. the other day i high centered my atv in one of our mud pits that goes up hill, and me and my brother dug out the slope with sticks! pretty much just pushed the mud over a little until we could slide the 4wheeler over and spin the tires to dig the rest of it up. go it to go up enough to get out by pushin and spinnin! crazy machines

 

I've never seen one like the German shovel you're talking about but I have the first one, small wooden handled Army Surplus shovel with a head you can angle. I like it because it doesn't take up much space and works great for reaching under your rig and scooping stuff sideways if you don't have room to get a regular shovel under there.

 

the german unit if very much like the standard army surplus wooden handle shovel (same size/engineering)....but it had a good pick (4-5")

 

I like taking a full sized fiberglass handle shovel with a spade blade because when you have a lot of snow or mud to move under your truck, the long handle really helps. Kneeling down in snow and mud when it is raining out to scoop small handfuls can be a real drag. Fiberglass is lighter then metal, but, tougher then wood. You might fracture a fiberglass handle, but, duct tape it up and you are good to go until you get home.

If you stick an Expy, most likely you have a lot of shoveling ahead of you. Though a small shovel is better then nothing. I probably would go with an all metal folding job so I could use it to roll logs around in the campfire etc while it is still small and light enough to carry in a sack.

Crossing streams and climbing rock faces, especially slippery wet moss covered ones are a lot easier with a full sized shovel and it makes a great short distance walking stick if you are injured.

If you have a flat floor, you can usually stick the long shovel handle out of the way by putting it down the outside of the seat track on the right hand side, handle first, so the only thing sticking into the cargo space is the head.

 

I thought the best emergency shovel was your wife/girlfriend while you shout words of encouragment from the warmth/dryness of the cab?



I've just got the tri-fold folding army surplus one. Does fine in a pinch.

 

yea, pro i got one of those too. i give her a small stick and she digs

i also have the tri folding one. it works. even cut down a small (ok, very small 2") tree with it.

 

If you get the metal tri fold or any of those smaller military surplus type shovels one thing I would suggest is to use a benchgrinder or whatever to put a sharp edge on one side of the blade and then you can hone it with a stone. You can get (or make) a sheath for them so that it wont hurt anything in transporting it, but that sharp edge can do wonders for a number of things......I've had to use mine like a machete to walk out of some pretty remote and obscure wheelin places.....they are good for also cutting into small trees like Texan said......I've had to cut a few to throw into ruts to get something anything to get some traction on......definately a very versatile tool to have on the trail without having to carry an axe or a machete and they are very durable to boot.

-Shawn

 

got stuck in mud in galveston one time, had to use a brick alone to get my truck out. DAMN YOU 2WD had a bunch of mexicans help me out too, aaah gotta love mexican labor. hehe dont worry the mexicans we're friends of my bro and we're Colombian so i can talk trash about mexicans without sounding too unPC

 

One thing that might come in handy for snow and sand digging (maybe mud too - I have not tried) is a cut off bottle and handle from a big laundry soap bottle. Good for scooping water from a small low running stream for your campfire too.

 

i use a hard to find us military issue one that has a shovel and pick that can be angled, its nice, i think you should get the german one

 

I took a wood handled one and sawed off a couple inches of the handle so it would fit in my tool box.

 

Rebocardo, I never even would have thought of this. You know you're in for some hardcore wheeling when you plan for injuries and wrecks big enough that you have to limp home with a walking stick.

I think Pro may have answered my question as to why my girl doesn't want to go offroad with me anymore. In light of that, anyone know where I can find a folding model? German is fine, American preffered though . . . no she doesn't need to speak English, just so long as she can fold 3 ways and dig.

 

ivan.....I have one..a try folding army issue one picked it when we were long haul truckers, dont remember where we got it...check the army surplus store on division and hmmm....Indiana and division, or foothills and division maybe, you know the one im talking about?

 

I picked a folding shovel up from Army Surplus, keep it in my car though. I have a full size fiberglass shovel in the toolbox on my truck. I'm thinking about adding a second shovel with a pick . . . or maybe just not getting stuck will do.