CAMPING SHOVELS

You may be wondering why anyone would need a shovel for camping. At most campgrounds you’ll find sites with level tent spaces, built-in fire rings, and conveniently located bathrooms. You can camp safely and comfortably without even thinking about a shovel. But if you’re heading into less tame territory it’s a good idea to take one along. You may need to cover your campfire with dirt before you leave or dig a trench to direct rainwater away from your tent. Good choices for camping range from compact, multi-function versions to full-size trenching shovels.

Folding Camp Shovels

The advantage to taking along a folding shovel is its compact size. Most are about two feet long when opened up and fold up to about nine or ten inches. They are also usually pretty lightweight, weighing around 2.5 pounds. Digging blades are usually steel with a serrated edge for sawing roots, and some shovels also have a pick attachment. Coleman, Tri-Fold, and Fiskars are just a few of the brand names.

Camp Shovel and Axe

In keeping with the need to minimize space and weight, camping tools and utensils often have more than one function. Such is the case with many camping shovels. Common combinations include a shovel, axe, and saw, along with one or more other tools. There’s a version that has a pick and a compass, and another one with a knife. The Tomahawk brand six-in-one camp shovel features a shovel blade, saw, axe, bottle opener, hammer, and nail puller.

Trenching Shovels

Trenching shovels are full-size, hard-working shovels. While a folding shovel may be convenient to carry, you wouldn’t want to dig for very long with a two-foot handle. For serious digging, you need a longer shovel to save your back. Union Tools offers a line of trenching shovels with 54-inch handles of either ash wood or fiberglass and three-inch to six-inch blades in a variety of bright colors. Hisco shovels feature 47-inch to 96-inch handles, again either ash wood or fiberglass; many of these models also have hand grips built right into the handles.