Expedition Shovels

[Harald Hansen]

I've got one of these compact Fiskars snow shovels for snow:

Snow shovels are of course useless for packed earth, but decent spades are sub-optimal for moving snow, so two times a year I change out what I bring.

 

[Sport-Trac 01]

I was going to mention something in my post but forgot.
Never paint wooden tool handles. It can hide a pending failure, like a split, with results that can hurt you. Or someone else.
I'm sure quite a few folks already know that, but I'm always surprised at how many who don't.

Yeah, don't use paint on wood handles, use linseed oil to protect them. Little bit of old farmer's wisdom.

The shovel I carry in my truck is a short little NVA combat shovel I picked up at a military surplus store. I like the size and it's been pretty usable so far.

I own a German army folding shovel, and have nothing but good things to say about it.

 

[CanuckMariner/Nomad]

Just a note I think important.

One thing that makes that German shovel better than the US entrenching tools I've had is the fact that the German one has a square spring loaded pin that locks it in the three positions.

The US type has a threaded collar that has to be tightened down.

The threads can be a real pain in freezing slush and snow. With the German spring loaded pin, even if it freezes up a few good whacks and it's good to go again.

I have found the same with mine. The square spring loaded pin works great....keep it lubed up and it always works fine. Very reliable tool and military tested!

 

[jerdog53]

I have one of these that i carry around in the winter time, never had to use it but you never know

With this for a handle

The two plug into each other for smaller storage, i now see they have a saw built into the handle which could come in usefull

Sorry for the size but it is what it is

 

[JIMBO]

:victory: This ol' boy has gone thru 6 homes and about 10 different 4wd vehicles

Kinda like family

So, it'll probably outlast this Jeep too

:costumed-smiley-007:safari-rig::safari-rig: JIMBO

 

[Snagger]

I use the type of shovel used in the first photo. Folding shovels are too short for use in firm or stony ground, and I have found that their folding mechanisms get sloppy with use. You also need a pointed nose on the shovel head for digging ground with rocks, stones or roots, or very dry, compacted earth - the flat fronted type are only useful for sand, snow and loose earth.

I also have a wooden handled pick with detachable head (all mounted in the manner of the current Brirish Forced Land Rover TUL/TUM, aka "Wolf", rather than the Camel Trophy 110 style). If they're good enough for the British MoD and Camel Trophy, they'll do for me.:ylsmoke:

 

[Sport-Trac 01]

Snagger, I gotta say that's one nice looking Land Rover :smiley_drive:, Shovel looks good on the hood like that.

 

[Snagger]

Thank you.

I fit them that way for two reasons - if I later decided to get rid of the mountings, I'd only have to replace the bonnet, not the wings, and because they seemed to hinder forward visibility less there than having them on the wings as per the Camel Trophy 110s. Older, pre-Wolf MoD Land Rovers used to hang the tools on the back door, the spare wheel being on the bonnet. Since my back door was occupied by a second spare wheel, that option was not open to me, and having recovery tools in the car didn't seem practical or safe - you'd have to unpack a lot of kit to get at them, have to put them back in the car covered in mud, and I thought they'd be a safety hazard to the vehicle occupants in a crash.

I used the proper mounting for the pick head and shovel head, but the other mounting clips and straps were replaced by medium sized Quickfists. The tools are locked in place with black cable-ties so they don't get stolen - the tools were fitted before I went on my trip and have been there ever since.

 

[madiaz]

greetings,

First time i went off-road by myself i saw a small puddle in front of a farm and said what the heck. 1 and a half hours later i finally got unstuck. i had to extricate myself by hand as there was no shovel on the truck. from that day on i carry a minimum of 1 shovel and for expo/shananiggans 2 or 3.

I guess we get stuck sometimes but that farm grows organic and it was freshly fertilized if you know what i mean:cow:.
:26_34_3:

permanent resident

taken when trouble might be found


http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=84&pictureid=223


I had to go to like 7 stores to find a U.S. manufactured shovel.
regards, m.a.d.

 

[Backwoods Rambler]

Where did you get those hanger for the fishing rods? The family and I want to take up fishing this year, but I can't figure out for the life of me, where we are going to put the rods??

 

[madiaz]

The family and I want to take up fishing this year,?

highly recommended. Especially with kids. even a small panfish is a trophy lunker to them. :Wow1:

i got the rod loft at cabelas. Two piece rods are pretty easy to store but almost all of mine are one piece and this thing makes it so much faster to load and unload rods.

regards, m.a.d.

 

[michaelgroves]

A full size shovel would be my choice - you need to be able to move a lot of material, and the shovel needs to be able to reach far under the truck. The one in the OP's pic (below) looks to me like it will break just where the shank meets the blade.

The one in Antichrist's post (reposted below) seems ideal, though I personally prefer a D handle to a T type.

Actually, the spade on the front of JIMBO's Jeep looks just about perfect.

 

[Antichrist]

The one in Antichrist's post (reposted below) seems ideal, though I personally prefer a D handle to a T type.

I agree on the D handle, but it only cost $10 or $20 so....

 

[RgrBox]

I just found out th ehard way last Friday, that my shovel is gold. I had emptied my Land 110 due to transporting boxes for work. I forgot to put my standard kit back into my truck when I got home that night and decided to drive out to a possible camping spot I wanted to check out for the weekend. I drove up the mountain behind my place when I came to a spot where th esnow hadn't yet melted. I tried driving threw it, and all was well until I was about 3 meters from th eend, and my Land got stuck in that good ol Spring melt ICE.. I tried to dig myself out by hand but it didn't work.. I tried to call my wife but she had turned off her phone while sh ewas in church.. I ran back home, couple fo kms.. and got there just as she as arriving.. I threw my shovels, I carry two small Siss Army 1938 aluminum snow shovels in my truck.. anyway got to th etruck, and along with my sand ladders I was out in 5 seconds.. anyway, leson learned.. never leave home without my proper kit.. one can never tell when I'm going to get a wild hair and do something crazy...

 

[kai38]

I carry a left over from my ski days an aluminum avalanche shovel.
Nice smiley face design from shoveling with it.
I also have a fiberglass handled pointed shovel mounted on the trailer.