iunio Hiking Trowel, Camping, Backpacking, Portable Shovel, Multitool, Ultralight Camp Tool, with Carrying Pouch, for Gardening, Outdoor, Survival

This was a life saver in the backcountry on a trip in July. My husband has a super hard-to-use, square-ended and heavy poop shovel which for some reason he's very proud of. He wouldn't leave it behind and I didn't relish the idea of carrying extra weight, but I just knew that if I tried to use his, or a stick which was the other alternative, I would fail, and end up moving and re-burying poop...super unappealing for obvious reasons.I don't have strong hands, and still this shovel worked QUICK. It's not lightweight by any stretch, but it's definitely super effective. If you're someone who only realizes you need to go when it's almost too late, you need this shovel.As an aside, it's sturdy enough to hack up larger branches into small enough pieces of wood to fit inside my Toaks woodstove. I wouldn't try that with one of those ultralight aluminum or titanium poop shovels. The aluminum would probably bend from hacking. The titanium might not but still could hurt your hand because the handle edge is kind of sharp. This one has a nice solid handle..although I never could get the little cap thingie on it and left it behind. In all, this is a great "multi-use" backpacking tool. I won't "go" in the backcountry without it!

5 Star Trowel. There is a serrated edge for sawing and knife edge for cutting. One of the clips on my hiking poles got jammed into the metal and I could not pull it off for the life of me. Once this trowel arrive, I pulled it out immediately to try and saw off the thick plastic clip. It worked like a CHARM. Even with using a ton of brute force, the saw part did not take a hit. No scratches, no dents, only heavy duty quality. You can use this as a hammer for stakes as well. I plan on using it to mostly dig cat holes in the ground while camping and hammer in the tent stakes.

Before I bought this, I used a foldable “trench-shovel.” I liked them a lot but they bend and break if you use it for chipping ice, hacking sticks, etc. They are also fairly heavy and take over 30 seconds to deploy. With the type of camping I do, weight and pack space is everything, and this is a huge decrease in pack weight for me.It’s pretty much what you would expect... The quality is actually pretty good, but I don’t expect it to hold up for more than a couple years. It’s not as easy to clear ground because the spade is obviously smaller too, and you can’t use it like a hoe as you can with most trench shovels.The sheath is of medium quality. Like I said, I don’t expect it to last too long. It has a vertical belt style loop which is odd, but it works. For the price though you can’t really go wrong. The extra tools on it is a nice added bonus too (not that I don’t already carry most of the tools it has on it like a knife). I do wish it had a bottle opener on it though, and maybe a fishing line/rope cutter.All in all though, I can still dig my fire pit without using my hands and I save some pack weight/space. I can dig for worms for bait, and dig postholes for a homemade shelter if necessary. If you’re going to be using a shovel a lot, spend the extra money and get a high quality trench shovel. Otherwise this is perfect for backpacking.It doesn’t “feel” like it will bend or break very easily, but I’ve only used it on one 5-day trip.

Excellent tool

I have a collection of about 6 hand and collapsible "Backpacking" shovels made from plastic and metal. Their sizes and options vary, but it all comes down to:1) Weight2) Ability to Dig WellThis shovel is only 6.8 ounces (not including the soft pouch - 0.2 oz.). It's a bit heavier than a plastic shovel, but it's 1000x better, more rugged, and more capable than the plastic choices. The shovel is wide enough to scoop out the dirt in a hole. It's strong and sharp enough to dig through rocky or rooty soil. You can hammer tent stakes in the hard ground with the flat part of the shovel. The serrated saw is good for small branches and cutting ropes.This shovel is bulletproof tough, small and lightweight. Made with a heavy gauge stainless steel with the handle wrapped with paracord for emergency needs, otherwise it's a nice grip. It has a hex wrench and nail puller, but neither one is useful in the woods. But, this is the absolute best shovel for cat holes in any kind of soil.PROS:Stronger and more capable than plastic shovels (similar size though)Safer than collapsible shovelsLightweightToughCompactWide Blade for easier removal of debrisSerrated Saw on one sideDigs through rocky soilTent Stake HammerCONS:Slightly heavier than plastic shovels

This is perfect for either camping or backpacking. Super sturdy and has many uses to assist with setting up a tent and many other uses around the campfire. Takes up no space at all and very helpful.

So let me start off by saying that if ultralight backpacking is your goal, this one is probably not for you. It weighs in at 6.5 oz, whereas most "ultralight" trowels will come in at just over half of an ounce.However, there are some advantages. First, this one will definitely be easier in the hands (the UL ones can be awkward and hurt your hands a bit), especially when digging in tough ground. the serrated edge will cut through roots easier.In the end, the choice will have to come down to if it is worth the extra weight.