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Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Riverwalker’s Gear - The Compact Survival Shovel

Original Article


There’s usually only one way to dig yourself out of a mess in a survival situation and that’s by having a good shovel handy. The main problem is that it’s pretty hard to carry a full size shovel with you all the time. While a full size shovel can be easily carried in a pick-up or a trailer, they don’t fit very easily into the trunk of your car or on a backpack.



Whether you find yourself stuck in the snow, the mud or a bunch of loose sand, a compact shovel may be just thing to dig yourself out of a bad situation.




Having a military-style folding shovel and a folding pick version is great but carrying both can be a little awkward and a little heavy when added to the rest of the gear that you may be carrying in your pack. Been there and done that! This is where the real versatility in a lightweight and compact shovel comes in handy. You get the versatility of both a shovel and a pick with this survival tool and don’t have to carry the added weight.








 At slightly less than 2 pounds, this compact survival shovel folds up easily into a 6” pouch that can fit easily under your car seat, in your trunk or your bug-out bag. You could also carry it on your belt but even at less than 2 pounds that’s a lot of weight to added to your belt.








This particular compact shovel assembles easily with only two main components and has a very sturdy steel handle with oversize rubber grips which allow you to easily get a good grip on the handle. 




It also allows several different configurations for use as a shovel only, pic only or a combination of both by merely loosening and tightening the adjustment knob on the handle.





At a mere 16 inches in length it will also allow you to get into some pretty hard to reach places. Although a longer handle will give you more leverage, sometimes they can also get in your way if it’s needed in a tight space.


Saving weight and space with your survival gear will lighten your load and give you additional room for others items you may need as well. With a relatively low cost, it won’t dig a big hole in your pocket either!

Got digging tool for survival?

Staying above the water line!


Riverwalker



2 comments:

  1. This looks like a good shovel for my camping trips. Need something that doesn't take up too much room.

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  2. Have you ever seen the Crovel? Part shovel, part crowbar, the Crovel not only will help you dig out of a problem, but is good at breaching operatons,removing obstacles, and extraction. Heck, by the look of it the Crovel will also make an excellent close quarter weapon. Check it out at http://www.survivaloutdoorgear.com/product_info.php?products_id=54176372 (Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with the manufacture and will not make a cent if you decide to buy it.)

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