38 replies to this topic

[ski3pin]

OK those of you that carry full sized and not just a military type "E" tool what have you actually used and needed full size for? I love that my E tool is small and light. Loan it all the time for cat holes and fire tending. I have really NEVER desire a full size shovel. I guess they are used but just never saw or needed. I'm not trying to be negative towards them... just planning a long trip and wondering.

 

Fair question and happy to answer. We come upon others who are stuck and it has taken an awful lot of digging. Both for the back and long reach, full sized shovel. The other common use for us is cleaning up others improper disposal/burial of human waste, toilet paper, etc. Oh, how I love a long handle.

 

Example, these bighorn hunters we found in central Nevada

 

[smlobx]

Wow, I never thought this would be such a thought provoking thread!

 

While I can see the benefits of a long handle shovel I really don’t have the space to do so. Ideally I’d like to keep the overall length (when stored) to be no more than 36” or so....

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Wow, I never thought this would be such a thought provoking thread!

 

While I can see the benefits of a long handle shovel I really don’t have the space to do so. Ideally I’d like to keep the overall length (when stored) to be no more than 36” or so....

Eddie, if you do decide to go with a full size shovel, consider putting it on the roof racks.   I use a Yakima bike wheel tray to secure it, and in the spirit of honesty, I stole that idea from the Ski3Pins.  
 

After all. —>  Plagiarism is a sincere form of honesty.

[Kolockum]

I am in the full size shovel camp. I used to have a D-handle 36" but since have gone to the full size. It is really nice to have the reach of a full size shovel to get under a vehicle.

 

While I’m firmly in the carrying a full size shovel camp, one of these came up on my local Craigslist a day or two ago:

https://hi-lift.com/...cts/handle-all/

Didn’t know such a thing/kit existed. Sure enough I found out it’s a legitimate Hi Lift product.

 

Several of my friends have these or homemade versions. I like them and they can really take a ton of abuse.

 

Eddie, if you do decide to go with a full size shovel, consider putting it on the roof racks.

 

This is what I do now. I have a "Friend" who backed into a deep snow covered ditch and not been able to get the camper door open without a TON of shoveling. Oh and the shovel was in the camper

[ski3pin]

Ours is mounted right rear area so I can stand on the rear tire and unclip and retrieve the shovel - with the top down of course.

[Durango1]

Sioux and I are in the two shovel camp. We keep a long handle shovel in the (where else) 'shovel box' built in to our flat bed. (We 

fortunately almost never need to use it.)

 

But I found this shovel dinking around Amazon and it has been brilliant for cat holes (slices through roots like crazy), tending the fire, etc. Overkill? Sure. But we all need the fun of not-too-expensive-toys in these crazy times. (Or at least I do!)

[Ronin]

I use a 40" D handle. I store it right behind the front seats of my Tundra.

Attached Thumbnails

• 

[Happyjax]

I never thought about carrying a shovel until thread. Noob genes exposed! Thanks, I'll be getting something

[craig333]

Full size shovel. Someone could steal it sure, but its been on there for years and no ones touched it. 

 

[ski3pin]

Full size shovel. Someone could steal it sure, but its been on there for years and no ones touched it.

 

 

 

The other side of this - I cannot count the number of times we have returned to our truck at a trailhead, etc., and found a note saying, "We used your shovel, we put it back, thanks so much for having a shovel!" And several times the note included, "And thank god you had one to use!"