trowel
I have been looking through many backpacking list none say trowel. If this just a given?
Not sure of percentages, but it appears that most don't carry one. I have heard many that don't carry one can did a grave with a trekking pole. I plead the 5th on the heavy item I carry for that purpose. I don't want to face the ridicule. If you decide to use a trekking pole, I would encourage you to practice digging a suitable hole before you need to on the trail.
In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. - Abraham Lincoln
When making a personal gear list, every item should be listed. Failure to do so usually results in forgotten items. A complete list is best used to initially gather all gear together, and serve as a checklist as each item is packed.
Plenty carry them, and you can get them as light as 0.3 oz.
Check out qi wiz big dig, and the deuce of spades.
You can make do without, if you are good at choosing soft loamy rock free soil. Trekking pole BASKET will scrape out a hole, pole alone not good.
Some use a snow stake, some a decent rock.
Underneath bushes usually fits the bill.
Last edited by MuddyWaters; 07-06-2015 at 21:54.
I use a sort of tent stake. It's light, but capable of digging a 6" deep hole. Since I keep it with my TP, I would probably just list it as TP and not mention the stake.
A lot of people tell you they can dig a big enough hole with their foot. In the Appalachians, with its many rocks and roots, it is very hard to dig a deep enough hole with just a shoe or a stick. On the AT, you can usually find outhouses near shelters and regular campsites, so many don't care about the few times they need to dig a real cathole. You'll find a lot of badly buried poop and TP near the trail. Out west, with sandier soil, it is easier to dig a hole with a shoe or rock. (Ice axes are great for digging holes too.)
I carry a "snow stake" which digs well and can be used as a backup tent stake. It's lighter than a trowel and digs very well when needed.
Many thru hikers don't carry anything, and use their boot heel or a stick. I prefer to have something that can actually dig a hole.
Nothing wrong with the $3 orange 2 ounce plastic trowel from Couglins ($3.18 w/free ship @ Amazon right now) or similar products. There's always people trying to over-complicate something for 5 to 10 times the price.
http://www.amazon.com/Coghlans-8408-...camping+trowel
LNT
FWIW, I carry a light trowel for latrine purposes, having seen the results of poorly dug cat holes (which should be 6" to 8" deep). Though one can use pole baskets, rocks, and sticks once they find a place where the soil is soft, the trowel makes digging in these places far quicker and much more effective in hard or rocky soils. The trowel is also handy to dig out sandy or loamy/mossy soils that don't hold a tent stake well to bury tent guy out lines, dig out/improve a fire ring (where fires are permitted) and other minor chores. If weight is a consideration, it can be off set by carrying a quarter cup of water less.
Agree wholeheartedly.Originally Posted by AT Traveler
I carry one because I poo in the woods.
If one poo's in the woods, one must dig a proper hole.
I tried to go without one and it did not work out great for ME.
Did not want to leave my mess for others to see thus I started carrying one again.
Bought QiWiz original Ti trowel. It is very small and worth it to me.
When I received it I did not think it was large enough to dig a proper hole. It does just fine.
I also like to support our cottage hiking industries.
Here here for the Qiwiz trowel! It actually works.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Okay. Now that 2 others have admitted it, I will too. I carry a QiWiz trowel. I am not as talented as those that can dig a suitable hole with a stick or heel or stake.
In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. - Abraham Lincoln
+1 for the Qiwiz. Great for human poops, but when hiking with a dog it's essential (maybe it's the freedom of the woods, but my dog thinks it's cool to poop multiple times per day on the trail).
I took one of those on my first camping trip. Ground was too hard for it to accomplish much. When you include having to dig thru roots and such at times, I want something metal.
I currently use the Sea-To-Summit iPood (the one with the aluminum blade... they also make one with a nylon blade that reviews have panned).
I used to have the Couglins trowel, but found it bulky and did not dig as well as I wanted. I got a Deuce of Spades - http://thetentlab.com/Deuce/DeuceofSpadespage.html The smaller form factor is worth the added cost alone, and the first times I dug with it, I was extremely happy with my purchase.
2005 SOBO Attempt (500 miles)
2024 (?) SOBO Planning
+1 for the Deuce of Spades. Small, light and works great. Fits right in my quart zippy bag with my paper. Your choice of colors!
"Your comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there."
Invest in shoes with a sturdy heel.
Another +1 for the Qiwiz.
"Nothing grows where Bambi goes!"
--- Foster Brooks
bear_woods.jpg.jpganimals-bear-forests-toilets-woods-box_toilet-jhen89_low.jpgCall of Nature 2.jpgTPsliuceCOLOR.jpg
Last edited by atraildreamer; 07-07-2015 at 17:58.
"To make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from." - T.S. Eliot
I cut a little off the end of the Coughlin's trowel and gave it a sharper point at the tip. The resulting smaller blade is sturdier than the original larger one, and it packs better.
"Are we there yet?"
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