I have the little Dig, gave my sister the big Dig, both are lighter than a snow stake. I did wrap the the handle on the trowels with a bit of Cuben tape as the dip stuff cut thru on first use. Cuben tape works to protect the hand, those trowels are sharp.
The link is does not appear to be a viable link for the suggested product.
I paid 2.99 for a black fiskars garden trowl. Much strudier then the orange ones IMO. Also if I'm digging a hole I want a shovel personally. When its time to dig I don't want to be trying to dig a hole with a pole I'd rather be using that to brace myself already.
Hiking the AT is “pointless.” What life is not “pointless”? Is it not pointless to work paycheck to paycheck just to conform?.....I want to make my life less ordinary. AWOL
I carry a black Fiskars garden trowel, but some time soon I'm gonna get me a Big Dig, Deuce of Spades, or something similar. I'm convinced of the value, just haven't taken the plunge yet.
I always know where I am. I'm right here.
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/suluk-46-tark-trowel You may need an account to get the deal (around $25 with shipping)
But here is their direct website
I use this little titanium guy:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ULTRALIGHT-B...YAAOSwaNBUhgmp
Plaid is fast! Ticks suck, literally... It’s ok, bologna hoses off…
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Is this considered a luxury item?....
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I am also a snow stake user. It is a dual purpose item in that it is also a regular tent stake even when there isn't snow.
My tent is not free standing, but if I need to deliver a food baby after I have pitched my tent, then the vestibule will just have to be not pulled out until The Browns have been buried.
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Snow stakes used here. Lot's of power with for digging, more comfortable to dig with than those "knife edged" titanium trowels, multi-purpose, less than an oz in weight, $2-$5 each depending on brand and vendor. But mostly, I already have them and they work well.
I'm not lost. I'm exploring.
If one is expert enough to dig a proper cat hole with a trekking pole, stick, or bit of metal, I've no issue. However, from what I have seen, few people are able to do this properly and we are treated to the evidence of poor process long after they leave. I'm amused when people talk about weights of various things so they can carry recharging equipment for their electronics, at the same time claiming a cat hole trowel adds too much weight. Sanitation over communication.
From what I've seen is more of a problem with dump site location not depth....
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Hands down, the deuce of spades rocks. Honestly, with roots and rocks, etc., it is very hard at times to dig 6" even with the deuce, let alone a stick or a boot. That leads me to believe that "stick and boot" hikers perhaps more frequently have more shallow cat holes than is recommended. I have used it in an variety of conditions and never been let down.
Whether you think you can, or think you can't--you're right--Henry Ford; The Journey Is The Destination
I have been using the qiwiz big dig for several years now. I unfortunately left one at my cathole on Gregory Bald a few years ago and had to replace it.
Point 1 - I have used it extensively in the hard, root and rock ridden soil of the GSMNP on many occasions and found it works much better than the orange plastic jobby.
Point 2 - I agree with qiwiz, the nice thin titanium is great for cutting into the soil. It also serves well at severing small roots and worrying rocks out of the soil.
Point 3 - So far, I haven't had the plastic dip on the handle fail.
Point 4 - 6" deep is not just to get it out of sight, it also gets it down into the bioactive soil where it can be absorbed and turned into plant food. So flipping over a rock may
work for your convenience, but if you are not getting it down into the soil, then you are just making a mess for somebody else to discover.
Point 5 - There are certainly places with loose, sandy, or rocky soil that you can use the stick/heel method. If that is where you live and hike, then great. But if you are not regularly getting you payload down 6" into the ground, don't fool yourself that your ultralight mindset is in any way LNT or responsible.
Point 6 - I had a lot of fun explaining to my Scouts about the smear method for use above treeline and arid areas. Certainly it has fallen out of favor and mostly has been replaced by wagbags... but they though it was worth talking about. Go figure.
Once I pooped in a tree stump.