How many of you carry a trowel? If so, which one?

I used to carry a really nice folding, stainless steal one that I bought at REI, but to save weight, I have been carrying a $2 Orange Plastic trowel to cut weight.

I read on the forums recently that some people are using an aluminum snow stake for their trowel and it has a duel usage as an extra stake.

I am going to try that out on my next trip.

Hope that this helps.

-Tony

I used to use the cheap, ubiquitous and effective orange plastic trowel but found it too bulky. I now use the MontBell trowel and highly recommend it for its strength, light weight, and compactness. Great sex appeal too (for a trowel).

I use one I made out of titanium that is modeled after the Montbell trowel. It weighs 10g.

Edited by ericnoble on 07/03/2008 14:55:04 MDT.

in the event that a stick or rock wont work, I have used a V-shaped Ti tent peg with 20' of Zpacks cord wrapped around for a handle. The bonus is, you have emergency cordage on a very rigid trowel.
cost $5
weight .45

Edited by mikeinfhaz on 07/03/2008 15:04:04 MDT.

Ben,
I also have the MontBell trowel. It's tough, light and effective. I've not been able to confirm the sex appeal though. Where did you get this from? Bears? Racoons? Rough and rugged trail babes?

I'm with Mike and use a titanium nail stake. I've tried the orange plastic things and the montbell trowel. In the hard rocky sierras I find the nail stake does a better job of breaking up the ground.

Weight: 0.2 oz

Is there cottage maker of titanium trowels similar to the Mont-Bell?

--Joe
www.bozemanstoveworks.com

I like the montbell.......... 1.4oz for stainless steel construction is very light.

Hi Eric

How'd you make it? Can I buy one from you? :)

Most of the places I hike the soil is a solid mass of small roots. I tried the orange trowel and a few others and none worked all that great. Its not that light at 8 oz, but I am now using a Japanese digging knife and it works great. The one I have is a stainless one from Garret Wade, but here is the generic description:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hori_hori

In addition to being my trowel, it can be used as a light duty saw and a large fixed blade knife.

I have had the Montbell Trowell now for a few seasons. It works great!!!!

I use an aluminum SMC snow stake and it works great.

Eric

I posted instructions on making my trowel with the experiences of others in the MYOG section. I don't have one to sell but I'm happy to answer any questions if you wish to make your own.

I made this one out of 1/16" x 1" angle aluminum. I weighs in at 1 oz. and is pretty solid. The material costs less than $5 at Home Depot. As you can see the quality and craftsmanship far surpasses that of your typical prison shank. All I really had to work with was a Dremil Tool. I still need to drill a hole in the top so I can use it as a back-up stake too.

Hey Mike!

Now that's an idea! A whole new cottage industry! Prison inmates selling UL Potty Trowel/Prison Shanks to the backpacking community. We can be a part of their "rehabilitation."

They could offer discounts on slightly used ones.

The Original "MYOG" Potty Trowel Thread - Take a look

Bill,
You could notch in some short fork tines and your ti potty trowel could double as a spork.

Hey, its Friday.

Remember, you should dig only about 6" deep, so the organic biota in the topsoil can break down the "human waste". (The computerized "bad word nanny" woulden't let me write f*c*s!)

As I said above, an SMC aluminum snow stake is the lightest, yet still-efective trowel I could find. It can also serve as a main front guyline stake for my Contrail tent in bad weather or loose soil.

Eric

Edited by Danepacker on 07/07/2009 15:39:05 MDT.

Tried the lightening holes in the handle of the trowel I made before this... it didn't last long. Weakened the handle and it snapped right off.

Yeah Michael!

They could also turn a toothbrush into a knife/tent stake. Now that's multi-use right there!

Edited by ekim765 on 08/15/2008 13:30:15 MDT.

Thom,
That trowel/spork combo you mention isn't far from another BPL'er comment. I wish I could recall who, but someone was talking about using the cookpot for a urine containment device instead of grabbing boots and a flashlight to take care of business in the middle of the night.
I'd say to search the forums, but that alone is worth laughing at.
Chris

Curious what you use when the ground is snow-covered and/or frozen solid?

> Curious what you use when the ground is snow-covered and/or frozen solid?

One Of Steve's carbon fibre /titanium ice axes!

cheers

I don't use or take a trowel.

I feel like I can dig a hole with a stick. So, I win the lightest rowel contest - it's zero!

> I feel like I can dig a hole with a stick.

I wouldn't think that would work too well in frozen soil even with a large, pointy stick, but I suppose you've managed to make it work.

From a woman's point of view, I'd have to agree that the Montbell trowel is sexy!

Ummm Mike, not above tree line. What would you use, a rock?

I made my own from sheet Ti. It don't weigh much. Got to put a rock on it so it don't blow away in the wind.

Works pretty good as a combo spoon, shoe horn and snow/sand stake.


My potty trowel.

Edited by redleader on 07/06/2009 23:16:25 MDT.

MSR Snow Stake for me. Light, durable, digs well around roots and rocks, and I didn't have to make it.

Sticks just don't work well enough in areas with roots and rocks, or else there just aren't stout enough one lying around that will do the job in the stuff I usually encounter.

This is on the heavy side (3.3 ounces) but after snapping one of the straight orange trowels in hard ground, I started using a Fiskars plastic garden trowel. Very durable and digs well. $4

The snow stake allows a little bashing with a stick or rock which virtually none of the other trowel options will endure. I wrapped mine with some light line to give some grip and protect my hands, not to mention giving an emergency line supply. A little duct tape would work too. If you really trash one they are cheap and 100% recyclable. In a pinch it can be used for a tent stake :)

I am with Pamela... I use a shaped stake (.4oz). Besides being a trowel it's used as a stake :-) I make it a luxury item by using a small plastic "t-joint" (.4oz) as a handle. This lets me press down hard without worrying that I will hurt my hand. The t-joint is also used to push in stakes when the ground is being troublesome. I found my stakes last longer this way rather than using a rock as a hammer.

--mark

Another stake user here. Mine is a 1-oz. aluminum semicircular stake left over from some tent or other many years ago. It works just fine. Since my dog also uses it (or rather, I use it for his leavings), he gets to carry it! Only fair since he does his thing twice daily while I need the stake only once a day.

I have also used my shoe heel or trekking pole points, but I've found that the stake is far more effective.

I've found that those cheap plastic trowels are completely useless unless the ground happens to be soft and soggy. After a month of no rain in Pacific Northwest summers, a plastic trowel won't even scratch the surface of the ground.

Here's my version...

MSR snow stake with CCF cushioning the handle (wrapped with cloth bicycle handlebar tape). Stronger, lighter and more comfortable than most solutions...and it can still be used as a tent stake!

34 grams on my scale (1.2 oz.).

I use a Montbell Trowell as well.

For snow I would consider a Coghlan's Back Pack Trowel.

I don't carry a trowel. I'm just selective about my choice of spots and use the back of the heel of my boot to dig a hole.

"I don't carry a trowel. I'm just selective about my choice of spots and use the back of the heel of my boot to dig a hole."

Spot on. Trowels are unnecessary, IMO/IME. A proper choice of smaller boulders works well, too. Roll them back and you've got a pre-dug cathole. Just roll 'em back in place when you're finished and carry on with your day. Also, below timberline a sturdy stick makes a good trowel.

Ah - bit tricky on alpine grasslands...

Cheers

My trowel is similar to Mike's - I just spent more time with my file ;-) It weighs 50 grams and now, thanks to suggestions here, has a hole in the handle so it can be used as a tent stake.