Best Survival Shovel Reviews

When you venture into the wild, you have to be ready for anything. In a crisis you need to be prepared an emergency. This includes having the best survival tools on hand. The cover survival shovel is the top selling Multi tool survival shovel on Amazon!

That’s why it’s imperative that you pack the right survival gear before venturing into hazardous territory. Even if no natural disasters are imminent. There are many instances when having a trusty shovel can come in handy.

What’s the Best Folding Survival Shovel?

The best folding survival shovels make up a vital part of any survival kit. They are designed for a variety of purposes from digging through snow, to digging out a stuck vehicle, clearing debris and building safe shelters

A good survival shovel needs to handle any emergency situation. And since you are packing a lots of other survival tools a shovel should be durable, easy to use, versatile, lightweight and portable.

SOG Lightweight Foldable Shovel

 

If you are looking to buy a survival shovel, there are thousands of models available online. But which one is right for you? We have compiled detailed reviews of the top 10 survival shovels that you can choose from.

SOG Entrenching Tool Folding Shovel

What is a Survival Shovel?

A survival shovel is an essential tool that can help you deal with various situations. Like digging a trench, creating a shelter, cutting wood and removing snow from your path.

A good quality survival shovel can last for years and is a must-have tool for every outdoor enthusiast.

There are a wide variety of survival shovel types available in the market and choosing the best one can be a challenging task. However, you can make the selection process easier by going through the buying guide.

Benefits of Fold Up Shovel and Shovels for Survival

Zune Lotoo Tactical Survival Shovel and Multitool, ($60 )16 in 1 Compact Carbon Steel for Emergency Backpack on Amazon

A folding shovel, also known as a collapsible or multi-tool shovel, is a versatile and portable tool that offers many benefits.

One of the main benefits of a folding shovel is its compact size. When folded, it can easily fit into a backpack or emergency kit, making it ideal for camping, hiking, and other outdoor activities. It can also be stored in the trunk of a car, making it a useful tool for road trips and emergency situations.

Another benefit of a folding shovel is its versatility. Many models come with multiple functions, such as a saw or a pick, making them useful for a variety of tasks. For example, a folding shovel with a saw can be used for cutting small branches, while a model with a pick can be used for digging in rocky soil.

Strong

Folding shovels are also durable and built to withstand heavy use. They are typically made of strong, high-quality materials such as stainless steel or carbon steel, which are resistant to rust and corrosion. This makes them suitable for use in a variety of environments, including wet and muddy conditions.

Folding shovels are also versatile in their use cases, they can be used for digging trenches, making fire pits, digging latrines, and even in construction sites. They can also be used to move snow, dig up roots, and even break concrete.

Easy to Use

Another advantage of folding shovels is that they are relatively easy to use. Many models come with a comfortable handle that can be adjusted for different hand sizes. This makes a fold up shovel easy to hold and maneuver.In addition a folding shovel is typically easy to operate, allowing for quick and easy deployment. And, of course it needs to be easy to pack on your bug out backpack.

Shovels are Affordable Survival Tool

Above is a Budget Friendly Folding Shovel on ($16) on Amazon

Folding shovels are also relatively affordable and a good value. They can be purchased for less than $20 and can serve multiple purposes, providing a good return on investment.

In summary, folding shovels are versatile, portable, durable, and easy to use. They are ideal for outdoor activities, emergency situations, and many other tasks. With a folding shovel, you’ll be prepared for anything that comes your way. Whether you’re a camper, hiker, or just someone who wants to be prepared for the unexpected, a folding shovel is a valuable tool to have on hand.

Types of Survival Shovels

There are three main types of survival shovels that can be used for different purposes. They include –

Folding shovel: Folding shovels are the most popular form of survival shovel. Due to their compactness and portability. They typically come with a tri folding design and can fold down to as little as a third of their size.

Making them ideal for a bug out bag or emergency kit.

Entrenching Shovel (E-tool): An entrenching shovel is a tool used by military personnel to dig trenches, foxholes, and other holes in the ground. Its name derives from its primary role of entrenching the ground to provide cover and protection.

Despite the name, this tool is not limited to use in combat situations. It has many other uses. Including digging out vehicles that have gotten stuck or broken down.

The entrenching shovel is typically a long-handled and long-bladed shovel. With a pick point on one end and a shovel-like scoop at the other end.

Survival Foldable Shovel Multi Tool

ZENHOSIT Multifunctional Camping Survival Shovel with Axe, Hatchet Flashlight Combo with Extension Handle on Amazon

As the name suggests, survival shovel multi-tools are shovels that come with a variety of extra tools. They are typically made up of two or three sections with hollow tubing.

This hollow tubing is used to house different tool attachments. Which can be used interchangeably. These shovels also typically have several features on the blade. Such as serrated edges, axe edges and bottle openers.

A survival shovel multi tool is great for when you’re spending extended time outdoors. Such as camping. As it comes with an array of handy outdoor tools.

A survival shovel is a very useful tool for the prepared person. It is one of the important survival tools to get if you want to stay prepared. When you are camping or in an emergency situation, you will be glad you have one.

A survival shovel can be a lifesaver in many outdoor situations. In the absence of proper tools, it becomes difficult to survive in the wild. However, if you have a survival shovel with you, things can be much easier.

There are many uses for a survival shovel, such as – –

Digging a Trench

When you build a makeshift shelter, you need to dig a wide trench  for the floor of your shelter. You can also be use the foundation or trench that will help keep you safe in a natural disaster.

Cut Wood

Use a survival shovel to cut small pieces of wood and logs. In addition to building a fireplace with cut logs or making a trap for small animals.

Removing Snow

When you are traveling in a winter season, it can be difficult to walk on snow. or trapped in a car. A survival shovel can be used to dig away snow, dirt and other debris.

It is important to get a quality survival shovel that will last. There are several factors to consider when choosing one.

How to Choose The Best Survival Shovel in Review

Survival folding shovels come in a variety of sizes, shapes and many have extra features.To get the best survival shovel for your specific needs, you’ll need to know exactly what to look for. In this guide we’ll be looking at the most important features to look for in a survival shovel.

Namely, materials, functionality, ease of use and size.

Materials

The materials that make up a survival shovel help to determine how durable and effective it is. Both the shovel head and handle need to be made from tough materials that can stand up to the elements. While at the same time be lightweight for easy carry.

The best survival shovels are built from one of three materials:

Carbon steel: Carbon steel is very durable and keeps a sharp edge for longer than other metals. The one drawback is that it isn’t corrosion resistant. So, if you’re going to buy a carbon steel shovel, make sure its powder coated.

Stainless steel: Stainless steel is easier to maintain than carbon steel. Due to it’s stain and corrosion resistance. But, its heavier and not as durable.

Aluminum: Is the lightest metal that survival shovel heads are made from. But it’s not as durable as carbon or stainless steel.

Some survival shovels have plastic components. These should be avoided. They may be lightweight but can’t stand up to heavy duty tasks.

Build/Functionality Considerations

Above is the Sunkoon Survival Folding Shovels, Axe Hatchet Storage Pouch ($60 at time of publishing) Amazon

How a survival shovel is built will determine how it functions. You should choose the survival shovel that is designed for the tasks that you plan to use it for. Paying attention to the design features below will help you to determine the best survival shovel for you.

Handle Length: A shovel with a long handle is much easier to use, but isn’t as portable and may add extra weight. So, consider which is more important. Ease of use or portability when looking at the handle length.

Blade Shape: Different shaped blades are better for different tasks. Let’s look at the different shapes and what they’re best for.

Flat: Works best with loose soils and for scooping. Great for digging fire pits and other shallow wide holes.

Pointed: Great for digging deep small holes and penetrating compacted hard ground (eg. cat holes)

Wide: Ideal for leveling the ground or digging large pits.

Narrow: Great for pitching a tent or digging narrow holes

Blade Edges: Most survival shovels come with blades with added features. Such as an axe or serrated edge. These added features can help you perform helpful tasks such as cutting roots or chopping limbs of trees.

Versatility

Most survival shovels today come with a variety of added features. Many of these features can be helpful in the outdoors. But this may come at a cost. Added features, may also mean added weight and size.

Then again, having all these added features can save you from buying and carrying extra tools. It depends on what’s more important to you.

Size and Portability

The size of the your survival shovel is another very important factor to consider. During an emergency or survival situation, you don’t want anything to weigh you down. Remember you’ll need to carry other important tools and essentials.

So, it’s important that the survival shovel you choose can easily fit inside your bug out bag and leave room for other important items. The shovel should also be lightweight, so that it can be easily carried for long distances if needs be.

Regular Shovel vs Shovel Multi Tool – Which One is Right for You?

When deciding on the best survival shovel for your particular needs, you’ll come across two main options. Regular survival shovels and survival shovel multi tools.

A survival multi tool shovel is not just a shovel. But a multipurpose tool that can be used for various outdoor activities. These multi tools are built with hollow tubing. This hollow tubing contains extra tool tips for a variety of outdoor applications.

Some of the more popular multi tool shovel attachments are:

• Firestarter
• Pick Axe
• Emergency whistle
• Knife
• Bottle Opener
• Compass
• Ice Pick

Making them a great choice if you are planning to stay outdoors for a longer time period.

While having all of these tools at your disposal does come in handy. Survival shovel multi tools do have a drawback. They are harder to assemble and have much more parts to deal with than the classic survival shovel.

Although, not as versatile as the multi tool shovel. The classic tri fold design offers a much easier and secure assembly. These shovels are also more portable and compact.

Go for the option that is more suitable to your specific needs.

Concluding Best Survival Shovel Review

At this point you in the best survival shovel review you should now have a good understanding of survival shovels. What features you should be looking for, which ones to avoid.