Awesomifying a Folding Shovel
View this post on Hive: Awesomifying a Folding Shovel
6 years ago in #nature by eturnerx (64)
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haha. I think I have this same shovel...I might need to fancify it now...
It makes the shovel much better! Good for clearing vegetation from a site as well as digging and getting through roots.
I'd make a leather case for that thing. But I'm compulsize that way. The one you mentioned was floppy that has leather case... does it hang low enough to add a string like on a holster to minimize the flopping?
The photos that I see of soldiers wearing similar shovel (it's basically an Austrian variant of the M43) don't seem to holster the handle. The flopping mustn't have been all that bad.
It may be that with other stuff on it stabilizes enough. I wasn't thinking of putting a string on the handle so much as the lower point of the case. But it also may need to be movable to keep it out of the way when changing positions all the time.
I think you're right. If the spade is worn on a pack then there was normally a special pocket that held the whole head onto the pack. The photos I saw from WWII of the Austrian's showed the shovel worn on the left side of a belt. In that position you might want a single attachment point for mobility as you describe.
Interestingly, the new NATO folding shovels are tri-folders and collapse into a package no larger than the shovel's head. I have a spade carrier from a British PLCE webbing set and my local army contacts confirm they carry something similar on their webbing. I think that tri-fold design eliminates any swinging or leg entanglement hazard from the handle.
Ours, if we ever need it, will probably go on a saddle pack or strap on otherwise that way. We don't do much long trips on foot.
Hey you made your post! Looks like a pretty useful little tool, do you think it could serve as a weapon if needed?
This particular shovel is probably not my first choice of weapon. It's a bit too handle heavy and short so not a good club. It'd take some training to reliably strike with the blade with good edge alignment. It handles like a short baton or short pipe with an annoying blade on the end. The length is also not short enough to be manoeuvrable but not long enough to give much reach. It'd be much better than nothing but I just didn't feel right when I tried it as a weapon. It does look mean though.
I can wield this one-handed, and it feels okay to use this in my off hand with a knife in my dominant hand. In that mode, this spade is more for stand-off, defense and distraction while the knife does any dark deeds. That's fair because if I have the spade I'd probably also have a knife.
If I was cracking zombie skulls then I'd probably go with the spade in the dominant hand. The spade's lightness upfront means I'd want maximum power and dexterity to get that coconut cracking edge alignment. Probably a 6/10 in the weapon stakes just because it feels weird.
Excellent review :D The pick part looks like it could do in a pinch but I agree a much longer weapon is preferable against the zombies, lol.
I tried again. In "pick mode" it handles more like a hatchet, but more hook potential. So probably best at creating an opening for the knife. Still weird, but a little less so.
In my opinion, it would make a pretty good weapon if necessary. Trench shovels were used as weapons quite often for hand to hand fighting in WW1.
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Nice looks very useful - might have to get one myself :)
Be careful with that MilSurp website and avoid their retail stores. Unquenchable gear addiction may result.
Another part of your survival kit. Thanks for the beauty tip!
All of my milsurp stuff is 'antique,' and usually is an actual weapon. I really need a folding shovel and have been putting it off because costs at sporting goods places are prohibitive. I didn't even think to go the army route...mostly because I end up spending any money I would have potentially saved and then some. They're like candy stores for me, so I do my best to go infrequently :|
I stay away from the MilSurp store for the same reason! When I use an old poker trick; left-pocket-right-pocket. That is, I separate out my budgeted spend and I'm only allowed to spend that.
Weapons are cool but not all that practical. I just don't see many situations where I'm going to need an armoury. But then my society has proven to pull together in a crisis. I do have my eye out for a machette though.
The current model NATO tri-folding shovel is only 630grams. It's a bit bulky though. I could lighten my black shovel by leaving the handle extension behind - there's so much weight in the handle. It'd be a bit less convenient for digging, but lighter so trade offs trade offs.
I'm trying to avoid going there to the store again or I'll come away with a Finnish Mess kit, another Hungarian Mess kit (my 5th) and the rest of my budget in MREs - which I'll eat up eating as an expensive lunch at work or something.
It's less building up an arsenal for me, but I enjoy the historical aspect of a lot of long guns. Milsurp is cheap gun food for expensive holes on paper. I don't really believe in much else other than target shooting, personally, but should I ever need to hunt/defend myself in the end times, I suppose I'm covered.
I often watch MRESteve (Steve1989MREInfo) — I think we may have talked about this.. have you ever seen his videos?
I love that history too. I'd quite happily run a museum. Maybe if I become a billionaire I'll start one.
You have mentioned MRSteve once before, but that was the extent of the chat back then. I watch an MRE video from time to time. There are a few reviers out there and steve is a good one. I like how the MRE represents the best of morale, food fashion, industry, logistics and nutritional thinking at the time. Wars are won on logistics.
Now I feel like having an MRE for lunch. Damnit one's not supposed to like MREs.
img credz: pixabay.com
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