PACT Outdoors Shovel
A lightweight trowel that's comfortable to hold, the PACT Outdoors Shovel makes digging a hole fast and easy in even most compact, rocky soils.
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- Tubular shape eliminates sharp edges that can make digging painful and difficult while improving strength and rigidity
- Ergonomic grip pattern is comfortable to hold even when digging in compact, rocky dirt
- Shovel can be held in a stabbing orientation for breaking up dirt and a scooping orientation for removing dirt from the hole after it is broken up
- Durable aluminum material is strong enough to handle all encounters with rocks, roots and compact soil while remaining lightweight
- Plastic cap improves effectiveness by allowing you to apply downward pressure when digging in compact dirt
- Serrated edge on the shovel tip helps to cut through roots
- Includes a 6 in. mark to indicate minimum acceptable burial depth for human waste
- Bungee loop on the cap allows you to attach the shovel to a pack or other gear
- All PACT Outdoors products are guaranteed for life
Imported.
| Best Use | Backpacking |
|---|---|
| Material(s) | Aluminum/recycled PET plastic/elastic bungee |
| Dimensions | 8 x 1.7 x 1 inches |
| Weight | 1.3 ounces |
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Works but flawed design
So I bought this with a kit that came with compressed TP and biodegradable tablets to help your waste break down. Those things I loved. However, this shovel is a major pain. It's hollow. Which makes sense for weight savings. But dirt gets clogged in the handle EVERY TIME. It's such a pain. Like others have said, it does a great job with roots and such, but the clogging of dirt made me stop bringing this shovel. Even putting it in a river to clean it out takes time and effort because by the time you're done digging the whole, that shiz is PACKED in there. They should have made a thin blocker to stop the dirt from clogging in there.
Never hike without this
Lightweight and comfortable to use
This is a nice, lightweight trowel. Its rounded shape makes it very comfortable to hold and use. The hollow inside is supposed to house a little holder for PACT's "biodegradable wipes". We do not use those, and I might 3D print a holder for something else to put in there instead, but even without it I have no trouble endorsing this shovel since it spends most of its time hanging off the outside of my pack anyway. The only problem I had with it is that, after a few days in a hot car, the plastic part that holds the carabiner loop came detached from the shovel. It would click back in but still feel concerningly loose. I ended up reinforcing it with some duct tape.
Extremely comfortable
This trowel is really comfortable and strong. Its handle has no sharp edges making digging a hole super easy and fast without any pain and discomfort. It also doesn’t bend while digging into hard ground. I was worried that dirt could get stuck in the cylinder shaped handle but this is not the case at all.
Lightweight and easy to use
I appreciate the shape of this shovel and the plastic cap. It's very comfortable to use and apply pressure when the ground is tough. It has had no trouble cutting through small roots from brush. It has generally held up well, but I have noticed the tip bending now that I've taken it on a few trips. That's typically an issue with rocks in the soil; one area had a lot of shale mixed in with the dirt, and that seemed to do the most damage. Overall though, I'm happy with this purchase and could imagine getting another one in the future.
Does the Job!
This trowel easily cuts through small roots just by pushing through them, and the serrated edge slices through larger ones in a snap. It's ultralight to the point where it has very little effect on your pack weight. Being metal, it's not flexible, but the small loop on the end allows you the option of easily securing it on the outside of your pack if you are looking to save space.
My New Go-To Trowel!
So much more comfortable to hold than a flat metal trowel. The curved shape means it doesn't cut into your hand when digging in tough dirt. Plus, PACT has lifetime warranties on all products so they'll replace or refund if it ever bends.
dogs great.
Keep in mind this is my first backpacking shovel so I haven’t used any other shovels to compare it to. I love this shovel as far as being able to really grip it without hurting your hand, I imagine the other most popular options are not nearly as comfortable to hold onto. It does really really well digging holes and the little saw cuts through big thick roots no problem. The only part that I don’t like about it is that the shovel is not wide enough to really scoop much dirt out of the hole very quickly. I imagine this is the same for all backpacking shovels, but I would’ve sacrificed a little bit of space in my backpack for the tip being wider to be able to scoop dirt out of the hole easier/faster.  I do not find that dirt clogs inside like other people have found. I have dug in a variety of different types of dirt, including soft old growth forest, and very hard clay like dirt. Obviously clay clumps together very easy, but it still did not clog inside the shovel for me. Again, I have not used any other shovels to do a fair comparison, but find it very comfortable to use. It’s also handy that you can put Ziploc bags and things inside of it which make for easy storing. If you’re not an ultra lighter and you find yourself needing to dig a hole quickly, you could bring a pair of little gardening gloves and loosening the dirt with the shovel and then scooping it out with a gloved hand or a bare hand which would be much faster/easier.
Perfect design
Best trowel available. Extremely easy to dig holes and cut thru roots. Glad I found it.