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With the vast array of survival shovels available today, finding the perfect one can feel like a daunting task. Hours spent scouring through countless options may lead to uncertainty, leaving you wondering if you’ll end up with a shovel that falls short of expectations.
Fret not, as we’ve done the groundwork for you. In this comprehensive guide, we present a handpicked selection of the best survival shovels of the year, allowing for effortless comparison and confident decision-making. No more digging around for the right tool – let’s unearth the finest survival shovels on the market.
1 Best Survival Shovel Chart
2 Reviewed Best Survival Shovels
3 Why to Get Survival Shovel
4 How to Find The Best Survival Shovel Easily
The Tyger Auto Shovel model TG-SV8U3217 is a heavy duty folding with over 16 different functions for the ideal survivalists, camper, hiker or emergencies. One of the better multi tool shovels on the market and would be perfect for your bag.
This multi tool survival shovel is one of the better ones and at an affordable price!
It’s got an amazing design to be compact, easy to carry along and is made from carbon steel.
Best Survival Shovels - Chart To Compare Easily: Top 5
Size Closed
9″
Size Extended
23″
Weight
2 LBS
Other Tools
Yes
Size Closed
20″
Size Extended
39″
Weight
5.7 LBS
Other Tools
Yes
Here Are The 10 Best Survival Shovels This Year
- Tyger Auto Shovel
- Rhino USA Folding Survival Shovel With Tools
- Sunkoon Survival Shovel Axe With Attachments
- Sahara Sailor Survival Shovel With Axe
- Zune Lotoo
- Suprock Survival Tactical Shovel
- Huzsv Survival Shovel Set
- Banores Survival Shovel and Axe 28 Tools in 1
- Banores Survival Shovel and Axe
Best Survival Shovels - Reviews
1. Tyger Auto Shovel
Category: Golding, Size Closed: 10″, Size Extended: 18″, Item Weight: 3 lbs, Material: Caron Fibre: Tools: Yes
Having all the latest bells and whistles available for a survival shovel with a solid design and the ability to use for any activity. It’s also light, durable, and can have many other functions other than a shovel!
Pros
Absolutely incredible strength - multi purpose
Has thousands of positive reviews
Great quality and a fair price
Cons
Handle is a little short
Tad awkward to cut things with
2. Rhino USA Folding Survival Shovel
Category: folding, Size Closed: 9″, Size Extended: 23″, Item Weight: 2 lbs, Material: Caron Fibre: Tools: Yes
Multi-purpose military-style tool that is an American-owned company. This survival shovel has superior build quality, and a collapsible and compact design. The material is a carbon steel used to enforce it with heavy-duty metals to give you strength when you really get stuck.
Pros
Super compact and made to last
Military folks love this e-tool
American owned company
Cons
Would like to see a carry bag with it
It doesn't have as many tools as some others for the price
3. Sunkoon Survival Shovel Axe
Category: folding, Size Closed: 15″, Size Extended: 37″, Item Weight: 5.7 lbs, Material: Caron Steel: Tools: Yes
Talk about a high-quality military-grade set right here. The Sunkoon Survival kit has many attachables. The shovel and axe can be used separately and come with their own little storage case when not in use.
Some of the things this was built for are shoveling, hoeing, hammer, axe, bearing rod, fire starter, survival whistle, bottle opening, compass, wrench, hook, and a glass breaker.
So depending on what you are into this might be your next survival shovel that is going into that bug-out bag!
Pros
Separate Shovel and Axe
High-quality tactical shovel kit
Carbon Steel making it durable and solid
Cons
Heavier than other options
4. Sahara Sailor Survival Shovel With Axe
Category: folding, Size Closed: 20″, Size Extended: 39″, Item Weight: 5.7 lbs, Material: Caron Steel: Tools: Yes
If you are into the camping lifestyle and looking for a great set of camping gear then this is something you would be possibly interested in as it has 24 tools created for survivalists and outdoor enthusiasts.
Pros
Has 24 tools in this kit
Easy to store
Lifetime warranty
Cons
A tad heavy
5. Zune Lotoo
Category: folding, Size Closed: 18″, Size Extended: 35″, Item Weight: 4 lbs, Material: Caron Steel: Tools: Yes
What we have here is a 28-in-1 survival tool that is a luxury piece of equipment to have as a part of your gear. Constructed with premium martensitic steel, resistant to rust and corrosion, a test that proves it is unbreakable under -75 Fahrenheit, and a tested load of 1980 lbs.
It’s going to be best for shoveling, digging, hooking or as an axe. You also have the ability to adjust the angle. Supporting a thickened aircraft grade aluminum, wire cutters, camera mount or (window breaker), fire starting, survival whistle, cutting tool, and bottle opener. You can dismantle each piece and store the shovel in its bag.
Pros
It's light considering all the extras it comes with
Compact, easy to store in bag
Cons
On the expensive side for survival shovels
6. Suprock Survival Tactical Shovel
Category: folding, Size Closed: 19″, Size Extended: 32″, Item Weight: 4.6 lbs, Material: Caron Steel: Tools: Yes
I love this kit here simply because it comes with so many nice tools in a carry bag. With all the extra options you have a great shovel, and military axe that would be great for survivalists, campers, hiking, or emergency situations. We really do think it is worthy of being one of the best survival shovels.
Pros
Good design - it feels like a solid tool
Compact, easy to store in bag
Easy to assemble
Cons
You need a fairly large bag to store this
7. Huzsv Survival Shovel Set
Category: folding, Size Closed: 9″, Size Extended: 40″, Item Weight: 9 lbs, Material: Caron Steel: Tools: Yes
This is a great survival shovel kit for just about anything. I would say this would dig up the earth the most effectively out of every other shovel. As it is the heaviest and longest too, with the biggest shovel head.
It also has some other options that come with it so you can use it for a flashlight, to cut things, hammer, pruning shears, with a multifunctional tool, fire starter, window breaking, whistle, compass, and even screw.
Pros
Beautiful design
Constructed with strong materials
Long lasting kit
Cons
Heavy and hard to store
8. Zenhosit Survival Folding Shovel
Category: folding, Size Closed: 12″, Size Extended: 38″, Item Weight: 5.8 lbs, Material: Caron Steel: Tools: Yes
Here’s another multipurpose survival tool that also comes with the shovel head and the axe attachment. It’s quite portable and easy to carry, storing is not too much of an issue if you have a larger bag or have attached to the bag.
Great combo when it comes to a military tactical shovel, axe, and flashlight combination.
Pros
Excellent quality and worth the price
Constructed with strong materials
Long in length
Cons
Lots of parts you will have to put together
9. Banores Survival Shovel and Axe 28 Tools in 1
Category: folding, Size Closed: 9.4″, Size Extended: 40″, Item Weight: 5.8 lbs, Material: Caron Steel: Tools: Yes
I would say this survival shovel is an overall great piece of equipment that’s a kit, removing what you want to carry with you is most likely how I would use this. I could see it being one of the top 10 best survival shovels available.
Pros
Nice design
It's a 28-in-1 complete set that comes with nice tools
Long in length
Cons
The plastic case is nice but not ideal for a preppers bag
10. Banores Survival Shovel and Axe
Category: folding, Size Closed: 18″, Size Extended: 40″, Item Weight: 6.3 lbs, Material: Caron Steel: Tools: Yes
Finally at last place is the Banores survival shovel axe combo that is very similar to their other 28-in-1 kit.
Pros
Good buy for the price
Sharp edges
Long in length
Cons
Lots of pieces you have to put together
Why Buy a Survival Shovel?
When getting started with building out a bugout bag you probably have wondered and asked yourself even, what you need to add to this bag for survival and probably seen some of these survival shovels available.
Now, no one item is the perfect tool for survival and or bug-out bag for that matter. But it is said that no bag should be left without a shovel. Especially shovels that can be used for multiple purposes.
These tools can serve many different purposes. Here are a few to name a couple:
- Cutting Brush
- Digging a trench
- Ground leveling when camping
- and removing unwanted rocks
- Creating shelter for survival
- Handy tool for vehicle or ATV to help in case of snow or mud
- Ward off attackers
Where To Find The Best Survival Shovel
When you get started searching how to choose the best survival shovel, you will know it’s not an easy task to do. Wanting to find the best deals, quality, brand, and all that stuff that’s what we plan to cover in this section so you will be able to know what you are searching for.
How Are You Going To Be Using Your shovel?
It’s time to start thinking about how you’re going to use your survival shovel. Do you want to dig a hole? Make a fire pit? Build a shelter? Or do you just want to get out of here alive?
You’ll need to decide what you want to accomplish before making any decisions regarding your survival shovel. If you’ve never seen a survival shovel before, then you may want to make sure that you know exactly what it looks like before buying one. You might even consider getting two different survival shovels if you plan on doing different things with them.
When choosing your survival shovel, you should think about what kind of terrain you’ll be working in. A survival shovel designed for the rocky ground would not work well in sand or dirt. Likewise, a shovel designed for soft earth would not work well in hard-packed clay or gravel.
If you’re planning on building a shelter, you’ll need to look at your shovel carefully to determine whether it has enough weight to hold up under the pressure of digging a foundation. Also, look closely at the shape of the blade. Is it wide enough to cut through logs? Does it have a long handle to help keep your hands away from the sharp edge?
If you’re planning to build a fire pit, you’ll need a shovel that has a flat bottom so that you don’t accidentally kick over your fire pit while trying to dig. Look for a shovel that has a curved cutting edge so that you can easily cut through wood without having to worry about hitting the side of your pit.
Before purchasing a survival shovel, you should also take into consideration how much money you have to spend. Survival tools can range anywhere from $25-$200 depending on the quality and materials used. Keep in mind that some survival shovels require maintenance, and some require special care.
A good rule of thumb is to buy something that does its job well and doesn’t cost you an arm and a leg. In addition, you might want to purchase a shovel that fits your style. If you prefer a smaller tool, then you might want to go with a smaller shovel. However, if you enjoy being able to swing a big chunk of metal around, then you may want something bigger than average.
If you’re looking for a shovel that will last, then you should consider purchasing a high-quality weapon that won’t break down after only a few uses. If you’re concerned about durability, then you might want a heavy-duty shovel.
Type of Material
The way it performs all comes down to what type of material was the shovel constructed with and this is one of the main things you should look for when comparing materials.
Functionality
The functionality of the shovel and the material go hand in hand with each other. If some of the additional tools are made with poor materials then it could break an attachment rendering the shovel unusable so it is important to check with reviews on the product before making the purchase.
Build Quality
This could be the overall shovel or areas that are something like the handle, blade size, edges, shape of the shovel, sharpness, pointy or flat shovel head.
Dificulty Level
If you are wanting something that you can simply unfold and start using out of your bug-out bag then you will want to steer away from some of the 28-piece kits. As they have a lot of pieces and revolve a little getting used to them so that they can be assembled for use.
Multi Tool Prepping Shovels
Well, you have a lot of survival shovels or multi-tools to choose from when searching for the right shovel and it all comes down to which one is going to be most suitable for what you are planning on using the tool with.
Portable
Portability is another factor that comes into play here because some want a tool that can easily fit into their bags – especially if they have smaller storage space and are needing every little bit of space. Weight is also another factor that you may want to consider.
In Conclusion
When searching for the best survival shovel there are a few things you are going to want to check before making the final decision and hopefully, you have found this guide helpful for you and your decision on these survival tools.
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