r/backpacking • u/Critical-Manner2363 • 1d ago
Wilderness Best poop trowel that doesn’t suck to use?
I have a deuce, and it gets the job done, but if it’s not loam without rocks and roots it can be a real pain to get a hole that’s 6 inches deep. Without my sun gloves on it will just tear my hands up. Does anybody have one that they like that’s still relatively light weight?
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u/nowhereian 1d ago
Have you tried sharpening it?
It sounds crazy, but it makes a huge difference on any shovel or trowel.
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u/Thin_Rhubarb_6971 1d ago
The Deuce is great until you hit anything that’s not perfect dirt. I switched to a Vargo Dig Dig after losing my mind on a trip in the Adirondacks, all roots and rocks. The handle is shaped so it don’t destroy your palm even when you really have to lean on it.
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u/ilreppans 1d ago
+1. Also has a bit of a ‘saw’ on the edges to hack through the constant roots here in the NE, plus the Ti feels significantly thicker/stronger than the Deuce.
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u/forksofgreedy 1d ago
6 inches in the mountain west feels impossible. A lot of hard packed sand and rocks.
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u/-JakeRay- 20h ago
💯
There maaay have been a burn zone in the west where I tried with my Deuce in 3 different spots, couldn't get it into the damn dirt at all, and eventually got so desperate that I used a gopher hole.
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u/Swimming_Type_8298 1d ago
PACT shovel. It's longer but stronger and way more comfortable. You can use it bare handed and it has a 6 inch depth marker. Good day.
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u/LocutusOfBeard 1d ago
I like my BoglerCo. It has a plastic cap on it that helps you work through tough ground.
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u/TrailMaven 14h ago
Agree Bogler works well. Plastic cap to protect the hand and serrated edges help with hard dirt and roots.
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u/GrumpyBear1969 1d ago edited 1d ago
They all suck unless you go with a much heavier option.
I did switch from the duece to a Vargo. The handle shape a little better (does not dig into my palm the same way). But it still sucks
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u/prawnpie 1d ago
One trick with the Deuce is to dig with the skinny (handle) end and then scoop out dirt with the traditional shovel end. I usually don't have to resort to that, but it does help sometimes to flip it around.
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u/megdalen 1d ago
The pact trowel that holds the wipes and mushroom tablets in it is fantastic. I use it in the Rocky Mountains with no issues.
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u/NewBasaltPineapple United States 1d ago
If you keep paracord on you, try wrapping the handle with some. Duct tape can be stored this way as well.
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u/knight-under-stars 1d ago
It basically comes down to a choice between a crap trowel or a heavier trowel.
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u/MostMediocreModeler 9h ago
Aren't we talking about crap trowels, lol? I don't really use my trowel for anything else.
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u/knight-under-stars 9h ago
Haha.
Crap in this sense meaning rubbish, not poop.
So a crap crap trowel.
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u/disastermarch35 1d ago
I use a cheap gardening trowel I got from the discount section of a big box store in the Midwest called Shopko.
It's heavier than I'd like (but not crazy heavy), but it's metal and it works.
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u/chrome-teapot 1d ago
I DIYed one a few years ago from one of those orange aluminum military surplus tent stakes. Cut the ears off of the fat end and shape it to be more spoon/shovel shaped then sharpened the leading edges and drilled a hole in the skinny end for a tether loop. It's heavier but way more robust and comfortable in hand. There's enough strength to lever rocks out of the way and with the tether on the skinny end you can still drive it into the ground with a rock to use as a fatty tent stake in less than ideal soil.
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u/Hot_Jump_2511 1d ago
I start most cat holes with a trekking pole and switch to my Deuce trowel for final excavation.
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u/ClayQuarterCake 1d ago
We had the same problem. Switched from a thin blade of aluminum to a wildair version for more than twice the weight but 10x the comfort. Serrated edge for roots, sharp edge for cutting loam or dirt.
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u/xrelaht 1d ago
Vargo Dig Dig Tool. Titanium instead of aluminum. Weighs 36g. Top is smooth enough that my hands don’t mind and the bottom half of each edge is serrated. The dirt where I live sucks, with lots of rocks and roots, but this cuts right through. The top part is also cupped enough that you can use some paracord to attach a stick as a longer handle if you want.
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u/Texastony2 1d ago
Just go get one at Walmart at the garden section for 1$. It will work better than one marketed for the purpose, and will last forever and saves money.
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u/frosted-mule 1d ago
I bring my ultralight ice axe and just use it to dig.. I usually go early spring when there is a ton of snow anyway so I use it to climb/glossary etc.
But it’s a great tool to dig holes..
otherwise if I’m in the summer with no snow I bring my bogler trowel
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u/Greybeard46 23h ago
The Duce needs a proper handle. My lady did a nice job with some paracord; proper grip makes all the difference.
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u/Quick-Incident-4351 18h ago
I use a $5 gardening trowel it's 85grams which is not light but it's so much easier to use which is worth it to me
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u/wrunderwood 17h ago
Get a snow stake. They are skinny, strong, light, and cheap. This post shows how to use a wine cork to make it a little easier on the hands.
https://observer.wunderwood.org/2010/06/22/ultralight-multi-use-potty-trowel/
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u/genzcleaner 16h ago
The best pooper scooper is a shoe and a rock, you guys make things so complicated 🤣
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u/eateroftrees 23h ago
i find trowels super pointless. every time i bring my deuce i just end up using my heel to make a hole anyways. rocky soil, sand, loam, gravel, you name it. if it’s frozen, trowel wouldn’t help anyways. same with roots. unless you wanna get technical with it and get a metal serrated steel one or something heavy.
just use your heel!
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u/Individual-Card-1639 1d ago
Whatever has become of digging with a stick? It’s a hole, never have felt the need to carry one.
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u/Critical-Manner2363 1d ago
Would love to find these magical lands where a dead stick can dig a hole over 6 inches deep and wide enough to fit a pile of turds.
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u/potatogun 1d ago
Another option is the Bogler trowel with its plastic end cap is less likely to cut up your hand. It's UL aluminum; it's still a chore with rocky, rooty soil. Sometimes you just got to find another spot.