If you are going on an overnight backpacking trip or a thru-hike, you should carry a shovel with you. You might think that kicking the dirt with your shoe will create a large enough hole for your needs, but in most cases it’s almost impossible to create a cat hole (6 inch hole to bury your waste) with only your shoe. A shovel makes digging a hole much easier and reduces unnecessary wear and tear on your shoes.
Plastic Shovel
Weight: 1.8 ounces (51 grams)
Blade Length: 6 inches
Pros: Cost, blade length, comfortable handle, easy to see orange color
Cons: weight, plastic more likely to break
Coghlan’s Backpacker’s Trowel
Retail Cost: $5
Aluminum Shovel
Weight: 0.6 ounces (17 grams)
Blade Length: 3.5 inches
Pros: lightweight, durable
Cons: expensive, short blade length, uncomfortable handle
The Deuce of Spades
Retail Cost: $20
Summary
So is it worth carrying a shovel with you? Yes! If you plan on going on a multiple day backpacking trip, you should carry a shovel with you. For most hikers and backpackers, the affordable orange plastic shovel will work fine. But for long-distance hikers and thru-hikers that want to save weight and are not price sensitive, the aluminum and titanium shovels might be the better choice.