Utilizing a Go away No Hint trowel is among the most accountable issues you are able to do to protect the backcountry for others to get pleasure from. Whereas there’s nothing fairly as satisfying as having bowel motion outside within the crisp morning air, surrounded by white-capped mountains and wild flowers, it’s essential to depart no hint of your “passage.” As a way to protect that wilderness feeling for others, you must bury your poo, so it will possibly biodegrade correctly and never grow to be an eyesore.
However many Go away No Hint trowels bought at the moment are too flimsy to be used in backcountry terrain. That’s why this checklist of trowels consists of many steel ones that are sturdy and may dig via powerful floor crammed with rocks and roots.
BEST LEAVE NO TRACE TROWELS
1. The TentLab Dirtsaw Deuce #2 Trowel
FEATURES: Featherweight aluminum is sturdy and long-lasting. Obtainable in a number of vivid colours so that you received’t lose it. The Lanyard gap permits you to clip it into your backpack. Sharp and hard sufficient to chop via roots and lever out stones.
BEST FOR: Ultralight Backpacking
Made utilizing DAC aluminum, the Dirtsaw Duece #2 (intelligent identify) has huge and easy enamel designed to agitate and minimize grime like a serrated knife, however they received’t snag on roots or threaten to chop your hand. Its enamel are protected to allow them to keep sharp and are far sufficient away from the entrance edge that they don’t threaten your hand when utilizing the trowel the wrong way up. This cleverly designed 6.8″ instrument might be held at both finish, relying on whether or not that you must dig with the slim finish or scoop with the huge finish.
2. Vargo Titanium Dig Dig Trowel
FEATURES: Serrated finish for chopping via roots with a snug, rolled-edge deal with. Can serve double responsibility as a sand, snow, or tent stake. Has a lanyard gap so you’ll be able to clip it to your backpack.
BEST FOR: Backpackers who that you must dig via thick roots or rocky floor and want a sturdy trowel with a serrated leading edge.
The Vargo Titanium Dig Dig Instrument is a multi-purpose titanium trowel designed by Brian Vargo, a backpacker and titanium manufacturing specialist who’s most likely designed extra titanium backpacking gear than anybody else on the planet. Whereas heavier than the opposite titanium trowels listed above, the Dig Dig is by far the simplest to make use of as a tent stake or snow anchor, a dual-use profit that’s seldom realized by different Go away No Hint trowels.
3. Bogler Ultralight Trowel
FEATURES: Excessive-grade aluminum trowel with a thin serrated edge that cuts cleanly via turf and small roots.
BEST FOR: Backpackers who desire a very light-weight trowel.
The Bogler Firm Ultralight Trowel
4. QiWiz Massive Dig Trowel
FEATURES: Brightly coloured so you’ll be able to’t lose it with a pointy finish that’s able to chopping via roots, chopping via packed mud, and levering out stones. A full 7.25″ lengthy, you’ll be able to simply dig a cathole that’s the requisite 6″ deep and confirm its depth utilizing the trowel. An added lanyard gap makes it simple to clip to your backpack. The painted deal with will not be sharp and simple to carry.
BEST FOR: UL Backpackers who desire a hand-fabricated titanium trowel made by a one-person cottage gear firm within the USA.
The QiWiz Massive Dig (pronounced “chee-wiz”) is a hand-crafted titanium trowel made by Go away No Hint Grasp Educator, Rob Kelly. Thought-about the “Yoda of trowels”, Rob, who’s path identify is QiWiz, is obsessed with instructing folks the best way to reduce their affect when backpacking and tenting. A power tinkerer, Rob made a titanium trowel for himself out of scrap steel for his private use. When different hikers noticed it on the path, they provided to purchase one from him and now he’s bought lots of to backpackers and thru-hikers. Tremendous laborious and sturdy, however ultralight, the titanium Massive Dig will final a lifetime and may serve double responsibility as a tent-stake.
MORE: QiWiz sells two different handmade titanium trowels. The “Unique” weighs lower than 0.4 oz and is 6″ lengthy and the MEGA DIG which weighs just below 1 oz and is 8.25″ lengthy.
5. GSI OutDoors Cathole Sanitation Trowel
FEATURES: Serrated edge helps minimize via vegetation. Measurements on blade assist measure cathole depth. Lanyard on deal with permits you to clip it to your backpack.
BEST FOR: Funds oriented backpacker that digs catholes in much less difficult soil situations.
The GSI Open air Cathole Sanitation Trowel is among the hottest and least costly backpacking trowels bought at the moment and sometimes utilized by Go away No Hint educators when instructing LNT consciousness classes. It’s made out of recycled plastic, making it sturdy sufficient for the much less demanding soil situations discovered in lots of designated campgrounds and recreation areas. A full 10.3″ lengthy, it’s simpler to dig with than shorter trowels, particularly for youngsters.
SELECTION CRITERIA
PRICE – Go away No Hint Trowels are usually not that costly, however I present a full vary of choices beneath if you wish to get monetary savings and nonetheless get product.
WEIGHT – Proudly owning a light-weight trowel will increase the chance that you simply’ll carry it with you in your journeys. Heavy trowels are a “ache within the ass.” Pun supposed!
COLOR – Trowels needs to be brightly coloured so that you don’t lose them in wilderness settings. It’s simple to place down a trowel and lose it towards a background of inexperienced or brown, however much less so if it has a garish colour that’s not usually present in nature.
MATERIAL – The fabric {that a} trowel is made out of issues. If preserving the wilderness is your objective, it doesn’t make a lot sense to purchase a product made out of petrochemicals that received’t decompose when you throw it in a landfill.
DIGGING EDGE – An excellent Go away No Hint trowel wants to have the ability to dig via quite a lot of totally different soil varieties from ones with dense root networks to hard-packed soil and dirt. Having a sturdy edge, able to busting via powerful soil situations and levering out rocks is a should.
LENGTH – The really helpful depth of a Go away No Hint cathole is 6-8″ deep. To dig that deep, you want a trowel that has an extended sufficient deal with and blade.
DURABILITY – A trowel is a essential piece of backcountry gear that ought to face up to years of harsh use, UV harm, and whenever you by chance drive over it together with your automobile.
MADE IN USA – Let’s face it: The USA is on the best way to turning into a third-world nation as a result of we’ve off-shored our manufacturing base. If remaining probably the most highly effective nation on earth is essential to you, you’ll purchase merchandise made within the USA.
BUYING ONLINE – Verify the vendor’s return coverage before you purchase, however you’ll be able to virtually at all times return an unused trowel inside a sure timeframe after buying. I like to recommend shopping for your best choice, testing it at house, and returning/exchanging it if it doesn’t really feel fairly proper.
LEAVE NO TRACE – Study extra about go away no hint and wilderness ethics.
Verify Out All of SectionHiker’s Gear Guides!
Disclosure: I’ve acquired a few of the merchandise listed above from producers whereas buying others with my very own cash. I’m a Go away No Hint Grasp Educator and educate Go away No Hint consciousness lessons.
SectionHiker is reader-supported. We solely generate profits if you buy a product via our affiliate hyperlinks. Assist us proceed to check and write unsponsored and unbiased gear opinions, newbie FAQs, and free climbing guides.
