Note: I value my reader's input, and I had a reader write in that their experience with this specific product as a gardening tool was not satisfactory, especially at the locking mechanism that stabilizes the shovel head was plastic, jumped its rings and then had head at an angle, and later broke completely. He would not recommend this product; found the refund process favorable. While that was a different experience than mine, I leave my review up as-is, but add his caution here. William, I'll let you know how it goes as I use it more! :)
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I think everyone needs one of these in their car - for camping or just in general, and the cool thing is, it folds so compactly, you CAN have it in your car all the time! The tough part is *finding* one... because you can't get it right now where I got it. Which requires a membership, too. And you can't find it on Amazon. I'd check your local great camp supply, maybe even e-bay, I saw one there...
Shop: bespokepost.com and anywhere else you can find one.
Pictured: The Wren Folding Camp Shovel folds to about the size of my two palms
I'll admit ~ I never had a camp shovel until this year. I belong to a subscription cool-stuff box club and it was featured in their Switchback Box (now out of stock - because doggone it it WAS a really great collection of fun stuff!) in December 2020... so I gifted it from Santa (me) to my stocking (also me) and then threw it in with my gear on my recent camping trips. I thought, hey, I'll probably use it occasionally... I wasn't wrong.
Pictured: My shovel helped me about an hour after arrival - and here's the lovely result
My campfire pit had been left CHOCK full of burned wood and multiple days of camping ash. After setting up the camp and pouring myself an Elysian DragonsTooth Stout, I was looking forward to putting my feet up by the fire when I encountered the fullness of the pit. I could grab the larger pieces of charred wood out, but was left with lots of (cold) ash and rubble. AHA! I thought, and got my Wren out of its unassuming box.
It was so pretty and new, I almost didn't want to break it in. But, you know... it's a shovel. It wants some dirt. So I assembled it in 3 steps (2 folds extended, + screw down the locking collar by the head) - that's it! Soon I was shoveling away. I didn't have need of the serrated edge... yet. But I can picture it might help somewhere along the way.
Pictured: Unfolding, and unfolded, locked, and ready to dig
You may not need it every trip. You may not need it every OTHER trip. But I've transferred mine from the camp supplies to the spare-tire well in the back, along with the blanket and the 3 bungee cords in varying length back in there. These are thing you never know when you might need 'em, but you are awfully glad to have them when you do. And this shovel becomes so compact, it would be just a crazy shame to wish you had one one day when the need arises.
'Runs about $25 or so it seems.