Every time I am online looking for new gear my search results are always filled with these types of shovels that contain a range of different tools. There are many variants of these tools but this is one I found for under $50 at my local anaconda store and included a knife, glass breaker, emergency whistle, saw, chopping blade and ferro rod, so I decided to give it a go and this is what I found
First Impressions
Upon opening this shovel I was immediately impressed at the construction and sturdiness of the tool. The, knife blade, glass breaker and shovel head are all made from stainless steel while the shovel locking mechanism and handle extension pieces are all made from machined aluminum keeping weight to a minimum while giving you a handle length of around 700mm . The shovel comes in 2 separate bags for when you want to pack it away.
The shovel head itself has a few features apart from being a shovel. On the shovel head you will find a saw edge, cutting blade edge, assorted spanners and a cordage cutting blade and all work reasonable well.
Within the handle you will find the knife that screws into the end of one of the handle extensions. The knife again is made from stainless steel and is quite sharp. It is a straight edge with a saw blade and bottle opener on the back edge of the knife.
The ferro rod is of adequate length and screws into the base so that it can be replaceable.
The Whistle is simple and loud and is made from machined aluminum making it durable and a good thing to have in a survival situation for getting the attention of rescuers.
Testing the Tool
When I head out I usually head alone, So with that in mind when it came to testing this multi tool I wanted to put it through a decent amount of punishment.
I started with digging a hole in some very hard root bound dirt to test the durability of the hinge point of the shovel and handle connections. I found that this had no impact on the integrity of any of those joints and were all free, easy to undo and showing no signs of stress damage after I had finished showing that the construction is up to the task.
I then used the cutting edge on the shovel head as a machete/hatchet, I cut down a branch that was approximately 100mm in diameter and then proceeded to chop it up into smaller pieces. The bade performed well and by the end was still sharp, I also checked all the joints in the handle and shovel head for any faults or damage caused by the shock but again they were all still tight and undamaged. Next I used the saw blade and cut a few branches, the blade was sharp enough to to cut through the branches however I did find the blade a bit short making it a bit awkward and energy consuming but it did as advertised and cut through the branches.
Next I moved onto the knife, I started by attaching the knife into one of the ends of handle extensions by screwing it into the internal thread. I Proceeded to use the knife to debark a branch and to make some feather sticks. I did find that it felt a bit cumbersome as the handle of the knife is quite a bit longer and larger in diameter on the blade itself but other than that the knife performed as a knife should. the saw on the back of the knife performed in just the same way as the saw on the shovel head however it is smaller than the one on the shovel.
I did notice after some punishment the knife did become loose in its mount and has now become a bit wobbly and with no way to be able to tighten the attachment point out replace the blade it can now only be considered good for light duties.
I lit a couple of fires with the ferro rod that can be found in the base, the ferro rod provided an adequate amount of sparks to light fires with and can be unscrewed to be replaced.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Quality construction
- Handle length
- Does as advertised
- Price
- Lightweight
- Solid hinge points
Cons
- 2 piece carry bag
- Knife blade mounting weakness
- Shovel cannot be locked into folded position for storage
- Knife is loose in the bag
In My Opinion
My final thoughts on this product is that although I have had an issue with the knife, the rest of the multi tool shovel worked perfectly and in some cases exceeded my expectations. there are many options of similar products out there that host a wide range of different functions but as for this one in particular, I am going to give it a 3.5 out of 5. since that test I have been using this shovel and you can see me using it in a few of my YouTube videos. I would recommend the Prospecting Multi tool Shovel to those who are looking for a pack away shovel for the car or for camping.
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