Was wondering how many folks carry a folding shovel or other equipment when on a wilderness ride. The reason I ask is that last week I came across a camp site pretty far away from anything, and the dunderheads had not fully extinguished their fire from the night before. I only had a water bottle with me, and that didn't do the trick. So I ended up digging dirt with my hands and spending about 20 minutes putting the fire out.

If I had a small shovel I would have been able to put some dirt on the fire-pit they built and been done in less than 5 minutes. So that brings me to the question. If you carry a folding shovel or other survival tool, what do you carry?

Thanks!

 

I carry just about a mini shop with me when I ride- from socket sets to wrenches, tire repair kits, tow straps, mini ax, waterproof matches, steel wire, nylon ties, jumpers... just to name a few.

as if I'm gonna be riding 100 miles from the nearest road

I used to have my military issued E-tool (shovel) until I let a friend use it on a camping trip years ago and he somehow "lost track" of it and I never saw it again

 

ditto beergut. i got the folding shovel, several different kinds of multitools. leatherman w/pliers, leatherman w/crescent, mini hatchet, all in one screwdrivers, tow straps, ratchet straps, backpacks full of first aid supplies, toilet paper, water, coach's whistle, knives, meds, and other misc. items. never can tell what you might need. over the years i've been able to narrow the list down so i don't carry as much as i used to carry. BUT, you never can tell when you'll need whatever, whenever.

 

I also carry a folding shovel. Came in handy when we skidded off a groomed trail in wintertime into waist deep snow. Was able to create a ramp so the winch could pull the quad up onto the trail more easily.

 

Sometimes I carry a shovel that used to be a folding shovel until it broke. I welded 2 or 3 feet of pipe on for a T-handle and it's a lot stronger now. It works pretty good for lopping of tree branches too. I should carry it all the time.

 

I carry a folding shovel at times and i carry straps a hand saw and a machete.

 

I carry one of the GI tri-fold shovels and they're very handy. Make sure you get the genuine article though. Get one of the US or the German NATO models. I've used two of the cheap knock-offs and both of them broke. The chinese one was basically made of pot metal and when it broke it sliced my hand open bad enough that it took a bunch of staples to close it.

 

just about any military surplus store will have an "E-Tool" (that's what we called them in bootcamp)
there's a ton on'em on ebay if you search for "E-Tool"