Our Top Overland Shovel Picks
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Shovel: sounds familiar, right? If you are a frequent overlander & love to travel to off-road places, you can’t deny the importance of an overland shovel.
When you go off track, it’s always good to have the right equipment for the job, isn’t it? A durable shovel is a valuable item to have when driving over dirt, sand, or snow. You have to dig sometimes.
Finding a premium shovel is not that easy as you think. Our research team picks 5 premium and best overland shovels for the overlanders & camping lovers. We gonna represent the key features and analyze these shovels, why those could be the perfect fit for you.
Why Overland Shovel?
A shovel is a tool that looks like a spade but has a long blade and usually upturned sides and is used to move coal, dirt, snow, or other material.
A shovel will be your new best buddy if you want to get into overlanding. Off-road shovels are flexible and cheap, and they are essential for vehicle self-recovery and more efficient than us a recovery board ‘shovel’. Starting a new hobby is exciting, and half of the excitement is all the latest gear you get to purchase.
To be frank, some of the headaches of a new hobby are true all the equipment you may believe you need to purchase. Fortunately, I have excellent news for you! Not only can Overlanding be inexpensive, but the equipment used to go can also be inexpensive.
There could have been a dramatic sinkhole or a granite rock too giant for you to ascend anywhere, leaving us high and dry. You have to own some equipment to get back on the trail if your tire begins to spin.
I like putting myself in these positions because it is a learning experience for me. The more often you get lost or assist those in need of assistance, the more you can understand.
How To Select The Best Overland Shovels? | Factors To Consider Before Buying
Choose Premium Brand
It would help if you had a model that will serve you well around your campsite or on a survivalist mission. A premium brand is a bit expensive but can be more flexible and give quality performance than ordinary brand shovels.
Consider The Build Quality
If you are going to get a new shovel for your next trip, you have to make sure you’re purchasing the right tool. Although the applications of a survival shovel vary, you’ll need a product that performs on its efficiency promises.
When choosing your dream model, look for one with a carbon steel shovelhead. This material is solid and long-lasting, resulting in a blade that retains its tip.
The last thing you want is for the cutting or sawing tip to get rusty after just a few uses. In a survival condition, such a let-down could cost you dearly.
Ensure The Durability
Some versions have a nylon blade that does not need to be sharpened, but it can break or be damaged more quickly than a carbon steel shovelhead.
Look for models with a lifetime warranty on the blade and craftsmanship. Those producers that can risk their integrity can deliver high-quality tools.
Pick The Compact & Lightweight Shovels
A big shovel is not something you want to be carrying around a hiking path or through a risky forest.
In a survival scenario, calories are all, and if you have to spend them pulling heavy machinery around, you’re going to get into trouble quickly.
Since most off-road shovels are made of carbon steel, they are most probably a lightweight product. The handle, on the other side, is where manufactures save weight. The shovel’s polymer handles are the most significant reason for weight reduction. In a word, choose a lightweight and compact product to gain the maximum benefits.
Easy Digging & Sharp Blades
Make sure your overland shovel’s blade is sharp enough to cut enough dirt and snow. A curve-bladed, long-handled shovel is ideal for digging up shrubs and chopping roots, breaking up soil, or raising or scooping loose material like gravel. Sharp edges and saw-like toothed shovel sides are designed for root cutting.
Choose Proper Handle
Longer-handled shovels usually lack a grip but are also padded for comfort. A shovel’s longer handle helps in leveraging the lifting used in digging up bushes. Shorter-handled spades sometimes have a D, T, or round grip to aid in driving the blade through sod or a mound of dirt or gravel.
The handles made of wood are light but solid. They frequently last for years, but you will need to tighten the screws from time to time because wood expands and contracts with temperature changes.
Where to store a shovel
Depending on the size of your rig, gear storage, roof rack, and the number of overlanders with you, you may opt for a smaller or collapsable shovel, compared to a full-length shovel. There are a number of external mounting options which can place your shovel out of the way and in a safe place. We recommend plan out your options and pick the one that matches your needs.
Our Favorite Overland Shovels of 2024!
Krazy Beaver Shovel
- Designed for camping, offroading, and Overlanding.
- 40 inch in length, 11 1/2” Height X 8 1/2 wide shovelhead
- Top-Notch Build Quality
- Reinforced spikes make this the best shovel for tough digs.
- Easily dig through roots, ice, and clay.
- All-American Made Product.
Do you look for the best off-road shovel for your Overlanding purpose? Umm! I guess you are! Who doesn’t love to have quality products? Then we are representing our first pick: Krazy Beaver Shovel, AKA the Murder Spork.
I am pretty sure you will fall in love with this masterpiece. I still didn’t want to get on the Overlanding bandwagon, but after having it, discovering it, and using it, this shovel performs great and looks great doing it.
Lee Iacocca stated it pretty well: “You don’t have to be a fantastic Marketer if the quality is decent.”
So what will we expect from Krazy Beaver? Let’s find out:
Perfect Dimension For Off-Road
Yes, it’s the shovel I recommend everybody have in their “end of days” toolbox, and it’s only a coincidence that it’s also fantastic to have with you while you’re digging and wheeling.
At the moment, the shovel is only available in one size. The complete length is 40 inches. Ideal for camping, hiking, and off-roading. The Krazy Beaver’s fiberglass reinforced core withstands breakage and bending under heavy-duty use.
Comes With Heavy Duty Blade
This blade is made of durable 14-gauge heat-treated tempered steel and is around twice as thick as the average shovel. The Krazy Beaver’s teeth are hardened to be bend and crack resistant, and it’s powder coated to keep it from rusting, but only time can tell. If you don’t like the color, you can strip the fiberglass and have it custom powder coated to your rig (like we did). As you would expect, the blade does more than look cool; it is also incredibly useful.
Piercing Spikes
The Krazy Beaver outperforms all other shovels in this group. The Krazy Beaver’s piercing spikes allow it to smash through soft to solid muddy terrain, catching medium to large rocks on its way up. It has a full-size shovel digger blade that can lift enough earth to get you out.
Lightweight Combination
When you realize the Krazy Beavers’ potential, the first thing that comes to mind is perhaps how solid it feels. The Krazy Beavers handle attests to this shovel’s ability to handle any mission assigned to it.
The black handle is both lightweight and heavy. Its head-to-handle attachment is solidly bolted to a 14-inch fiberglass reinforced core to withstand harsh conditions.
Robust & Portable
The Krazy Beaver will conveniently fit in your car trunk, so its length isn’t an issue. Rugged and long-lasting construction and materials to survive the elements and heavy use. It’s built for camping, off-roading, and shooting. Excellent for Overlanders in every aspect!
Mounting Options
The shovel is easily mounted to the side of a roof or cargo rack, while others have mounted the Krazy Beaver Shovel to their Hi-Lift Jack. If your looking for a custom mount check out Warrior’s Shovel/Ax Mount. We have our Murder Spork mounted on a Gobi Shovel and Ax Mount with our Camping Ax.
Pros:
- Extremely Portable Shovel
- Built with quality materials
- The best shovel for tough digging
- Made of solid Polymer
- It contains heat-treated tempered steel
- Sturdily constructed for severe use
- Easily Mounted on a Roof Rack
Cons:
- It’s been a solid tool, but it is a tad short for great leverage!
SOG Folding Shovel Survival Shovel
- Compact folded design.
- Perfect for emergency use.
- Includes storage bag.
Do you search for a product on which the overland shovel mount process is easy and comfortable? Then again, we proceed with the second choice: SOG Foldable & Lightweight Shovel.
We are agreed with the fact of Seth Godin:
“Don’t find clients for your commodities; discover quality products for your consumers.”
SOG is a terrific product to buy. Why? Let’s find the answers:
Affordable
I’m not sure why people are choosing an ordinary product at a high rate. SOG can be a perfect choice for Overlanders with a limited budget. Get a real shovel if you want to dig an actual ditch, foxhole, or something. I believe it works well for what it is meant for, such as digging a latrine pit, leveling a sleeping area for a tent, or clearing a spot for a fire.
Compact
Its small size, all-metal features, and general usefulness make it a decent option for someone like me who likes small and compact products. I’m not going to swing this thing into the ground like I’m breaking wood.
Lightweight
It’s a lightweight, ultra-compact shovel that outperforms larger & heavier spades. As it is light, you can take it anywhere without any hassle.
Quality Materials
The SOG shovel head is made of tempered steel and can be used as a shovel or rotated down 90 degrees to shape a hoe or pick. The shovel head has partial saw teeth on one side for ripping into material or sawing through wood. Carbon steel is used to make the foldable handle.
Comfortable Handle
The handle and shovel head quickly unfold after extracting the shovel from the pouch. There is a plastic collar between the shovel head and the handle.
The handle has no grip to speak of; it is very smooth and gets slippery when wet. However, because of its triangular shape, the handle is convenient to use and easy to grasp.
Impressive Saw Teeth
You would be right if you assumed that saw teeth could be used to process wood. However, since the saw is just a few inches long, the cut stroke is very short. This restricts the amount of wood that can be cut and is a little tedious to use. The teeth work well on dry wood but tie while cutting into the green stuff.
Pros:
- Well constructed for the inexpensive kit
- 24.5oz entrenching tool
- Made with robust carbon steel
- Dynamic design
- Lightweight
- Portable shovel
Cons:
- The metal used in SOG is not up to the mark
- The handle is further poorly attached to the shovel
Trekoo Survival Camping Shovel
- High Allow Steel Construction.
- Compact footprint with storage bag.
- Multi-Tool including saw, shovel, bottle opener, fire starter, and more.
TREKOO multi-functional folding military camping shovel is forged from heavy-duty alloy steel with stiffness for maximum strength and longevity.
TREKOO is making it a suitable option for many outdoor enthusiasts and sports practices such as camping, cycling, farming, etc. It’s also an excellent option in protection and emergencies.
Amazing Build Quality
Trekoo is made of high alloy steel that has been hardened to withstand corrosion, allowing it to be used everywhere.
It folds into a neat lightweight piece that conveniently blends into its travel case, but it can also be unfolded into three sizes: 24.8inch, 18.5inch, and 13.38inch. The board is 0.18cm thick to withstand harsh weather, and the sides are serrated to chop stuff neatly on edge.
Multi-Purpose Shovel
This shovel can be used for scraping, prying, shoveling, sawing, slicing, cutting, and picking. This makes it perfect for taking with you on fishing trips, hikes, camping trips, and some other outdoor experiences.
The fact that it can be disassembled into parts that is easy to transport in the bag provided by the manufacturer makes this shovel an even more worthwhile investment.
Durable & Versatile
Talking of this shovel’s versatility, the head even functions as a bottle opener. Since it is built of alloy, the board is strong enough to be used as a hammer in an emergency. The curved shape of the head causes it to be used as a hoe while the pick does the lifting and digging.
Pros:
• Adjustable Folding Size and Angle
• multi-functional
• Foldable
• It comes with Fire Starter
• Very strong and durable
• Lightweight & Compact Shovel
Cons:
- It can be a bit flimsy at times.
Hi-Lift Handle-All Multi-Purpose Tool
- 4 Tools in 1
- Convenient telescoping handle
- Full size shovel head
- Full size sledge hammer head
- Full size axe and pick axe heads
- Includes dyrable gear bag included
Do you need the best durable off-road shovel for your next trip? Then without any doubt, you can have a close look at Hi-Lift HA-500 Multi-Purpose Shovel.
Here are some features to look on:
Reliable Product
It is essential to have rescue facilities while going off-road. Indeed, many off-road parks consider these things to be required equipment. It’s a small range of accessories designed for off-road vehicles with minimal storage space for supplies, machinery, and tools.
Compact and Rugged
Hi-Handle-All Lift is a multi-functional instrument with a telescoping handle and four full-sized implements. It’s compact and challenging, but with full-size utility. Camping, off-roading, recreation, planting, ranching, and forestry are all the key benefits of this brand.
Easy To Use
It’s easy to use the premium branded product. You can easily set up this shovel and carry it with you on your camping.
Pros:
- Extremely durable
- Telescoping Handle
- 8 lb sledge hammer-head
- It comes with a gear bag for storage.
- Easy to use
- Portable
Cons:
- The design needs improvement
Agency 6 Adventure Mini Shovel Mega Mount Combo
- Lightweight Aluminum Shovel
- Convenient, complete shovel and mount package
- Lightweight Aluminum Shovel and mount
- Includes Mount installs for 1.5″ – 2.25″ tubing
If you are a beginner and plan to buy a standard shovel for Overlanding, we might help you. We suggest you check the features of the Agency 6 Adventure Mini Shovel.
Lightweight
The Agency 6 mini shovel is lightweight and small, and it comes with an aluminum mount. This is unquestionably the newest favorite in the light shovel genre. The blade of this shovel is more significant than that of many other minis and lightweight off-road shovels on the market. This makes it suitable for use in sand, mud, or snow because it allows you to scoop considerably more with each heave of your shovel.
Durable Blade
The blade of this shovel is more significant than that of many other minis and lightweight off-road shovels on the market. This makes it suitable for use in sand, mud, or snow because it allows you to scoop considerably more with each heave of your shovel.
This shovel can do various tasks, including scooping, scraping, trenching, and dog digging.
While the Agency 6 blade is not intended to cut through rock, the tip has two teeth that can crack through challenging surface areas with any effort.
Perfect Length
The overall length is perfect for the Overlanders. The size of this shovel is 23″ which is quite ideal for a beginner choice.
If you have optional locks installed, you can mount this shovel almost anywhere and keep it locked as a permanent solution.
Pros:
- Mega Mount combo
- Lightweight
- Portable shovel
- Great Product for Adventure
- Made with aluminum alloy
- Best product for the beginners
Cons:
- The handle is not so durable
