Coghlan's Folding Shovel – Lightweight Collapsible Entrenching Tool for Camping, Hiking, Survival, and Emergency Use – Durable Compact Design for Outdoor Adventures

This was just what I needed for an emergency shovel for the car, I use it or would use were I to get stuck in the snow, I used to keep a full sized shovel in the trunk but in a Camaro that is half your trunk space :)I am not sure if it was intented or not, but you can lock the shovel head straight as they show for conventional shoveling, or you can lock at a right angle to the handle making it it more like a hoe, and perfect for pulling snow away from the tire all the way around.I did note what looks like a weak spot, the shovel head is attached to the handle with a single rivit, I expect that may break so I have a bolt, sized to fit the hole tossed in the pouch I got for it, if it breaks I'll just drop the bolt in to replace it. I also noted that when you lock in the shovel head the handle end that connects to the shovel is not always centered, this does not change how it works but may make it break easier, so when tightening I just make sure it is centered on the rivet and then give it a final twist.I really thought I was going to have to shell out a lot more for something like this, but looks like 14 bucks got the job done.

Coghlan's Folding ShovelI wanted to buy the Glock Entrenchment tool or perhaps the Gerber version, but those were at least 2-3 times more expensive. The Coghlan's is fairly well made except the critical load bearing pivot points are simple rivets. The handle is also a bit loose, allowing some rotation. I figured if the rivets break, I can always replace them with some fasteners for a few bucks. The blade isn't too bad, it is advertised to be a forged material but to me a shovel is a shovel. I plan to keep this as a backup tool for camping and for the winter.Overall: 4/5 stars, the rivets could have been beefier, the handle also feels loose.

After reading some reviews for this shovel, I was hesitant at first to buy it. But the price was was excellent so I decided to take a chance even if it was inferior in quality compared to a previous folding shovel I had. Upon receiving it, inspecting it and 'playing around' with it, I found it was better than I expected in terms of quality and potential sturdiness. It was as good if not better than my previous folding shovel which was an army surplus type shovel. A pleasant bonus was that is came with a canvas carrying case.I intend to keep it in the trunk of my car to shovel me out if I get stuck in the snow. I had a snow shovel which had trouble with hard packed snow and it took up too much room in my trunk. The new folding shovel will have no trouble with the snow and occupies almost no room in my trunk compared to my snow shovel.

Yeah, this shovel is a bit big and may be considered heavy for the light packers. I'm a fit dude, so I'm not going to stress about the extra ounces I'll be carrying around. If you're buying this to take on your hiking and camping trips, I'm going to assume you're fit enough to add this to your pack as well ;)It's a big shovel, so you can displace some dirt with this. If you're only going to be digging small holes, I'd suggest going with a smaller shovel.There is a review here that says the handle is too loose. You tighten a collar after unfolding then shovel. I think our friend here didn't tighten the collar enough that actually holds everything rigidly in place...I recommend this shovel unless you only need to make small, wimpy holes in the ground.

I bought this after a snow storm in my area a year ago to keep in my car for emergencies. A year later, I used the shovel twice in the same week. The shoveled failed, see my photos in the gallery. There are three problems with this product.1. The pivot joining handle and stem is loose which allows a lot of play and the handle take the load unevenly at the pivot which, in my case, caused the handle to bend.2. The main nut that allows the shovel to fold or stay secure unfolded does not lock. It come loose after few seconds of use and the shovel's blade folds, which could pinch your fingers.3. The blade thick and the shovel overall feel like it has a lot of weight. This is good if you're trying to dig your car out. On the other hand it gives the false impression that the blade is sturdy and hard. It is not. The tip of my shovel bent 90 degrees. See photos in the gallery.You get what you pay for: a disposable shovel.

I use this shovel for playing at the beach and keep it in my car when not in use. This compact shovel folds out into a sturdy and comfortable tool. After using it at the beach for a while, it has rusted a little at the joints, but this is probably my fault since I didn't clean the sand and salt water off of it at the end of each day. I sprayed the joints with a little WD40 and that stopped the rusting. I'm keeping this in my car now because it would be great if I ever get stuck in the snow. I don't know that this would stand up to digging in hard dirt, but for sand and emergency use in the snow, it's great. This is definitely a great folding shovel for the money.

I always keep a good shovel handy and this shovel is an excellent purchase for the price. If this came with a pouch I would rate 5 Stars.My Grandfather, in his final days, credited his survival in World War II to the original dual fold shovel, on Leyte both U.S. and Imperial Japanese Forces were under supplied. When fighting in hand to hand combat the shovel has proven highly effective.In no way do I suggest you purchase any shovel for self defense, rather I am simply providing historical use perspective.The shovel is one of my Grandmother's favorite gardening tools!

I bought a Coleman shovel from walmart for half the price. After reading up on reviews between the Coleman and Coghlan's, I decided I would return the Coleman and purchased the Coghlan's. However both Coleman and Coghlan's shovel are made in Taiwan, and both are IDENTICAL!!! There is no difference. I paid double the price for Coghalan's for NOTHING!!! If I knew it was going to be identical, I would've spent a little more to get the actuall GI shovel.