X-BULL Folding Shovel Outdoor Camping Survival Tools Multifunction Military

Half the work on a camping trip comes down to moving dirt: levelling a pad for the swag, cutting a trench when the rain sets in, digging a fire pit properly instead of scraping one. A full-size shovel does not fit in a packed ute. This one folds into a carry bag and still has a head worth swinging.

One head, four working angles

A twist-lock collar at the neck sets the head where the job needs it. Flat at 180 degrees it digs like an ordinary shovel. Brought round to 90 degrees it works as a hoe, a pickaxe or a hammer face. At 45 degrees it becomes a hook for dragging branches and raking coals. The head measures 13 cm x 16 cm, larger than the token blades fitted to most folding shovels, so each bite shifts something. It is pressed from 3CR13, a stainless grade the supplier specifies for wear and corrosion resistance.

The tools built into the handle

The aluminium alloy handle is more than something to hold. A small knife, a flat-blade and cross-head screwdriver, a can and bottle opener, a whistle, a break-glass cone and a magnesium fire-starting rod are built into it, putting the things you reach for around a campsite in one item rather than scattered through three drawers. An extension rod comes with the kit for when a folded handle does not give enough leverage.

Key features

• 13 cm x 16 cm head: a working blade size, not the palm-sized blade most folding shovels settle for.
• Three lock positions: shovel, hoe or pick, and hook, from the one twist collar.
• Aluminium alloy handle: stiff enough to lean on without the weight of a steel shaft.
• Built-in survival tools: knife, screwdrivers, opener, whistle, break-glass cone and magnesium rod, all in the handle.
• Extension rod: more reach and more leverage for digging in hard ground.

Specifications

• Head size: 13 cm x 16 cm
• Head material: 3CR13 stainless steel
• Handle material: aluminium alloy
• Lock positions: 180 degrees for shovel, 90 degrees for hoe, pickaxe or hammer, 45 degrees for hook
• Built into the handle: knife, flat-blade and cross-head screwdriver, can and bottle opener, whistle, break-glass cone, magnesium rod
• Folded length, extended length and weight: not stated by the supplier

What's in the box

• Hook hoe shovel x 1
• Extension rod x 1
• Universal knife x 1
• Magnesium rod x 1
• Whistle x 1
• Safety cone x 1
• Carry bags x 2

Before you pack it

• The blade edges are sharpened. Keep the head bagged in the vehicle and away from anyone's legs.
• A magnesium rod throws hot sparks. Use it well clear of fuel, gas bottles and dry grass, and check the fire restrictions in force wherever you are camping.
• The break-glass cone is an emergency tool rather than a general-purpose spike.
• Despite the word "military" in the product name, the supplier names no military standard and none is claimed here.
• This is a camp and utility tool. It is not recovery equipment, and it must not be used to snatch, tow, winch, lift or anchor a vehicle.

A reasonable one-tool answer for camping, touring and the boot of a work vehicle. Fold it, bag it, and forget it is there until the day you need it.