Do You Need a Trowel for Backpacking?

By Alice Nichols

A trowel is an essential tool for any camper or backpacker. It is used to dig holes for fire pits, latrines, and other outdoor activities.

A trowel can also be used to break up soil for planting, remove rocks and roots from trails, and build small walls for shelters. In short, a trowel is an incredibly useful tool for any outdoorsman.

Many people opt to leave the trowel at home when they go backpacking because of its size and weight. However, a trowel can be incredibly helpful in a variety of situations. The right trowel can even be light enough to carry in your pack without adding too much weight.

A good backpacking trowel should be lightweight, durable, and able to handle digging in rocky or hard-packed soil. It should also have an ergonomic handle that makes it comfortable to use. Some trowels even come with sharpened edges that make digging easier.

If you’re planning on camping in areas with sandy or soft-packed soil, then a lightweight plastic or aluminum trowel may work just fine. However, if you’re planning on camping in rocky terrain or areas with hard-packed soil then you may want to invest in a sturdier steel model.

Conclusion:

When it comes to backpacking, whether you need a trowel really depends on the type of terrain you’ll be trekking through and how much weight you want to carry. A lightweight plastic or aluminum trowel might work well if you’re planning on camping in sandy or soft-packed soil but if you’re going somewhere more rugged then it may be worth investing in a sturdier steel model.