Are they all shite?

After bending another one today on the trails,I need a more robust one suitable to fit in a camelbak.

What’s good?

Ex army (genuine only though) for about £15.

I went though a phase of looking for one, ended up just stashing a couple of £6 wilkos spades. But if you really want the best folding spade then gerber make one that looks tougher than the rest –
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gerber-Tool-Serrated-Edge-Shovel/dp/B001JQ5YJ6

Aye but £60 😯

Will try and source resonable ex army one.

Aye but £60

Which is why I went the £6 wilko route 🙂
All the rest are okay for digging but fail at the first sign of trying to lever something out like a root or a large stone.

Do NOT whatever you do buy a Silverline one, shat of the highest order they are.

My local builders merchants do little ones, called trench spades I think, but I can’t remember who makes them. They don’t fold but are bout 2′ long and light but strong. No chance of butchering that web of skin between thumb and finger, it’s hollow you know, guess how I know that!

MOD- I’ve had one for a while, no complaints.
£25 new or cheaper used.

My local (Exeter) Army surplus store had German military folding spades of varying grades for between £10 and £20.
I bought a B grade one for £15, even came with a nice case with clip closure and various fixings.

I gave up with them, just driving over and walking to the trail with Spade and or mcloud, last time I decided to just take the folder and promptly broke it.

I have the Gerber version – but didn’t pay anything like £60 for it (bought it years ago)
It is a thing of beauty, but probably not worth £60.

I bought https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01EJ1V6XU for a tenner and helped me repair motorbike damage to my woods last month, seems solid enough.

If you can get away with non folding, the cold steel shovel is brilliant.

Get an army surplus one for sure

Lots on here – https://www.surplusandoutdoors.com/shop/army-surplus-uk/military-hardware.html

didn’t see a spetznaz one though

I got one of these Swiss army WW2 spades. Wooden handle, leather pouch, it’s heavy but just a lovely made but of kit:
http://www.zib-militaria.de/epages/61431412.mobile/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/61431412/Products/210097&Locale=en_GB

Got a load of tools, mattock, spades, rakes etc stashed at local DH spot, wee tiny shovels are pretty shit against clay and roots.

My brother found a lawnmower stashed at our local spot a long with some other trail type tools.
I tried to imagine someone using it on the triffid-like brambles and couldn’t help thinking of Braindead..

https://www.surplusandoutdoors.com/shop/army-surplus-uk/military-hardware/spade-shovel-black-dutch-army-306875.html

Look at avalanche shovels, they (mostly) split down quite small and are built to last

(if you aren’t aware snow that has avalanched is often as hard as concrete so when people’s life’s might be dependent on them they need to last).

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b60OZhrTB6o[/video]Chinese Military Shovel WJQ-308