AMES mil-issue folding shovel

[travelin]

I recently purchased one of these with the plastic carrier with alice clips.

I used it yesterday digging out interesting rocks and am posting my impressions of this shovel.

Am well pleased with the shovel; quite simply, it works!

If you have occasion to feel you need a camping/hiking shovel, be sure you get one that is mil-issue.

I recommend avoiding chinese made ones or other foreign makes UNLESS it is the chinese shovel made for the chinese military or a shovel made and issued to other countries militaries.

Gerber makes a good one also.

 

[Dmac]

do you mean the entrenching tool? the type that folds into 3rds?

 

[travelin]

yes, the military issue entrenching tool. look for the word AMES on it.

 

[Dmac]

i have had one since 1986 and never bothered to look at it that closely. make sure to keep the yoke screwed tightly, if the shovel starts to get loose it can break easier, especially if you are using it as a hatchet. when i was in the army, we would do that so it would break and we wouldn't have to dig in all the time.