Recovery 101 - Trail Tools

[JeepinSoldier]

There are several basic tools that are useful for assisting in recovery, as well as for trail cleanup/maintenance, and general campsite use.

Shovels

Shovels are a basic must have for recovery. Often, a little shovel work is all that’s needed to get you going again. Shovels are also part of more advanced recovery techniques that use other gear. Shovels come with either square, pointed or round heads. Shovels also come with various length handles.

Flat head shovels are designed for moving sand, dirt, or snow. Their flat blades also cut tree roots easier. They do dig very well.

Pointed or round head shovels are designed for digging as well as moving material. They dig very well but do not cut roots well and move material slower than flat blade shovels.

Shovels are available in various lengths and sizes. Medium length ‘D’ handle and the small folding GI entrenching tool or camp shovel are most useful as recovery and camp tools because their size is easier to mount on or carry in the Jeep. The small folding shovel can be used as a pick if necessary and is also useful for close up work such as leveling ground for a HiLift jack or digging out under tires.

[JeepinSoldier]

Axes and saws.

For traveling in wooded areas, it can be useful to have a small axe or saw. For recovery, they are used to cut thick, low hanging limbs that would smash a windshield or windshield frame, and to cut tree falls blocking the trail. In camp they are useful for firewood. A small chainsaw can be a very useful tool, but remember that with it you usually must also carry fuel and 2 cycle/bar oil as well as spare parts. All this adds weight and takes up room in your Jeep.

The colors of small trail tools.

It may be useful to paint small trail tools or purchase them in a bright color. This helps to identify it in the dark or lying in the mud, and also helps to prevent driving off and leaving it after a recovery.

[HillBillE]

..........The colors of small trail tools.

It may be useful to paint small trail tools or purchase them in a bright color. This helps to identify it in the dark or lying in the mud, and also helps to prevent driving off and leaving it after a recovery.

Good point! We all got used to ''camoflauge'' everthing, and it's easy to still buy stuff thats camo.

[E5EDDIE]

I've found my good ol' US machete handy a few times, I can keep it in my roll bar's saddle bag with other recovery gear. Even though, still always travel with an E-tool too, at the least it'll give me a seat when the ground is to soupy...

[JeepinSoldier]

I've found my good ol' US machete handy a few times, I can keep it in my roll bar's saddle bag with other recovery gear. Even though, still always travel with an E-tool too, at the least it'll give me a seat when the ground is to soupy...

Yes, 2 good pieces of gear. The machete is a very useful tool in general. Also good for self defense if needed in places that frown upon firearms.

[trailsnail]

IMO from when I use to work building hiking trails, (many years ago) I found that a Spade Shovel (round tip) works better than a Squared Shovel for cutting roots because the round tip will also slice a root. As long as it is kept sharp (like all tools should be), it is easier a lot of times to really get it in deep, because of the rounded tip. A square shovel can be difficult to get deep into packed dirt.

On the sharpening of Shovels, Axes, Picks, it cab be accomplished easy with a grinding wheel. Shovels and the broad end of Picks should have one sided blades while Axes obviously have two sided blades. On Shovels, they should be sharpened from the front/dirt carrying side to the back side. Picks broad ends should be sharpened similar from the inside handle side to the back side. They don't have to be so sharp that you can shave with them, but a good edge will make the job easier. They can also be sharpened with a good flat file when out on the trail.