INFANTRYMAN’S GUIDE: Tools for your fighting position
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About the Author: Patriotman
Patriotman currently ekes out a survivalist lifestyle in a suburban northeastern state as best as he can. He has varied experience in political science, public policy, biological sciences, and higher education. Proudly Catholic and an Eagle Scout, he has no military experience and thus offers a relatable perspective for the average suburban prepper who is preparing for troubled times on the horizon with less than ideal teams and in less than ideal locations.
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GUNS N GEAR
The old WWII design shovel with the straight handle made a potent close quarters weapon. The new “D” handled grip ones, while more convenient to carry and use when digging; not so much.
So does an old Soviet MPL-50. They are great little shovels, and are even better with a few improvements made to them.
I second the Soviet style shovels. Cold steel makes a decent copy but the handles aren’t made from the best wood. I replace mine with hickory handles made from old baseball bats. You can find them at yard sales for a few bucks. Make some trench clubs while you’re at it.
Another plus for the soviet ones is that they are still cheap, although they have gone up a couple of dollars since the mess in Ukraine.
The handles in the genuine soviet made ones is actually pretty good in most cases, even if the fit and attachment leaves something to be desired. Pulling the handle out, putting it back in with some epoxy and running brass pins all the way through the handle and head to secure it makes it much more solid. A few minutes with sandpaper and linseed oil makes it much nicer too.
Excellent primer for criticaL gear to have – whether simply “camping” OR hoping to dodge being shredded by incoming.
Cracked up at the E-tool part – Sooooooo guilty of NOT having the goods there – used up my ersatz knock-off while digging out plumbing lines and Root cellar under the house. :-)
Thank you for the reminder – I WILL replace the POS (that did do the job before succumbing) with a quality piece.
Clip mentions Gerber.
That would be the target unless somebody offers up a better alternative.
I haven’t had the experience of using them in service, but I have used the snot out of the soviet MPL-50, the USGI Gerber, and the USGI Ames e-tools, and the Danish version of the old wood handled USGI ones. I like some things about all, and dislike others. I believe I like the gerber a little better than the ames, although both are great. I would look out for cracked handles on the gerber if buying a used one, as I have seen several of them with cracks. I would still take a cracked one and repair the crack with epoxy before buying a commercial knockoff.
The old East German folding shovels with the pickaxe on the head are tough as nails too, but they are pretty heavy to be carrying on your kit. They are great to keep in your truck.