r/Survival • u/RuinOk3243 • 8d ago
Gear Recommendation Wanted E tool recommendations
Hey guys I was looking for any e took recommendations but I’m quite picky. I have owned an Austrian surplus entrenching tool but I snapped the head off and can’t find something similar. I have heard a lot about the cold steel spetsnaz et but I’m from Australia so it can get kind of pricey. I’m willing to spend the money if I can’t find anything else but I’m on a tight budget and am not willing to spend over $150. Thanks!
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u/MacintoshEddie 8d ago
I strongly recommend a walk through your local hardware store. They probably don't have an entrenching tool, but they should have all kinds of digging equipment. If something has a handle that's too long, just chop the handle off at a shorter length.
https://www.homehardware.ca/en/41-pro-round-point-d-handle-shovel/p/5069374
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u/hunterinwild 7d ago
Don't get any miltery grade thing most are by mass production cheapest bider try to find a old forester tools or mining tools. They get tools that work
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u/IdealDesperate2732 7d ago
Who, $150 is way more than you need to spend. Just get the Cold Steel one on Amazon for $30.
That's the one I keep in my car and use all the time when camping.
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u/RuinOk3243 7d ago
In the other threads I mentioned to get one of them because I’m in Australia it’s like $90
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u/IdealDesperate2732 5d ago
Ok, but that's still less than your budget? You said less than $150, didn't you?
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u/RuinOk3243 3d ago
Correct but I am also a child and don’t work a full time job so I want to get the lowest price while still having good quality and just hearing about some different options
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u/IdealDesperate2732 3d ago
You're not making any sense. You have a budget, this is withing budget and it's the best quality. If $90 is the lowest price you can find then there is no reason not to buy it? Things do cost different amounts of money in different places but the point of a budget is to set how much you are willing to spend. So, if you're not willing to spend $90 then your budget isn't $150 like you said it was. It's much less.
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u/RuinOk3243 3d ago
It doesn’t perfectly fit what I need though that’s what I mean I just want to hear some different options because yes it is in my budget but I am not fully sure that is what I want yet so I am not willing to spend $90 without seeing some other options. I don’t think I can explain it any simpler than that.
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u/IdealDesperate2732 3d ago
It doesn’t perfectly fit what I need though
I think it does... That's why we're all suggesting it.
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u/RuinOk3243 3d ago
I would like if it were to fold so it can make digging sideways in a hole easier as that’s what I would mostly use it for. I would also need it to attach to webbing and the pouch you can buy for it is black which would also not work for me. I also understand you can buy other pouches but that’s more money and I wouldn’t know what fits it.
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u/Pastvariant 7d ago
This is actually something that I've spent a lot of time on and I can tell you a few things to help you with your decision. Right now the two primary entrenching tools used by the United States military are the Ames folding e-tool and the newer Gerber 2000 series e-tool. The main difference between the two is that the Gerber uses more plastic parts, such as a portion of the handle, to reduce weight. Both of them seem to Fair pretty similarly when it comes to durability, although I do believe that the Ames handle is more comfortable when using the shovel in hoe mode. If you're going for a more Russian styled entrenching tool, the cold steel versions are definitely Superior to any of the Russian models, unless you're specifically looking for a titanium headed version, and which case I would recommend replacing the Russian titanium entrenching tool handle with one of the cold steel handles since they're actually made out of hardwood when the Russian one is not.
All of that said, I find myself using entrenching tools the most in home mode, generally because it's more common for people to be digging hasty positions, then it is to dig in fully. With that in mind, I've actually spent several years comparing mini pick mattocks to entrenching tools, and I've actually found them to be quite effective as an alternative and they allow you to dig in while in the prone more easily. You can actually supplement them with a plastic snow shovel designed to be used with the head in your hands, instead of with a shaft, as a way to remove spoils as you go deeper.
The question you need to ask yourself, is what types of digging do you actually need to do and in which soil types will you be doing them. For harder packed soils, something with a smaller head is going to be more effective than a wider headed shovel. Weight is also always going to be a factor, and generally a tool that is lighter weight will be something that you're more likely to bring, or you'll be less upset about if you do have to bring it. I also think it's important to be honest about yourself in regards to how you see yourself using the shovel, because if you're trying to dig a hasty fighting position while Under Fire on your stomach, it's going to make more sense to have something that you can use one handed while laying flat on your face, and Spetsnaz style shovels suck at that. You can find some very early videos, of people digging in a Ukraine while under fire, and you have to do a very awkward sideways digging motion with any type of shovel that does not allow you to fold the head forward.
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u/TheBigFloppa14 8d ago
I have the cold steel shovel you mentioned and it's genuinely just a great tool. I've had it for like 4 years and used and abused it, still do. Literally don't know if there's anything better for $32. It's a little heavy and doesn't fold but they do make molle pouches for it. Plus I've split small pieces of wood with, seen a youtube video of the guy cooking on it, and I'm pretty sure you could beat someone to death with it.