The Deuce of Spades – by The Tent Lab

There are two things every adventurer needs to be equipped for when venturing into the backcountry:

Number 1: The Tools to purify water
Number 2: The Tools to go to the bathroom
While we’ve dealt with number 1 in other articles, it’s time to deal with number 2.

It’s essential to reduce your impact when nature calls, so bringing a trowel with you in the backcountry is a must. When you find a spade as portable, lightweight and durable as the Deuce of Spades by the Tent Lab, then you know you’ve found a piece of gear that is going to be on your essentials list.

Let’s take a look at the specifications for the “Deuce of Spades” trowel and then I’ll talk a bit about what I thought.

Features

• made of 7075-T6 Aluminum (aerospace grade)
• Length: 6.8″
• Weighs 0.6 oz
• colors: red, yellow, green, blue and black 
• Formed and engraved in Colorado, USA
• 100% recyclable
• Use handle down for 4x the force!
• MSRP: $20

What do I think?

Carrying a trowel is as essential for backcountry travel as going to the bathroom is. You need to bury your excrement to lower impact and promote biodegradation. Plus, it is downright nasty to that sort of mess ruining our pristine countrysides.

On the John Muir Trail you need to bury human waste, but weight is a huge issue. I think I brought a 4 ounce trowel (1/4 pound!) because that’s all I could find. When your base weight is below 16 lbs, every ounce counts! I’ve retired my 4 ounce trowel in favour of the deuce of spades.

If you’re going backpacking in the backcountry and don’t have a trowel (or are looking for a lighter one) then you should really check out (and invest in) something like the Deuce of Spades by the Tent Lab. You can purchase it by clicking here (there’s a discount if you buy 5!).

So, Do you own a trowel? Have you ever needed to use one? Any tips for making backcountry adventures easier? Leave a comment below!