The absence of snow in these parts had made me a bit complacent — but that won’t do, so a shovel was finally bought and put in the trunk.
This time, instead of Fiskars, I went with a marvel of Chinese industry: three sections joined by threading — takes a little while to assemble, but from a very compact bag you can put together a tool that’s more than half a meter long. And what a tool!
In addition to the shovel itself, our generous Chinese friends throw in:
- a glass breaker
- a screwdriver — flathead and Phillips
- a fire striker
- a whistle
- a harpoon
- a saw
- a small knife
- a nail puller
- an alpenstock (or whatever you’d call the pointy end opposite the blade)
The shovel itself also has extra functionality — one edge is sharpened, the other is a saw, there are two holes for bolts, and of course — a bottle opener for beer! Oh, and the blade can be locked flat like a shovel, or at a right angle, like a hoe.
Of course, this is nowhere near the thoughtful modularity of the “Viy” solution by Serhiy Vovkulaka, but in the absence of that domestic masterpiece — you make do with what you’ve got.
Now I’m waiting for a chance to try it out on a camping trip!
