The Shovel (Yes, Really)

We know. A shovel. Stay with us. One NorCalHunt subscriber, who will remain nameless (you know who you are), recently learned that mud and sand don't care how good your truck is. When you're buried to the axle on a two-track miles from pavement, you're either digging yourself out or waiting at the mercy of whoever drives by next. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. Our value pick is the GroundWork 49 in. Hardwood Handle Round Point Shovel from Tractor Supply. You get a steel round point head with a lacquer finish to help it hold up to wear, a full-length 49-inch hardwood handle for real leverage when you're digging out a tire, and a nonslip end grip. It runs about $25, so check current pricing. Keep it out of the rain between trips so the wood handle lasts. Floor option: the old rusty one in your shed, for free. Clean the blade, check the handle for cracks, and throw it in the truck today. Whatever you carry, it rides in the bed next to the cooler from Issue #15 and the meat frame from Issue #12. When you're stuck: stop spinning the second you stop moving forward. Dig out in front of all four tires, not just behind, clear anything you're high-centered on, and stuff brush or branches under the drive tires before you ease back on the throttle.r boots (600 gram Thinsulate) handle a frosty valley morning, and the seams are stitched, glued, and taped, the same three-step construction the premium brands use. Field reviewers this fall keep landing on them as the best value in the category. They list around $119 and often street closer to $90 to $110, so check current pricing.