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The importance of a survival shovel multi-tool should not be overlooked and the
Strong Steel Spade
The 440 stainless steel spade is going to conquer any of the digging tasks that you put in front of it. Having this reliable shovel offers you the ability to manage a number of things like sanitation, shelter, and even trap making. These are all important parts of the survival process.
Creating a dugout trap is a great way to get a big meal in a survival situation. Good luck digging a hole big enough without a shovel. You might even be worse off if you get halfway thru and your shovel fails. Then you will have expended all those calories for nothing.
Blade Redundancy
The Evatac Tactical Shovel also features a set of sharpened edges and serrated edges on the spade itself. Aside from that, there is also a blade attachment that is housed within the handle of the shovel. This can be easily accessed and offers a straight blade as well as a serrated blade.
In survival, you can never have too many edges or too many blades. While these will not stand up to your survival knife, they may be blades that you don’t mind sacrificing the edge on for other tasks.
Fire Redundancy
Another interesting attachment inside the housing of the shovel’s handle is a ferro rod. I can never have enough ferro rods.
I want to have something that showers sparks in every pocket! When it comes to starting a fire I think as a special operations soldier, I never want a fair fight. I want a fire as fast and as easy as I can.
Extendable Handle
This shovel can exist in the dimensions that most military entrenching tools do. It also comes with attachments that really build this tool out to its full capacity.
The handle at full length is over 2 ft and really changes the way you think about a shovel that can be packed in your kit.
There is an added pouch that you will need to carry to break the shovel down. That might be a big deal to you and if that’s the case, the shovel works well without the additional leverage.
Still, it’s a small pouch and it gives you the option to create multiple tools or just build out the Evatac to its full potential.
Evatac Tactical Shovel Hidden Tools
After field-testing the Evatac as a survival shovel I decided to test the hidden tools one by one. What I found is that they are all comparable to something in your own kit. I was very surprised.
The ferro rod is large, has a great handle, and shoots quality sparks.
The button compass reads true, the knives are very effective and could make quick work of anything that you might use your survival knife for, outside of splitting small firewood.
The whistle was actually one of the best whistles I have ever used.
The hex’s are all made out of 440 steel so they are going to work well.
I never found the Philips head screwdriver. I think it might be on the opposite side of the cutting tool. That was the only place I didn’t check.
Beyond that, the only gripe I really have about the Evatac is the fact that we are dealing with a relatively thin, aircraft-grade, aluminum handle.
While stress testing it in the woods didn’t seem to affect the handle much, I couldn’t help but wonder what something like a week in the woods, with this as one of the tools you relied on heavily, might do to that handle.
Conclusion
The Evatac Tactical Shovel is a great starter product for preppers who are just getting into the game. It allows you to check several things off your list in one shot. It’s small and doesn’t take up much space. For the avid adventurer, I think the Evatac shines by adding redundancy to some very important categories in the world of survival.
Full disclosure: We were provided with a free product in return for our honest and unbiased review. All opinions expressed regarding this product are our own and have not been influenced in any way.
Bonus: Root Cellar That Can Be Used as a Bunker
Do you remember the old root cellars our great-grandparents used to have? In fact, they probably built it themselves, right in their back yard.
If you want to learn how to build a backyard bunker like your grandparents had, without breaking the bank, then you need Easy Cellar.
Easy Cellar will show you:
- How to choose the ideal site
- Cost-effective building methods
- How to protect your bunker from nuclear blast and fallout
- How to conceal your bunker
- Affordable basic life support options
Easy Cellar will also reveal how a veteran, with only $421, built a small nuclear bunker in his backyard.