How to Choose the Best Off Road Shovel for Overlanding
A quality off road shovel is an essential piece of gear to keep in your overland vehicle. So in this guide we’re digging into what makes a great overlanding shovel, why you need one while camping and traveling off road, how to choose the best one for your needs, as well as how to mount your off road shovel to your overland vehicle.
Why You Need an Off Road Shovel for Overlanding
There are two primary reasons to carry an off road shovel while overlanding:
Vehicle Recovery
Like other Overlanding and Off Road Recovery Gear, an off road shovel’s primary purpose is to help facilitate the safe recovery of your off road or overlanding vehicle. When your vehicle’s tires or axle becomes mired in snow, mud, or sand the first step in recovery is clearing the tires or axles of this debris with an off road shovel to enable a clear line for an assisted recovery pull - or ideally for you to be able to drive out of the stuck position unassisted.
General Off-Road Camping
The other main reason for carrying an off-road shovel is for general camping purposes while overlanding, such as digging latrines, cat holes, fire pits, or putting out campfires.
How to Choose an Off Road Shovel for Overlanding
There are four factors to consider when selecting the best off road shovel for your needs while overlanding:
1. Materials
Blade Materials
Steel - Steel blades are generally stronger and heavier. If you’ll be digging in rocky soil and mud while off road, you’ll want the strength a steel blade will provide.
Aluminum - Aluminum blade shovels offer a significant weight savings over steel shovels, and are ideal for softer terrain conditions like sand, mud, or snow.
Handle Shaft & Grip Materials
Wood - Wood handles can be fairly strong and more comfortable than steel or aluminum handles.
Steel - Steel handles are often integrated into the blade, handle, and grip as one solid piece. While this is the strongest design, it’s often uncomfortable to use at length - especially in compacted or rocky soil.
Aluminum - Similar to steel, aluminum handles often are integrated into the aluminum shafts of an all-aluminum shovel, but offer weight savings over other materials.
Fiberglass - Typically only used for the shaft of the shovel’s handle, fiberglass offers the comfort of wood with added strength, at a slightly lighter weight.
Plastic - This is generally only used for D-handle designs in conjunction with a steel or fiberglass shaft, and can be a weak point in a shovel’s long-term durability.
2. Blade Design
Blade Shape - Generally an off road shovel for overlanding will have a blade with a pointed cutting edge, which is more efficient for digging in sand, mud, or loosening compacted soil. A shovel with a square cutting edge blade is generally better suited to snow wheeling recoveries.
Blade Surface Area - The greater the surface area of the blade the more dirt, sand, snow, or mud can be moved at a time. However there is a diminishing return to this increased efficiency - as a larger, more laden blade, will be more tiring to use for long periods of time as compared to a smaller more compact blade. It will also be more unwieldy to fit into tight areas, such as underneath a vehicle.
Serrated Edge - Some off road shovels offer a serrated edge for cutting through roots more easily while digging.
Axe Edge - Some off road shovels offer a sharpened edge that can be utilized as an axe for clearing small limbs or splitting kindling while camping, though these are generally not suited for falling trees or splitting firewood.
Step - An off road shovel with and integrated step will provide more purchase for digging in harder compacted terrain
Socket / Shank - the blade’s socket (or shank) is the connection point to the shovel’s handle shaft - namely when more than one type of material is used in the construction of an off road shovel (e.g. a steel blade to a fiberglass or aluminum handle shaft). Generally the longer the blade’s socket the stronger this connection and the more leverage it can withstand without damage.
3. Handle Length
Long Handle - a long handle will provide greater leverage and can be more comfortable to dig with for longer durations (allowing for a standing position while digging). However, a longer handle will make your off road shovel more cumbersome and difficult to store in your vehicle.
Short Handle - a short handle will be easier to store and allow you to fit into tight locations when digging, but it will also be less efficient and less comfortable to dig with for extended periods of time.
4. Handle Grip Design
Straight Shaft - A straight shaft handle grip is typically used in long handle off road shovels for maximum leverage while digging.
D-handle Grip - A D-handle grip offers a more comfortable grip and is often used in shorter handle overlanding shovels.
T-handle Grip - A T-handle grip is typically integrated into the shaft of a short handled shovel while providing a more comfortable grip position in tighter digging locations.
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The 10 Best Overlanding and Off Road Shovels of 2024
As is the case with most overlanding and off road equipment, the best off road shovel is the one you have with you. That said, the below list of our top 10 favorite off road shovels (in order of most to least expensive) will help you select a quality overlanding shovel that’s right for your budget and adventures.
DMOS Delta Collapsible Off Road Shovel
The DMOS Delta shovel is a top-of-the-line American-made overlanding shovel. Its super stout 3mm-thick blade is made of aircraft-grade steel, the telescoping handle is made of aluminum, and the T-handle grip is made of a nylon polymer composite, offering a nearly perfect balance of compact form factor and strength. However, the price tag matches this quality and utility.
DMOS Stealth Overland Shovel
Like the Delta, the DMOS Stealth shovel is compact and American-made, but unlike the Delta, it's made entirely of 6000 series aluminum and offers a wider square blade to make off road snow and sand recoveries easier.
Krazy Beaver Off Road Shovel
Designed by a former New Mexico search and rescue team member, The Krazy Beaver Off Road Shovel is unmistakable. Its massive serrated tooth blade is designed to cut through hard packed ground, ice, roots, and other underground obstacles.
The blade and teeth are made of 13-gauge tempered steel, the handle is made of fiberglass, and the D-handle grip is made of plastic. There is a safety guard, sold separately, to cover the shovel’s teeth when not in use. While it’s unorthodox aesthetic it’s our personal taste, it’s hard to argue with its utility off road, plus…who doesn’t love a giant spork!
Agency 6 Off Road Overlanding Shovels
Agency 6 offers two great models of USA made all-aluminum off road shovels for overlanding. Each has integrated mounting holes (6” apart) built into the handle, making storage a breeze.
Agency 6 XL Long Straight Shaft Aluminum Shovel - This model provides increased leverage advantage while still remaining relatively compact at 32” overall length and a weight of only 2.5lbs.
Agency 6 T-handle Mini Aluminum Shovel - This model is even more compact at 23” overall length and 1.75 lbs, but the T-handle grip still provides adequate leverage for most tasks you’ll encounter off roading or overlanding
Hi-Lift Handle-All Off Road Shovel Multi-tool
This multi-function off road shovel kit not only carries the same off-road credibility of the company’s famous Hi-Lift jack, but offers a full set of axe, pick, sledge hammer, and shovel in a compact design. It also includes a carrying case for storage in your vehicle.
Fiskars 44-inch PRO Digging Shovel
The Fiskars 44” PRO Digging Shovel packs a lot of value for any overlanding or off-road adventure at a budget-friendly price point. The 44” length allows for plenty of leverage, the extruded aluminum handle cuts down on weight, and the heavy gauge steel blade with double-bolted extended shank gives it the strength to hold up to the abuse of off-road recoveries and camping tasks alike.
Bully Tools Trunk Shovel
This cheap off road shovel offers a ton of value. Made in the USA out of 14-gauge carbon steel with a comfortable (albeit plastic) D-handle grip in a compact trunk-friendly form factor making it easy to store in your overland vehicle.
Mastiff Gears Axe Shovel Combo
An axe shovel combo offers a ton of utility, especially while camping off road. We carried a similar model for years while traveling and loved being able to split kindling, limb larger cut firewood (which we cut with our trusty Folding Camp Saw), dig cat holes, as well as use it for a couple of vehicle recoveries.
Smittybuilt Tri-fold Compact Off Road Shovel
This budget-friendly folding off road shovel is a great compromise for overlanding. Its compact design makes it easy to store out of the way in your vehicle until needed. Though, as with most compact off road shovels, the smaller form factor and blade surface area means you’ll have your work cut out for you if your overland vehicle is mired up to its axles.
How to Use Your Off Road Shovel (Tips for Avoiding Fatigue)
When Shoveling (moving loose sand, snow, or mud from one area to another)
Establish a wide stance for support
Place your front foot close to the shoveling location
Keep weight primarily on your front foot and use your leg muscles to push the shovel into the sand, snow, or mud.
Shift your weight to your rear foot and keep the load close to your body.
Turn your feet in the direction of the throw and release the load of material.
Optimal load handling to avoid fatigue:
Shoveling Rate: no more than 15 scoops per minute
Shovel Load Weight: no greater than 10-15 lbs (including shovel weight)
Throw Height: no more than 4ft from surface level
Throw Distance: no greater than 3 ft distance
When Digging (removing compacted soil for leveling or camping purposes)
Push blade, cutting edge down into the soil, using your leg muscles to apply the digging force to the step of the shovel, and then the handle for leverage as needed.
Ensure the load is loose from ground before lifting and keep your chest open and spine as straight as possible while using your leg muscles to lift the load.
Transition the loaded shovel while keeping the loaded shovel blade close to your body.
How to Mount Your Off Road Shovel to Your Overland Vehicle
Once you’ve chosen an off road shovel that will work for your needs, you’ll need a place to store it. You can simply toss it in the back of your overland vehicle when you’re heading to the trail or find a more permanent mounting location on the interior or exterior of your rig. There are a variety of mounts you can choose from, depending on your vehicle’s setup, to accomplish this:
Dedicated Off Road Shovel Brackets
Some shovel manufacturers or vehicle roof racks have proprietary mounts to consider when selecting an off road shovel mounting solution.
DMOS makes proprietary mounts for both the Delta and Stealth Shovels, enabling a variety of mounting options and a means of securing your investment.
Agency 6 Mega Mount - While the Agency 6 shovels are easy to mount with their built in mounting holes, Agency 6 makes the aluminum Mega Mount that makes mounting and accessing the shovel fast and easy.
Frontrunner Off Road Shovel Mount* - This mount integrates with any of the their roof rack systems to provide a secure mounting location for your off road shovel.
Yakima Off Road Shovel or Axe Mount* - This mount works with Yakima’s round bars and roof rack systems.
Universal Off Road Shovel Mounts
Universal mounts can be used for a variety of off road and overland vehicle applications, giving you a dedicated storage location to store your off road shovel when not in use.
Quick Fist Clamps* - These are our personal favorite mounting option as they’re incredibly fast and easy to use, and work great for mounting a number of items in or on your overland vehicle.
Spare Tire Mount for Off Road Shovels* - If your overland vehicle has a bumper mounted spare tire, this mount adds the ability to store your off road shovel on the spare tire.
Hook and Loop Off Road Shovel Mount - Similar to the Quick Fist mounts, these hook and loop off road shovel mounts make it easy to quickly secure your shovel to round or square tube roof racks.
Roof Basket Axe & Shovel Mount* - This dedicated steel plate mount offers a more permanent mounting location for your off road shovel and ax as well.
Locking T-Track Off Road Shovel Mount* - If you have a roof rack with a T-track, these universal locking mounts by Rhino rack are an excellent way to securely store your overland shovel (or ax).
Having a quality off-road shovel is worth its weight in gold when you need it, and we hope this guide has helped you select the best overlanding shovel for your adventures.
If you have any questions or other off road shovel recommendations, be sure to drop a comment below!
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