How to use a folding shovel
Updated: October 2026
You have a short folding shovel in the boot or the pack, and the risky moment is the first dig. If the nut, the collet or the button is not seated, the head can fold onto your hand. This is how to use a folding shovel: lock it, test it with your hands, dig small, and stop when the ground or the rules are beyond a hinged blade. The tools are compared on the [folding spade comparison](/hub/digging-tools/folding-spade). Peter F. did not run a field trial. Distances for burying waste are not one UK number. Quote the code for the land you are on. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You have a short folding shovel in the boot or the pack, and the risky moment is the first dig. If the nut, the collet or the button is not seated, the head can fold onto your hand.
You have a short folding shovel in the boot or the pack, and the risky moment is the first dig. If the nut, the collet or the button is not seated, the head can fold onto your hand. This is how to use a folding shovel: lock it, test it with your hands, dig small, and stop when the ground or the rules are beyond a hinged blade. The tools are compared on the folding spade comparison. Peter F. did not run a field trial. Distances for burying waste are not one UK number. Quote the code for the land you are on. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Lock | Open length | Weight | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Gerber Gerber Gorge folding shovel | Push-button | 41.9 cm | 771 g | 8.8 | about £24.99 | View offer |
 Draper Draper 51002 folding steel shovel | Integral collet | n/a | 1.02 kg | 8.8 | about £14.21 | View offer | |
 Meehoo Meehoo 46 cm folding spade | Nut and bolt | 46 cm | 640 g | 8.4 | about £12.99 | View offer |
On this page
Seat the lock before you load it
A Glock-pattern entrenching tool is unlocked, the head is seated in a notch, and then it is locked. Most folders in this set are not that pattern. Your nut or button may differ. Use the motion the listing describes, then prove it with your hands before you put weight on the blade.
On a nut lock, rotate the nut until the head sits straight or angled, then tighten it. A shared PLACHIDAY review says the nut is hard to undo once it is dirty. If you can still fold the head with your hands, it is not seated. The Meehoo review that matters here is a blood blister: the tool folded because the bolts were loose, and it was fine once they were tight.
The Draper 51002 uses an integral collet, and the listing says you do not need extra tools. UK reviews still report play that one owner cured with washers, and a bend when the joint met a root. Snug the collet, then test with your hands, not your foot. The Gerber Gorge uses a push-button. UK reviews say the head can fold when you press the handle, and that the buttons can stick. Press, seat the length the title calls 41.9 cm, release, and push along the shaft. If the head nods, do not dig.
Straight head or angled head
A straight head moves spoil. An angled head scrapes or works as the pick the listing claims. The Epic Militaria and the ADTSADDTO titles offer both. Set the angle, then lock it again. Changing angle with a loose nut is how the head meets your fingers.
Use the pick to break a crust, not to pry as if the hinge were a crowbar. Draper reviews warn against levering on the joint. A Hilka owner who shovels snow with it would not lever, because a bend is the likely result. A serrated edge, where a bullet claims one, is for a small stem. One ADTSADDTO review calls the saw edge useless, so do not plan the job around that tooth. Once it cannot fold in your hands, take a small bite. Many of these folders have no tread. Standing on the shoulder loads the hinge.
Short shaft, so change how you stand
These shafts are short on purpose. You will stoop. Health and Safety Executive guidance on manual handling is about posture and repetition, not only the kilogrammes on the listing. Kneel for a small hole, keep the load close, and switch sides. Gloves help. Ycnpeatt reviews mention a sharp point, and a blood blister is already in the Meehoo file.
Do not jump on a hinged blade. One ADTSADDTO review describes a washer bent on the first day. Xtremeauto reviews describe a bend within five minutes in ordinary soil. If the first strokes flex the blade, stop. The same short handle is why a cathole is in scope and a garden bed is not. Snow around a tyre is a different posture, on the folding shovel car boot page.
If you are burying waste
The Countryside Code asks you to leave no trace, and fires are off unless signs allow them. Lake District National Park advice for a cathole is at least 30 metres from paths and water, about 15–20 cm deep, with toilet paper carried out. The Scottish Outdoor Access Code uses 30 metres from water for urine, which is a different instruction. The British Mountaineering Council has asked for 50 metres in its own advice. Do not blend those into one national depth.
Dig with the lock seated, bury the waste, and replace the soil so the surface looks undisturbed. Carry the paper out. A 23 cm trowel is what several UK reviews use, because the hole is small. A 23 inch folder also reaches 15–20 cm if you kneel. Neither tool makes the distance optional. If you are not allowed to dig, you do not dig. Detecting permission is on the folding spade for metal detecting page.
After use, and when to stop
Carbon steel rusts if you pack it wet. One ADTSADDTO review left the shovel in a river overnight and reported rust. Dry the blade before it goes in the pouch. Beach sand is the other problem. An Epic Militaria review says sand in the threads stopped the shovel folding. Rinse the hinge while you can still move it, then dry it. A light wipe of oil on bare threads is enough. A soak collects grit.
If the head has bent or cracked, stop. Return it if it failed in ordinary use. A 30-day refund is the usual first step under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Fetch a full-size spade when the job is a bed, the ground is frozen, or you are tempted to jump. Stop and get help if you hit a cable or a pipe, or if you may have found treasure, human remains or ordnance. The folding spade buying guide is where you check that the listing’s length was real before you relied on it.
Common questions
How do I lock the blade before I dig?
Seat the head, tighten the nut or collet, or release the push-button, then try to fold the head with your hands. If it moves, it is not locked. The Meehoo blood-blister review is what a loose bolt does on the first dig. The Gerber can still fold when you press the handle, so test a push along the shaft as well. Do this again every time you change from shovel to hoe.
What is the hoe or pick position for?
It breaks a crust or scrapes, once the hinge is tight in the angled notch. It is not a pry bar. The ADTSADDTO and the Xtremeauto claim that second position. A serrated edge, where the bullets actually mention one, is for a small stem. One review calls that saw useless. Levering on the joint is how these tools bend.
Can I stand on a folding shovel?
Do not jump on it, and do not assume it has a tread like a garden spade. Your weight goes through the hinge. UK reviews already include a bent washer, a bend on a root, and bends within minutes in soil. Kneel for a short hole. If you need a foot-powered blade, use a full-size spade with a solid shaft.
How deep is a cathole in the Lakes?
Lake District National Park says about 15–20 cm deep and at least 30 metres from paths and water, with paper carried out. That is Lakes advice, not a UK-wide rule. Scotland’s Outdoor Access Code talks about 30 metres from water for urine. Some walking advice says 50 metres. Use the code for the land you are on.
Do I bury the toilet paper?
The Lake District guidance says carry the paper out. Bag it, bury the waste, and replace the soil so the hole is not obvious. Wipes are a different problem and do not break down quickly. A trowel is enough for that small depth if you are allowed to dig there at all. The distance still depends on the land.
What if the nut will not undo because it is full of sand?
Rinse it before you force it. Sand in the Epic Militaria threads stopped one reviewer folding the tool after a beach, and a dirty PLACHIDAY nut is a repeated complaint. Work the nut while it is wet, then dry it before it goes back in the pouch. If it still will not move, the tool is stuck, and digging harder will not free the thread.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources from the research digest. Last checked in October 2026.
- GOV.UK, General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, Report treasure (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Treasure Act 1996 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, The Countryside Code (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Lake District National Park, outdoor toilet tips (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- HSE, manual handling in agriculture (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Hilka, folding boot shovel 84720099 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Gerber, Gorge (retrieved 19 October 2026)