java230
Adventurist
I agree completely, and this, oddly, is my roundabout argument for choosing a solid but inexpensive "regular" shovel versus a fancy "overlanding" shovel.
There are a lot of high-performance fancy shovels out there. I'm certain they're all superior tools - either because they're stronger, lighter, or double as cutting tools, or double as pry-bars for casting your rig off a boulder, or whatever. That said, if it's going to be useful as a firefighting tool, my shovel needs to be readily accessible by anyone who might need it. For many folks (me included), this means stored outside the vehicle, and not secured. (No good messing with a padlock or cable if you need a scoop of dirt RIGHT NOW.) (If you can safely mount a shovel inside your vehicle, more power to you, though hopefully this arrangement doesn't preclude quick access either.)
I carry a <$20 big box pointed digging shovel because it gets the job done, but I won't cry if someone boosts it off the back of the rig while I'm having lunch on my way through town.
Back to the topic at hand: Has anyone else found the economics of refilling fire extinguishers to be kind of crazy? I used a few puffs from the 5lb unit in my shop to deal with a tiny rag fire on a bench and found that the "non-service-contract"/one-off pricing from my local shops to be as much or more than just ordering a new unit from Amazon.
100% I am required to have extinguishers in the shop by the fire dept. Its literally cheaper to buy a new 2 pack every year than to have them serviced.
I have a LOT of "expired" extinguishers that I am sure still work fine under the welding bench, and one "new" one by each door. Its silly.
On the shovel front, I like the Fiskars all metal one, still inexpensive (~$25) and the handle being metal does not beak down in the UV like wood or fiberglass. It does have a funky bend which makes mounting harder however.
