Fosco Mini Folding Shovel with Pick and Cover

A compact spade can come in handy surprisingly often whilst camping, practising bushcraft or during other outdoor activities, but a traditional spade can quickly take up too much space. The Fosco Mini Folding Shovel with Pick and Cover therefore combines a spade and a pickaxe in a compact, foldable design. With an unfolded length of approximately 41 cm and a folded size of just 15.5 × 9 cm, it’s easy to carry in a rucksack or alongside other outdoor kit.

The tool is made of steel and features a serrated edge designed to cut through roots and small branches, amongst other things. On the other side, the pickaxe can be used for harder or stony ground. After use, simply fold the tool back up and store it in the protective cover provided.

Why choose the Fosco Mini Folding Shovel?

The main advantage of this Fosco spade is that you get two functions in one compact tool. For normal soil, you use the spade blade, whilst the fold-out pickaxe provides better grip when the ground is harder.

What’s more, the tool is small enough to actually take with you. A large spade can be impractical on a hike or camping trip, whereas this Fosco measures just around 15.5 × 9 cm when folded. Weighing approximately 550 grams, it is noticeable in a lightweight rucksack, but remains far more practical than a full-size spade.

2-in-1 spade and pickaxe

The tool combines a spade with a pickaxe. This allows you to switch between digging and breaking up denser soil, depending on the ground conditions.

The pickaxe is particularly useful when a standard spade blade struggles to penetrate hard or stony ground. You can first loosen the soil and then continue digging with the spade blade. As such, the design offers more versatility than a simple mini-spade without a secondary function.

When unfolded, it is approximately 41 cm long

Additional product information for this specific Fosco model, with product code 433107, states that it has a total length when unfolded of approximately 41 cm and a width of approximately 9 cm.

This makes it compact compared to a standard spade, but it does give you more working space than those extremely small hand trowels that barely have a handle. It’s still a mini-tool; for prolonged or heavy digging, a larger spade is more comfortable.

Folds down compactly to 15.5 × 9 cm

When not in use, the spade can be folded down to approximately 15.5 × 9 cm. This means the tool takes up considerably less space, making it easier to pack it away amongst your other kit in your rucksack.

It is precisely this compact transport size that makes the spade ideal for camping, survival and bushcraft. You have a practical digging tool to hand without having to carry the bulk of a full-size spade all the time.

Shovel blade measuring approximately 13 × 9 cm

According to the supplementary product specifications, the scoop blade measures approximately 13 × 9 cm. Another supplier of the same Fosco model states a width of 9.5 cm, meaning there is a slight discrepancy between sources. We therefore use approximately 13 × 9 cm as the practical dimensions.

Thanks to its compact blade, this tool is particularly suitable for smaller digging jobs. Examples include moving earth, setting up or clearing away a small campsite, or other situations where you don’t need a large spade.

Serrated edge for roots and small twigs

On one side of the spade blade there is a serrated edge. This can be helpful if you come across small roots whilst digging and, according to the product information, can also be used on smaller branches.

Think of this feature primarily as a handy addition to the spade. For serious sawing work, a separate outdoor saw remains the better choice; the teeth on a compact spade blade simply have a much more limited stroke length.

Steel structure

The main parts of the tool are made from steel. The additional specifications for the exact equivalent model also list steel and plastic as the materials used, in keeping with the construction and the handle.

The spade is designed for use in a variety of outdoor conditions, but even a steel tool requires maintenance. Remove any soil and moisture after use and allow the spade to dry thoroughly before storing it in its protective cover for an extended period.

Non-slip handle

The handle features a non-slip surface to provide greater control during use. This is particularly useful when you need to apply force with the spade or pickaxe.

Due to its short length, a compact spade offers less leverage than a large spade. This makes a firm grip all the more important when working in harder soil.

Protective cover included

The Fosco Mini Folding Shovel comes with a protective cover. Once you’ve folded the tool away, you can store it in the cover before putting it back in your rucksack or with the rest of your kit. The cover and shovel are also listed as contents of the package in the product information for item 433107.

It is best to clean the spade first. If you put it straight into the cover whilst it is still covered in wet soil and dirt, you will be storing it with that moisture.

For camping, hiking, fishing and survival

Fosco markets the mini folding shovel for camping, hiking, fishing and survival. In addition, the same model is also specifically mentioned by another outdoor retailer for airsoft and general outdoor use.

When going hiking, you should above all consider whether you actually expect to use the tool. Weighing 550 grams, it is compact, but not particularly light for ultralight hikers. When it comes to bushcraft, camping, vehicle equipment or a more comprehensive survival kit, that weight will usually be less of an issue.

Weight of approximately 550 grams

The stated weight is 550 grams. This weight is stated both in the product information provided and in the external specifications for product code 433107.

That makes the term ‘lightweight’ relative: the spade is portable and compact, but 550 grams certainly makes a difference when you’re trying to save every gram in a hiking rucksack. Its main strength therefore lies in the balance between its compact size and functionality.

Practical tip

If the ground is very hard, first use the pickaxe to loosen the top layer and then switch to the shovel blade. Do not try to pry large stones loose with the compact blade using brute force; a mini folding spade is not designed for this. Clean and dry the tool after use before folding it up and storing it in its cover.

In the box

Bij aanschaf van de Fosco Mini Folding Shovel with Pick and Cover ontvang je:
　• Fosco Mini Folding Shovel with Pick
　• Beschermhoes

Specificaties

　• Brand: Fosco Industries
　• Product: Mini Folding Shovel with Pick and Cover
　• Product code: 433107
　• Colour: Black
　• Type: Foldable mini shovel with pickaxe
　• Functions: Shovel and pickaxe
　• Material: Steel / plastic parts
　• Total length when unfolded: Approx. 41 cm
　• Width when unfolded: Approx. 9 cm
　• Dimensions when folded: Approx. 15.5 × 9 cm
　• Dimensions of shovel blade: Approx. 13 × 9 cm
　• Edge: Serrated
　• Handle: Non-slip
　• Foldable: Yes
　• Weight: Approx. 550 grams
　• Protective cover: Included
　• Suitable for: Camping, bushcraft, hiking, fishing, survival, airsoft and general outdoor use

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this mini-spade suitable for hard ground?
That’s precisely why this model has the extra pickaxe. With compacted or harder soil, you can first loosen the surface with the pick and then continue with the spade blade. However, for very heavy digging work or prying loose large stones, a full-size spade or pickaxe remains more suitable.

Isn’t 550 grams too heavy to carry whilst hiking?
That depends very much on your style of travel. For an ultralight hike, 550 grams is quite a lot for a single piece of kit. When practising bushcraft, camping or when you’re deliberately taking a more comprehensive survival kit with you, the combination of a spade, pick and saw blade may well be worth the extra weight. The main advantage of this model lies in its compact size, not in its extremely low weight.

What is the serrated edge useful for?
The serrated edge can be helpful when you come across small roots whilst digging, and is also designed for smaller branches. For regular sawing of thicker branches, we would use a separate folding saw; thanks to its longer blade, this is considerably more efficient.

Can I keep this spade in my car or survival kit at all times?
Thanks to its foldable design and protective cover, this is actually a logical use for it. When folded, the tool measures approximately 15.5 × 9 cm and can therefore be stored relatively easily in a vehicle kit or larger survival kit. Do check it from time to time for moisture, dirt and any signs of corrosion.

Is this the same Fosco Mini Folding Shovel as the small stainless steel version?
No. Fosco also stocks a much smaller stainless steel Mini Folding Shovel weighing approximately 135–147 grams. That is a different product. This model has product code 433107, weighs approximately 550 grams, is about 41 cm long when unfolded and features the additional pickaxe.

Can I use it for major digging work at the campsite?
It’s suitable for smaller jobs, but it is still a mini folding spade with a blade measuring approximately 13 × 9 cm. If you need to move a lot of earth, a larger spade will be considerably quicker and more comfortable to use. This Fosco model is primarily designed for situations where portability is more important than maximum digging capacity.

Advice from Airsoft-Legends

We find the Fosco Mini Folding Shovel with Pick and Cover particularly interesting as a compact tool for bushcraft, camping, survival and vehicle equipment. With an unfolded length of approximately 41 cm, it is large enough to actually dig with, whilst when folded it takes up only about 15.5 × 9 cm.

The additional pickaxe head clearly gives this model more versatility than a simple mini-spade. If the soil is too compact for the spade blade, you can loosen it first, whilst the serrated edge can come in handy for smaller roots.

Weighing 550 grams, we wouldn’t immediately recommend it to anyone trying to put together the lightest possible trekking kit. For bushcraft, camping, fishing or a survival kit, however, the situation is different: in those cases, the extra functionality may be more important than saving every gram of weight.

So, if you’re looking for a compact, foldable spade that can also be used as a pickaxe and is small enough to store in your outdoor kit, then this Fosco 2-in-1 is a practical choice.