Who this is for
A car trunk or kit: clearing snow from around a tire, small digging jobs, camp chores.
Skip if
Driveways, sandbags or a car stuck deep in snow or mud. It's a backup; a full-size shovel does those jobs.
Preparedness Gear
Rhino USA Folding Survival Shovel with Pick
Evaluated for household use · Affiliate links disclosed
Recommended for this situation
Why we chose it
Both hands-on reviews we found say it feels sturdy for a folding tool, and it packs small enough to live in a car year-round.
Buy From
AmazonAlso available at
Affiliate links · We earn a small commission at no cost to you. How this works
We evaluate every pick for real-world reliability.
Why this matters
Why this matters in an emergency
Plenty of winter trouble happens away from home. A car slides onto a snowy shoulder, a tire spins on ice in a parking lot, a storm drain clogs at the end of the driveway. The full-size shovel is in the garage, and the garage isn't where you are.
A folding shovel is the small answer to that. It's no substitute for a snow shovel or a real digging shovel, but it fits under a seat, and having some way to move snow, gravel or mud is better than using your hands.
How We Evaluated
How we evaluated this
We researched this shovel through Rhino USA's product page, Amazon's listing and summary of owner reviews, a camping-shovel comparison by My Open Country, and a long-term owner review from Trail4R, the same homework we'd do before buying one for our own car. We don't have hands-on time with it yet. Rhino's own figures and the reviewers' figures don't always match, so each one below is attributed.
Our pick: Rhino USA Folding Survival Shovel with Pick
The verdict
The Rhino USA folding shovel is recommended for this situation: a small steel digger that lives in the trunk or the kit for the day you need to clear snow from around a tire, clear a path or dig a small hole. It folds to about 9 inches, locks into a shovel, pick or hoe, and both hands-on reviewers we found call it sturdy for its size. It's a second shovel, not a main one. The blade is small, one owner found it rusting after a few wet uses, and it won't clear a driveway or fill sandbags.
- Sturdy for a folding tool, per two reviews
- Folds to about 9 inches, with a case
- Shovel, pick and hoe in one
- Small blade and short handle
- One owner found rust after a few wet uses
- About 2 pounds
What it does well
It's sturdy for a folding tool. My Open Country swung and stomped on every shovel in its comparison and ranked the Rhino a close second for feeling burly, saying its extra weight goes into "chunkier, more durable materials." Owners in Amazon's review summary describe it as built like a tank.
It packs small. Rhino's page says it's 23 inches long extended and folds to 9 inches; Amazon's listing says 22 inches, folding to 9 by 6 inches. It comes with a carry case. The head locks at three positions, per the listing: straight as a shovel, and at a right angle as a pick or a hoe. My Open Country found the twist lock easy to set.
What it does poorly
The blade is small and the handle is short. Trail4R's owner, who used it in snow and rain, felt it in the lower back after about 20 minutes and wished it were longer. That review also says not to count on it to dig a big tire out of a mud hole or snowbank.
It can rust. The same owner found it rusting after only a few uses. That was a 2019 unit, and Rhino now lists a black powder-coated finish, but it's a reason to dry it before it goes back in the case.
It isn't light. Amazon lists 2 pounds, Rhino's own product images 2.5, Trail4R 2.65, and My Open Country calls 2 pounds "quite heavy" for a camping shovel.
Where it shines
The trunk, the kit, the campsite: chipping ice from around a tire, digging a small fire pit, clearing a few feet of snow.
Where it frustrates
Anything big. It won't clear a driveway, and it isn't the tool for sandbags or a real stuck car; a full-size shovel is.
What owners report
Amazon's summary of owner reviews is positive: owners call it versatile and built like a tank, like that it folds small enough for a cargo pocket or a Jeep, and use it for fire pits and camp digging. The one documented failure we found is rust, from Trail4R's owner after a few uses in snow and rain. We found no long-term durability test, so we can't say how the twist lock holds up over years.
Other options to consider
Bully Tools 92515 round-point shovel
A full-size digging shovel for the jobs this one is too small for: sandbags, mud and real digging.
Longevity
How long will this actually last
Rhino USA says all its products carry a lifetime replacement, per its site and the Amazon listing. Keep it dry before you fold it into the case; one owner's shovel started rusting after a few wet outings. Rhino's product page also carries a California Proposition 65 warning for DEHP.
Questions people actually ask
Can it dig my car out of the snow?
Can I use it to fill sandbags?
Will it rust?
How long is it?
Which Rhino listing is this?
Technical Specifications
| Model | Folding Survival Shovel with Pick, Military E-Tool style, black (Rhino USA) |
| Length | 23 in extended, 9 in folded (Rhino); 22 in, folds to 9 × 6 in (Amazon listing) |
| Head Positions | Shovel, pick, hoe (Amazon listing) |
| Material | Carbon steel, black powder coat (Rhino) |
| Weight | 2 lb (Amazon listing); 2.5 lb (Rhino product image); 2.65 lb (Trail4R) |
| Included | Carry case (Rhino) |
| Warranty | Lifetime replacement (Rhino) |
Sources we consulted
We may earn a commission when you buy through links on this page. How this works
Preparedness Gear
Rhino USA Folding Survival Shovel with Pick
Evaluated for household use · Affiliate links disclosed
Recommended for this situation
Why we chose it
Both hands-on reviews we found say it feels sturdy for a folding tool, and it packs small enough to live in a car year-round.
Buy From
AmazonAlso available at
Affiliate links · We earn a small commission at no cost to you. How this works
We evaluate every pick for real-world reliability.