BoglerCo Ultralight Backpacking Trowel Review

Overview

The BoglerCo Ultralight Backpacking Trowel is a 13.5 g aluminum cathole digger made in the USA. It has a serrated edge for roots and a plastic end cap that spares your palm when you push. It is aimed at thru-hikers and ultralighters who want a real digging tool, not a flimsy plastic scoop. Its one trade-off is that thin aluminum will never match a stiffer, heavier tool in the hardest ground.

Key Specs

Spec	Detail
Weight	13.5 g (0.48 oz)
Material	Aircraft-grade aluminum body, plastic end cap
Dimensions	7.25 x 2.25 x 0.5 in
Length	7.25 in
Made in	USA
Warranty	Lifetime
Extras	Serrated edge, grip holes along the spine, side guyline holes

Performance

Digging. The blade has a thin leading edge that slices through turf, forest duff and small roots. The serrated edge is there for medium roots. Backpacking Light forum members who compared it with a Deuce of Spades and a Vargo describe a trowel that saws through small roots better than the Deuce. One owner reports it cut root mats well enough that the serrations were rarely needed. A hiker who carried it on the 486-mile Colorado Trail said it handled every soil type, and another reported it dug well through some of the rockiest stretches of the Appalachian Trail.

Comfort. The end cap is the feature owners mention most. Flat metal trowels tend to dig into the palm once a hole gets difficult. The cap spreads that load, so a hiker can lean on the handle with full force. Backpacking Light posters call it easier on the hands than the Deuce of Spades, and one who had owned the Deuce, the Vargo and the Bogler called it very comfortable. The Vargo, they said, cut through root mats well but was not comfortable to use. Several owners also note that the 7.25-inch length doubles as a depth gauge for a roughly 6-to-7-inch cathole. The trowel has no printed measurement marker, so that is a rule of thumb rather than a calibrated scale.

Strength. BoglerCo says the bends in the metal are angled to maximize strength and that it runs regular stress and fatigue tests. Owners generally report that the blade doesn’t bend under normal use. One Backpacking Light user called it “not the most robust,” though light, comfortable and well sized. Anyone who expects to dig into frozen ground, snow or heavy rock should treat the Vargo Dig Dig Dig, at about 1.25 oz, as the stiffer choice. Outdoor-focused roundups mostly agree that this is a trade-off at the margins and not a durability concern in ordinary soil.

Versus the field. Treeline Review named it Best Overall in its 2026 trowel roundup, listing it at 0.5 oz and $18. That puts it just under the Deuce of Spades Dirt Saw #2 and Prairie Dog (both 0.6 oz) and the Suluk 46 Tark (0.6 oz, $38). Only the titanium QiWhiz is lighter, at 0.4 oz. The BoglerCo has guyline holes on the sides only. The Prairie Dog and Deuce have them elsewhere on the body.

Serration caveat. Earlier versions were serrated on one side only. Reviewers note that left-handed diggers had trouble cutting roots with the plain edge. BoglerCo has since added teeth to both sides, so check which revision is on the listing.

Extras. Holes along the spine add grip when hands are wet or muddy. The same holes let the trowel pull duty as a spare tent stake or deadman anchor. The maker also pitches it as a shoehorn and flyswatter. Few owners will test either claim.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 13.5 g, lighter than nearly every trowel that digs competently
• End cap lets users push hard without bruising the palm
• Serrated edge cuts small and medium roots
• Made in the USA with a lifetime warranty
• Priced around $18 at MSRP, well under titanium options

Cons

• Thin aluminum is less rigid than the Vargo for frozen or very rocky ground
• Older versions are serrated on one side only
• No printed depth marker
• Titanium rivals such as the QiWhiz save another few grams

Who Should Buy This

This trowel suits thru-hikers and weekend ultralighters who dig catholes in forest duff, grass, and mixed or rocky soil, and who care about comfort. It is a good first trowel for anyone replacing a plastic scoop. Winter campers, mountaineers digging in snow or frozen ground, and anyone who wants a depth scale printed on the blade should look at the Vargo or a sturdier option. Hikers who want the very last gram can pay more for titanium, but the savings amount to a few grams.

Verdict

The BoglerCo trowel does the one job it was built for with less weight and less palm pain than most rivals. Owners rate it very highly, and the end cap is a clear step up from bare-metal blades. Buy it unless your terrain demands a stiffer tool.