A trowel has one job: getting a cat hole six to eight inches down in whatever ground you're standing on when you need it. In soft forest duff almost anything works. In clay, gravel or a mat of roots, a flimsy scoop bends and a boot heel barely scratches the surface. That's when people give up at three inches.
So we ranked these on how well they dig bad ground for their weight. A blade that cuts, with serrations or saw teeth, beats one that only scoops. After that comes a grip that won't bite into your palm, then weight, and last the extras, like doubling as a tent stake.
The order comes from each maker's published specs, 99Boulders' timed head-to-head dig test, SectionHiker's trowel roundup and Amazon buyer ratings. We haven't tested any of these ourselves. Ratings back the order up but don't set it: the trowel with the most reviews here sits third, behind two that handle hard ground better.
Trowels are cheap as gear goes, and the best ones rarely cost more than about $40. The one that ranked second in 99Boulders' test, QiWiz's titanium Big Dig, is sold only on its maker's own site, so you won't find it here. 99Boulders found it capable in rocky ground, though it's thin enough to bend.
