1+2+3 The Two-Person Shovel

By Josie Moores

For anyone who’s spent the better part of a day shoveling, you know how utterly exhausting it can be. Here’s a way to get those big digging projects done without a single backache or blister: witness the two-person shovel. All you need is a friend and a length of rope.

1. Cut the “second” handle.

Cut a piece of rope that’s about the length of your leg.

2. Attach the rope to the shovel head.

Attach one end of the rope near the head of the shovel.

3. Make a handle at the top of the rope.

Illustrations by Julian Honoré; photograph by Josie Moores

Make a loop at the other end of the rope, and a second loop a few inches away from the end loop. Secure the loops by knotting. Or, if you’d rather have a handle, wrap the rope around the center of a stick.

That’s it for the construction part of the project.

Use It.

Using the two-person shovel is a bit more complicated than making it, but only because you expect it to be harder than it is. When my husband and I first used it, we were each riddled with guilt that the other must be doing all the work. It seemed too effortless. Only when we switched positions did we believe that neither person was really exerting himself or herself. It’s great!

Here’s how it works. Person A holds the shovel, and Person B holds the rope handle. Person A places the shovel head on the ground against whatever it is that has to be shoveled (sand, dirt, whatever). He does not push, he simply guides the tool. Person B pulls the handle (and thus the shovel head) toward her, scooping up the material to be removed. Person B then lifts the handle upward, and Person A guides the shovel, using the shaft as lever, to where the material needs to be dumped.

Rhythm is the key, and after a few tries, the team can move a lot of material without straining.

More info: velacreations.com/2manshovel.htm

Josie Moores lives with her husband and baby boy on an off-grid, fully sustainable homestead. Read about it at velacreations.com.