Tools

McLeod
This tool has a hoe on one side and a rake on the other. It was invented by U.S. Forest Service Ranger Malcolm McLeod in 1905. It’s designed to rake a fire line with its teeth and cut branches and vines with its hoe blade.

Pulaski
This tool features an axe blade on one side and a small hoe, similar to a pickaxe, on the other. Named for its inventor, Forest Service Ranger Ed Pulaski, it works exceptionally well for digging, grubbing and chopping.

Pick Mattock
This heavy-duty tool can break apart asphalt, concrete and hard ground. Also known as a pick, it is ideal for tilling and trenching. Most picks have a spike ending in a sharp point on one end and a slightly curved flat end for prying or cutting roots on the other, known as a mattock.

Round Point Shovel
If you have a yard, you’re probably familiar with this tool. Round point shovels are good for getting through hard ground when building trails, moving gravel, rock and debris, and for planting trees.

Square Point Shovel
Used for moving loose material, sand, top soil and even debris. It can also shape beds, mix concrete, and clean flat surfaces. Whether on the beach or in the snow, square point shovels are versatile and essential tools.

Rock Bar
These steel bars were made for prying rocks, stumps and heavy objects. Frequently used during trail building, rock bars can weigh as much as 15 pounds and measure as long as six feet.

Loppers
This handy tool comes in all shapes and sizes. Its handles can be metal, fiberglass or wood and it’s great for pruning and shearing. Loppers can be used for a variety or projects, from removing dead vegetation to cleaning up a neighborhood park.

Sledge Hammer
When it comes to rock work, Corpsmembers perhaps have no greater friend than this tool. Sledge hammers weigh between 2 and 12 pounds, come in a variety of lengths and are also used to break up concrete.

Chain Saw
Used in forest thinning, fuel reduction, even on trail work. The chain saw cannot be missed when in action. Leaders receive thorough training and earn certifications before they can even fire a saw up.

Brushcutter
Brushcutters are designed to tackle dense weeds, fibrous grass and areas of thick vegetation that a grass trimmer would struggle to cut. The use of a brushcutter allows for more clearing selectivity in keeping desired native plants in the area than wide-spread chemical or other means.