I have the Spades little brother the Gorge (very similar to the Glock tool in Doug's review) and I love it. I won't be digging my way to China with it but I can stow it anywhere, it's tough and nails, and it's hands down better than a trowel. I find the tri-fold shovels to be a bit heavy since I'm a backpack-centric kind of packer.

The striking plate turns it into a real nifty hammer for tent pegs (and way safer than an axe or hatchet). I'm not sure the larger spade has that feature...hard to swing it like a hammer with the loop handle.