Two person backpacking maintenance crews have proved most effective in U.S. Forest Service trials. Tools used by two-person crews included:

• shovel
• double bit axe
• cross-cut saw (and/or chain saw)
• brush axe
• pruning shears
• trenching tool
• pruning saw
• hammer
• brush mower
• portable rock crusher

• removing windfall
• constructing or cleaning water-bars
• cutting weeds and brush
• removing loose rock
• removing imbedded rock
• limbing
• tread construction
• removing leaning trees