Backcountry Access D2 Extention Shovel

This shovel is awesome and I can't recommend it more, when time is of the essence you're going to want a versatile shovel that can really get the job done, with the regular shovel and hoe mode the D2 is the best way to go. Lightweight packable and useful.

This shovel is the best shovel on the market, by all these great reviews do i need to say anymore on how awesome it is! just buy it, you wont be let down

The Dozer gets it done. Digging snow cave, digging a clean snow pit wall for avalanche observations, digging out your buried buddy, digging out your car, digging an emergency shelter, and more and more... The tough as nails blade gets it done when you gotta blast thru hard pack and the (light) weight & size of the shovel means you will (hopefully) pack it every time. It's easy to take apart and stash in your pack and it's easy and fast to put together with gloves on in an emergency. It's versatility and ease of use have made it my go-to BC shovel.

I have used several shovels in the past. This one is my favorite for many reasons. First I was able to keep the shovel in tact with the shovel head and shaft connected, saving precious moments in a moment of need. The Shovel is also very light weight. The ability to switch from a traditional shovel attachment to a "hoe" style is really awesome. The "hoe" feature enables you to move a lot of snow quickly! The metal is very durable and the handle very comfortable in your hand. Best shovel ever!

When I am out snowmobiling I have a little more room in my pack for a larger shovel. That's why I like to pack the Dozer Hoe when I am sledding. Not only is it a great rescue device, but you can build jumps with it really quick too.

I took my Dozer up to St. Mary's Glacier in CO to test it out in the snow. The hoe and shovel both worked great at clearing out the snow. The hoe mode and handle at the end while in hoe mode were big reasons for getting this. I dug a pit just to test it out and was quite surprised when the handle broke while using the hoe mode. Looking at the angle, the slanted angle where the plastic handle meets the aluminum shaft seems to be on its shear plane. All I did was give the handle a small lift up to "pop" the snow out. Also, the handle and hook at the end seemed to hurt my hand more than help with grip. My gloves were able to hold it just fine, even without using the end handle. It seemed to also get in the way while shoveling too.

This is one solid shovel. The hoe/shovel option is especially handy for sweeping away large amounts of snow. Which is especially handy when you stick that snowmobile in deep fluff..... it's also exceptional for shoveling the driveway and digging up potatoes....but I don't recommend it.

I'll never go back to a non-hoe shovel again. There are a few others on the market but compared to some others I've used I prefer this one. The grips really make hoe-mode much easier to deal with than a straight shaft for a grip.

Dozer style shovels have been around, but the BCA D2 EXT is a step above some of the other earlier iterations. The shovel packs down to two pieces to stashing in the pack tools pocket, but is a slightly larger profile than say the BD Deploy 3. Bigger shovel profile = Moving more snow faster. Its incredible how much snow you can move quickly in dozer mode, be it digging a pit, running practice drills, or digging your car out of the parking lot at the end of a powder day. I have not had to use the product in a real rescue situation but it is incredibly sturdy and I have full confidence it would perform very well in avalanche debris.



My only knocks would be the weight and the fact that early in use it was fairly easy to get the handle portion caught in-between sliding on the shaft and locked into position. After some wrestling I worked the handle back in place, but it did result in some cold hands.

I used this shovel all season, the hoe mode is great for digging pits and for digging in powder, while the standard shovel mode is great for digging in firmer conditions. While skiing in a very steep couloir with lots of cliffs I had to climb back up to the top due to a cliff, which is usually all right because I have my ice axe but the snow was too deep and soft to use the axe, I discovered that when in hoe mode it can be used to climb up very steep slopes.