Black Diamond Deploy 3 Shovel

Great shovel. i really like the small size, it allows me to always leave the handle on the blade no matter what pack I am using. Shovels I have owned in the past have been too big to fit in an accessible area of my pack without taking the handle off of the blade. Putting the handle and blade back together is just another thing to fiddle with in the case of a burial. It seems that in terms of speed of digging a person out a larger shovel is only preferable in softer snow. Seeing as most avy debris is generally solid and dense I don't know how much a bigger shovel will really help. Maybe a little. If I was a ski guide and had to dig 10 pits a day I would definitely prefer a bigger shovel. One of the best features of this shovel is how the handle and blade extend and collapse easily into a tight little package. Cool design feels far stronger than other shovels I have used.

It is the lightest, fastest and most effective shovel I have used.

A really great design from BD. And most importantly, super burly and durable, too.
One complaint - is that it doesn't pack nearly as small and flat as a regular shovel, and I'm not sure if the time you save with the Deploy is worth it. Also would be nice to have an extending handle, this one is a bit short.

These are great for light carrying, but for quick digging and moving a lot of snow, this is far from the best shovel. It has a nice design for minimal carry space in a backpack though, and for that thank you BD.

These shovels are sized perfect. Light and reliable with a secure locking mechanism. Make sure you are carrying one!

This little shovel is small, which makes it the go to shovel for me for sidecountry, slackcountry, and anything where space is an issue. It doesn't move as much snow as a bigger shovel, but if you use it right, you can move a lot of snow fast. We built kickers with a couple of these and it takes no linger than normal, or we dig out our cars after long days of snow. I have also used it to aid in a recovery, and under pressure it preformed well. The square handle is easy to hold onto with wet or snow covered gloves. Awesome little shovel!

i got this as a cristmas present and it is awesome for building jumps and digging out snowcaves. lichtweight and packable, very nice shovel

While I hope you will never use the Deploy 3 in a real-life avi rescue situations, the shovel works perfectly in avi training--both in digging snow pits and digging out avi "victims." Some believe the blade is too small and the handle too short--wrong. The shovel's size allows you to pack it inside your pack, so the handle is not sticking out of the top of your pack or hanging outside of the pack to snag on something. And while you want a shovel in your pack and hope to never use it, you don't want it taking up too much room in the pack--Deploy fits perfectly and discretely. When in action, the small, lightweight size allows you to move more snow faster than a heavier, larger blade, because it is easier to handle. The large handle fits in heavy gloves. The Deploy 3 is one awesome shovel. If you need a shovel...stop looking, just purchase!

Easy to pack, easy to deploy, light enough to manage and burly enough to work. That about sums it up.

The curved shape of the shovel and retracting handle makes it fit in a backpack easily as it conforms to the shape of the pocket.
The retractable handle deploys quickly and easily with gloves on.
It's not too big or too heavy to make one miserable on the up
It's hard and solid so it'll dig your test pit, snow cave or our buddy out reliably and efficiently.

This is good for someone with short arms and not doing any deep burials because the blade is small

used it last night to dig a tent platform in a few feet of snow...worked great!

I love this shovel, it fits perfect in my black diamond bandit avalung pack. The shovel is well designed, having the handle collapse into the blade can save you some time when you need to most. It also won't weigh your pack down since its pretty light. I convinced a couple of my friends to purchase a deploy shovel and they are very happy with it as well. If you want a bigger blade than the deploy 3 go for the deploy 7.

Nice, strong, and packable. I'd still rather you have the deploy 7 (larger) if you were touring with me or digging me out.

a small shovel that packs a big punch. fits in all of my winter packs with or without the handle attached. great design and another quality bd product.

the shovel rocks. the aluminum is solid and when/if you shovel through rocks or super hard ice it just slices through like a hot knife through butter. I built an igloo with this thing a few weeks ago and my partner was using a plastic ortovox shovel - the difference between the two was amazing. his scoop was much smaller and thrust much less powerful. only downside is the nub that locks the handle to the scoop - it is sometimes difficult to depress and release (particularly with cold, tired hands).

super sturdy. super easy to deploy. super good lookin'. now if it were only cheaper than 10 cheap things, i'd own a bunch more — one for each car, child and wife (i only have one wife).

perfect size for a pack. i love good design.

It’s like and sturdy, a nice piece of avy gear. The concave of the shovel adds lots of strength over a standard flat shovel but this also makes packing it a little bit more tricky. Deploy 3 will fit in most backcountry snowboarding packs over 40L and if done carefully you will not lose any more space than you normally would, its just a bit tricky but the light weight and added strength is worth it in my opinion. I think Black Diamond is really on to something here and I would highly recommend the Deploy 3 to be in every ones standard avy gear.

It's not as big as what you use to clean out your driveway, but that's what you get selecting a compact, light shovel.

As my guide once put it: "Dude, I think I have shovel envy".

This shovel is compact, lightweight, well-designed,durable, and reasonably priced. For the avid b/c skier, this is all you need.

its strong and fast and cool lookin but its toooo short to dig fast. cool concept for people who dont really think theyre gonna need it but when you need it you will regret your decision.

It was lite, durable and perfect for winter wilderness camping.

Packable, strong, easy to use.

Blade is a bit smaller compared to other shovels. Due to compact size (a positive), the shovel handle's length is shorter than some other shovels currently in the market (negative).

All in all, it does the job. Moved snow just as quickly as other backcountry users.

Great shovel. Super light, sturdy and fits great in a pack. This is definitely the shove to get if your biggest concern is weight and size, followed by performance, followed by price. It doesn't move snow as much as a bigger shovel, and the handle is pretty short. I wouldn't go to it for a lot of heavy shovelling, or tons of practice, cause you will be bent over pretty far. But the handle is super strong, and slides in almost completely. This shovel is always in my pack in the snow now.

This is a good predictable shovel. Light and strong. Good price.

I bought this shovel because of the stellar reviews and BD reputation. However, today this shovel did not live up to the reviews or reputation. We had a friend go down today at S@T and was buried in about 4-5 feet. Luckily one of us saw him go down so we were quick to get there. I dropped my pack and got out my NEW BD Deploy 3 shovel and when I pulled out the handle to start digging the handle/shaft separated from the blade. I attempted to insert the shaft back in to the blade and it failed to lock again. When I looked to see what happened the locking pin had dislodged inside the shaft, which essentially turned the shovel into a scraper. Thankfully we had more than one shovel and were able to dig out our friend and revive him after CPR. In fairness, and the only reason I didn't rate with one star is that the other shovel was a BD deploy 7 which worked flawlessly. This is a great concept/design but needs a design modification to keep this from happening when you need it the most.

Great shovel - the 'deploy' function really works well. Handle extends really well and easily, and it doesn't feel like anything will get in the way of it. The mouth of the shovel is a good size and functions well.
Be aware, this handle is on the short side, which is good because it is compact. When doing avalanche practice I found it easiest to dig on my knees otherwise I'd be bending over significantly. Have a look at the Deploy 7 if you want something with a slightly longer handle.

Light weight, really easy to open and smaller in size than the deploy 7. Works great digging snow pits and shoveling the thick stuff. Nice design, very easy to open to full length but the only drawback is it is a bit more difficult to close, especially once there is ice build up on the notch. All in all this is still the best compact shovel i have used and highly recommend it for the lightweight backcountry skier/boarder

This is a great concept, but a longer shaft would be better. Sure, there is the theory that time is of importance in an emergency, but having a longer shaft is clutch when digging anywhere except for on a steep slope. Also, considering that most avalanches end up in stopping in wider, more mellow terrain, it would be worth arguing that you often aren't digging out a buddy on the steep slopes. Furthermore, the weight and size of avalanche debris often warrants the use of leverage to move blocks and other heavy snow/ice out of the way. A longer shaft is more efficient for this. All in all though, Black Diamond did make an awesome new tool, and I only hope they can improve upon it in the future.

The blade seems small when compared with other shovels but don't let that fool you. This shovel rocks. Awesome design, light, easy to use.

I can appreciate a piece of streamlined gear but; I'll give this shovel a 5 when it comes out w/ a 2 piece telescoping handle. It lacks some leverage to pop blocks on consolidated snow. And I hope you like diggin on your knees. Other than that it has back country written all over it. I am of the mind set that snow is heavy; and a small shovel will allow more rpm's, and less muscle, and throw snow farther.

From digging out your buddy to building big kickers this shovel does it all.

Great Shovel - but better suited for winter camping or spring ski mountaineering trips when avys are less likely. I prefer a larger blade for pit digging and possible rescue digging.

I can appreciate a piece of streamlined gear but; I'll give this shovel a 5 when it comes out w/ a 2 piece telescoping handle. It lacks some leverage to pop blocks on consolidated snow. And I hope you like diggin on your knees. Other than that it has back country written all over it. I am of the mind set that snow is heavy; and a small shovel will allow more rpm's and less muscle and throw snow farther.

The shovel is solid. It is light. It packs down tight - fit into my pack with no trouble at all. In fact, my pack was a bit full, but I was able to slip the shovel along the inside edge around some other stuff.

The one drawback to the shovel is it's length. It is short and you have to bend over when you use it. BUT - the only way to fix this is to buy a bigger shovel which would be heavier and not fit as well inside the pack.

I've had this shovel for 2 years now and it is the best one I've ever had. It is so compact and handy in any situation. When I go winter camping I use this shovel plenty of times to dig out a hole for my tent and building snow caves. I also take it to the slopes with my friends to build ski jumps and what not. Not to add that I actually had to dig my truck out of snow with it one time. This shovel is well constructed, durable, fits perfectly into a backpack, and is very sleek looking. This product is no doubt worth its price and will hold up in any situation.

Perfect size shovel, fit right in my backpack and was very sturdy.

Overall very satified with this shovel. It's sturdy, and easily fits in my 40L pack. The packed length of 18.1 inches is one of the reasons I purchased it. There is a little bit of play in the handle, but less than most shovels I looked at. It's not even noticeable when you're busy digging a pit. As an emergency avy shovel and to dig an occasional pit, it's perfect.

Small!!!!! Fits in almost everything. Nice design. Nice construction.

I think the mountains are afraid of this shovel....

Haven`t had to use it yet, thank god. I chose this one over other shovels because when the ish hits the fan I want a simple shovel. Pull the hand from the blade and you`re set. No digging in your pack looking for the handle or messing with those little metal buttons or tabs with gloved hands to put your shovel together. Just pull and go, the handle and blade stay together but collapse smaller than other shovels.

This shovel is *tiny*. I just got mine delivered, opened it up, and was amazed at how weetle it is. It's fine for me though but you may want to consider the Deploy 7 also, depending on your personal needs. Hope this helps.

I bought this shovel for a Mountain Travel Rescue class where we have to build and sleep in snow caves. The class hasnt happened yet but I look forward to using the shovel. It is super light and very compact. It fits awesomely into my Dakine Heli Pro backpack. I have room for a night or two worth of clothes still and some food which is perfect for this class.

Compact and easy to use. This fit nice into my Burton Glacier pack. Plus, you don't have to take it apart and put it back together, you just extend it. Who needs to worry about putting something together when you are in an emergency. It is not a huge volume shovel, but I've heard arguments for and against large shovels for rescues.

I replaced a more expensive shovel because the handle fell out of my pack during a snowmobile trip. This shovel is perfect for storing in my pack because it collapses into itself and I don't have to worry about losing the handle or shovel. The length is just short enough that it will fit in the outside pocket of my HeliPro pack with the top fastened down.

The aluminum shovel is much more durable than the plastic versions. I highly recommend this shovel for a snowmobile/avalanche shovel.

I've been doing backcountry skiing for only 2 seasons, counting on my friends to dig me out if necessary. Finally got a shovel to use in an emergency. So far I've used it only to dig out a car stuck in a snow bank and to dig out my mailbox, and to practice using it, but it cuts easily through packed crud, and despite its size, I could move quite a bit of snow quickly. I can understand how some people would want a bigger shovel, but if it's between carrying a shovel or not, this seems like a great choice. And when you are not off piste, it makes a great emergency shovel for your car.

I have used this shovel multiple times during rescue practice and it works perfectly. I was a little skeptical about the smaller size and push button locking features, but the shovel moves snow adequately and the push button features work well even with gloves on. Plus, it fits great into my small (18L) pack.

It's the demi-tasse spoon that turns into an ice slicing snow tornado machine. Get one!

I've used this shovel for two winters and love its compact size. I use the Osprey Switch 36 and last winter I got in the habit of removing the handle when I put it in my pack because it fits better... leaving the handle attached makes it somewhat bulky.

For the comments about small shovels and moving snow, I can dig someone out plenty fast with this shovel. Just because you have a bigger blade, doesn't mean you can heave heavy, compact avalanche debris any better and certainly not faster.

Love the design of the BD Deploy shovel, but recently attended an avalanche safety course, and someone else had the Deploy 7, which was a much better size for moving snow, with not much difference in the backpack (BD Outlaw).

I'm definitely upgrading to the 7 (and would hope anyone rescuing me had it, not the 3).

Very, very solid....no worries there. Only beef is that it's a little on the small side...If I were burried, I would want my buds to have the Deploy 7 in hand. Guess that's the tradoff with packability. It fits just fine in my BCA Stash BC Rider.

This is a great shovel. I thought that I would be suffering because I went for the metal over the lexan one but I'm not. It fits perfectly in my Ortovox pack.

This shovel is great and is the best available. Heres why: 1. collapsable, this makes it easy to pack. If you dont bring it, it is worthless. 2. Aluminum blade, for years shovels were made with lexan blades. These sucked when trying to dig through wet concrete snow. 3. "T" handle. It is easy to get a hold off and makes work move quickly.

fits perfectly into my avalung backpack. nice and light.

Just came back from a trip down South. This shovel was amazing. No worries about it bending or snapping off in your hands when digging through crud. Beefy design, with a comfortable bend in the handle. Slightly heavier than other shovels that I have owned, but well worth a few extra ounces!

Used the shovel a number of times, one case digging some one out and a number of others digging my car out in Silverton. Sturdy and convenient, though not quite as compact as i anticipated. Little bit of play when the handle is extended, but not a concern. would recommend to anyone looking for a well designed smaller blade, anything smaller and I think you'd be sacrificing too much.

cheers

After a winter with this shovel I'm very happy with my purchase. I've dug several snow caves and it's a good size for working in tight quarters. It packs well in either one of my backpacks and the weight is not an issue. I toss this shovel in my Jeep any time I think I may run into snow, haven't had to dig out yet! I'll probably purchase the long handled version of this shovel because when I need to move a lot of snow I find myself kneeling to save my back.

This shovel works well for everything you may need. It's small so it's very packable. It's durable so you don't need to be afraid of the blade bending or breaking. And it is very light so you can easily carry it into the backcountry to cut blocks for a jump or just have it around to save a friend in danger.

Very cool design on shovel. Deploys easily. Small size is a plus for smaller people using smaller packs. Fits perfectly in Dakine Heli Pro small size pack. Down side is the shovel is small.

This shovel is high quality, that is for sure, bit I expected a bigger scoop. I feel like it is only just sufficient and I will use it only as a back up and randonee shovel. I will not take it for a call out as it is not up to the task of moving snow quickly

Here is a shovel that finally meets the demands of all winter enthusiasts. It is tough as hell and designed just right. No slip grips that work with mitts and a telescoping handle that fits out of the way. Finally someone got it right!!!!

Very light, fits great in my pack, and you don't have to fumble to put it together.

The moment I saw this shovel, I knew I would buy it. It is just too cool.