Black Diamond Deploy 7 Shovel

Have used this shovel for the past few seasons. The all in one style is nice and easy. Quick to deploy and stows up tidy. Only draw back is the one extension, but you get used to it. Fits well in pack, at times its a better fit upside down. Light and durable. Good size for the daily backcountry enthusiast.

This shovel works great for what it is made to do. It fits well in most backcountry packs, especially the BD packs, It deploys very quickly, and the blade although not the biggest, is larger than many of the other models out there today. The main aspect that I like about this shovel is that the handle is always attached to the blade. This eliminates the problem of possibly losing your handle because it is strapped to your pack which I have seen happen multiple times before. It is a solid shovel and digs quite well so check it out

Great shovel reasonably small and easy to use

Great shovel reasonably small and easy to use

This shovel is nice because it is light and compact. The blade is a descent size to move snow. My ONLY gripe is the length of the handle, I find it a little short and wish there was more. 6'2".

Fit and finish of this shovel is very very "Black Diamond" - impressive.

This shovel is light, it compacts down to an extremely small size, and the blade is big enough to move a lot of snow very quickly. I use this to start all of my avy pits in the backcountry and it has not let me down.

I am in agreement with everyone here, this shovel is awesome. It fits into both bags I have (an Ortovox Freeride and a BCA Stash Pack) Very light and easy to use. I have used it for Avy courses, igloos, BC kickers and snow forts. Highly recommend!

Nice shovel. Light and folds up nice and small. I could fit it in my Bandit pack but it was tight. Probably not the best if you had to dig pits all day due to the short handle. Ended up with the Deploy 3 based on the type of terrain I normally skill and my tolerance for risk.

Good sized blade for moving snow quickly, but the handle is too short for me

The way it sits in my pack (handle up) the moment I pull it out, it's extended. You can't get any faster than that.
It also moves snow like a blower and is a wonderful tool for multidays aside from avy use. I've made beds, kitchens, kickers, everything you could want in the backcountry.
And it's light!

Got this shovel, was going to get the BD Deploy 3 shovel, but thought it would be too small. This fits in my Dakine Poacher Pack, with room to spare. I wanted this shovel because the handle really compacts. So I don't have to carry my handle on the outside, and having the chance of it getting ripped off. Also I don't even have to take the handle of which is important in those situations. Seems like a great shovel, which has great durability. And i'm sure it will last forever. If you want a great compact shovel that you can leave the handle on in almost any pack get this you'll love it.

My plastic lifelink is weak but very extendable and light. My metal BCA Tour System is strong but very short and impossible to use. This BD shovel has a large strong metal blade and is just long enough to be the perfect compromise. The curved handle really helps when prying out blocks of snow for shelters. If you ever plan on stomping on your shovel with ski boots like I do, do not even consider something plastic. This has worked well for AVY needs and snow-cave building. If all you want to do is shovel the driveway or build kickers all day then maybe something longer would work better if you are a taller dude.

Who knew a shovel could be so great? Definitely the perfect backcountry companion. Super light, convenient and durable. By far the best avy shovel I've ever had the luxury of using. Curved handle makes digging in tight spaces easy, collapsible handle is perfect, you never lose it. Fits well in all packs I've seen. You can't go wrong.

Who knew a shovel could be so great? Definitely the perfect backcountry companion. Super light, convenient and durable. By far the best avy shovel I've ever had the luxury of using. Curved handle makes digging in tight spaces easy, collapsible handle is perfect, you never lose it. Fits well in all packs I've seen. You can't go wrong.

This is a pretty burly shovel, don't worry about breaking it. Simple, and quick to "deploy," the spring buttons doesn't ice when you need to open or close it, and can be (opened/closed) easily with big gloves on which is important for those cold days. On one hand it's nice that the handle stores inside the blade, on the other hand, its large size and the handles curve make it a pain to store in a pack with a smaller avi pocket. It's also not the lightest thing around, but given its durability I think it's worth the weight. Someone else posted they use it in their car too, it's trusty enough that I do the same, if you aren't on a slope you really have to bend over because the handle is short and it doesn't extend...

Great shovel. Fits nice inside my Arc'teryx Silo 30 pack in the shovel pocket. Metal blade seems very durable as well as the handle. I like the idea of the handle sliding into the blade to prevent a lost handle. You can also take the handle completely off if desired. Orange and intense, darker than the picture backcountry has. 1111!!!

This shovel fits well in most packs. I have a Dakine Blade pack for day-trips and this easily fits in the dedicated outer shovel/probe pack. It is a burely design, but still light weight.

I think the shovel size is more than adequate for its intended use.

Only complaint would be that there is some play in the handle, but I do not think that it affects the use.

Obviously it is a short handle, but when shoveling you should be on your knees regardless!!

Definitely pick one up. You can't go wrong with Black Diamond.

Strong, fairly light, nice handle. Fits very well into a BD Outlaw Avalung pack in the front pocket. Serves it's purpose well, which is all that matters for avy gear.

Fits in my Dakine Heli back pretty well and works great when shoveling from a kneeling/low positive. The short extension is difficult if you are trying to stand while shoveling. Strong enough to handle ski boots jamming down on the top, and works for any number of snow activities.

This shovel fits nicely into my Agent pack and the stowaway design prevents losing parts. The blade is a nice size and once the handle is extended the shovel is very stiff. My only complaint is that the handle is short, but this is a fair trade off for a great compact shovel.

After finishing multi-month long climbing class I've used quite a bit of shovels. I've used this shovel to build a snow cave and hauled it up Rainier. Pro's: It's a bit wider than most...but that doesn't help much. It's also relatively light. Cons: The construction is rather sloppy with lots of play in the handle. I've found that I prefer the narrower shovels as they work just as well and are easier to fit in your pack. Also, the handle is shorter than most, so you have to bend down a little bit more.

Not only is this a great shovel to carry with you in the backcountry.....I also carry it in my vehicle for those just in case moments in the motor vehicle world..........This blade blasts through the snow...whether it be a car burial or a hope it never happens avalanche burial...........and the collapse of the shaft is a great design so that it fits perfectly in your Black Diamond pack.....I have the Bandit and the Outlaw........and it fits perfectly in both.

This shovel does deserve a design award. It is super compact and easy and quick to extend for use. The blade is a good size, but here in arises the problem of a short handle. The short handle means that there is less leverage over a larger surface area, so good luck trying to move all the snow the blade wants to move.

This is a good shovel. It is very compact and easy to deploy. The shaft is short but if you are on a steep slope while using it and will ne up to your knees/waist in snow it will be the perfect height for quick-paced shoveling. There are other shovels that have bigger spoons but this one is fast, light, strong, and easily packable. Do not ever buy a plastic shovel, they will break in wet cement snow and avalanche debris.

I won this shovel at the end of the season grill off at Silverton MTN. Have used it in my BC pack every since. Light weight and solid components make this a great addition to my quiver. Thanks Aaron and Jen.

This shovel is super tough! It worked great for my avy course. It fit really nice in my pack and the way it collapses is slick. My only complaint is that i wish that when it was fully extended, it was a little longer. Digging deeper pits seem to be more of a hassle.

Like everyone else has said, this is a very well built shovel that will serve you well. I originally bought the deploy 3, but returned it because everyone was complaining it was too small. I am not convinced that deploy 7 will be any better in an avalanche rescue (avalanches are heavy snow and thus a larger shovel may actually make it harder to move snow), but if you want to avoid your buddies complaining, I would go with the larger deploy 7.

The shovel is great, but it does not fit in the Covert Avalung Backpack shovel compartment.

I relocated from the sunny climes of Long Island to the frigid north of Saratoga Springs and had thrown the shovel into the front boot just in case. Three days in, 6 inches of heavy, packed snow and a new job to get to. Out came the Deploy 7 and it cut through snow, packed snow and ice effortlessly. I got to work on time and the site was closed. The shovel did a great job and i look forward to the early spring pack into the Tug Hill.

This shovel has won all types of design awards for good reason. It's light, strong and feels great when shoveling those snow crystals to a new location. Not to mention you can save a life with it, the best backcountry shovel!

This shovel is great i've only used it so far and hopefully only to bulid booters and dig pits. It's up for the task at hand faster than my buddies two piece shovels. The handle is shorter but effective the only complaint I can think of if the shovel is on the outside of your pack you can hear the handle "clanking" off the shovel head that's the only down fall and it's not even a good one. Thanks black diamond.

I haven't used this shovel to extract any avalanche victims (thankfully), but I have no doubt that it's up to the task. This shovel is nice and light (though necessarily somewhat bulky), has a blade size that balances snow movement with portability well, and has a very clever handle design. No more taking off your gloves to search through your pack for your shovel handle then spending more time assembling everything together. Just pull the Deploy from your shovel pocket and yank on the handle, the shovel does the rest. The handle is fairly short, so you're not going to want to use this thing all day, but for a quick snow cave, trench, or wind break around your tent, it works great, even in crusty hard snow. Regarding the handle "slop" noted by other reviewers, I honestly think this is something you'll notice in your living room when you open the package, but isn't noticeable or detrimental when actually using the shovel. Overall, I wouldn't hesitate to say that this is the finest back country snow shovel on the market.

Indispensible for me in the BC...Just pull out of your pack and your ready to dig. No messing around with different pieces, when time counts...Thanks BD, you guys rock...

I loved the concept of a quick-deploying shovel -- imagining myself in an avalanche scenario and not having to stumble to get things together. The problem is that Black Diamond went and put a spring-loaded pin in the upper-handle which locks the blade in the 'compressed' position. To 'deploy' the shovel you have to pinch this button and than with a little bit of wiggling pull/extend the unit. The whole thought of putting the upper pin seems to go directly against the quickness - especially if you're wearing mittens as I do.

Also, as some others have mentioned: there is a considerable amount of play in the shovel. The lower spring-loaded pin is what keeps things secure, but it could do for a second to eliminate the wiggle all together. I'm going to see if I can relocate the upper pin beside the lower thus solving both problems in one solution.

Just spent a week in the Canadian backcountry, and this shovel was great for what I needed. Light, simple, easy to use, wonderful handle design. What more could you want?

This shovel is sweet!! It is super light weight, very fast to get out and extend. The blade is a little small, I would not use it to build a booter or shovel the driveway, but for safety and digging when you need to, it works great.

This shovel is OK, but the small handle makes it difficult to really dig large amounts of snow with speed. It feels solid, is quite packable and is easily extended. I'd get a shovel with a longer handle for extended trips, but for first timers or those that just dabble in the side country/slack country, this works pretty darn well.

Lightweight, strong, and does the job! Love the smaller size, but wish the handle were just a little bit longer.