This is a great lightweight shovel for avalanche work/study. It easily packs yet digs a good pit. I like it a lot and am glad I purchased it. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to go into the backcountry completely prepared but not weighed down. The blue color makes it easy to find too!!

This little lightweight shovel is great! I used it in an advanced avalanche awareness class in February. It packed well in my daypack, assembled easily, dug the snow pit with vigor. The curved angle of the shovel blade makes shovel tests a little difficult. But if the slab is going to avalanche, it will regardless of your shovel angle. I really like the lightness of it for the backcountry. I will use it often!!

Not as long as a heavy-duty shovel, but very light. For snow-camping it's all I need for digging kitchens, shelters, etc. Have used in wet snow and late-season icy conditions, but thankfully have not yet had to use for avy rescue. I used to carry a plastic shovel for day-trips, but now just carry this, because the weight is the same and I trust the metal blade more.

I had a previous plastic shovel that was super light but the shovel busted when digging a snow pit, the BCA Traverse EXT Shovel is amazing. Just as light but super durable, I not only use it for B/C snowboarding, but also keep it in my jeep for my off roading adventures, mud or snow, the EXT Shovel gets the stuff out of the way.