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

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.

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.

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.

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!

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).

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

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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).

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!!!!

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.

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.

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

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

fits perfectly into my avalung backpack. nice and light.

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.